Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 I 24 Jamadi-al-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 181 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
Cabinet approves pakistan’s first-ever national seCurity poliCy: Moeed
ISLAMABAD
a
staff report
meeting of the cabinet adopted the nation’s first-ever National Security Policy Tuesday, a day after it was approved by the National Security Committee (NSC), National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf announced. “It is a truly historic achievement; a citizen-centric comprehensive [national security] policy with economic security at the core will now be pursued in earnest,” Yusuf said. Prime Minister Imran Khan, who chaired the successive meetings, Monday said the policy must guide all organs of the government to ensure their efforts are synchronised with the overall direction of the policy. He stressed the security of Pakistan rests in the security of its people and reposed confidence that “Pakistan is well prepared to meet any internal and external threats”. To ensure the people-centric approach to security, the policy put economic security at the core, the prime minister said, adding a stronger economy would create additional resources that
would, in turn, be judiciously distributed to further bolster military and human security. Today, Yusuf said the policy, contents of which have not been yet shared publicly, will help guide “sectoral policies for the fulfilment of our national security objectives”. He thanked the civil and military leadership for their support and input, adding the policy would “never have come to light without Prime Minister’s constant leadership and encouragement”. “The success of the policy will lie in its implementation for which a plan has been developed,” the official further said. A public version of it will be launched by Khan in due course, he announced. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said the policy was an important milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s national security. “The comprehensive framework recognises interlinkages between various strands of national security, imperative to meet emerging challenges in [the] evolving global environment through a whole of government effort,” he said. “Pakistan’s armed forces will play their due part in achieving the vision laid out in
the policy,” the ISPR director general said. The policy On Monday, the National Security Committee, which is the government’s top-most consultative and decision-making body for coordinating issues pertaining to national security, approved the policy. The session, presided over by Prime Minister Imran, was attended by the federal ministers for foreign affairs, defence, information and broadcasting, interior, finance and human rights, the national security adviser, services chiefs and senior officials. The five-year policy document covering the period 2022-26 is being flaunted by the government as the first-ever strategy paper of its kind that sets out the state’s national security vision and guidelines for the attainment of those goals. It will guide the government’s foreign, defence and economic policies and decision-making. It reportedly seeks to leverage the symbiotic linkages among human security, economic security and military security with safety and prosperity of citizens being at the centre of the whole-of-government approach. It covers both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including economy, food, water, military security, terrorism, population growth and dealings with the external world, especially major powers. The document places special emphasis on economic diplomacy as the focus of Pakistan’s foreign policy aimed at avoiding being sucked into bloc politics in a world order under transition. It has been prepared by the National Security Division. Several rounds of feedback consultations on multiple drafts were held with all state institutions, including provincial governments and the governments of GilgitBaltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Over 600 academics, analysts, civil society members and students across Pakistan have been consulted to make the policy process inclusive.
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NIH confirms 75 cases of Omicron variant in Pakistan Pakistan has reported a total of 75 cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant so far, as per the statement by National Institute of Health (NIH) on Tuesday. The NIH stated that since Omicron was considered to be a designated variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC), the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the provincial departments were monitoring the emergence of Omicron cases in Pakistan. As per the statement, “the first case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was reported on December 13 in Karachi” “As of December 27, a total of 75 Omicron cases have been confirmed; 33 in Karachi, 17 in Islamabad and 13 in Lahore,” the statement said, adding that the remaining 12 cases were associated with international travel. The NIH did not provide any further details. “The relevant authorities have isolated the patients and initiated contract tracing in order to control the spread of the variant,” the NIH said. “All government approved
Covid-19 vaccines available in Pakistan remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation. The government urges everyone to get both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine as well as the booster dose as per the eligibility criteria and process,” the statement added. Vaccination and following standard operating procedures (SOPs) continue to be our best defence against Covid-19 despite the mutations being reported, the statement added. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan reported its first suspected case of the Omicron variant on December 8. Following its gene-sequencing, Aga Khan University Hospital confirmed it was the new variant on December 13. Later on December 25, Islamabad had confirmed its first case. Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Zaeem Zia stated that the case was detected in a 47-year-old male, adding that he was working in Islamabad and had travelled out of city for workrelated purposes. The patient had no history of travelling abroad, he said. news desk
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Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 | KARACHI
NEWS
InvESTmEnT In SEZS To bE InCrEaSEd To ESTablISh ExPorT-orIEnTEd InduSTrIES: Pm
P
MonItorIng report RIME Minister Imran Khan said his government focuses on increasing investment in the special economic zones (SEZs) including those under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for the establishment of
export-oriented industries. Addressing a meeting aiming to review progress on implementation regarding agricultural transformation plan and the SEZs, he said that the government’s business-friendly policies and focus on ease of doing business have started rendering positive results, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s
Two killed, 15 injured in Sindh bus collision ISLAMABAD: At least two people were killed and 15 others injured after two buses collided in Sindh, media reported early Tuesday morning. According to the reports, the two passenger buses traveling in the opposite direction collided in the Manjhand town of the Jamshoro district. The victims were shifted to local hospitals, police told the media. Reports said one of the buses was heading from Karachi towards Punjab. The other one was going from the Larkana district to Karachi. Recently, a large part of Pakistan, especially the open areas, are having dense fog, causing an increase in road accidents. Meanwhile, poorly maintained vehicles, dilapidated roads and negligence of road safety measures are other major causes of road accidents in Pakistan. Staff RepoRt
Office (PMO). The meeting was given detailed presentations on the SEZs and initiatives taken by the country’s Board of Investment, CPEC Authority and relevant ministries to facilitate investors in complying with different documentation formalities. Khan also directed to expedite the process, follow the timelines and remove hindrances for investors on an urgent
basis. On the agricultural transformation plan, Khan said that his government has chalked out a comprehensive agricultural transformation plan and is implementing it on a priority basis. Mechanisation of agricultural sector, provision of quality seed, efficient water management system and assistance in livestock farming is transforming the sector into a high-yielding economic entity, he added.
