Issuu

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 I 9 Shawwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 311 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

PM Shehbaz to leave for london aS nawaz SuMMonS Party’S toP braSS g

PML-N HUDDLe To DISCUSS eARLy eLeCTIoNS

ISLAMABAD

Mian abrar

RIMe Minister Shehbaz Sharif is all set to fly to London immediately to attend a crucial meeting summoned by his elder brother and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif. PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — who is already in London — and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb have confirmed the visit.

‘MISHANDLINg’ oF PoLITICAL, eCoNoMIC ISSUeS To Be DISCUSSeD

Abbasi said that PM Shehbaz and other party leaders had requested Nawaz to call a consultative meeting. The party sources said Nawaz is upset with the rising popularity of former premier Imran Khan and poor performance of Shehbaz Sharif government. “economy is biggest challenge for elder Sharif and since the situation is deteriorating by each day passing, Nawaz Sharif plans to hold early elections,” the sources said.

The sources said that the ‘mishandling’ of political and economic issues is to be discussed at the part meeting. It merits mention that Shehbaz Sharif’s visits to Saudi Arabia and UAe have failed to garner any immediate success while the recent talks with the IMF for US$ 8 billion have also failed to make a headway. This has further complicated the economic situation as stock exchange is tumbling and dollar exchange rate is also skyrocketing. The sources said that

Nawaz wanted to consult the party leadership over the issue and he has also turned down a request by Shehbaz Sharif to hold an online meeting of the party leadership. “The PML-N is expected to make a ‘big decision’, which is why he rejected the proposal to have an online meeting,” the sources said. It may be mentioned that party leader Ishaq Dar has already told media that the PMl-N would hold elections in october this year and any delay in polls would further damage the party. “A discussion regarding the strategy on the prices of petroleum products will be held with Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar,” the sources said. Moreover, decisions regarding power-sharing, the next general election, and the Punjab cabinet will also be taken during the meeting. Last month, the PML-N supremo had met PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — a key ally in the ruling coalition — in London to discuss ways forward after a “constitutional victory for democracy, the rule of law and supremacy of parliament”. The two leaders had agreed to work closely to “repair the rot across the board,” read a joint statement.

PTI and army keeping Pakistan together: Imran Khan JHELUM staff report

PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday said his party and the country’s armed forces were the two forces “keeping Pakistan together”, as he lashed out at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The PTI chairman has held a series of jalsas in different cities, including Karachi, Mianwali, Lahore, and Peshawar, as he rallies his party workers and leaders against the government ahead of the Islamabad march. In his address to the Jhelum jalsa, Khan said PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz were speaking against the army, he wasn’t. “But you, Shehbaz Sharif, are saying that I am speaking against the army?” Khan said in response to the premier’s notice on the PTI chairman’s recent Abbottabad speech. Berating the PML-N leaders, the ex-prime minister said during his tenure, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did “not dare” to speak against Pakistan’s army. “Did Nawaz Sharif or Shehbaz Sharif ever speak on Kashmir?” the PTI chairman questioned, as he mentioned that during his visit to Russia, he had asked President

Vladimir Putin for providing Pakistan oil at a cheaper rate. Khan said the Russian president had “agreed” to provide oil at a 30% cheaper rate to Pakistan, “but will Shehbaz Sharif dare to buy the oil from Russia?” The PTI chairman said America does not meddle in India’s affairs — despite it buying oil from Russia — as New Delhi has an independent foreign policy. “But slaves cannot stand up for the nation.” The PTI chairman reiterated US Under Secretary Donald Lu told Pakistan’s ambassador that if Khan were to be removed from the prime minister’s office, then “everything will be forgiven”. “He said that if [I] am not re-

moved, then Pakistan will face grave consequences,” the PTI chairman told his party workers, adding that following this, a “conspiracy” was launched to remove him from office. The PTI chairman said when “cherry blossom” was placed as the prime minister, the nation “rose” against that government. Taking a jibe at PML-N chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Khan said that he was of the view that his party would take up a ministry related to education. “But [his party] took up the ministry of communications which develops streets and highways — and through it, they will make [illicit] money,” Khan said, as he referred to Maulana Asad Mehmood, who is Fazl’s son and the

Cabinet approves import of 3m metric tonnes of wheat ISLAMABAD staff report

The federal cabinet has accorded approval to the import of three million metric tonnes of wheat. Briefing the media persons about the decisions taken by the federal cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair on Tuesday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said the prime minister also directed to introduce an incentivised agricultural policy that would enable the country to curtail wheat import. She said the cabinet also approved revocation of multiple foreign passports under the Passport Act, 1974. She said the cabinet decided that such passports should not only be revoked but also a strategy should be adopted to prevent this practice in future. Last date for the cancellation of dual foreign passports is 31 December of this year. She said till the date all procedural and administrative arrangements will be finalised to take legal action against dual foreign passport holders. The cabinet also decided to continue the fixed rates of flour and sugar under the Ramazan package. Under the package, the price of a

minister of communications. The ex-prime minister lashed out at the government and said the federal cabinet — comprised of “convicts” — would visit London to meet a “coward” — PML-N Nawaz Sharif. “Nawaz Sharif is a coward and a thief who flees abroad whenever he gets the chance,” Khan said, as the prime minister, cabinet members, and PML-N leaders are set to leave for London, with sources saying that “a big decision” is on the cards. The ousted prime minister told PM Shehbaz that he did not criticise the armed forces as they were a crucial force that was holding the country together. “Two things are holding Pakistan together — army and PTI,” Khan said. Before Imran Khan’s address, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi spoke to the participants of the jalsa and said that PM Shehbaz used to say he would stand with Khan if the “threat letter” turned out to be true. The ex-former minister said that PM Shehbaz termed the threat letter false. “Why did PM Shehbaz call the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting twice if the letter was false,” he questioned. Asking Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari if he made any statement regarding India’s denial of the Indus Basin Treaty, Qureshi said that the country is facing a water crisis. He further said that Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz’s government is about to end. “These 25 turncoats will be sent to their homes and so will you [Hamza],” added Qureshi.

20-kg bag of flour was reduced from Rs950 to Rs800, similarly the price of sugar was reduced from Rs85 per kg to Rs70 per kg. In this regard, the prime minister directed to ensure its full implementation. The information minister said that Prime Minister Sharif has completely banned the export of sugar. She said the ban is aimed at ensuring the smooth supply of sugar in the country at an affordable price. She said sufficient stock of sugar is available in the country to meet the demand till the completion of this season. Marryium Aurangzeb said the cabinet was briefed on the prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab emirates. She said it was the first time a government made a visit to these two brotherly countries with a complete strategic partnership plan. She said under this plan, investments will be made in different programmes through joint ventures. The minister said the federal cabinet approved the appointment of Fawad Asadullah Khan as director general of Intelligence Bureau (IB). The cabinet also accepted the resignation of Lieutenant general (retd) Muzammil Hussain from the post of chairman WAPDA.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

German organization keen to invest in cyber security technology STORY ON PAGE 02

Student picked up in connection with KU bombing probe released STORY ON PAGE 03

President Alvi for judicial commission to probe ‘regime change conspiracy’ STORY ON BACK PAGE

China wants quick probe into Karachi attack, envoy tells minister STORY ON BACK PAGE

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

GErman orGanIzaTIon kEEn To InvEsT In CybEr sECurITy TEChnoloGy

Ghulam abbas

German semi-government organization on Tuesday has shown its interest for investment in cyber security technology in Pakistan. The German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK), which is a German semi-governmental organization and member of the world-wide German

Chambers Network, has expressed its intention to invest in cyber technology, officials at Board of Investment (BoI) claimed here on Tuesday. The AHK promotes and supports trade relations between Germany and the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain and in particular supports German companies in building up and extending their business in the region. The development was shared during a

TTP extends ceasefire for five days The ceasefire reached between the Pakistan Army and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on the account of Eidul Fitr has been extended by the latter for another five days, a news outlet reported on Tuesday. According to the report, there will be a ceasefire till May 15 between the two sides. The TTP announced this in an order issued by its military commission on Tuesday. The militant outfit also warned its fighters against defying the order, directing them to avoid skirmishes with security forces till further orders. It may be noted here that the Taliban and the military had reached a ceasefire on account of Eid for 10 days. On May 7, a grand jirga in South Waziristan formed a 35-member committee to broker talks between the army and the TTP after the deadline given by security forces to evacuate the area in order to carry out an operation to cleanse it of threats expired. The army had given a deadline to the Mehsud tribe to evacuate the area so that they could conduct an operation. News Desk

ECP can seize funds if proved wrongfully taken, argues PTI lawyer isLamabad: The PTI lawyer said that the Election Commission of Pakistan could seize funds if the charge of forbidden funding was proved against a party but it was not authorized to dissolve the guilty party. A threemember bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the forbidden foreign funding case against Pakistan Teheek-i-Insaf on Tuesday. During the hearing, PTI lawyer Anwar Mansoor presented his arguments on the scrutiny committee report. He said that the committee condoned the authenticity of the evidence being brought forward by the petitioner. He said the scrutiny committee utterly failed in this regard. He prayed to the commission to look into the credibility and authenticity of the evidence that was presented. The PTI lawyer rued that the impression was being created that the PTI was a party which relied on foreign funding and that the funding should be called forbidden funding, and not just the foreign funding. An ECP member inquired if funding came from a citizen of a foreign country, should it be regarded as forbidden? Mr Mansoor contended if funding was secured in order to damage the sovereignty and security of the state then the Supreme Court would decide about the matter. The election commission is only authorized to see whether the forbidden funding was accepted or not by a certain party, the lawyer said adding that the commission could not go beyond that. The PTI lawyer further argued that if the charge of forbidden funding was proved, then the commission could seize it, but it did not have the jurisdiction to dissolve the party which accepted the forbidden funding. staff RepoRt

meeting between Secretary BOI Fareena Mazhar and Christian Boettcher, First Secretary, Embassy of Germany in Pakistan who along with Muhammad Usman, Pakistan Representative at AHK visited the BoI on Tuesday to discuss cyber security technology investment opportunities in Pakistan. As per a statement issued after the meeting, the First Secretary informed that three German companies have decided to invest in Pakistan and have already registered

themselves. Boettcher and Usman were appreciative of the potential of Pakistan’s IT sector and said that they will soon be sharing their business proposals with BoI. They further added that they intend to organize a business event of German companies in Pakistan by the end of June (subject to Covid-19 situation) and shared that the purpose of the event will be matchmaking with Pakistani SMEs. During the meeting the outcomes of the

recent German delegation’s visit to Pakistan were also discussed. Elaborating the opportunities available in cyber security, Fareena Mazhar shared that Pakistan’s information technology (IT) industry is among the top 5 net exporters of the country. She said that there is zero Income Tax on IT exports till June 2025 with 100% equity allowed for foreign investors.

Imran urges top court to take notice of violation of Constitution News Desk Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to take notice of what he termed as a “blatant violation” of the Constitution and law in Punjab after a federal government notification saw Omar Sarfraz Cheema removed as the province’s governor. He demanded the top court take “immediate notice of the blatant violation of the Constitution and the law in Punjab”. Earlier, the federal government issued the notification in the early hours of Tuesday, on the heels of a “strong rejection” of a summary by President Arif Alvi calling for Cheema’s removal from the governor’s office. “Imported puppets are stirring up constitutional anarchy and chaos in Punjab,” Imran said. “First, a criminal puppet was imposed on the province as a chief minister through a ghost election. Now, keeping all constitutional requirements aside, the office of the president has been insulted.” He condemned what he termed as an embarrassing attempt to remove the Punjab governor because of his insistence on protecting the Constitution. The former premier said that the “blatant violation” of the Constitution in Punjab was being watched in silence, therefore, the Supreme Court must take suo motu notice of the situation, given its sensitivity. Meanwhile, Omer Sarfraz Cheema rejected the Cabinet Division notification for his removal, terming it “unconstitutional”. In a tweet, Cheema said the president had rejected the summary in light of the “extraordinary” situation, and yet the Cabinet Division’s “unconstitutional”

notification was issued. He added that he was consulting constitutional experts and would soon announce his future course of action. According to the Constitution, the president can hold a summary sent by the premier for 14 days without a decision. On the expiry of the period, the prime minister may re-endorse his advice in this respect and the president can hold his decision for

another 10 days. After this period, the governor will stand removed and the prime minister is authorised to appoint a new governor. While deadlock on the matter continued, Cheema was removed from office, with a late night notification of the Cabinet Division stating that Cheema has ceased to hold office on the advice of the prime minister sent to the president on April 17 and reinforced on May 1. The notification added that the Punjab Assembly speaker shall perform the functions of the governor till the appointment of an incumbent, in accordance with the Article 104 of the Constitution. Punjab aGP demands suo motu action: Meanwhile, Advocate General Punjab (AGP) Ahmed Awais demanded the country’s top court to take suo motu over the alleged undermining of President Arif Alvi’s authority. Without naming, AGP Awais also requested “all forces” to come out to protect Pakistan. “If the Supreme Court of Pakistan can take suo motu notice on a holiday, then why could a suo motu not be taken following the ongoing constitutional crises wherein the authority of the president of Pakistan has been undermined,” said AGP Awais. The Punjab AGP urged the apex court to exercise its authority under Article 184 of the Constitution and come forward to resolve the prevailing circumstances as it is a matter of Pakistan’s sovereignty. Not only the constitution was violated but also the image of the presidential slot was tarnished, he added. “If the Constitution lives, then Pakistan lives. If there is no Constitution, then its repercussions will prove harmful for the country,” the Punjab AGP warned.

IHC issues notice to ECP, AAG News Desk The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on a plea against “judiciary like powers given to the commission”. Earlier on May 8, Advocate Daniyal Khokhar, through senior lawyer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Babar Awan, had filed a petition in the high court, challenging sections 4, 9 and 10 of the Election

Act, 2017, seeking the annulment of judiciary like powers given to the commission. The court was pleaded to restrain the commission from exercising its judicial powers till a decision on the petition was taken. Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition. Counsel Awan prayed that the power of the ECP to punish and issue orders for contempt should be declared null and void. “There are five constitutional high courts and the Supreme Court in the country. The state institution

cannot be equal to the constitutional courts,” Awan prayed in the petition. “Sections 4, 9, and 10 of the ECP Act 2017 should be declared null and void.” The high court also issued notice to the attorney general of Pakistan for assistance. The chief justice said that the Supreme Court has interpreted ECP’s powers in a recent decision. “A two-member bench of the Supreme Court has said that the Election Commission is not a court but it can exercise its powers,” the judge added. “Assist the court on how the petitioner is an affected party.”

PM Shehbaz orders immediate restoration of NCOC News Desk Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered the restoration of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) after Pakistan reported the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. The NCOC was established in March 2020 by the PTI-led government to oversee its response to the coronavirus pandemic. It was dissolved by the PTI government last month after Covid cases in the country subsided. A day ago, the National Institute of Health (NIH) had revealed that the first case of the new variant has been detected in the country. On Tuesday, the PM took notice of the new variant and its growing cases, and sought a report from the NIH over the current Covid19 situation. According to the NIH data, 64 new cases of the virus were reported across the country in the last 24 hours and their positivity rate was 0.49 per cent. As many as 92 patients were receiving critical care. The new Omicron sub-variant is a descendant of the earlier super-contagious “stealth Omicron” and has quickly gained ground in the US.

BA.2.12.1 was responsible for 29 per cent of new US Covid-19 infections in April’s third week, according to data reported by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. And it caused 58 per cent of reported infections in the New York region. The variant has been detected in at least 13 other countries, but the US has the highest levels of it so far. Scientists say it spreads even faster than stealth Omicron. It is pertinent to mention here that the

NCOC and Pakistan’s Covid-19 pandemic response has been lauded since the day the virus was first reported in the country. Earlier in March, a report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme placed Pakistan among the countries that have done fairly well in the fight against the Covid19 pandemic. It noted that on March 23, 2022, the cost of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population in Pakistan was 13.95 per cent of the country’s current health expenditure.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

sTudEnT PICkEd uP In ConnECTIon wITh ku bombInG ProbE rElEasEd

NEWS

Former sindh governor Ishratul Ebad urges President alvi to help evolve national unity kaRaChI

News Desk

iNp

AlOCH Council Chairperson Ahsan Baloch on Tuesday said that the security agencies have released Bebgar Imdad, a Baloch student who was taken into custody in connection with a suicide blast at the University of Karachi (KU) on April 26, according to a news outlet. Bebgar Imdad, a student at Numl in Islamabad and a native of Balochistan’s Kech area, was picked up on April 27 from Punjab University (PU), where he was visiting a relative in hostel no.7. Subsequently, Baloch Council activists had staged a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor’s office at PU, demanding Imdad’s release. Other civil rights activists had also joined the chorus calling for the student’s release. Ahsan said that they would now end the sit-in and planned to hold a press conference. Earlier, a petition seeking Imdad’s recovery was filed by

his cousin in the lahore High Court, which was informed by the city police on Monday that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had arrested Imdad in connection with the KU blast. This was stated in a report that city

police had submitted to the lHC on the court’s directives. The report said PU chief security officer retired Colonel Abdullah was contacted by the lahore police for verification of an application filed against the alleged abduction.

However, the report added, the security officer confirmed the arrest of the student by the CTD. The report said the security officer had assisted the police team in arresting Imdad.

Disqualification reference: PTI rebels submit response with ECP IslamabaD staff RepoRt

Dissident assembly members of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have submitted their written replies to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a reference seeking their disqualification. The ECP held a hearing on the disqualification reference of dissident members of the National Assembly. A three-member bench headed by the Chief Election Commission Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawyer Faisal Chaudhry took a stand to respond and asked for more material in the case, to which the Chief Election Commissioner questioned whether the material was not attached with the reference. Faisal Chaudhry said that no reply has been submitted by Amir liaquat, now the commission is a tribunal, how

can it function without evidence. The counsel for the dissident members objected to further material

and offered to decide on the admissibility of the reference first. The PTI lawyer further said that the

declaration of MNAs is separate, MNAs joined another party, give me a chance to present material. “I’m presenting all public documents,” he added. When the Chief Election Commission asked the reason for not submitting evidence with reference, Faisal Chaudhry said that the evidence was not for the members but for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In response to a query from a member of Sindh, the PTI lawyer said that the defiant members joined another party after which show-cause notices were issued to them. The CEC said that he would decide on the admissibility of the reference first. Meanwhile, Deviant members of the Punjab Assembly submitted reply to the ECP while PTI lawyers requested to suspend the membership of 25 members of the Punjab Assembly. later, the hearing was adjourned till May 13.

Lawmaker to remain disqualified until court cancels it: SC IslamabaD ageNcies

Justice Ijazul Ahsan said on Tuesday that a lawmaker would remain disqualified until a court cancelled the declaration for his disqualification. He made the comments as a five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and also comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, resumed hearing the presidential reference seeking the apex court’s interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution, which is related to disqualification of lawmakers over defection. During today’s hearing, PTI’s lawyer Babar Awan presented his arguments on behalf of party chief Imran Khan. He argued that those who were defaulting on the payment of their utility bills were also not eligible to become a member of parliament. “If the time period is not determined then the disqualification is for life,” he contended. At this, Justice Mandokhail asked whether the lawmaker would continue to remain disqualified if they paid their outstanding utility bills before the next election. Justice Ahsan said that the lawmakers’ disqualification would end once the outstanding dues are paid. Only disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) — which sets the precondition for a member of parliament to be “sadiq and ameen” (honest and righteous) — is life-long, he observed. But, he added, that the “disqualification

will remain in place until the declaration is cancelled by the court”. “Disqualification for the non-payment of utility bills cannot be for life,” Justice Ahsan added. Awan went on to say that it was an affront to Article 63-A if a lawmaker was de-seated and then returned to parliament within 15 days to perhaps become a minister. Justice Mandokhail replied by telling Awan to carry out law reforms. “The door of repentance is always open,” he stated. Justice Miankhel called on the counsel to read Article 63(1)(g) of the Constitution. “You are asking us to declare dissident lawmakers disqualified for life,” he said, to which Awan replied that it was a “serious crime”. “In my eyes, the violation of Article 63(1)(g) is a more serious crime,” Justice Miankhel replied, adding that it concerned the ridiculing of the judiciary and the army as well as the ideology of Pakistan. Article 63(1)(g) says that a member of the parliament stands disqualified from the membership of the parliament if he has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for propagating any opinion, or acting in any manner, that is prejudicial to the integrity or independence of the judiciary of Pakistan, or which defames the judiciary or brings it into ridicule. The observation by the judge comes amid criticism of the judiciary by the PTI chairman, who has been questioning why courts opened their doors late in the night before his ouster as prime minister through a no-confidence motion. The judiciary has defended its actions, with the Islamabad High Court

stating that matters of extreme urgency can be brought to the attention of the court at any time. During the hearing, Justice Akhtar also asked how Article 63-A was related to Article 62(1)(f). Awan replied that his argument was that Article 63-A itself disqualified dissident lawmakers for life. “Should 26 lawmakers be allowed to abandon the party?” he asked. In this way, the party with the majority would come in the minority, he said. “You want the (interpretation of) Article 63-A to be so rigid that no lawmaker can defect,” Justice Ahsan observed. The PTI counsel argued that a “surgical strike” was inserted in Article 63-A under the 18th Amendment to get rid of the cancer that was defection. He added that the 18th Amendment was unanimously passed by parliament. At one point, he also gave the reference of the SC verdict which legitimised former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf’s martial law. “The apex court gave Musharraf the power to amend the Constitution,” he said, adding that the powers of the court were unlimited. “Some say the judiciary should be independent while others say it should be subservient to the Constitution. Parliament, the judiciary and the executive should all be subservient to the Constitution,” Justice Mandokhail said. Only the judiciary can ensure everyone is subservient to the Constitution, Awan responded. The judiciary not only interprets the Constitution but also makes laws clear with its decisions, he said.

Former Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with President Dr. Arif Alvi. In a phone call, the two leaders discussed the current political situation of the country, said sources. The former Sindh governor and MQM-Pakistan leader advised President Alvi to play his role for national unity amid the tense political situation in the country. He also proposed President Arif Alvi for holding a grand dialogue by uniting all political parties on one platform. “President House is a symbol of unity,” he told Alvi and urged him to play his due role for national unity. Both leaders also agreed on keeping national institutions away from ongoing political discourse in the country, said sources. It may be noted here that the former governor of Sindh is presently based in UAE and held meetings and telephonic conversations with different political leaders in recent times. Back in January this year, former governor Ishratul Ebad and Sindh’s minister Nasir Shah had discussed local government law and other issues in a telephonic conversation. “The government of Sindh should strengthen the local government system with improvement in institutions and provision of funds,” he suggested. “Hopefully the Sindh government will review the amendments in local council’s law and try to make it better,” he had said.

hamza asks Punjab governor to remove advocate general News Desk Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz has forwarded a summary to the Punjab governor seeking the removal of Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais from the coveted post, a news outlet reported on Tuesday. According to the report, in his summary signed by the law secretaries, the chief minister has asked Additional Advocate General Akhtar Javed to take charge as the acting advocate general. The CM’s principal secretary also forwarded this summary to the principal secretary of the governor. The summary for the removal of the AG comes at a time when sacked Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has refused to relinquish the office despite his removal by the federal government through notification. Cheema had termed the notification “unconstitutional” and said he would announce his future strategy after consultation with constitutional experts. The federal government had sent a summary for the removal of governor Cheema to the president on April 17. As per the Constitution, the summary would take effect automatically without any decision from the president after the stipulated time period. After the completion of the constitutional period of the summary, the Cabinet Division issued the notification announcing his removal.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS ATC defers verdict on jurisdiction in Nazim Jokhio murder case KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday deferred its decision on the fate of the challan in the Nazim Jokhio murder case till May 12 after the prosecution and the investigating officer argued that the case was not related to terrorism and should instead be tried in a sessions court. Nazim’s tortured body was found at a farmhouse belonging to PPP MPA Jam Awais last year in November. The victim’s brother, Afzal Jokhio, had nominated Awais and his older brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim as well as their guards for murdering 26-yearold Nazim. The deceased had earned the ire of the lawmakers for stopping their foreign guests from hunting houbara bustard, a rare bird species, according to the first information report (FIR). In the last hearing on April 29, Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Sirajuddin Lashari said the case did not pertain to an act of terrorism and sought its transfer from an antiterrorism court to an ordinary sessions court. Today, the ATC judge was set to announce the verdict reserved on the matter of jurisdiction of the incumbent court to conduct the trial. At the outset of the hearing today, Advocate Jibran Nasir, who represented the National Human Rights Commission, said that his client had filed a revision application with the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the incumbent court’s April 29 order. He said that the NHRC’s locus standi to become an intervener in the trial proceedings would be decided after deciding the jurisdiction of the case. NewS DeSk

ECC approvEs import of morE whEat

MonItorIng rePort

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved 4.5 MMT (million metric tonnes) of wheat import, depending upon the demand of the PASSCO and provincial governments to build up strategic reserves and to stabilise wheat prices in the country. The approval was given in a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Mr. Miftah Ismail on Monday. Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, Fed-

eral Minister for Industries & Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, Federal secretaries and senior officers attended the meeting. Ministry of National Food Security tabled a summary for procurement of additional quantity of wheat for PASSCO and Punjab Food department with cash credit limits to build up strategic reserves and to stabilize local wheat market. PASSCO and Punjab have met their wheat procurement targets of 1.20 MMT and 3.5 MMT respectively. The meeting allowed PASSCO to pro-

cure an additional quantity of 0.50 MMT with the CCL of Rs. 28.50 billion and permitted Punjab Food Department to procure

additional quantity of 1.00 MMT with the CCL of Rs. 145.50 billion in the wake of low production of wheat in the country due to previous government’s failure to provide fertilizers to the growers on time. Further, the ECC also allowed the Sindh government to procure an additional quantity of wheat, once it meets the current procurement target. The ECC considering the current world scenario, its effects on the world economy and demand-supply situation of wheat in the country, approved 3.00 MMT of wheat import on a need basis. The finance minister further directed the concerned authorities to frame modalities for financing and procurement.

FPCCI demands incentives for businesses to remain competitive APP The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Monday urged the government to tangibly incentivize and subsidize industrialization, import substitution, exploration of new import markets for competitive imports, IT

exports and facilitate small and medium enterprises in the exportoriented industries for the nearterm gains. FPCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, in a statement, also made it clear that the access to finance should be made affordable to create an enabling environment for the businesses to remain competitive in the regional and international markets. He said the country witnessed some $ 39.3 billion trade deficit in last 10 months. “It translates into approximately $4 billion per month on an average and will be close to $50 billion when the year ends,” he added.

The FPCCI chief noted that the growth rate in imports was double than that of the exports. It had nullified the diligent hard work of the exporters in the current fiscal year to earn the precious foreign exchange for the country. He said the time had come to take tough decisions swiftly to support exporters as the State Bank’s foreign exchange reserves of $10.5 billion were not even sufficient to cover two months of imports. Imports for the period of July 2021- April 2022 stood at $65.5 billion, which showed an enormous and unsustainable increase of $20.8 billion in absolute terms,

he added. The last government, he said, had estimated that the total imports in the fiscal year 2021-22 would be $55.2 billion, but instead the same touched $65.5 billion till April 2022. “This phenomenon needs to be thoroughly assessed and analyzed in the broader national interest and strategic measures should be put in place to ensure the very economic security of the country,” he added. He maintained that the exporters had performed exceedingly well in the current fiscal year as they had exported roughly 25 percent more on an year-onyear basis and could continue to

do so in the next year as well, provided the government creates an enabling environment through curtailing cost of doing business, improving the ease of doing business environment, ensuring reliable and affordable electricity and gas supplies to the industry, stabilizing exchange rate and presenting a business-friendly budget in consultation with the stakeholders. He said only enhancing the exports and bridging the trade gap had the potential to help stabilize the economy, put a halt to rupee depreciation, create millions of jobs and generate hundreds of billions in taxes.