Former GB judge to be charged in London affidavit case ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday announced to frame charges against a former Gilgit-Baltistan chief judge — among other suspects — on January 7 in a case pertaining to a news report on an affidavit accusing former chief justice Saqib Nisar of bias against members of the Sharif family. Rana Muhammad Shamim, longassociated with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), in November claimed in the document notarized in London that Nisar did not want deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to be released on bail ahead of the general elections in July 2018. The two were convicted in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference related to their ownership of four multimillion-dollar London apartments weeks before the elections on July 25. When their counsels moved the high court for suspension of the conviction, the case was adjourned until the last week of July. In the last hearing, the high court announced to open the sealed affidavit on December 28 (today). The document was sent from London through a mail courier and received here reportedly on December 19. Today, Shamim opened the original document on the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah’s order. Before he did so, the judge asked him if the document was the retired judge’s affidavit and whether he had sealed it himself to which Shamim responded in the affirmative. Justice Minallah then directed to provide
copies of the affidavit to Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan. According to the contents of the document, made public in a story published in The News, Nisar had travelled to the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan for vacations ahead of the elections. On one occasion, he appeared “very disturbed” while speaking to the Supreme Court registrar on the phone, asking him to get in touch with an unnamed judge of the IHC. Once able to get in touch with the said judge, Nisar ordered him that “Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over”. “On assurances from the other side, he [Nisar] became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea,” Shamim claimed. Shamim, reporter Ansar Abbasi, The News Editor Aamir Ghouri and Jang Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mir Shakeel urRehman are now facing a contempt case in the court of Justice Minallah under the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 1998. During the hearing, Justice Minallah observed that Shamim’s written response submitted to the court “laid the entire blame”
Cabinet approves appointment of SECP Policy Board chairman ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbaS
The federal cabinet here on Tuesday appointed Mehmood Mandviwala as chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Policy Board after a gap of 6 months, paving way for the approval of the commission’s annual budget 2021-22. Barrister Mandviwala is a corporate lawyer by profession. The federal cabinet also approved the resignation of former chairman SECP Policy Board, Syed Masoud Naqvi, which he had tendered on June 23, 2021, due to personal reasons, after being appointed to the post in May 2020. It may be mentioned here that due to the absence of a chairperson, the SECP
Policy Board could not approve the commission’s annual budget for the ongoing fiscal year. As a result, all finances and expenditures were being incurred on an adhoc basis. The SECP Policy Board consists of a maximum of 11 persons which includes five ex-officio members and six from the private sector. Prior to Naqvi, Prof. Khalid Mirza was appointed as the first private sector expert to head the Board in November 2018. Before that the position was traditionally held by secretary finance. Mirza’s appointment was reversed by the Cabinet on Aug 9, 2019, leading to a controversy as he challenged the decision in the Islamabad High Court (IHC); however, he resigned as chairman SECP Policy Board in May 2020.
on Abbasi, recalling the retired judge also said that he had not shared the contents of the affidavit with anyone, not least the journalist. Justice Minallah said that in similar circumstances, courts in the United Kingdom would normally ask the journalists to disclose their sources but his court would not do so. Subsequently, Attorney General Khan recalled Shamim had said his affidavit was sealed, but the parcel it came in did not contain any seal, just a stamp of the courier. He further recalled that per Shamim, the former jurist had given the affidavit to his grandson in London in a sealed envelope. At this, Shamim responded in affirmative. The affidavit was later sealed by the IHC registrar at the request of Justice Minallah. Khan, however, requested the court to provide a copy of the document. During the proceedings, Justice Minallah said the case had “nothing to do” with Nisar. The contempt proceedings were initiated, in fact, following the “attempt” to make the IHC judges suspicious. “This perception [of judiciary becoming complicit by its unwillingness to act against Sharifs] is being created which everyone has started believing as true,” he lamented. “Where was that perception when two weeks later bail was granted [to Sharifs] by this same court?” he questioned. Later, while speaking to a reporter outside the courtroom, Shamim — when asked if he had provided this affidavit on his own — said “of course,” and that he was alone while notarizing the document. During the last hearing on December 20, the court gave Shamim a final extension to submit the affidavit by December 28, warning him of indictment if he failed to do so.
ECP concerned over report on rigging in KP union council ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday expressed reservations over a report submitted by the local District Police Officer (DPO) detailing attempts to rig the voting in Baka Khel union council of Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja directed the special secretary to complete the investigation by January 4 and present the report to the body. The commission had postponed the local government elections in the tehsil due to what it termed as the poor security situation in the constituency. In a statement, the ECP said a new date for the elections will be announced later.
NEPRA to decide on another power hike today ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is reportedly going to take a decision over the Rs4.33 per unit hike in power price on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for November as requested by the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA). If approved, power consumers will face an additional burden of over Rs40 billion. According to the details, on the behalf of power distribution companies (XWDISOCs), CPPA, in a petition submitted to NEPRA, said that the reference fuel charges were fixed at
Rs3.73 per unit, while the actual fuel cost was at Rs8.07 per unit for the previous month. The authority is scheduled to hear CPPA’s application on December 29. The petition states that a total of 8 billion and 240 million units of electricity were generated in November. It details that electricity was generated at Rs27.20 per unit from diesel and Rs20.27 per unit from furnace oil while the production cost from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) was Rs17.26 per unit. On the other hand, electricity was also imported from Iran at the cost of Rs13.35 per unit while 20 paisa per unit was lost due to power line losses. In the month under review, consumption
was reduced to 29 per cent, and only 8,481 GWh of units were produced against October’s 11,296 GWh. The CPPA further said the total cost of energy generated in November was Rs66.52 billion wherein the share of hydel generation was 33.21pc, the share of coal-based power generation was 16.26pc while only 1.71pc electricity was produced with furnace oil. Similarly, 12.8pc electricity was generated from local gas while 14.25pc was generated from imported LNG. Furthermore, nuclear fuel generated 17.51pc of electricity. Earlier this month, NEPRA had notified an increase of Rs4.74 in the electricity tariff on account of FCA)for October 2021.
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 | KARACHI
NEWS
03
SC gIvES dIrECTIvE To raZE IllEgal ConSTruCTIonS on KaraChI’S KIdnEy hIll ParK land
T
neWS DeSk
HE Supreme Court on Tuesday gave directive to demolish all illegal constructions on the Karachi Kidney Hill Park land including a mosque, a shrine and a graveyard. It is to note that in the early 1960s, the kidney-shaped hilly area was declared a park but the Overseas Pakistanis Co-operative Housing Society claimed that it was allotted to it by the Karachi Development Authority since it merged into the formerly city district government (now KMC). A long dispute between the two parties carried on until a compromise was reached between the claimant society and the city district government in the Supreme Court in 2006. The proceedings were joined by the non-governmental organisation, ShehriCitizens for Better Environment, which pressed for maintaining the amenity status of the plot in the public interest. Under the compromise, 40 acres were allocated to the society for allotting residential plots to its members, while CDGK was given 20 acres for laying a park. One acre was to remain with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, which earlier had eight acres for constructing a reservoir.
Later, Shehri challenged the compromise in the Sindh High Court, saying the CDGK and the housing society could not reach a settlement in derogation of the law. It said the compromise was reached behind its back though it was a bona fide party to the dispute. It is pertinent to note that the case is now being heard by the Supreme Court in a follow-up to its earlier verdicts for ridding the city of unauthorised constructions. In today’s hearing, the court pointed out the construction of Al-Fateh Mosque was underway on the land meant for the park, saying the master plan also didn’t have any space reserved for the mosque. The mosque administration had filed a review petition, seeking court orders to protect the worship place from being razed which is being constructed for the second time after it was previously demolished. Khawaja Shams, the counsel representing the mosque, contended that the land was obtained from the KMC through auction. The lawyer also accused Assistant Commissioner Asma Batool of permitting the construction of another mosque and a shrine close to Al-Fateh Mosque to fuel sectarianism. The counsel recalled that the court had earlier directed demarcation of the land and for the mosque not to be razed.
The court observed that the KMC had no authority to issue a permit for the construction of a mosque and rejected the review plea filed by the mosque administration. The court then directed authorities to return the land to the KMC. The chief justice expressed resentment at the assistant commissioner and asked: “What would you do if a grave is dug up just outside your home?”
Pakistan, India relations likely to remain thorny: experts ISLAMABAD anadolu aGency
When Pakistan and India in a surprise announcement in February agreed to a cease-fire along the disputed Kashmir border, it was believed that the months ahead would see a thaw in the relations between the two South Asian nucleararmed neighbours. But as the year comes to an end, there has been no major breakthrough. Relations between Pakistan and India plummeted to a new low after August 2019, when India scrapped the longstanding special status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Islamabad to downgrade its diplomatic ties with New Delhi. In November, when India hosted a dialogue on Afghanistan, National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf announced that he would not attend the meeting. “Bilateral relations are likely going
to stay the same in 2022 and may further get complicated because of the upcoming domestic political events in both countries such as the 2023 general elections in Pakistan and state polls in India,” said Sarral Sharma, a New Delhi-based security analyst. Sharma, who has also served in the National Security Council Secretariat which advises the prime minister on key issues, told Anadolu Agency that the status quo would remain. “Terrorism and Kashmir issue will continue to remain the bone of contention. The status quo should likely remain intact unless an untoward incident, like a big terror attack in India, will lead to further complications in the ties,” he said. Islamabad has been maintaining the normalisation of ties with New Delhi is linked to a review of the August 5 decision and ultimate resolution of the Kashmir dispute. In August 2019, India scrapped the special status of Jammu
Nasla Tower builders, government officials booked for okaying illegal structure KARACHI: Karachi police have lodged a complaint against the builder of Nasla Tower and officials of various civic departments on charges of approving the building of the illegal structure. Nasla Tower is a 15-storey residential building which the top court in October directed to demolish for encroaching on the land reserved for a service road. On Monday, a two-judge bench — comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed — ordered the police and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to probe officials who were involved in the process of approving the building plan for the tower. The court held that the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society — a residential neighbourhood in Karachi — and other government agencies violated the law in okaying such a construction and, thereby, were liable not only to face departmental inquiries but also be booked under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act. Later on Monday, Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Khushnud Javed registered an FIR at Ferozeabad police station under sections 34 (common intention), 161 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect to an official act). Staff RepoRt