KPRA to start registration drive in northern areas AzIz BunerI To facilitate taxpayers at their doorsteps, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) will start a two-week-long registration drive in northern areas from Wednesday. On the directives of Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) Fayyaz Ali Shah teams from KPRA would set up mobile registration camps at various locations where anyone associated with services sector can visit and register their business with the Authority. USAID’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Mobilization Activity is assisting KPRA in con-

ducting the drive which will be started from Haripur district on Wednesday and be concluded on May 20th. The teams will visit business premises of service providers in Galiyat, Manshera, Naran, Kaghan, Batakundi and Balakot areas during the drive. “We are conducting the registration drive to facilitate our people and to ease their job. Anyone associated with services sector can visit our mobile registration centers and get their businesses registered with the KPRA,” said Fayyaz Ali Shah in his message. KPRA has already conducted registration drives across the Mardan region, southern

region and Peshawar in the current financial year with the aim to facilitate its taxpayers. Teams of KPRA would be present at the mobile registration centers during the registration drive and anyone can easily come and seek help in registering their business or any other information relating to registration or tax filing with KPRA. People can also directly contact KPRA through WhatsApp, telephone or visit its website to get any information regarding registration or sale tax on services. Under the KP Finance Act 2013, sales tax on services is mandatory for every business owner providing services in the

Prevailing Covid-19 situation discussed during special session ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel on Tuesday chaired a special session at the Public Health Emergency Operation Center, National Institute of Health (NIH) on the prevailing Covid-19 situation. The session held on the direction of the Prime Minister was attended physically and online by senior provincial officials, Federal Secretary Health and Director General Health, and representatives from the armed forces. The session was called after reporting the first case of a new sub-variant of the Covid-19 omicron virus. The patient had mild symptoms and was isolated at home immediately while the family of the Covid-19 positive patient tested negative. The meeting was informed that in the time of a pandemic new variants will appear. “The situation is under control right now but we must stay vigilant,” the minister said while addressing the meeting. He pledged all-out support to the provinces while appreciating the effort they were making in the Covid-19 response. Qadir Patel said, “Federal health leadership will be shoulder to shoulder with all the efforts of the ministry.” The

CMYK

minister emphasized the need to keep a close eye on the current Covid-19 situation and the emerging new variants of concern. He said, “All concerned teams and officials to be on alert.” He assured full support of the federal government for any help that may be needed and appreciated the efforts made in vaccination and handling of the pandemic. Executive Director NIH Maj. General Aamer Ikram gave an overview of the covid 19 situation in the country. “Only one case was detected recently and we are closely monitoring the spread,” General Aamer Ikram said. The NIH team presented the data and numbers and gave an overview of the current situation. Secretary Health Amir Khawaja elaborated on the daily process of data reporting and documentation while the provincial health leadership also briefed the minister on vaccination progress and plan for the future. Non-pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) and other measures to curb the spread of the virus were discussed and decisions will be made according to the spread of the virus. Director-General Health, Dr. Rana Safdar emphasized to stay vigilant and keep a close eye on the virus. He urged the need for increased full vaccination and booster dose application.

province. To pay sales tax on services it is mandatory to register the business first and this registration week is aimed at providing the facility to KP people to

ease their job. All they need to do is to come and visit the mobile registration offices which would be set-up at various locations during the campaign.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | islaMabad

neWs

Former director FIA Dr. Rizwan laid to rest in Lahore LaHore staff report

Funeral prayers of the former Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Dr. Rizwan was held in Johar Town Lahore on Tuesday. Renowned religious scholar, Maulana Tariq Jamil led the funeral prayers attended by key personalities belonging to various departments. It should be mentioned here that Dr. Rizwan was shifted to Services Hospital after heart stroke but could not survive. The former director FIA had investigated the various imported cases including money launder case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Shishper Glacier Outburst: Federal govt to provide all resources to tackle situation: Kaira iSLamaBad staff report

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and GilgitBaltistan (GB), Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the federal government will provide all resources to tackle any emergency situation in connection with the outburst of Shishper glacier and to provide relief to the affectees. Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani and other officials gave online briefing to the advisor regarding destruction caused by flood situation due to outburst of Shishper glacier. Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the Ministry of Climate Change and Risk Management Fund through mutual cooperation will prepare a detailed report regarding destruction and risk points would be identified in the report. He also lauded the role of NDMA and NHA and said that construction of temporary bridge would be completed within 15 days. He said that after finalizing the design of permanent bridge, the construction should be completed in six months. The Advisor said that due to timely and quick response of the Gilgit-Baltistan administration, no causality was reported in the mishap. He said that the ministry of climate change and Risk Management fund through joint efforts will prepare cooperative point regarding devastation caused by the natural points. The Advisor Kashmir Affairs appreciated the role of NDMA and NHA and urged to complete the construction of temporary bridge within 15 days. He asked for completing the design of permanent bridge and its completion within six months. Policy for restoration of the affected population and houses should be made shortly, he added. Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the federal government will all possible resources to tackle the emergency situation. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Mohiuddin Wani said that the flood situation affected a bridge and 10 houses while 11 houses were got vacant as protective measure. He said that round the clock monitoring of situation was underway while food and fuel stock was present in the affected areas. The Chief Secretary said that for alternative arrangement of power supply, diesel generators have been taken to the area and affected population was being provided all resources.

PAKIStAn hAILS ChIneSe InveStment In LIveStOCK SeCtOR iSLamaBad

staff report

EDERAL Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema has directed the officials concerned to expedite the investment process in the country. During a meeting with the management and top scientists of China’s Royal Group on Tuesday, Cheema welcomed the investment from the group. The minister was briefed that after cabinet approval, a protocol will be signed which will lead to development of a buffalo embryo development facility in Lahore. The facility will use the highest quality of buffaloes and 50% of the production of embryos will be used to meet local requirements while the rest will be exported to China. He was further briefed that the purpose of this

project is to enhance the quality of buffaloes in Pakistan. The delegation discussed business opportunities in Pakistan and briefed the minister that at present, the planned investment projects of the Royal Group

Co Ltd in Pakistan mainly include the Buffalo Embryos (IVF) Laboratory Project, the Dairy Buffalo Farm Project, and the Buffalo Milk Deep Processing (milk powder, cheese, fresh milk etc.) Factory Project. The three

Rising inflation becoming a threat to new government iSLamaBad inp

The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday said rising prices have become a threat to the government which should be tackled on priority. It welcomed the announcement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to increase wheat production and end its black marketing. The decision to control the price of flour should be implemented as soon as possible so that the people who are facing inflation can get some relief, said Muhammad Aslam Khan, Chairman of PEW. In a statement issued here, he said that inflation has become a threat to the reputation of the new government therefore, it should try to control profiteers. He said that the artificial difference between the supply and

demand of wheat has been engineered by hoarders, which is driving up prices across the country. Pakistan is facing a wheat shortfall of three million tonnes which should be imported without delay to ensure food security as wheat prices on the international market continue to rise due to low supply, high demand and the war between Russia and Ukraine. Aslam Khan further said that a delay in importing wheat will provide an opportunity for profiteers to cash on the miseries of the masses and they would continue to push up prices. The reason behind the wheat and flour crisis in the country includes its hoarding and smuggling, which can be controlled. Presently, the government does not have the required foreign ex-

change to import three million tons of wheat, while the cheapest source of wheat is India which is constantly being ignored because of political issues. The price of flour has gone up by Rs11 per kg in Punjab while the same is happening in other parts of the country which is not acceptable, he observed. A few years ago, Pakistan was self-sufficient in wheat production, but like other important sectors of the economy, this sector was destroyed by vested interests and now the country is forced to import enormous quantities of wheat and other agricultural items. Pakistan is called an agricultural country but eight billion dollars’ worth of agricultural commodities is imported annually which is a huge drag on the exchequer, he said.

projects will be carried out in order. The plan of the first phase is expected to generate thousands of jobs. The minister was briefed about the Royal Group. He was told that the dairy sector of Royal Group Co Ltd includes the whole industry chain business, such as forage grass planting, dairy farming, dairy products processing and sales. It has established and controlled 25 standardized dairy breeding bases with an annual dairy production capacity of 500,000 tons. Royal Group Co Ltd owns the only provincial Dairy Technology Research Centre, the National Dairy Processing Technology Research and Development Sub-centre and Yunnan Enterprise Technology Research Centre in Guangxi province. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the ministry including Secretary Ministry of National Food Security Capt (retd) Muhammad Asif.

Cabinet approves import of 3m metric tonnes of wheat continued from page 01 Speaking on the occasion, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said the cabinet expressed its reservations over the recent decisions of President Dr Arif Alvi and Governor Punjab Omer Sarfraz Cheema. He said the cabinet approved the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the removal of Omer Sarfaraz Cheema from Governor Punjab’s office. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Power, Khurrum Dastagir Khan said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif directed to formulate a new energy policy. He said the government is working vigilantly to eradicate load-shedding from the country utilizing all available resources. He said power plants are now, producing 22634 MW and Nuclear power plants are also generating electricity. He said there was a zero Load shedding during the tenure of PML-N led government while due to incompetency of previous government many factories had been closed.

Population of rare wild goat growing in Pakistan JamSHoro anadolu agency

Once an endangered species, the population of the Sindh ibex, or Turkman wild goat, in Pakistan has shown significant growth in the last decade due to a blanket ban on hunting and the protection provided by local communities. The wild goat, which is endemic to southwest Pakistan, and also found in southeast Iran, is still viewed as vulnerable, although its number has shot up to 20,000 from less than 2,000 over the past four decades. Its habitats include the Kirthar mountain range, which falls in the southern Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces, and the adjoining Makran range. A few kilometres before entrance to Sun, a small city in southern Sindh province, located some 156 kilometres (95 miles) from the provincial capital and the country’s largest city Karachi, a narrow metaled road leads to the Kirthar National Park, home to scores of rare species, and Sindh ibex’s largest habitat. After a few kilometres, the road turns bumpy but remains drivable up to the historic Ranikot Fort, which is known as the Great Wall of Sindh due to its structural resemblance with China’s Great Wall. As the fort’s stretched wall ends, the unpaved road converts into a rocky terrain, where only 4/4 wheelers could move. Unfazed by the risks of life-threatening accidents, locals also use motorbikes to travel on the terrain that overlooks hundreds of feet deep ravines. A two-hour bone-shaking journey ends at a round valley stretching for miles and en-

circled by untamable mountains, home to majestic Sindh ibex. Kirthar NatioNal ParK: Dotted with mesquite, sidr, kikar (Acacia), and other wild trees, which are home to scores of rare birds, the barren valley, at the first sight, offers a rugged look. However, sipping cold lassi (yoghurt drink) offered by the locals, and resting under the trees gives a totally different feeling. The otherwise warm wind turns cool here to dry up the rolling sweat, and the sound of chirping birds gives a healing touch. Established in 1974, and sprawling over 3,087 square kilometres (1,192 square miles), Kirthar National Park, the second largest national park after Karakoram National Park in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, stretches from Jamshoro district to Karachi.

According to wildlife authorities, the last 10 years were crucial in terms of the increase in the population of the wild goat, which is the national animal of Sindh, a 5,000 years old civilization. “Over 10,000 animals have been added to the population of Sindh ibex (at Kirthar National Park) during the past 10 years, which is a highly encouraging sign, considering the previous records,” Wali Mohammad Birahmani, a conservator of the Kirthar National Park, told Anadolu Agency. The task to improve the wild goat population was assigned to the park authorities in 1978 when their number was nearly 2,000. In the initial years, Birahmani said the population growth was mediocre due to hunting and poaching and a lack of awareness among the local communities vis-a-vis

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the threat to this animal. “However, by the passage of time, both the issues were resolved. Thanks to the local communities that made it possible, particularly in terms of implementation of the hunting ban,” Birahmani said, adding that the “untiring” efforts to protect the otherwise endangered animal yielded results during the past decade. ChalleNges: Nonetheless, on the other side of the Kirthar mountains, in Balochistan, which makes up 42% of Pakistan, implementation of the hunting and poaching ban is a bit difficult due to the huge size of the province. Although common people, by and large, are not involved in hunting the vulnerable species in the mineral-rich province, the formula does not apply to the chieftains, who often invite foreign guests, especially from wealthy Gulf states, for hunting. This, wildlife officials said, forces a good number of Sindh ibex to flee toward Kirthar National Park for refuge. Sharif-ud-Din Baloch, the chief conservator of Balochistan Wildlife Department, admitted that “intermittent” incidents involving hunting and poaching of Sindh ibex are reported in Balochistan. “There is a complete ban on hunting and poaching of Sindh ibex in Balochistan except for the trophy hunting. But it’s difficult to fully control this phenomenon due to the huge size and insufficient workforce,” he said. “We take strict action, including imprisonment and fines, in case of violations of the ban,” he told Anadolu Agency. The number of Sindh ibex in Balochistan is between 8,000 and 10,000, according to Baloch.

Balochistan’s Hingol National Park, which is home to over 3,500, serves as the second-largest habitat for the animal. In addition, Baloch said, game reserves and sanctuaries in Gwadar, Lasbella, Khuzdar and Makran districts also have a good population of Sindh ibex. $30,000 troPhy huNtiNg: The Sindh Wildlife Department has employed some 600 members of the local communities to help protect the rare species, mainly from illegal hunting. Their salaries, according to Birahmani, are generated through “trophy hunting”, which tempts hunters from across the country and abroad to hunt down 10 to 15 wild goats every year. One has to pay $30,000 to hunt a goat. About 80% of the amount generated through hunting licenses is spent on the local communities, whereas the remaining goes to the national exchequer. “Protecting the animal (Sindh ibex) is in our own interest because it provides bread and butter to hundreds of local families,” Ibrahim Gabol, a community volunteer, told Anadolu Agency. Riding a motorbike, and carrying a mobile phone, Gabol’s duty is to patrol the rocky terrain, and report any unusual activity to the authorities. “We even had arrested a tribal lord, who was a friend of a former president, for shooting some birds in our locality, a few years ago,” Gabol contended. “Although he was released after a few hours, he or other tribal chiefs never dared to enter our area for hunting,” Gabol said, smiling.

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Wednesday, 11 May, 2022

06 COMMENT

The erosion of Roe’s protections

A reminder for the government Urgent issues remain unaddressed

Why did the leak happen?

Fter a full one month in office, the ruling alliance is still clueless about how to cope with some of the most urgent issues faced by the country. the biggest challenge that the incumbent government faces is to put an ailing economy back on track. the prices of food items continue to increase, causing unrest among a vast section of the population. the PM was apprised of the pinch felt by the common man due to the increase in the flour price in KP during his address in Shangla. his response was somewhat dramatic but highly ineffective. the economy is in bad shape as indicated by a yawning trade gap, an increasing current account deficit, a declining rupee, soaring inflation, and galloping debt. the government swiftly needs to borrow several billion dollars for debt repayment. So far it has got no solid promise from any quarter partly because of the uncertainty created by PtI chief Imran Khan’s agitation and partly because of the IMF deal being still in limbo. Meanwhile the populist measure of keeping the prices of petroleum products unchanged has given the national kitty a rs 40 billion hit in just a fortnight. What is more, measures of the sort are unsustainable. One had expected the government to take bold and realistic steps along with targeted relief for the deserving millions. While there is a lot of buzz about fresh elections, there is no move by the government yet to formulate electoral reforms to make the process transparent and make elections genuinely representative. the reforms should also bring down election expenses to remove the stigma of the Parliament having become a billionaires’ club. One expects the government to devise an effective policy to cope with extremism and evolve out-of-thebox measures to put an end to terrorism, including through talks. the government leaders are currently giving full time to exposing the PtI leadership. So far they have little to show other than the toshakhana acquisitions and Farah Gogi’s alleged wealth beyond means. It’s time the issue is handed over to the agencies so that the government leaders can focus on the national economy, measures to improve the livelihood of the common people, putting the genie of extremism back into the bottle and political handling of the issue of terrorism.