Gas leakage kills six in Hangu ISLAMABAD: Six people, including three children, were killed due to gas leakage in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, media reported Tuesday. According to the reports, the incident took place in a house at Gulshan Colony of Hangu due to gas leakage from the heater. The rescue workers told the media that all the people in the house were sleeping with the gas heater active to keep themselves warm. The whole house got filled with gas resulting in the deaths, the reports added. Staff RepoRt
and Kashmir and unilaterally bifurcated the erstwhile state in two union territories. Soumya Awasthi, an associate fellow at the New Delhi-based Vivekananda International Foundation, told Anadolu Agency that a number of decisions taken by Pakistan recently have further complicated the relations, with little chances of improvement expected in 2022. “Pakistan initially denied trade passage to the civil aid that India wanted to send to Kabul during the Covid-19 peak period and Pakistan not allowing the air passage for Kashmir and Sharjah flight and skipping of NSA’s meet by Pakistan. “Hence, India-Pakistan relations will continue to be bitter and the hope of having any positive change is a tricky thing to expect,” she said. ‘Afghanistan battleground’: According to analysts, the situation in Afghanistan may create more friction
between the two neighbors in the future. “The return of the Taliban has put Pakistan in de facto control of Afghanistan. This has created some unease in Delhi since it has lost a significant space and influence in Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban,” said Sharma, adding that Pakistan seems to be in the “driver’s seat” on all matters in Afghanistan. He said India, on the other hand, is also actively discussing the situation in Afghanistan, especially issues of governance, terrorism, and human rights concerns. “It is apparent that both countries have different priorities vis a vis Afghanistan,” he said. “That will likely create frictions between India and Pakistan in the near future, as we have seen in the recent case of how Islamabad put conditionalities on India’s attempt to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via land route through Pakistan.”
NCOC daily update: 291 new cases, three deaths from Covid-19
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Pakistan reported 291 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the National
Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Tuesday. The overall tally of the infected people rose to 1,294,031 across the
Explosion kills one, hurt two in bannu peSHAWAr Staff RepoRt
At least one person was killed and two others injured on Tuesday when an explosive device went off in Mir Ali town of Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The device was attached with a tube well, a report said. The wounded have been admitted to a nearby hospital. Security forces have cordoned off the area. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
country, said the NCOC, the department leading the campaign against the pandemic. Sindh has been the worst hit, with a total of 480,901 cases, followed by Punjab where the virus was detected in 444,670 people. A total of 28,912 people died of Covid-19 in Pakistan, including three patients who lost their lives over the past 24 hours, the NCOC said. The country currently has 9,915 active cases, while 1,255,204 others have recovered.
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also directed that no one should be stopped from offering prayers at any spot in the park and sought a report from Karachi commissioner into the case in the next hearing. The mosque’s counsel claimed that Batool had also ordered halting the demolition work of the Nasla Tower. A group of women, who were present in the courtroom, alleged that Batool blackmailed them in connivance with her husband, who was hand in gloves with a mukhtiarkar (revenue officer) to get maps approved. The chief justice warned the officer that she could lose her job if she didn’t shun the alleged malpractices. “These people have been imposed on us and they are unwilling to work,” remarked Justice Amin. The apex court, after hearing arguments from all the parties ordered the deployment of armed security guards in the park [to prevent any unauthorised construction from taking place]. Amber Alibhai of Shehri advised the top judge to spare time to make it to the park. Justice Gulzar responded: “I wish to, but just don’t have the time”. Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab also informed the court that more than 100,000 trees had been planted in the park and urged the chief justice to visit the facility to observe its transformation.
Women protest against gas, electricity outages in KP neWS DeSk A number of women protested against gas and electricity outages in Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday. The protesters said that they suffer electricity outages up to 18 hours and gas outages for 14 hours routinely which makes it impossible for them to carry out their daily household chores. The protest took place on Ashfaq Street of the city where women burned their electricity and gas bills and blocked the roads to stage their protest, saying that they have to go through the ordeal on a daily basis. The frustrated protestors said that the streets “will remain blocked unless the deputy commissioner takes prompt measures to resolve the issue.” It is to note that the negotiations between the administration and the protestors failed, resulting in commuters stuck on the road for extended hours.
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 | KARACHI
04 NEWS
ResIdeNTs oF sINdh coAsTAl AReAs seek govT’s ATTeNTIoN KARACHI Staff RePoRt
Residents of Sindh’s coastal areas have been suffering from calamities, including floods, droughts, heavy rains, blizzards, and rising temperature, and a large number of them are now migrating to other places due to climate change. In the coastal areas, sufficient fresh drinking water is not available and lands are no longer suitable for cultivation. Flooding is also endangering the livestock. The forced migration is badly affecting people’s economic, physical and mental health. Coastal dwellers are facing calamities on the one hand and indifference of institutions on the other hand.
ITP launches awareness campaign about use of overhead bridge ISLAmAbAd PR
On the special direction of IGP Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younis, all possible steps are being taken by Islamabad Traffic Police to make Islamabad Zero accidents City and provide uninterrupted travel facilities to the public. Further steps are being taken to provide awareness to the citizens about the use of over head bridge, in the regard education wing is working along with ITP to ensure the use of overhead bridge to prevent accidents. Special tasks have been given to the education team under the supervision of SSP Traffic Rai Mazhar Iqbal, he said citizens are being informed about the benefits of using overhead bridges by visiting the overhead bridges on a daily basis. The use of overhead bridges is prevention of accidents. The awareness team will submit a performance report to SSP Traffic on a daily basis. On this occasion, SSP Traffic Rai Mazhar Iqbal appealed to the public to use overhead bridges to stay safe from accidents. He further said that a person does not become a good driver unless he becomes a good pedestrian.
ANF arrests 47 drug peddlers PR Anti Narcotics Force Pakistan seized 2.226 Ton Drugs and 450 Liters Prohibited Chemical valuing US$ 944.66 Million internationally, arrested 47 culprits including 2 women, 2 Nigerians and An Afghan National and impounded 10 vehicles while conducting 39 counter-narcotics operations throughout the country. The seized drugs comprised 982.155 Kg Heroin, 434.372 Kg Hashish, 135.7 Kg Opium, 65.29 Kg Methamphetamine (Ice), 605.5 Kg Morphine, 0.635 Kg Cocaine, 2.8 Kg Amphetamine, 450 Liters Acetic Anhydride and 110x Intoxicated Tablets. ANF Balochistan recovered 966.3 Kg drugs, 450 Liters Prohibited Chemical and 110x Intoxicated Tablets in 5 operations while arrested 5 accused and seized 2x vehicles. The seized drugs comprised 340 Kg Heroin, 20.8 Kg Hashish, 605.5 Kg Morphine, 450 Liters Acetic Anhydride and 110x Intoxicated Tablets. ANF Punjab recovered 61.879 Kg drugs in 7 operations while arrested 5 accused including 1 x Nigerian National. The seized drugs comprised 37.331 Kg Heroin,0.513 Kg Hashish, 23.400 Kg Methamphetamine (Ice) , 0.635 Kg Cocaine and 1 x Pistol 30 Bore with 11x Rounds. ANF KPK recovered 148.9 Kg drugs in 9 operations while arrested 6 accused including 1 x Afghan National and seized 2 x vehicles. The seized drugs comprised 32.1 Kg Heroin, 77.9 Kg Hashish, 36.1 Kg Opium and 2.800 Kg Amphetamine. ANF Sindh recovered 938.614 Kg drugs in 8 operations while arrested 13 accused and seized 2 x vehicles. The seized drugs comprised 563.824 Kg Heroine, 266.71 Kg Hashish, 69.600 Kg Opium and 38.480 Kg Methamphetamine (Ice). ANF North, recovered 110.759 Kg drugs in 10 operations and arrested 18 accused including 2 x women & 1 x Nigerian and seized 4 x vehicles. The seized drugs comprised 8.9 Kg Heroin, 68.449 Kg Hashish, 30 Kg Opium, 3.41 Kg Methamphetamine (Ice), All cases have been registered at respective ANF Police Stations.
It is wrongful to dump garbage of different parts of the city on the shore. This process is intensifying, especially along the Malir coastal belt, and garbage entering the sea is playing havoc with the lives of marine animals. The residents of coastal areas are waiting for the government’s attention and steps for solving their problems, but they do not see any development in this regard. On the other hand, the people are also afraid of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), working in the coastal areas of Malir and Thatta. The NGO has been working in these areas for almost a year, but so far it has done no work to benefit the poor directly. The backward population in the coastal areas is forced to live in an abysmal state.
BOI conducts workshop on PRMI PR In line with Prime Minister’s vision for transformation of Pakistan’s regulatory landscape to enable private sector growth & international investment, Board of Investment is spearheading Prime Minister Asaan Karobaar Programme. The initiative aims to simplify the existing complex regulatory environment by reducing compliance burden on medium and small enterprises (SMEs) that hinders competitiveness & imposes high cost. The reform drive will mainly focus on the elimination, simplification & automation of the multi-tiered regulatory requirements that will be instrumental to support economic growth of Pakistan. The programme comes under the umbrella of Pakistan Regulatory Modernization Initiative (PRMI). With the launch of PRMI Strategy, the initiative has been officially launched nationwide. In this regard, Additional Secretary BOI & PRMI team lead, Mr. Mukarram Jah Ansari with his team conducted a one day “Capacity Building Workshop on Pakistan Regula-
tory Modernization Initiative & Ease of Doing Business” in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The workshop is part of the strategy to apprise the public, private sector & academia on the significance of the reform drive for businesses and Pakistan’s economic development as well as handholding of relevant stakeholders for successful implementation of the initiative. The workshop was attended by more than 70 participants including Special Assistant to PM AJK, Mr. Muhammad Iqbal, Secretary Industries & Commerce, Mr. Zahoor-ul-Hassan Gillani, prominent representatives of AJK academia, private sector & focal persons of over 30 departments of Government of AJK. Addressing the audience, Mr. Ansari stated that government is pursing broad based regulatory reforms agenda focusing on facilitation of business fraternity by introduction of smart & friendly regulations as part of PRMI & promotion of SMEs through Regulatory Guillotine (RG). He further briefed participants on implementation of regulatory reforms in various sectors across Pakistan and their impact on businesses ranging from re-
duction in cost, time, automation and transparency to name a few. Since July 2021, more than 100 regulatory reforms have been implemented in various sectors of the economy. “PRMI outcome is the launch of one window facility called “Pakistan Business Portal” said Mr. Ansari. Additional Secretary assured of BOI’s active support and hand holding of AJK government departments for successful implementation of the programme. Secretary Industry & Commerce AJK, Mr. Zahoor-ul-Hussan Gillani in his remarks appreciated BOI’s role in effectively leading the reform initiative and emphasized the need of adoption of best practices of other provinces in AJK in order to leverage the region’s potential. He encouraged focal persons for their sincere efforts in actualizing the implementation of reforms and automation of services. Director, BOI Mr. Zuhfran Qasim briefed the participants on Pakistan EODB journey & lessons learnt to have successful implementation of PRM Initiative. Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed, Advisor to PM AJ&K for Industries & Commerce, in his concluding remarks
recognized the huge scope of reforms that will facilitate the business community and also attract investment in AJK. He emphasized that for AJK to improve its economic outlook, it will have to be at par with other provinces and regions. He appreciated the support extended by BOI for capacity building of AJK government departments and expressed hope that this partnership will facilitate industrial growth throughout the region. The workshop concluded with certificate distribution ceremony to participants by Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed. Additional Secretary BOI, Mr. Mukarram Ansari also presented souvenirs to the special guests. During the AJK visit, Mr. Mukarram Jah Ansari & his team called on Prime Minister AJK, Honorable Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, held meetings with Chief Secretary AJK, Mr. Shakeel Qadir Khan and secretaries of relevant departments, academia, representatives of chambers, traders association and business community. All stakeholders acknowledged that the initiative is imperative to the economic uplift of AJK region and pledged their support.