Sarmad Sattar

ater this week, the top Court of the USa mulled over overturning the constitutional right to abortion, and to allow individual states to regulate on the subject matter or to impose an unadulterated ban on it. I remember the time when I came across the landmark decision of the US Supreme Court in ‘roe vs. Wade’; during my undergraduate study, a decision, one of a kind, hailed by majority of the americans, in which the Court had ruled that the US Constitution protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without any undue excessive government restriction. the 7-2 decision had an immense and profound effect on the lives of american women. according to the leaked initial draft majority opinion authored by Yale Law School graduate, Justice Samuel alito, the decision suggests that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v Wade decision, which bulldozes a full throated, unflinching repudiation of the 1973 decision guaranteeing federal constitutional protections of abortion rights and a subsequent 1992 Casey’s decision, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, that largely maintained that right. the 1992 Casey decision made two profound changes: by reducing the level of judicial scrutiny of the laws that restrict abortion, and obliterated roe’s ‘trimester system’, which explicated the balance between the women’s right and the State’s cardinal interest in regulating the procedure so long as those regulations did not impose an undue burden. the unprecedented revelation is bound to exacerbate the debate over what was already the most controver-

Pride hath a fall The doors close, literally and figuratively, for Cheema

Saifan Shakhaoat

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

InfographIc: TBS (BangladeSh)

Ith the opening of a China-funded eco-friendly 1320mw’s mega power plant at Payra in Patuakhali district, Bangladesh became the first country in South asia to achieve 100 percent electricity coverage. that megaproject is a centre piece of Bangladesh and China’s Belt and road collaboration. Bangladesh saved $100 million by completing the Payra thermal Power Plant project ahead of schedule. Prime Minister Sheikh hasina Wazed also expressed gratitude to the Chinese president and prime minister for their assistance in the construction of the Payra power plant. She claimed that with the inauguration of the project, every residence in the country was now getting electricity and announced 100 percent electricity coverage with the inauguration of the 1320 MW Payra thermal Power Plant, the country’s largest of its kind. She also remarked March was a month of Bengalese Victory, noting that her government was able to open the power plant during this month, which coincides with the “Mujib Borsho,” which commemorates the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur rahman and the country’s Golden Jubilee. Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming quoted on the inauguration ceremony that, “this project serves another major breakthrough in China-Bangladesh cooperation in the Belt and road Initiative, another splendid symbol of China’s strong commitment to Bangladesh in its development.” according to the State Minister for Power, energy and Mineral resources, Bangladesh has not undertaken such a large-scale, cutting-edge project in the last 50 years, and the Payra plant is asia’s third and the world’s twelfth to use ultra-supercritical technology.

Arif Nizami (Late)

Joint Editor

Interestingly, no draft decision in the modern history of the Court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending.

Bangladesh is profiting from China’s BRI

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

M. A. Niazi

stances, and those within this group hold a variety of views about the particular restrictions that should be imposed. Perhaps, the 1973 decision not only allowed women to fully and equally participate in the society but it also helped define the contours of the right to privacy, which protects individuals from unwarranted governmental interference in private affairs. For the first 185 years after the adoption of the US Constitution, each State was permitted to address this issue in accordance with the personal choices of its individuals. then, in 1973, came the Roe v. Wade spectacle. even though the Constitution makes no mention of abortion, the Court ruled that it confers a broad right to obtain one. It did not claim that US law or the common law had never recognized such a right. eventually, in Planned Parenthood of South Eastern Pa. vs. Casey, 1992, the Court revisited roe, but the members of the Court split three ways. two Justices expressed no desire to change roe theory in any way. Four others wanted to overrule the decision in its entirety. and the three remaining Justices, jointly signed the controlling opinion, took a third position. Predominantly, their opinion did not endorse roe’s reasoning, and it even hinted that one or more of its authors might have reservations about whether the Constitution protects or guarantees such a right to abortion. Nonetheless, the awaited opinion concluded that stare decisis, which calls for prior decisions to be followed in most instances, required adherence to what it called roe’s, that a State may not constitutionally protect fetal life before “viability’, even if that holding was wrong. Consequently, the immediate impact of the verdict would be to end this country’s tradition of individual liberty, that is of placing the key personal and moral decisions in the hands of the government rather than the individuals, a half-century guarantee of federal constitutional protection of abortion rights, and allow each state to decide whether to restrict or ban abortion. Interestingly, no draft decision in the modern history of the Court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending. Is it to blow the gaff to gain some public sentiment on dissent and if not, then the verdict will have the domino effect of rendering similar bans passed in over 30 states unconstitutional. The writer is a freelance columnist

China’s contribution to Bangladesh’s achievement of 100 percent electricity coverage

he figureheads can’t seem to do much by way of, well, figuring. their place in the scheme of things, for instance. Both the President and the Punjab Governor are acting in a manner unbecoming of the constitutional heads of the federal and provincial governments in a parliamentary democracy. the now erstwhile Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema’s ditching his duty of swearing in the newly constituted provincial cabinet for the more exciting task of swearing at the newly constituted provincial capital was causing a bit of a hiccup. It wasn’t some sort of constitutional powerplay that he employed, just an obstinate refusal to do what his role required to do. Speaking of dereliction of duty, the President also ‘rejected’ the advice by the Prime Minister to remove the Punjab Governor in light of his behaviour. to what end, though? the Cabinet Division subsequently denotified Cheema as Governor anyway, as per the rules regarding the binding advice of the PM being executed anyway after a stipulated period. Notwithstanding the former government acting in a manner unbecoming of a mature political party, there is still some merit in their demand for the new government to call early elections. that seems to be the only way to resolve the current impasse. Legally, they don’t have to, of course, but with the PtI having called quits from the Na - and the implicit threat of doing the same in Punjab it is now becoming clear that perhaps a fresh mandate is, indeed, the only way forward. the newly-sworn in Punjab CM himself has reiterated the same several times now. But that acquiescence to the PtI’s demands requires a modicum of grace from the former ruling party. Former PM Imran Khan should realise that flexibility makes for principled politics, whereas intransigence makes for fascism.

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

sial case on the docket this term. Several protesters across the USa express their vehemence on the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that strongly suggests Roe v. Wade will soon be overturned. Opponents and proponents of abortion rights had expected that the Supreme Court would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, but the leaked draft opinion came out as if out of the blue, setting off shock, outrage and jubilation on both sides of the nation’s deeply polarized abortion debate. Yet many americans woke up stunned, not realizing and some still in disbelief, that the 1973 verdict and the constitutional right to an abortion that it has guaranteed for over five decades could disappear within a matter of weeks at the behest of Conservative appointees. Students in the USa term the leaked Supreme Court’s move ‘tyrannical’. It all emanates from the challenge before the Justices in December, when a Mississippi law banned abortion after about 15 weeks of pregnancy, well before the limit of viability necessitated by Roe. the arguments advanced by the proponents and opponents, made it abundantly clear that a majority of the Supreme Court were in favor of overturning the monument decision. especially in a country that stands for freedom, with the controversy when it came to masks and things like that just infringing on a human right that has to do with the body, just seems extremely hypocritical. Bodily autonomy is also momentous to the sanctity of democratic process and values. the portrait of abortion in the USa has changed with society. today, teenagers are having far fewer abortions, and abortion patients are most likely to already be mothers. Polls have considerably shown that a majority of americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade. a Gallup poll in June found that 58 percent of americans were opposed, a figure that has been relatively unchanged for three decades. abortion presents a profound moral issue on which americans hold sharply conflicting views. Some belive fervently that a human person comes into being at conception and that abortion ends an innocent life. Others feel just as strongly that any regulation of abortion invades a woman’s right to control her own body and prevents women from achieving full equality. Still others in a third group think that abortion should be allowed under some but not all circum-

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

Bangladesh China Power Company Limited (BCPCL), a 50:50 joint venture between China National Machinery Import and export Corporation (CMC) and Bangladesh’s state-owned North-West Power Generation Company Ltd (NWPGCL), developed the Payra thermal Power Plant with $2.48 billion financing from China exim Bank. the power generation capacity has rocketed to 25,514 MW in February 2022 from 4,942 MW in January, 2009. Bangladesh is now ahead of India and Pakistan, among the South asian countries that have brought 98 per cent and 74 per cent of their population under the electricity network, according to data from the World Bank. Patuakhali district of Bangladesh is set to take the lead in the country’s economic growth following the opening of the country’s first coal-fired Ultra Supercritical technology power plant in coastal Payra. Within the next 5-10 years, the area will become an energy hub. the government is also planning to establish a special economic zone and an airport to realize its dream of developing the country, attracting investments to Payra, and establishing besides Kuakata as

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a world-class eco-tourism centre within the next two decades, according to State Minister for Power Nasrul hamid, while this power plant will ensure power coverage of this flagship dreams. the plant will energize Payra port, which has the potential to become an important sea-based transit point on the Silk route as well as a global trade hub, as the government plans to develop the region as one of the country’s major economic corridors by establishing direct road and rail connections between Dhaka and the rest of the country, as well as connectivity to Bhutan, China, India, and Sri Lanka. according to the port authorities, a full-scale functioning of the port will result in a two-percent boost in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). another active power project, the Barapukuria Coal Fired Power Plant extension is a 275MW coalfired power plant in rangpur, Bangladesh is also developed by CCC engineering and harbin electric. Bangladesh received a $224 million loan from the Chinese private bank Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in January 2014 to expand the capacity of the 250 MW Barapukuria coal-fired thermal power station by 275 MW. China’s SePCOIII electric Power Construction Corporation has also committed to collaborate with Bangladesh’s S.alam Group to build coal-fired power facilities in Chittagong with a capacity of 1320 MW, which are targeted to begin operations this year. Bangladesh joined the flagship BrI in 2016, and its ties with Beijing have grown significantly in recent years, as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner is now China. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in October 2016 different development projects worth around $20 billion were agreed. among which the Padma Bridge rail Link, the Karnaphuli tunnel, the Single Point Mooring project and the Dasherkandhi Sewage Water treatment Plant are all slated to be finished this year. all of these China-funded projects are expected to make a significant contribution to Bangladesh’s economic growth in order to meet the country’s goal of becoming a developed country by 2041. The writer can be saifanshakhao693@gmail.com

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Wednesday, 11 May, 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

E-governance the decision of establishing e-committees for judicial procedures is a welcome one. Infact it is the need of the hour. Justice can be accessed transparently and live. Moreover, not only the judiciary but the whole apparatus of government should be converted to e-governance. It would certainly, help Pakistan to overcome the crisis of good governance. When Pakistan came into being, it inherited British Civil Services. Undoubtedly, the bureaucracy played its role in making Pakistan a prosperous and stable state. Civil servants have been the part and parcel of running state functions and they have undertaken public service delivery at a grassroots level. Unfortunately, nowadays red tape has become the norm in our institutions which has turned them to be repressive in providing speedy services. e-governance through the digitalisation of institutions will certainly resolve the multifaceted governance-related challenges and strengths of the government structure in Pakistan. In the end, e-governance implementation will become a significant tool for achieving betterment in governance aims, especially in boosting-up accountability, speedy justice, bringing in transparency, improving political and domestic systems and curtailing corrupt practices. SYEDA HADIA BAKHTAWAR NANAKANA SAHIB

Media and Balochistan: A critical discourse analysis Cosmetic measures will no longer be enough

muhammad Sharif

N post-industrial societies, where events and occurrences revolve around information. Mass media plays an effective role in the area of constructing and deconstructing social realities. Be it politics, terrorism, elections, and morality, seminal linuistician Noam Chomsky argues, consent is being built all around, all the time he also cautions that the consent on democratic values, choices, and the right person to vote are also constructed, propagated, and injected in the minds of naïve individuals with the help of media discourses which works as a propaganda machine. the war of narratives between government and opposition blocs is nullified or justified by media discourse. Similarly, the ideologies, demands, and recommendations of the powerful elite are constantly injected in the minds of individuals to construct their consent towards what is being propagated. Louis althusser, a French Marxist philosopher, argues that in the era of a media-driven society, interpellation is playing a devastating role in society in which we have lost our individualities; we have been dealt with as a subject. We are not free in choices. Our ideas and choices are shaped timely. additionally, althusser criticizes that media is used as an ideological state apparatus through which ideas, ideologies, beliefs, political discourses, and narratives are constructed, shaped and deconstructed. there is, similarly, a great deal of interest among the several blocs of power to shape the consent of masses for maintaining and sustaining their narratives visà-vis quid pro quo. the bitter irony, however, is that in the Pakistani socio-political landscapes, we not only can observe the distortion of information, but we can also see the construction of a biased political narrative. One news channel is supporting the government side while the other is following the opposition without concern for the actual issues and realities. No one can deny the fact that in the epoch of information, those who are naïve in the field of critical discourse and intellectual narrative

get entangled in the quagmire of political confusion and social uncertainty owing to media narratives. today, there is a hullabaloo in the Pakistani sociopolitical culture. the actual sense of democracy has been lost in Pakistan. We have been diverted from real issues. as we know Pakistan has been confronting myriad problems. In this regard, the conundrum of Balochistan is unprecedented. the puzzle of Baloch insurgency has not yet reached any solution. Day by day, their attacks and activities are enriched and become more lethal. the incident at Karachi University, executed by the Baloch female suicide bomb blast, is a wake-up call for state, its policy makers, its security analysts and strategists, and its media giants. this incident put a question mark over state- policies in Balochistan and warn that neither the military operation is the solution of Baloch conundrum, nor is a media blackout a sound and prudent strategy anymore. the ground realities should be studied and uncovered now. In this regard, the media could play a vital role by depicting the real picture of Balochistan and its issues. externalization of the Baloch issue is not the solution of the Balochistan conundrum anymore. all state institutions, the educated and intellectual class, media personnel, are responsible for today’s scenario 5n Balochistan. as we know that Balochistan has and has been confronting a military operation since the inception of Pakistan, but still the socio- economic realities and political circumstances have not witnessed any but minimal alteration. this minimal change does not suffice the grievances of the Baloch population in general and the youth in particular. as a result of counter-insurgency manoeuvres, Balochistan is heading to a point of no return. according to the 2020 Pakistan economic Survey, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistisc 2021, World Bank 2018, Balochistan is confronted with multifaceted health, education, and socio-economic challenges. the reported and highlighted cases of Baloch missing persons further complicate the dilemma of Balochistan and add fuel to the fire of insurgency there. according to Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), there are 15,634 reported missing persons in Balochistan, which is of course a serious issue to ponder on. the camp of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons is now the largest sit-in camp in the history of the political struggle in the country, yet with no good results. Over the last two months, a total 124 Baloch students have been reported to have gone missing at the hands of unknown perpetrators. among these are students from Capitalbased Quaid-I-azam University and NUML.