AIOU invites applications under PM Wheelchair Scheme ISLAmAbAd pRESS RELEASE
Allama Iqbal Open University has invited applications under Prime Minister’s Electric Wheelchair Scheme from its disabled students for the year 2021-2022. In a notification issued by the Directorate of Students Affairs, Deans, DG regional services, HODs of
all academic departments as well as regional directors have been communicated to display application form at the prominent places as well as circulate widely so that not a single disabled student of AIOU is deprived of electric wheelchair. Principal officers have also been instructed to provide assistance and guidance to the applicants in this regard. Duly filled and signed application form with all
necessary documents including CNIC and disability certificate must be submitted to Director, Students Affairs, Room 03, Directorate of SA&CS, Block 25/Gateway Block, Ground Floor, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad before 10th January2022. It is pertinent to mention here that federal government of Pakistan has introduced this scheme to facilitate disabled
students enrolled in Pakistani universities and has completed initial two phases while this third phase has been initiated in collaboration with Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. For any further information, the applicants may contact Project Manager, HEC on 051-90808056, UAN: 111-119-432, 0334-1119432. P R
Participants shine in 3rd day of 6th CNS Open Shooting Championship PRESS RELEASE The 3rd day of 6th CNS Open Shooting Championship 2021 went smoothly in which all shooters participated actively. It is highlighted that 05 x events in Rifle and Pistol categories (10m Air Pistol (Men/Women), 25Mtr Rapid Fire Pistol (Men) and (50m Prone Rifle (Men/Women) were contested. Four new records have been made in Air Pistol Women category (Junior & Senior) Kishmala Talat of Pak Army scoring 577/600. In Final Kishmala Talat of Pak Army scored 235/261.6. Pak Army scored 1694/1800 in Team event while 50mtr Prone Rifle (Women) category Pak Navy made a new National Record Scoring 1825.7/1962 in Team event. The medal position of Day 3 matches is as under:
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 | KARACHI
CabINeT aPPrOveS PaKISTaN’S fIrSTever NaTIONal SeCurITy POlICy: MOeed ContInued fRom pAge 01
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draft of the policy was earlier this month also shared with the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. The meeting was, however, boycotted by the opposition parties. The National Security Policy is expected to be a dynamic document that will be reviewed each year and on the transition of government to help keep it abreast with its policy priorities in a fastchanging global environment. Work on the policy began in 2014. It is pertinent to note that on Tuesday, after the cabinet approved the country’s first-ever national security policy, Moeed reiterated that the national security policy had economic security at its core and focused on the security of the common man. “If there is economic security, you will then have opportunities to spend on
military and human security,” he stated. Moeed during a presser, alongside Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry in Islamabad, felicitated the country by stating that “I congratulate the entire nation as it is very difficult to devise policies if a country’s vision on national security is not clear,” he said, adding that the national security policy was an umbrella document that would provide direction for the formulation of sectoral policies and strategies. He further said on the matter of national cohesion, the policy identified Pakistan’s diversity and that unity should be built around it. “We are an Islamic state and have the vision of an Islamic state. The policy will cover all aspects of diversity within that realm,” Yusuf added. Moreover, Yusuf continued, the policy centred on peace with neighbouring and other countries as far as external re-
lations were concerned. He went on to state that education had been linked to the economy in the new policy as the former was related to building human resources, which would benefit the economy. Yusuf went on to reveal that while the policy draft was a classified document, a public version of it would be finalised and launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan within seven to 10 days. Earlier, Chaudhry said the same, adding that it was for the first time that “national security has been clubbed with the economy”. “A strong economy guarantees your security,” he said. More importantly, the minister added, the policy focused on the security of the common man. “Until a common is not satisfied with the economic, social and legal situation, the country’s security will be at
risk,” he said. The information minister went on to announce that the federal cabinet had given approval for the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the murder of Nazim Jokhio, who was tortured to death during alleged illegal detention at the farmhouse of PPP MPA Jam Awais in Malir, Karachi. “You are well aware of what was done to protect the murderers in this case … A criminal investigation was compromised. This is unacceptable,” he said, adding that this was why approval was given for the constitution of a JIT. It is pertinent to note that Nazim Jokhio was found tortured to death at the farmhouse of PPP MPA Jam Awais on November 3. The victim’s family accuses the MPA of torturing him to death for resisting houbara bustard hunting by the lawmaker’s Arab guests in Nazim’s Achar Salaar village.
BankIslami wins award KARACHI PR
LAHORE: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Chief Statistician Dr Naeem-uz-Zafar addresses a workshop on Population and Housing Census 2022. PR
The senior leaders of P&G Pakistan call on Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on the occasion of completing 30 years of successful business operations in the country. During the meeting, they discussed about foreign direct investment into Pakistan by expansion of its local manufacturing footprint and significant investments in fixed assets in the country. The support received from the government of Pakistan over the years has been instrumental to P&G's successful operations in the country. (L-R) Adil Farhat CEO P&G Pakistan, Tarin, Amar Abbasi, Head of Legal & Government Relations and Khalid Farid, Commercial Leader, P&G Pakistan are seen in the photo. PR
BankIslami, the country’s leading Islamic financial institution, has bagged two coveted accolades at the 7th Annual Islamic Retail Banking Awards 2021 held in Dubai recently. The Bank won as the Islamic Bank of the Year for Growth and Strategy while the President and CEO of BankIslami was honored as the Best Personality of the Year for a second consecutive year. The international awards are a pinnacle of achievement for Sharia-compliant banking in Asia and receiving these showcases the extent of BankIslami’s performance throughout the region. The Islamic Retail Banking Awards are organized by UK-based Cambridge IFN and within the last 7 years have become a gold standard within the industry. BankIslami has displayed exceptional performance in terms of customer servicing and revolutionizing the Riba-free sector through technological advancements, setting a unique precedent for others to follow. The or-
ganization has achieved significant milestones in operations with profits, number of account holders and assets witnessing substantial growth over the last few years despite challenging circumstances faced by global economies. Moreover, the President and CEO, Syed Amir Ali being honored for the second year running showcases his revolutionary potential and foresight in leading BankIslami to new heights of success and saving humanity from RIBA at the same time. Speaking at the occasion, Syed Amir Ali, President and CEO, BankIslami stated; “BankIslami has displayed splendid performance during the year 2020 with the organization’s profits increasing substantially. Our scope of services is rapidly expanding to unexplored domains in order to provide state-of-theart services to customers. I dedicate my award to the exceptional team at BankIslami that has been driving optimal growth and progress for the organization. We are honored to receive this coveted accolade and will continue to strive in providing all stakeholders with RIBA-free solutions for all their financial needs.”
Meezan Bank partners with Pak Suzuki Motor Company KARACHI PR
Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic bank and Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited, have recently signed an MoU, offering attractive financing benefits to facilitate middle-income segment & young customers in availing Car Ijarah facility through Pak Suzuki One Window Solution. Mr. Arshad Majeed - Group Head Con-
sumer Finance, Meezan Bank signed the MoU with Mr. Aamir Shaffi - Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited at Marriot Hotel Karachi along with their respective senior team members. In an effort to ease access to Shariah-compliant car financing solutions, Meezan Bank will facilitate its customers with additional Residual Value features which includes affordable monthly rentals that will be lower than regular installments.
Balochistan governor praises University of Turbat Governor Balochistan/ Chancellor University of Turbat, Syed Zahoor Ahmad Agha has said that "It is honor for me that today I am present highly qualified faculty members of University of Turbat. I am happy to see that the University of Turbat has accomplished great achievements in a short period of time. Due to the tireless efforts of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Jan Mohammad and his team, today Turbat University has become an important, strong and beautiful institution of higher learning in the country. He expressed these views while presiding over a session held during his visit to University of Turbat here on Tuesday. He said “It is great to know that a large number of women are pursuing higher education in UoT. We want women to play an important role in the development of the society and the country by working shoulder to shoulder with men. We are committed to provide better access to quality education for boys and girls alike.” The session was attended by faculty members, administrative officers of the university, provincial and district administration officers and other distinguished guests. Vice Chancellor, University of Turbat, Prof. Dr. Jan Mohammad, PS to Governor, Abdul Nasir Doran, Provincial Ombudsman, Nazar Mohammad Baloch, , UoT's Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mansoor Ahmad, Principal of Makran Med-
ical College,Dr. Rauf Shah, Dean Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Abdul Saboor, Dean Faculty of Science and Engineering, Dr. Naeemullah, Dean, Faculty of Economics, Commerce and Business Administration Dr. Dr. Waseem Barkat, Dean Academics Dr. Adeel Ahmed, Registrar Ganguzar Baloch, Director Public Relations, Linkages and Foreign Collaboration Ijaz Ahmed, Director, Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization Dr. Ghulam Jan, Director Quality Enhancement Cell Dr. Riaz Ahmed, Commissioner Makran Division Shabir Mengal, Deputy Commissioner Ketch, Hussain Jan Baloch, UoT’s Director Finance Shah
Beek Syed, Controller of Examinations Shakeel Ahmed, heads of various academic and administrative departments were also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Governor Balochistan Syed Zahoor Ahmad Agha said that scholars, researchers and faculty members were very important pillars of Balochistan who can play an important role in overcoming the challenges faced by Balochistan and bringing development and prosperity in the province by utilizing their knowledge, insight and wisdom. He said “This is the age of technology, skills and quality education. Quality education not only strengthens an individual but it also strengthens the peo-