the majority of the students, afraid of being abducted, did not go to their hometowns for eid and continued protesting in front of National Press Club Islamabad for their missing friends. however, their fears and slogans remained limited to the social media accounts and got no coverage on the mainstream media. Besides, the negative portrayal of Baloch issues on the mainstream media further widens the gap between the two and end up in further division on the basis of ethnicity. Similarly, linking the insurgents groups’ issues with the Baloch missing person issue is also not a prudent sign. however, it is a prime responsibility to the state-backed mainstream media to show or uncover the real issues in this chaotic situation where China is reviewing its Mega-projects in Pakista.n Concerning the representation of the real and actual issues in the society, a UK-based Marxist, Stuart hall, asserts that the media serves the interest of a particular class and group by ignoring the peripheries. the selection criteria of the media to include an item is based on the viewership that counts to a larger population. With a population of 12 million, Balochistan is less likely to attract the attention of the vast majority who do not share the issue. In such a case, the misrepresentation turns the ignored population into an alien population that can be brought under any narrative, be it terrorist or otherwise. Not to mention the censorship and blackout to some of the pressing issues in Balochistan and Kashmir, due to supposed security reasons, further complicates the issue. a layman’s approach and understanding about the neglected segments can easily be modified in whatever ways liked by the persons in the power corridors. there is a viable way forward to appease the Baloch youth and push for a break in the fastgrowing insurgency. It is imperative that the policy-makers decide on the change of approach towards Balochistan. the foremost step to be taken on the media front, is the representation of the real issues of Balochistan until they are addressed completely. the issues of Baloch missing persons, lawlessness, uncontrolled inflation, lack of civilian governance, under-development, poverty, public health issues, potable drinking water, and unjust distribution of resources, need to be provided a credible representation in the mainstream media so that the government could addressed with a stern political will. Using conspiracy theories of foreign involvement would only aggravate the issues by increasing the sense of deprivation to an apogee, never to return.

There is a viable way forward to appease the Baloch youth and push for a break in the fast-growing insurgency.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Gender discrimination DeSPIte women making up almost half of Pakistan’s population – representing 48.76% of the total population – they remain underrepresented in the labour force. Only 25% of Pakistani women participate in the labour force, compared with 85% of men, and only 5% of senior and leadership roles are held by women. It is estimated that 18% of Pakistan’s labour income goes to women, one of the lowest shares among South asian countries. there are many causes of gender discrimination. the first one has to be illiteracy. When people do not educate themselves, they continue to live in the old times. thus, they follow the old-age sexist traditions and norms. education can bring about a change in this mindset because educated people will be less likely to partake in gender discrimination. Further, poverty is also another reason which is interlinked in a way. Furthermore, the patriarchal setup in our society plays a big role. In this setup, the male dominates almost every aspect of life. thus, they consider themselves to be superior to others. Gender discrimination must be checked at every stage so that no person should be denied a chance to learn and grow. thus, everyone, no matter male or female, must get a start in life in terms of education and other opportunities. We must come together as a society to do this to make our country a better place. SALAL HAIDER BALUCH DERA GHAZI KHAN

Heart disease in Pakistan at present, approximately 2380 deaths worldwide are caused by heart attacks every year. In the coronary heart attack deaths, Pakistan is ranked 18 out of 183 countries of the world according to global health rankings. In a conference, Dr Naeem Malik, chairman of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, said that 47 people die of heart attack every hour in Pakistan. according to cardiologists, the main cause of heart diseases is high blood pressure, smoking, and non-exercise. according to a global report, 17 million deaths occur every year in the world, and 19% of deaths in Pakistan are due to heart attacks, which has reached 29%. Medical experts should immediately investigate this as part of their research paper, that What are the causes of the spread of the disease, which has been increasing rapidly every year. In Pakistan, the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) has been gaining worldwide recognition for the establishment of satellite centres in every district of Sindh with all free treatment of heart diseases. NICVD is the first and largest flagship institute of heart diseases in asia. the government of Pakistan should expand free heart care services overall the country by establishing medical institutions same as NICVD as well as providing information on prevention and treatment of this alarming disease through social awareness campaigns for healthy diet and lifestyle in the public. IMDAD JAMALI KARACHI

Guns and butter aLL over the world, countries are spending an exorbitant amount of money on national security, while spending on human welfare is declining. Millions of children are out of school in Pakistan because our government does not spend as many resources on the education sector. the United States, whose GDP is very high, also ranks low in nonmilitary measures of human security indexes. Military-industrial complexes are lobbying congress to increase defence spending. One case in point is the difficulty that Joe Biden’s government faces in trying to get its “build back better bill” passed. arms exports to countries with human rights problems e.g Saudi arabia, Uae is fueling more war and misery in Yemen, Syria, etc. In afghanistan, many people are facing food insecurity as the world spends hundreds of thousands of dollars per minute on military preparations. the number of people seeking refuge in developed countries has increased. recently a stand-off between refugees and police at Poland and Belarus border is a testimony to human suffering. In Pakistan, poverty causes many people to join extremist outfits. Youth bulge in pakistan may cause havoc if unemployment, inflation, poverty, etcetera is not controlled. every rupee spent on national security is a rupee not available for children education, human welfare, and other development projects. all over the world the frustration is rising. People want basic facilities and a high standard of living. HALEEMA SADIA KALLAR SYEDAN

08 WORLD VIEW 11th May 22_Layout 1 5/10/2022 10:14 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

NATO’s phIlOsOphers PUTIN SAYS HE FELT COMPELLED TO INVADE UKRAINE DUE TO NATO’S EXPANSION TOWARDS HIS COUNTRY’S BORDERS. SO WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED THE MILITARY ALLIANCE TO ACT THIS WAY?

aL JazeeRa Santiago Zabala and Claudio gallo

N a recent article – Putin’s philosophers: Who inspired him to invade Ukraine? – we outlined the theoretical stances of three thinkers who likely helped build the geopolitical vision of the Russian president and inspired his ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, there are many ways in which the views and works of Vladislav surkov, Ivan Ilyin, and Alexandr Dugin can help us understand the idea of Russian exceptionalism and the ideology that drives Putin. But looking only at the thinkers who inspired Putin is, of course, not enough to understand the devastating war in Ukraine in all its complexity. the Russian leader, after all, says he felt compelled to invade the country in late February due to the North Atlantic Alliance’s (NAtO) ongoing expansion towards his country’s borders. so what, or who, inspired NAtO to act this way? Which thinkers were behind the NAtO strategies that paved the way for a conflict that has killed thousands of people, displaced millions, and raised the possibility of nuclear war? Of course, as is also the case with the strategies of the Kremlin, it is impossible to link any particular NAtO strategy firmly to a particular philosopher. But this is not to say that the theoretical stances and ideological arguments of certain thinkers have not inspired, legitimised or motivated certain crucial actions of the Us-led military alliance. there are at least four Western philosophers whose views and works can provide us with a deeper understanding of how the current conflict materialised, and perhaps teach us how to prevent others in the future. the foremost notion that ties these Western-born philosophers together is the belief that rationalism is a universal structure embedded in the soul of the entire humanity – they attach universality to their ideas but in reality promote nothing but strictly Western ideals. the first thinker that can help us understand NAtO’s actions and motivations in the period leading up to the Ukraine war is perhaps revered German philosopher Jurgen Habermas. Habermas was against the invasion of Iraq in 2003 but supported NAtO’s bombardment of Yugoslavia in 1999 without UN approval (two acts equally untenable from a

legal point of view). Given the threat of nuclear escalation, in the context of the Ukraine war, he is now calling for a “compromise that saves face for both sides”. these seemingly contradictory stances demonstrate the anti-universalistic caveat and pragmatism that underlines his philosophy. But they do not betray the fact that Habermas promotes a model of social democracy that transcends the boundaries of nation-states – a cosmopolitan democracy that is bound to become a global political order. At the core of his rationalism – as guided by pragmatism and historical consideration as it may be – is a belief in the universality and superiority of Western liberal democracy and its individualistic point of view. According to Habermas, despite all the self-professed relativism of his thinking, the universalist and normative claims of reason are valid in all contexts and under any condition. this leads to the idea of “universality” becoming the book of rules of a powerful club that is used in determining (mostly automatically, as Marx explained) who is in and who is out. this is, in many ways, the West’s and NAtO’s philosophy and vision of the world – a vision that has, throughout history, had a habit of imposing itself through force. Francis Fukuyama is another celebrated European thinker who supports the same model of social democracy promoted by Habermas and thus can help explain the motivations and thinking behind NAtO’s strategies in the past few decades. According to Fukuyama, this model was realised after the Cold War, following the triumph of Western liberal democracy over the soviet Union. For Fukuyama, this was the end of history – the end-point of humanity’s ideological evolution. Western liberal democracy, he argued, is the final and best form of human government anyone can hope for. Faithful to his ideas, Fukuyama supported the invasion and socalled “democratisation” of Iraq in 2003. Although the American thinker has recently recognised that these Western democracies can decay, that is, go backwards at a certain point, he recently attested that if “the United states and the rest of the West” does not stop Russia, China and other non-democratic powers from doing as they wish and dominate the world, we could be facing the “end of history”. this is why he re-

Warrantless spying demands congressional oversight

cently praised Finland and sweden’s plans to join NAtO in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Fukuyama clearly does not consider the expansion of NAtO through the 1990s and 2000s a violation of the commitments the West made to Russia after the fall of the soviet Union. And he clearly does not recognise the fact that Russia had long been adamant that such moves would lead to the confrontation we are witnessing today. All this demonstrates that he is part, and perhaps one of the engineers of, the military union’s ideological crusade – and thus his thinking can help us understand how we got here, and what we can and should do to deescalate. Another thinker who can help us understand NAtO’s stance in the Ukraine conflict is undoubtedly American political philosopher and expert on the morality of warfare, Michael Walzer. According to Waltzer, the war in Ukraine is yet again demonstrating the enduring value of the “just war” theory. this theory – which has long guided the ethicists of war in the West – has been used, at least to some degree, to justify many of NAtO’s interventions in the past few decades. Walzer has in the past supported Israel’s “just war” claims against Palestine, and received significant criticism for doing so, but now he is backing arming Ukraine instead of searching for diplomatic solutions to the conflict. “We are resigned,” he recently said, “to the fact that every way out now passes by military victory.” His perception of the conflict as a “just war” that has to be fought can thus help us understand how NAtO, and the Western powers that are part of it, are approaching this conflict. While Habermas, Fukuyama and Walzer’s ideas all likely inform and explain NAtO’s approach to and role in this ongoing conflict, it is perhaps the ideas of Bernard-Henri Lévy (BHL as he is commonly known) that best explain the military alliance’s stance. According to the French thinker, NAtO’s interventions against Russia in syria, Libya and now Ukraine were all not only justified but vital, because there is no alternative to the West as the bearer of universal values. As an advocate for the 18th-century dream of universal human rights he believes – as he explained in a NAtO Youth Forum in 2009 – that the West is central to uphold-

Claudio Gallo is a former La Stampa foreign desk editor and London correspondent. He previously wrote for Asia Times, Enduring America, and RT.com. His main interests are Middle East politics and Western philosophy.

AND NOW RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE HAS ADDED ANOTHER SOURCE OF PRESSURE ON PRICES

Las Vegas ReView-JouRnaL Editorial

Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. His latest books are ‘Being at Large. Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts’ (2020) and ‘Why Only Art Can Save Us’ (2017). His webpage is www.santiagozabala.com.

When will this inflation ever end?

IT’S INDEED TIME THAT SOMEONE WAS WATCHING THOSE WHO ARE DOING SO MUCH WATCHING t’s shocking how often federal officials rummage through Americans’ data without a warrant. In April, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a report on government surveillance. the results are troubling. the importance of surveillance in certain circumstances is obvious. Law enforcement officials sometimes need tools — such as wiretaps or electronic searches — to find evidence. the need to restrain those tools is just as obvious. Unlimited government spying on its citizens is a recipe for tyranny and an affront to freedom and liberty. Law-abiding citizens generally have a right to keep their activities private. to balance these competing interests, the Fourth Amendment prohibits “unreasonable searches and seizures.” Warrants are usually required and must be issued only upon “probable cause.” there are limited exceptions. that’s the backdrop against which to assess the government’s accounting of its surveillance activities. For the first time, that report includes an estimate of how many warrantless searches the FBI made of Americans’ electronic information. the searches comb through data gathered by the NsA under section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence surveillance Act, which is supposed to target nonAmericans overseas. Data on Americans can be collected in limited circumstances, such as when a targeted foreign national talks with an American. According to a recent Wall street Journal report, the analysis “disclosed that the FBI conducted as many as 3.4 million searches of U.s. data that had been previously collected by the National security Agency.” More than 50 percent of the searches related to alleged Russian hackers targeting U.s. infrastructure. In the previous 12 months, the number of warrantless searches was under 1.4 million. Federal officials say the 3.4 million number is probably lower given that there’s a distinction between queries and individuals. Repeated searches over several months for the same person are distinct queries. searches for one person’s information could account for hundreds or even thousands of queries. Regardless, that number is staggering. A senior FBI official admitted in a news briefing that it “is certainly a large number. I am not going to pretend that it isn’t.” this information should renew concerns in Congress about the extent of such snooping. Law enforcement officials need to be more forthcoming about the specifics. “somewhere in all that overcounting,” said sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., “are real numbers of FBI searches, for content and for nonconsent — numbers that Congress and the American people need before section 702 is reauthorized.” It’s indeed time that someone was watching those who are doing so much watching.

ing not just these values, but all the values that matter. If BHL is (too) often supportive of military intervention it is because he believes “other civilisations” (the Russians, the Chinese or Muslims) prevailing and becoming the dominant power on Earth is always a greater danger than war – however costly or destructive. His world view – and similarly NAtO’s – is reflective of the usual (mostly American biblical) archetype of good against evil. Just as we do not know with certainty whether Putin read or listened to surkov, Ilyin, and Dugin before invading Ukraine, we also cannot be certain that NAtO officials actually turn to Habermas, Fukuyama, Walzer or BHL’s ideas when deciding their strategies. Nevertheless, as the ideas of these thinkers seem to mostly be in line with what NAtO is doing – and how it is legitimising and explaining its actions – they can help us understand and prevent a repeat of this conflict. As Noam Chomsky – a Western intellectual always attentive to the flaws of Western civilisation – recently said, we have the choice “to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian” or search for a “diplomatic settlement”. the American linguist prefers the second option even if it would imply making concessions to Russian demands because he believes this is the only way to avoid nuclear war. the problem now is that we are heading towards a “hot peace”, as slavoj Zizek said, where “massive military investments sustain a fragile new balance of power”. seeking diplomatic solutions to end the war implies resisting this new balance of power where Ukrainians are the victims. But for how long?

PRoJeCT sYnDiCaTe KoiCHi HaMada

NtIL a few years ago, major economies were struggling to achieve even mild inflation, with policymakers in the United states, the United Kingdom and the eurozone struggling to meet their targets of 2% annual price growth. But with the arrival and persistence of COVID-19, the world changed dramatically. two years later, everyone is worried about soaring inflation and how it can be contained. the rates of consumer price inflation have varied across countries, reflecting their economic conditions and people’s expectations of future inflation. At the end of 2021, the U.s. annual inflation rate was 4.7%, compared to 4.8% in the U.K. and 5% in the eurozone. A common feature is that inflation rates appear to be accelerating. Hence, after experiencing negative rates of inflation for much of the year, Japan’s month-to-month inflation rate in December 2021 had risen to 0.8%. Why did inflation emerge during the pandemic and under what conditions will it level out or even disappear? In general, inflation starts when demand for goods or services exceeds their supply. Demand-pull inflation typically occurs when demand is boosted by expansionary monetary or fiscal policies. In a simple demand-supply diagram, the downward sloping demand curve shifts up and to the right, and the equilibrium price and quantity both rise. similarly, cost-push inflation occurs when the upward-sloping cost curve shifts upward,

such as when the prices of energy and raw materials rise. In this scenario, the price level typically will increase and the quantity traded will decrease. But in the case of COVID-19, there was a different mechanism at work. Inflation was generated by the difficulty of matching demand and supply in the marketplace. Consider a retail market. During the worst period of the pandemic, many people could not (or were reluctant to) go to stores. the virus obstructed many trading opportunities, not only in retail but also in air travel, restaurants, entertainment and many other sectors. In the standard supply-demand diagram, the demand curve and the supply curve both stayed the same as in the pre-pandemic era. People still wanted to travel, and the airline industry still wanted to serve customers if it could do so without endangering them or flight personnel. But in the absence of possibilities to match supply and demand safely, trading opportunities were lost. the virus was thus a wedge that intervened vertically between the demand curve and the supply curve. When this happens, trading quantity will be reduced and there will be a difference between the demand price and the supply price. the difference is the vertical length of the wedge, which represents the cost of making trade possible and safe. the higher price that consumers must pay is the symptom of inflation. Usually, this inflationary situation is combined with smaller (or, in extreme cases, nonexistent) trading opportunities. that brings us to the question of when COVID-induced inflation will retreat. the short answer is that it will abate when the disease or the factors blocking the market from normal matchings disappear. If governments view reduced trade as undesirable, they will try either to increase consumption by stimulating demand or to keep supply chains intact by subsidizing producers — as many governments have done. But such spending will be inflationary for the economy

as a whole, and it may well become a source of full-fledged demand-pull inflation. Moreover, the public may develop higher price expectations that will feed back into the inflation process. Jason Furman of Harvard University recently warned of this possibility and characterized the U.s. situation as being largely a case of demand-pull inflation. Prices have increased alongside the recovery of trading opportunities in many markets, he observes, and he worries about the continuing effects of a buildup in demand from U.s. President Joe Biden’s huge pandemic response and recovery packages. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has confronted the world with another source of inflationary pressure. to enforce sanctions against Russia for its aggression, the West must reduce or stop its purchases of Russian oil and gas. that means the relative price of hydrocarbons must rise, implying an increase in prices overall. In this scenario, there will be momentum toward greater cost-push inflation — a painful but perhaps necessary choice for the West to punish Russia. A nuclear war tends to be considered outside the realm of possibility, as it would result in the total destruction of both Russia and the U.s. But this has the effect of increasing the use of conventional arms — a case of what the American political scientist Glenn snyder called the “stability-instability paradox” of mutual assured destruction. By launching its war in Ukraine, Russia has taken full advantage of this paradox. the conflict is likely to be prolonged, and for a Western deterrence policy to reduce the human costs of the war, supply and demand sacrifices will need to be endured worldwide. that means we will be feeling the effects of higher energy prices — and higher inflation — for some time to come. Koichi Hamada, professor emeritus at Yale University, was a special adviser to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS Communication Ministers visits NHA headquarters ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Asad Mahmood visits National Highway Authority Headquarters. He was received by Federal Secretary Communications Zafar Hassan, Chairman National Highway Authority Capt (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha, Inspector General of Motorway Police Khalid Mahmood and other senior officials. Chairman National Highway Authority Capt. (R) Muhammad Khurram Agha gave a detailed briefing to the Federal Minister for Communications on various completed, ongoing and future construction projects. Ongoing construction projects should be completed on time in accordance with international standards. Obstacles to the construction process will be removed on priority basis. pr

Hashoo Hotels & Resorts to launch PC LegacyAirport Lahore in partnership with Royal Residencia & Hospitality

FINANCe MINISTeR vISITS FBR HeAdqUARTeRS To RevIew PeRFoRMANCe, oNgoINg dRIve FoR TAx CoMPLIANCe ISLAMABAD

staff report

EDERAL Minister for Finance and Revenue, Mr. Miftah Ismail, visited Federal Board of Revenue (Headquarters), Islamabad on Tuesday to review performance and the ongoing drive for tax compliance by the country’s premier revenue collection organization. Upon arrival, Chairman FBR/Secretary Revenue Division, Mr. Asim Ahmad and other senior officers accorded him warm welcome on his very first visit after assuming office as Finance Minister. During the meeting, Chairman FBR gave a detailed briefing to the Minister on the overall performance and revenue targets and collection made during the first ten months (July 2021- April 2022) of the current financial year. Miftah Ismail expressed his satisfaction and generously appreciated Team FBR on achieving the target. He

hoped that FBR will continue to maximize revenue collection in the next two months to meet the upward revised target fixed for the current financial year, 2021-2022. He also expressed his desire that Team FBR should explore all

avenues of tax compliance and, thus, make all out efforts to harness true revenue potential across Pakistan. Minister for Finance assured Chairman FBR of his total support in the ongoing tax collection drive in the country.

Construction projects to be completed on public-private partnership with the aim of self-reliance: Asad Mahmood ISLAMABAD: Located in the bustling city of Lahore, it will be the third hotel by Hashoo Hotels in its recently introduced brand of hotels by the name of PC Legacy, following PC Legacy Nasirabad. The brand “PC Legacy” is a new chain of four-star hotels by Hashoo Hotels who already own and operate PearlContinental, Marriott and Hotel One across the country. PC Legacy-Airport Lahore will bridge the gap for travellers between the five-star and the select service hotels. In this connection, an agreement was signed by Mr. Murtaza Hashwani, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hashoo Group, and Mr. Muhammad Ayub Sheikh, Chairman of Royal Residencia (Pvt) Ltd and Royal Hospitality. “Our goal is to develop sustainable and smart solutions for everyday business travellers. Airport hotels target airline passengers who have overnight layovers or suffer cancelled flights, business clientele, airline staff and any travellers whose business does not take them far from the airport area. We plan to promote domestic and international tourism by offering state-of-the-art travel and lodging facilities to visitors at not only the most beautiful locations but also the busiest locations of Pakistan. Our focus is, and will always remain, Pakistan” said Mr. Haseeb Gardezi, Chief Operating Officer of hospitality and education division at Hashoo Group. Mr. Muhammad Ayub Sheikh said that they were proud to partner with such a prestigious group of hotels that had decades of hospitality management experience. “We are very confident that this project between Royal Hospitality and Hashoo Hotels & Resorts will be a huge success and will take the hospitality business to the new heights of comfort with luxury” he added. Opening of this four-star hotel will not only boost economic activities in the area but will also provide prospects for domestic employment.

ISLAMABAD pr

Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Mr. Asad Mahmood has said that maximum construction projects should be completed on publicprivate partnership with a view to self-reliance. Obstacles in the construction process will be removed on priority basis. He said that wide and attractive highways are the first impression of any nation. He expressed these views while talking to NHA officials during his first visit to the National Highway Authority headquarters. Earlier, when he reached NHA headquarters, Federal Secretary Communications Zafar Hassan, Chairman NHA Capt (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha and Inspector General of National Highways and Motorways Police Khalid Mahmood received the visiting guest.

Giving a detailed briefing on all the ongoing construction projects across the country, Chairman NHA said, that fourteen and a half thousand kilometers of highways and motorways of Pakistan are under the control of NHA, while strategic roads are in addition to them, i.e., GilgitSkardu Road, Kohala-Muzaffarabad and Muzaffarabad-Choti Roads. The Chairman NHA also apprised the Federal Minister regarding National Highways, Motorways, Major Tunnels, Flyovers, Underpasses and other construction works and the overall performance of NHA Engineers and Architects. He also gave a detailed briefing regarding the CPEC projects. On this occasion, he was also briefed about the ongoing construction projects of NHA in Dera Ismail Khan constituency

of Federal Minister for Communications Asad Mahmood. Dera Ismail Khan holds a unique position in terms of motorway alignment. The Chairman NHA also apprised the Federal Minister about the ongoing construction projects in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On the occasion, Asim Amin, Member Planning NHA, Ikram Saqlain Haider General Manager Planning and General Manager NHA KPK assisted the Chairman NHA. Expressing keen interest in the overall performance of the NHA, Federal Minister for Communications Asad Mahmood said that highways play a vital role in stabilizing the economy of the country. The first priority will be that all the workers of organization are like a family, in which unity and discipline is the only guarantee of their success. During his visit, Federal Minister for Communications Asad Mahmood also reviewed the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) set up in the National Highway Authority. In addition to monitoring of highways and motorways, toll plazas, weigh stations and camera systems are also being monitored.

Chairman FBR also gave a detailed account of the flagship initiatives including Point of Sale (POS) and Track and Trace System (TTS). He assured the Finance Minister that all measures will be taken to further improve these initiatives and tap the real revenue potential in Retail as well as Large Scale Manufacturing Sectors. The Finance Minister appreciated various digital innovative measures adopted by Pakistan Customs which include Clearance in the Sky. He also commended digitalization drive of FBR in order to automate business processes, ensure ease of doing business, and thereby facilitate taxpayers. Similar digital interventions should be made at sea ports to ensure seamless and smooth clearance of cargo, the Minister emphasized. Miftah Ismail reiterated that all avenues must be explored and meaningful budget proposals presented before the Government to maximize tax collection without creating any additional burden on the common man, he concluded.

USC to continue providing sugar, flour on subsidized rates ISLAMABAD: Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan has issued clarification regarding the increase in prices. The Federal government provided special subsidy on 19 essential items on all utility stores across the country under the Ramadan relief package since April 1, 2022 Now this subsidy will be continue on the 5 basic items instead of 19 items. The subsidy was given on 19 essential items including sugar, flour, ghee, oil, tea, packed milk, white gram, dates, baisen, Sella rice, basmati rice, broken rice, lentil mash, moong, chana dal, beverages and spices. After the discontinuance of subsidy on some items prices have reverted to pre-ramzan rates. It is worth mentioning that these products on which no subsidy will be given are much less than normal market prices. The Federal government is providing special subsidies from January 2020 on 5 basic items, it will be continued in the month of May and June 2022, so that the public be given more support. Ghee at Rs 260 per kg, sugar at Rs 70 per kg and 10-kg flour bag will be provided at Rs 400 subsidy on pulses and rice will also be available. The condition of national identity card will remain intact for the beneficiaries, to ensure that more customers can benefit from the ongoing subsidy. pr

PTA starts receiving applications for IoT licences ISLAMABAD: To proliferate the usage of Internet of Things (IoTs), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has started accepting applications for “Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN)” licence. According to details, the said licence shall be valid for a term of five years. Moreover, applicants for the licence will have to provide a letter of application, CNIC along with other relevant details/documents, said a news release issued here on Tuesday. This is in pursuance to Rolling Spectrum Strategy 2020-2023 issued by Government of Pakistan, and to facilitate introduction of futuristic technologies through automation in different industries. pr

1st Meeting Of Census Monitoring Committee Held ISLAMABAD pr

First meeting of the Census Monitoring Committee constituted in pursuance of decision taken in 49th meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI) held on 13th January, 2022 to oversee/ monitor Census activities to ensure an expeditious, transparent and credible census operation was held on 10th May, 2022 under chair of Dr. Jehanzeb Khan, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission (DCPC) at National Census Coordination Centre PBS HQs Islamabad. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is working extensively to meet the challenging timelines to conduct first ever Digital Census of Pakistan. Main objective of the meeting was to review the progress of work on Population & Housing Census 2022 and to decide the way forward to smoothly meet the timelines to complete census. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries of all provinces/ regions

with relevant Secretaries, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, DG Military Operations Directorate, Chairman NADRA, MD NTC and senior officers from Education, Health, Finance, and PBS. Dr. Jehanzeb Khan, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, emphasized that Population Census is an important and critical exercise with challenging timelines, therefore serious efforts are needed to bring transparency and reliability in the process. Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician (PBS) gave the background of the efforts made by PBS for first ever Digital Census and apprised that cooperation and support of collaborating partners is needed to accomplish this gigantic task. Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member (Support Services) sensitized the relevant departments by presenting the progress and issues of PBS related to Census Process. The issues include selection of master trainers and training venues, training of trainers and enumerators, freezing of

boundaries, progress of verification of frames/maps, requirements for Census support centres, deployment of field staff and security of field staff etc. Participants from other Departments and provinces were also invited to share their point of view and all the queries raised by provinces were addressed. The participants appreciated the efforts of PBS to bring transparency and confidentiality and suggested to form working Committees for smooth functioning of Census process. All the Chief Secretaries assured their cooperation to fulfill this National Task. This meeting was an effort of PBS to involve all stakeholders from Planning of Census to finalization of results and to meet the timelines to up-date the constituencies by Election Commission for upcoming General Elections. Due to presence of relevant persons from provinces and departments, the meeting proved to be the best forum to resolve issues and queries of all Departments

related to census process and present progress and ambiguities of PBS to all concerns well before time. It was decided to hire competent staff for training and enumera-

tion. For effective monitoring of census process, it was also decided to conduct the meeting of Census Monitoring Committee after 15 days.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US SAyS iT will increASe preSSUre on TAlibAn if THey don’T reverSe deciSionS on women, girlS

REUtERS

HE United States will take steps to increase pressure on Afghanistan’s Taliban government to reverse some of its recent decisions restricting the rights of women and girls if the group shows no sign of rescinding the actions on its own. “We’ve addressed it directly with the Taliban,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a briefing on Monday. “We have a number of tools that, if we feel these won’t be reversed, these won’t be undone, that we are prepared to move forward with.” He did not elaborate on the possible steps or indicate how the group,

which has already implemented policies curbing 20 years of gains for girls’ and women’s rights, might have a change of heart. The Taliban on Saturday ordered women to cover their faces in public, a return to a signature policy of their past hardline rule and an escalation of restrictions that are causing anger at home and abroad. The ideal face covering was the allencompassing blue burqa, the group said, referring to the garment that was obligatory for women in public during the Taliban’s previous 1996-2001 rule. The international community has made the education of girls a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, which took

over the country in August as foreign forces withdrew. Despite that, the Taliban has restricted girls and women from working and limited their travel unless accompanied by a close male relative. Most girls were also barred from going to school beyond seventh grade. “We’ve consulted closely with our allies and partners,” Price said. “There are steps that we will continue to take to increase pressure on the Taliban to reverse some of these decisions, to make good on the promises that they have made.” A key piece of leverage held by Washington over the group is the $7 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets on US soil — half of which the

Biden administration is seeking to free up to help the Afghan people, the administration has said. The United States and other countries have already cut development aid and sanctioned the banking system since the group took over, pushing Afghanistan toward economic ruin. US Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West expressed “deep concern” over the Saturday decision in a series of tweets, while the US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said it was an “unconscionable” move. Most women in Afghanistan wear a headscarf for religious reasons but many in urban areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces.

China celebrates 100 years of the Communist Youth League

StAff REpoRt A grand event marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, delivered a speech at the event. Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation: Addressing the gathering, Xi said the CYLC’s centenary celebrations aim to encourage the youth to forge ahead on the new journey of realizing

Handful of Afghan women protest Taliban decree to cover faces KABUL Agencies

About a dozen women protested in the Afghan capital on Tuesday against the Taliban’s new edict that females must fully cover their faces and bodies when in public. Afghanistan’s supreme leader and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a mandate over the weekend ordering women to cover up fully, ideally with the traditional all-covering burqa. The diktat was the latest in a series of creeping restrictions in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have rolled back the marginal gains made by women after a US-led invasion toppled the first Taliban regime in 2001. “Justice, justice!” chanted the protestors, many with uncovered faces, in central Kabul. The demonstrators also chanted “Burqa is not our hijab!” — indicating their objection to trading the less restrictive hijab headscarf for the totally concealing burqa. After a short procession, the march was halted by Taliban fighters, who also obstructed journalists from reporting on the event. Akhundzada’s decree, which also orders women to “stay at home” if they have no important work outside, has triggered international condemnation. “We want to live as human beings, not as some animal held captive in a corner of a house,” protester Saira Sama Alimyar said at the rally. Akhundzada also ordered authorities to fire female government employees who do not follow the new dress code and to suspend male workers if their wives and daughters fail to comply.

the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. The CYLC’s founding on May 5, 1922 under the direct leadership of the CPC marked a milestone in the history of the Chinese revolution and the youth movement, he said. Xi called on the youth to do their best to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, comparing the goal to a relay race. A ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 10, 2022. /Xinhua ‘Glorious mission, weiGhty respon-

sibility’: Speaking at the event, He Junke, first secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CYLC, said the league has united nation’s youth since its establishment 100 years ago. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CYLC has demonstrated that “if the Party calls, the CYLC will act” with practical actions, he said, adding that the young members who love the country and the Party can always be found on the front line of poverty alleviation, scientific and technological innovation, COVID-19 prevention and control, and disaster relief. He called on the youth league members to uphold the CPC’s leadership and stay truly connected to the motherland and the people. The CYLC should lead the youth’s thinking, serve their growth, continue to train talents for the Party who can shoulder the mission of national rejuvenation, and unite and mobilize young people to work hard for the best results possible in the new era. A ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 10, 2022. /Xinhua ‘briDGe linkinG the party with the people’: The CYLC and other people’s organizations are all Party-led organizations, Chen Gang, Party Secretary of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions said at the event. The CYLC should play its role of a bridge linking the Party with the people, he said. “A country will be full of hope and have a great tomorrow only when its younger generations have ideals, ability and a strong sense of responsibility,” Chen said, urging the CYLC members to strengthen political consciousness, become more advanced, and better represent the people.

Khalistan referendum: polling to be held in Italy on Sunday BRESCIA APP

A referendum for a separate Sikh homeland started from London on October 31, last year, and so far tens of thousands of Sikhs have participated in the polling held in different cities of the UK and other countries in connection with the Khalistan referendum. The polling in the Brescia city of Italy for the Khalistan referendum will start at 9 am and will continue till 5 pm, local time. The exercise had sent a strong message to India to end discrimination against Sikhs. The findings of the referendum would be shared with the United Nations

and other international bodies to create a wider consensus regarding the separate homeland for Sikhs in India. Sikhs’ demand for a separate homeland is in complete consonance with the United States Charter and India cannot stop them from getting their birthright of freedom. Last year, more than 6,000 Sikhs from Switzerland and bordering France, Italy and Germany had gathered in Geneva to cast their votes for the nonbinding Khalistan referendum. The voters defied heavy snow and rainstorm in the Swiss capital to kick start the European phase of the referendum on the United Nations Human Rights days, said a press release.

Sri lanka gives emergency powers to military, police after clashes kill seven REUtERS Sri Lanka gave emergency powers on Tuesday to its military and police to detain people without warrants, after a day of clashes that killed seven people and injured more than 200, in violence that prompted Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign. As the Indian Ocean nation battles its worst economic crisis in history, thousands of protesters had defied curfew to attack government figures, setting ablaze homes, shops and businesses belonging to ruling party lawmakers and provincial politicians. Despite sporadic reports of unrest, the situation calmed by Tuesday, said police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa, adding that about 200 people had also been injured in violence that led to an island-wide curfew until 7:00am (0130 GMT) the following day. The government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of the prime minister, outlined broad powers for the military and police to detain and question people without arrest warrants. The military can detain people for up to 24 hours before handing them to police, while private property can be searched by force, including private vehicles, the government said in a gazette notification on Tuesday. “Any person arrested by a police officer shall be taken to the nearest police station,” it said, fixing a 24-hour deadline for the armed forces to do the same. Some analysts expressed concern over the potential for abuse of the emergency measures. “In a situation where there is both a state of emergency and curfew who can monitor to ensure these regulations are not abused?” said Bhavani Fonseka, of the Centre for Policy Alternatives think tank based in Colombo. The president had already declared a state of emergency on Friday as protests escalated. Day of violenCe: The attacks on government figures came in apparent reprisal for an incident just hours before Rajapaksa’s resignation. Rajapaksa spoke to hundreds of supporters gathered at his official residence on Monday following reports that he was considering stepping down. After his remarks, many of them, armed with iron bars, stormed a camp of those protesting against the government, beating them and setting fire to their tents. Police fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse the skirmishers, after having initially done little to hold back the government supporters, according to Reuters witnesses. Thousands streamed into the streets in celebration after Rajapaksa’s resignation, but the mood quickly became tense. Protesters attempted to tear down the gates of Temple Trees, his residence in the centre of Colombo, where broken glass and discarded footwear littered the surrounding streets on Tuesday, after some of the night’s worst clashes. Military troops patrolled the area, where eight torched vehicles lay partially submerged in a lake. Discarded files and smashed equipment littered the ransacked offices of government officials. Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis follows a pandemic that hit key tourism earnings, leaving the government grappling with rising oil prices and the impact of populist tax cuts. It has sought assistance from multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as Asian giants India and China. Former finance minister Ali Sabry, who resigned on Monday, along with the rest of Rajapaksa’s cabinet, has said useable foreign reserves stand at as little as $50 million. Shortages of fuel, food and medicine have brought thousands onto the streets in more than a month of protests that had been mostly peaceful until this week.

China rebukes US for ‘distorting facts’ over Taiwan region BEIJING Agencies

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday slammed the United States for distorting facts over the Taiwan region, urging it to honour its commitment to the one-China principle. It is reported that the U.S. State Department deleted the wordings that “Taiwan is part of China” and that “the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence” in an updated version of a document on its website on May 5. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing in Beijing that the latest trick by the U.S. side aims at hollowing out the oneChina principle. Such acts of political manipulation that attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Straits will get those playing with fire burnt, Zhao said.

“History cannot be falsified. Facts cannot be denied. And the right and the wrong cannot be distorted,” he said. At the briefing, the spokesperson also reiterated that there is only one China in the world, that the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. “This is an overwhelming consensus of the international community and a widely recognized norm governing international relations,” said Zhao. During a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed that the U.S. does not support “Taiwan independence.” The U.S. side should follow up the president’s remarks with action, and stop seeking to use Taiwan to contain China, said the Chinese spokesperson.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

SHAN MASOOD WINS PCA’S PlAyer OF tHe MONtH AWArD NewS DeSk

AKISTAN opener Shan Masood, who scored back-to-back double-centuries in April for Derbyshire in the ongoing County Championship, has been voted the PCA’s Player of the Month. The 32-year-old scored 713 runs in three games with two back-to-back double tons. Shan finished top of the month’s PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings, registering 129.34 points and achieving 46% of the vote to secure the award. Masood pipped Kent’s Ben Compton, Hampshire all-rounder Keith Barker and Yorkshire’s Harry Brook, who received 30%, 14% and 10% of the vote respectively with the four players shortlist selected from the MVP Rankings.

Masood is taking inspiration from Marnus Labuschagne’s first spell at Glamorgan and seeing how that benefited him on the international stage. Which is

something Masood hopes to replicate with Pakistan. “Looking at his career path. Marnus came to Glamorgan, scored about 1,200 runs and then never looked back after getting into that Australian side,” said Masood. “He is a prime example, and these are the things you look for. I saw significant improvements in his batting after his spell here, and there is no surprise that he is world number one right now. I talked to him a lot when he was in Pakistan, and I spoke to him a lot during the match we played against each other recently. “The county set-up provides everything I need to take my game forward, so it is up to me to make use of the incredible resources.” In addition to his back-to-back double hundreds, Masood has scored three half-centuries, giving him

Holder rested as Windies announce squad for ODI tours of Netherlands, Pakistan

Cricket South Africa withdraws racism charges against coach Mark Boucher AfP Cricket South Africa announced on Tuesday that all charges against head coach Mark Boucher have been withdrawn, leading to the abandonment of a disciplinary hearing which was due to start on May 16. The 45-year-old former Test wicketkeeper was facing charges of racism, laid by CSA, which could have resulted in his dismissal. The controlling body admitted in a statement that there was “no basis to sustain any of the disciplinary charges”. The allegations against Boucher followed Social Justice and Networking hearings last year into discrimination into cricket. Boucher was accused by former teammate Paul Adams of leading a song with racially derogatory words during

fines meetings after matches while they were playing. Adams announced on Sunday that he was not prepared to testify at the hearing, stating his comments to the SJN ombudsman related to the overall culture of the team rather than any particular player. CSA noted in its statement that Boucher had apologised to Adams and the apology had been accepted. It was also alleged that Boucher had sidelined his black assistant coach Enoch Nkwe, leading to Nkwe’s resignation, but Nkwe was also unwilling to testify at the planned hearings. A further charge was that Boucher had failed to deal effectively with controversy over “taking the knee” in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. CSA said its lawyers had consulted with other potential witnesses and concluded that none of

the three charges were sustainable. The recent exoneration of director of cricket Graeme Smith, who like Boucher had been the subject of “tentative findings” by SJN ombudsman, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, “fortified the conclusion that the charges against Mr Boucher would be dismissed.” Board chairman Lawson Naidoo said CSA had been committed to treating issues raised at the SJN hearings “with utmost seriousness” with a view to ensuring fairness. “The decision to withdraw the charges brings about finality on these issues for CSA and Mark and allows the focus to return to the cricket field.” Boucher is contracted until the end of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki acknowledged that it had been a difficult time for Boucher.

StAff RePoRt

“CSA regrets this. CSA is also appreciative of the fact that Mark has at all times conducted himself properly and professionally,” said Moseki.

Shahid Afridi poised to buy franchise in Pakistan Junior League NewS DeSk

FIFA confirms replay for Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifier PARIS Agencies

FIFA on Monday confirmed the abandoned 2022 World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina will be replayed, after rejecting appeals from both national federations. Brazilian health officials stormed the pitch seven minutes into the clash on September 5 between the South American giants in Sao Paulo, stopping the match and triggering a melee involving team officials and players. According to Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), four Argentine players based at English clubs at the time should have been placed in “immediate quarantine” for breaching Covid-19 protocols. FIFA in February ordered a replay and banned Cristian Romero and then clubmate Giovani Lo Celso of Tottenham, and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia for two matches. World football’s governing body also handed a series of fines to the two national football federations, prompting both to lodge appeals. FIFA’s disciplinary committee upheld the 50,000 Swiss franc ($50,342) fines imposed on both as a result of the abandonment. However, it reduced a separate 500,000 Swiss franc fine given to the Brazilian FA to 250,000 Swiss francs, and halved the Argentine FA’s initial fine of 200,000 Swiss francs. Argentina’s football association said it would “request today the grounds for both decisions” before appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against its second fine and the decision to re-play the match. Brazil and Argentina have already qualified for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is interested in buying a franchise in the Pakistan Junior League (PJL). Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja announced last month that Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium would host the first edition of PJL. Six-city based franchise teams will participate in the 19-match competition from October 1-15. The young players will be selected through a draft system and each dug-out will have an iconic player who will serve as the team’s mentor or coach. While talking to a local news channel, Afridi expressed his plans to own a team. “I have plans about buying an Under-19 team because it will be beneficial for the youngsters,

an average of 119. When Masood spoke to the Association, he was also keen to bring up his close relationship with his late sister, who sadly passed away in 2021. He attributed some of his early-season success to the family tragedy, as he believes his personal experience has stopped him from over analysing and brought increased perspective to his life. “Events in the last two years have allowed me to be present. “I lost my sister not so long ago, who was so close to us, and this has allowed me to reflect on life and the game. I feel cricket is a thing that should be enjoyed. I have stopped over analysing and stopped putting lots of pressure on myself. I am not worried about the results because I know if I am putting in the yards and I have good intentions they take care of themselves.”

both, financially and in terms of learning from experienced players,” said Afridi. “I firmly believe that coaching should be done at junior levels because the senior team only requires man management,” he added. “I have spoken to a couple of

friends about it because I don’t know how much it will cost. But I’m very interested in sharing my experience with the youngsters by becoming a part of the Under-19 PSL. I would be very happy to share my ups and downs with the younger generation,” he concluded.

West Indies have announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against Netherlands and Pakistan, which will mark the beginning of Nicholas Pooran’s reign as white-ball captain. West Indies will tour Netherlands and Pakistan to play three-match ODI series against the two sides respectively. Their series against Netherlands will be the first ever between the two sides. The two series will be a part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The assignments will also be a big chance for Pooran to stamp his authority after the retirement of his predecessor Kieron Pollard. Three new faces get a chance in the squad – fast bowlers Jayden Seales and Shermon Lewis, as well as batter Keacy Carty. Carty becomes the first player from St. Maarten to be selected for the West Indies Men’s side. On Carty’s inclusion, lead selector Desmond Haynes said: “We were impressed with Carty and the way he goes about his innings, we saw several glimpses of his ability the way he played against England earlier this year for the CWI President’s XI. We hope that giving him this opportunity he will recognize the importance of representing West Indies. “We also have a very good group of young fast bowlers who have demonstrated their ability and we want to use these two tours to give them opportunities in the 50-over format.” Haynes was also full of praise for Seales and Lewis, stating that the Windies were building a side with the future in mind, “We also have a very good group of young fast bowlers who have demonstrated their ability and we want to use these two tours to give them opportunities in the 50-over format. We have a week in The Netherlands and another week in Pakistan and this should provide them with quality opposition to bowl against as we build towards the Cricket World Cup in 2023. “(Anderson) Phillip has been around for some time, and we know what he can offer, Seales has been very good in Test cricket and Lewis is making a return to the West Indies set-up following some good performances.” All-rounder Jason Holder has been rested from the two tours to manage his workload, while Evin Lewis also misses out as he was unable to meet the CWI’s fitness criteria. West Indies squad for ODI series against Netherlands and Pakistan: Nicholas Pooran (C), Shai Hope (VC), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Rashid Latif appointed Director Cricket Operations of Kashmir Premier League StAff RePoRt Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has joined the Kashmir Premier League (KPL). The 52-year-old signed a contract with KPL ahead of season two as Director Cricket Operations. In his official statement, President KPL, Arif Malik said: “After the prodigious success of KPL season 1, I have no doubt that Rashid Latif is the right man to shoulder the responsibility of taking KPL to the new heights of modern world Cricket. Commenting on his new role, Rashid Latif said: “I am

excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to really get started. I am passionate about cricket and really looking forward to helping the cricket in Kashmir grow even better and bigger. We have a lot of talented young players in Kashmir and I aim to bring maximum number of young talent to be inducted in the league as their first introduction to global cricket opportunities and platform.” Furthermore, he stated that I know there are many hurdles but I am ready to take the challenge and focused to make KPL amongst the best leagues in the world.

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

PRESidENT Alvi foR judiciAl commiSSioN To PRobE ‘REgimE chANgE coNSPiRAcy’ islamabad

staff report

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday called for a thorough investigation carried out by an “empowered judicial commission” into the alleged regime change conspiracy which PTI chairman Imran Khan claims was behind the ouster of his government. It came in response to an April 30 letter the former prime minister had written to the president and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial requesting a public inquiry as well as the formation of a judicial commission to probe a “threat letter” which the PTI chairman claimed was evidence of the “conspiracy” behind the no-confidence motion that saw him voted out of office. According to a press release from the President’s Secretariat, Alvi, in response to Imran, said that the circumstantial evidence in the matter should be recorded and investigated to “reach a logical conclusion and provide clarity to the people of Pakistan”. “Underscoring the need for a full investigation into the matter, he informed Mr Imran Khan that he was sending his letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan as well as to the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, with

the request that the latter may constitute an empowered judicial commission to conduct open hearings in this regard,” the press release said. The president said he had read the cypher telegram sent by Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan that contained an official summary of the meeting held with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu. He added that the cypher “had included Lu’s statements mentioning a no-confidence motion” against the former prime minister and the consequences of its success or failure. Alvi also referred to two meetings of the National Security Committee that he said had endorsed the view that Lu’s statements amounted to “unacceptable and blatant interference” in Pakistan’s internal affairs. The president underlined that threats could be both “covert and overt” and had been “clearly communicated in undiplomatic language”. He added that Imran had also raised “serious issues” of the alleged threat’s “possible covert reactions and ramifications”. “In his letter, the President continued that he was of the belief that for a sovereign nation, a proud independent nation like Pakistan, and a people whose dignity had been deeply hurt;

Suffocation at cargo ship claims two lives at KPT KARACHI: Two labourers died due to suffocation on a cargo ship carrying soya bean at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT). Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Faisal Subzwari, in a tweet, confirmed the deaths.He later rejected reports regarding leakage of toxic gas. The latest incident triggered panic similar to the one after the 2020 gas leakage incident from a container carrying soya bean docked at KPT. It had claimed the lives of 14 people and affected more than 300. Late Monday night, two labourers mistakenly entered a hatch of a ship carrying soya beans and lost their life due to dust particles and suffocation. The bodies of the labourers have been recovered from the hatch of the ship and shifted to the hospital. According to the police, a ship carrying 62,000 tonnes of soya bean was docked at the East Wharf. Taking to Twitter, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Faisal Subzwari confirmed the deaths and spurned reports regarding leakage of toxic gas. “Unfortunately, 2 labourers entered in a wrong hatch of the ship at East Wharf. Due to the abundance of dust particles, and no oxygen they suffocated. Rescue operation is going on, 1 body is recovered just minutes ago,” he said. Later, Federal Minister also uploaded a video of rescue work and said, “we all standing here including chairman KPT and other workers, although there is no toxic gas,” adding that, “another body of labour has also been recovered.” Faisal Subzwari further stated that a high-level inquiry has been directed and the report will be made public within 24 hours. staff report

an in-depth analysis and investigation must be done to inquire into what may or may not have been a preparation, starting before or following the overt threat, for a possible conspiracy to change the regime in our country.” The president also highlighted that “in the history of Pakistan, people had alleged and strongly believed in many obvious but, unfortunately, unproven conspiracies”, the press release said. President Alvi said that “top-secret archives” were sometimes declassified after decades or informed people made revelations or documents emerged in leaks that provided a “‘smoking gun’ kind of link to events and conspiracies on the world stage”. He regretted that such developments occurred far too late when “the destinies of those countries had been significantly damaged by such illegal interventions”. The president emphasised that it would be a vigorous exercise to prove that a “smoking gun” had been identified in the “hand of a conspirator” or to find a possible money trail or to identify “meetings where people had been motivated towards covert action or where people had been bought and sold”. Ever since his ouster through a noconfidence vote in the National Assembly, Imran has repeatedly dismissed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s gov-

ernment, terming it “imported”. The former PM continues to maintain that the no-confidence motion against him was part of a foreign conspiracy, claiming that the cable received from Pakistan’s ambassador to the US on March 7, a day before the opposition officially filed the no-trust move against him, was evidence of the conspiracy. Imran claimed that the cable showed Pakistan was threatened by a US diplomat who said the country would have to face consequences if he was not removed via the no-trust motion, which had not even been filed at the time. “How could they know about the no-confidence motion even before it was filed?” Imran has asked charged supporters in several public rallies in the past few weeks, adding that local abettors colluded with their “foreign sponsors” to make the alleged conspiracy successful. The issue was first raised by Imran Khan at a public rally on March 27, four days before the first NSC meeting was held to review the contents of the cable. Since then, Imran has referred to the cable in several public addresses and television interviews when talking about the alleged plot to remove him from power. The US, Imran claims, was annoyed with his “independent foreign policy” and visit to Moscow.

China wants quick probe into Karachi attack, envoy tells minister islamabad staff report

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that Pakistan is utilising full resources to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals working in the country. The statement by the interior minister came after his meeting with the Chinese charge d’affaires Pang Chunxue on Tuesday. “The state is using its full resources to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan,” the interior ministry quoted Sanaullah as telling the Chinese diplomat. Both the figures agreed to further improve cooperation between the Pakistani ministry and the Chinese embassy to ensure fool proof security of Chinese citizens, according to the statement. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed grief over loss of lives of Chinese nationals in Karachi University terrorist incident. He said, “Our coalition government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take PakistanChina relations to a new high.” Sanaullah said that Pakistan and China will not allow any internal or external conspiracy to succeed in spoiling their friendship. He informed the Chinese charge d’affaires that a special desk has been set up at the Interior Ministry for effective liaison to ensure the security of foreigners, especially Chinese citizens, in Pakistan. The minister

vowed to bring the ones involved in the Karachi incident to justice. In response, the Chinese charge d’affaires said her country wants a complete investigation into the Karachi attack and to reach the real culprits as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to further strengthen its all-weather partnership with China, through rapid implementation of the CPEC. He was virtually addressing a high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Development Initiative (GDI). “Pakistan has joined China’s GDI initiative. We believe it can make a significant contribution to accelerate the implementation of globally agreed sustainable goals,” the foreign minister said.

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NEPRA requests govt to notify 57 paisa per unit hike in electricity price islamabad ahmad ahmadani

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has asked the government to notify 57 paisa per unit increase in the power tariff on account of quarterly adjustment pertaining to the first quarter of the financial year 2021-22. According to details, the allowed quarterly adjustment has an impact of 57 paisa per unit on a uniform basis on all consumers except for lifeline consumers. NEPRA has asked the government to issue a final notification regarding the 57 paisa per unit raise in the power price under the head quarterly adjustment. According to NEPRA, power consumers of all power distribution companies (DISCOs) except K-Electric will bear additional burden of approximately Rs14 billion and 33 crore, this amount will be recovered from the consumers within three months period from the date of notification. “The Authority has decided to apply the same with effect from June 01, 2022 to be recovered within a three months period from the date of notification,” said NEPRA.

Rupee hits record low of 188.66 vs dollar in interbank market islamabad tLtp

Pakistani rupee maintained its fast losing streak against the US dollar on Tuesday and depreciated to 188.66, an all-time low in the inter-bank market. The rupee’s weakest closing prior to this was 188.18 on April 7, 2022. The State Bank of Pakistan said in a statement that the rupee opened at 187.53 against the US dollar in the interbank market and closed at 188.66 after shedding Rs1.13 (-0.60 percent). Within the open market, the rupee was traded at 189/190 per dollar against 187.50/188.50 a dollar a day earlier. The rupee has shed Rs2.97 against the US dollar during the last three sessions. Overall, the rupee has depreciated by Rs31.17 against the US dollar during the ongoing fiscal year 2021-22 and Rs12.15 during the current year 2022. Lack of clarity on foreign exchange inflow and a stronger US dollar pushed the rupee to it’s all-time low in the inter-bank market. Pakistan is currently relying on inflow under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), hoping to convince the lender of releasing its next tranche to boost foreign currency reserves. Pakistani authorities and IMF team will resume discussions over policies for completing the seventh review in Doha next week. Traders and markets are looking at the IMF as progress with the Fund instils investor confidence in the economy, stabilises Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, and unlocks funding from other international financial institutions. Moreover, a widening trade deficit has put pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves as well, with the centralbank held level falling to below two months of import cover. The trade deficit has widened 64.79 percent during the first 10 months (July-April) of the current fiscal year 2021-22, amounting to a massive $39.3 billion compared to $23.8 billion during the same period of 2020-21. Imports increased 46.4 percent to $65.492 billion, while exports, up 25.5 percent, clocked in at $26.2 billion during the period. On the other hand, the total liquid foreign exchange reserves held by the country decreased for the 12th consecutive week by $115 million (0.7 percent) on a week-on-week basis to stand at $16.55 billion as of the week ended on April 30, 2022, compared to $16.67 billion in the previous week, weekly data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday last showed.

NAB seeks record of Farah Khan’s properties, bank accounts islamabad staff report

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has sought bank and property records of Farah Khan, a close friend of former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, from various departments in the assets beyond means case. The anti-corruption watchdog last month authorised an inquiry against Farah for accumulating “illegal assets beyond known sources of income, money laundering, and maintaining various accounts in the name of businesses”. Media reported on Tuesday that the NAB Lahore bureau has sought records of the accused property from the deputy commissioners of different districts. NAB also sent letters to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the excise department, seeking details of her accounts and banking transactions. Earlier, NAB issued a statement saying that a huge turnover amounting to Rs847 million was found in Farah’s account during

the last three years. It added that the amount did not commensurate with her stated account profile. “These credits were received in her personal account and withdrawn immediately after credit within a short time period,” it stated. The anti-graft body further said in a review of Farah’s income tax returns that her assets had “significantly increased” from 2018 onwards “for unknown reasons”. “Moreover, she has been frequently travelling to foreign jurisdictions; nine times to the US and six times to the UAE.” Amid the allegations, Farah had left for Dubai on April 5. FARAH’s AdvIsoR deFends : Asad Rasool — who is a tax adviser to former first lady Bushra Bibi’s friend Farah Khan — has termed all the allegations levelled against his client “baseless and false”. Speaking at a press conference, Advocate Rasool said all of Farah Khan’s financial matters — which are being made part of controversy — took place before Usman Buzdar became the chief minister of Punjab. “Therefore, all the allegations against her are

false,” he added. He said that Farah’s wealth did not increase four times during the previous government’s tenure. “Till June 30, 2018, her assets were worth Rs700 million,” added Rasool. Rasool further said he will answer if there are any legal queries, however, he will not answer any political questions. Earlier, PML-N’s leader Ataullah Tarar had said that Farah Gogi “looted the people of Punjab for three years” and former prime minister Imran Khan benefitted Farah with Rs320 million through the Tax Amnesty Scheme 2019. PunjAb PolICe guARded FARAH KHAn’s ResIdenCe FoR oveR tHRee yeARs wItHout ReAson: Punjab Police officials were posted outside the Lahore residence of Farah Khan, for over three years, even though neither Khan nor her husband held a public office during that period. The cops were posted outside her home, in the upscale Defence area of Lahore, first in September 2018 — a month after Imran Khan was elected as the prime minister — a police officer who was on duty there con-

firmed while speaking on the condition of anonymity. The security detail was only pulled last month, on the first of Ramadan, he added. He further told media that the men in uni-

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

form were ordered to work in three shifts, eight hours each, to ensure the home was protected 24 hours. Four cops were deployed per shift, meaning 12 police officers and three police vehicles were dedicated to her home.