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ple as a nation. Without acquiring education we can neither develop nor compete with the developed nations. Teachers have a great responsibility to utilize all their academic abilities to make the youth realize that only the education and educational institutions can lead us towards success and prosperity.” Thanking the Vice Chancellor, faculty and other distinguished guests, the Governor of Balochistan assured that he would continue to visit UoT in future and would provide all possible support for the further development of the University. Earlier, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Jan Mohammad in his welcome address thanked the Governor Balochistan for visiting UoT and said that “The youth of this region and the students of UoT are second to none in term of talent. There is immense potential in the students of University of Turbat to play an important role in achieving the goals of economic development and prosperity.” VC said that our university has established collaboration with national and international universities and research institutions. He underscored that UoT has the potential to become a world-class institution of higher learning with the support of the government. At the end of the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor presented paintings, shields and Balochi Chadir to the Governor of Balochistan and other honorable guests. PR
NEWS
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NIH confirms 75 cases of Omicron variant in Pakistan ContInued fRom pAge 01 Last month, Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan stated that the arrival of the Omicron variant in Pakistan was inevitable. “This [strain] has to spread in the whole world as we saw before that when a variant comes, the world is so interconnected that it is impossible to stop it,” Umar had said, adding that vaccination was the most logical solution to curb the threat. Pakistan had placed a complete ban on November 27 on travel from six south African countries — South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia — and Hong Kong in the wake of the variant’s discovery, which was later extended to nine more countries — Croatia, Hungary, Netherlands, Ukraine, Ireland, Slovenia, Vietnam, Poland and Zimbabwe. The National Command and Operating Centre later placed 13 countries – United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Russia, Thailand, France, Austria, Afghanistan and Turkey – in category B. All passengers from these countries need to be fully vaccinated, while everyone above the age of six must possess a negative PCR test report issued not more than 48 hours before boarding.
SKMT celebrates 27th anniversary
On the anniversary of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres on December 29, 2021, the acting CEO Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf said, “Since 1994, in Lahore, and subsequently in Peshawar, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, built and funded by charitable donations from all across the country, has carried the torch for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Over the last 27 years, in Lahore, and the last six years in Peshawar, these hospitals have seen hundreds of thousands of patients with cancer, and treated over 75% of these cancer patients completely free.” He went to say that cancer diagnosis and treatment is complex and multi-faceted, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. “Treatment is often prolonged and requires expensive drugs, even more expensive equipment and highly-trained staff. Our hospitals are tertiary-care cancer facilities, with all possible services needed for diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as for end-of-life or palliative care, available under one roof. At SKMCH&RC, we have shown that clinical excellence for all is achievable in Pakistan, and we continue to provide not only the highest possible quality of both curative and palliative therapy for cancer, but also to conduct research into the causes and treatment of cancer.” Commenting on the challenges in the past year and major achievements, Dr Yusuf added, “COVID-19 continued to impact cancer care in 2021, forcing us to adapt continuously so that we could safely continue to treat all our cancer patients, while also keeping our staff safe. Throughout this, it was the unwavering support of our wellwishers, in Pakistan and overseas, which allowed us to treat more patients than ever before, irrespective of their ability to pay, while continuing work on our expansion projects. Major milestones in 2021 included Joint Commission International reaccreditation for SKMCH&RC, Lahore, commencement of surgical oncology and anaesthesia services at SKMCH&RC, Peshawar, and completion of 70% of the grey structure for SKMCH&RC, Karachi. To continue to provide free cancer treatment, and to continue to grow during 2022, we need your support more than ever before. I know that we can count on you to open your hearts for Shaukat Khanum once more, so that one day everyone in Pakistan with cancer can be treated at a facility of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust.” PR
Jaffer Business Systems Regional Sales Head Sheikh Tariq and Manager Customer Service Rauf Anwar pose for a photograph at Kotler’s book launching ceremony. PR
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021
06 COMMENT
The Roots of America’s Middle East Decline
Bilawal’s call for mass contact After failure of policy of wheeling and dealing
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HOUSAnDS of PPP workers from all over the country converged on Garhi Khuda Bux to observe the 14th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. it was a highly charged gathering. One after another, PPP speakers recounted the heroic struggle of their deceased leader from the Zia era to her death. The speakers also highlighted what they considered the contribution of the PPP during its stint in power. They promised to continue their struggle for democracy and the rights of the common man. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari refuted media reports about attempts by the P** leadership to broker a deal with the establishment. The reports had specially gained currency after some of ex-President Asif Zardari’s statements. The younger Mr Zartdari maintained that the PPP did not believe in undemocratic means and vowed to stand by the masses who are reeling under the PTi government’s antipeople policies. Time had come, he said, to confront the puppet regime of Prime Minister imran Khan. He called upon the ’jialas’ to get ready for the struggle. Talking about struggle indicates the failure of the policy of wheeling and dealing that the party leadership had earlier relied upon. interestingly the PPP leadership wants to start its anti-PTi movement from Lahore where it failed to win even a single seat in the 2018 elections. Presumably it has been encouraged by the results of nA133 where its candidate got many times more votes than in 2018 despite losing to the PML(n) ticket holder. Mr Zardari has finally discovered that the electables in Punjab are more likely to join the party that can display street power and is likely to win the elections. Unlike Sindh where the names of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir still carry an emotional appeal, for most of the younger generation voters in Punjab they have little significance. Mass contact campaign will provide an opportunity to the PPP to reach out to the common man in Punjab. Bhutto became popular because he had a programme that appealed to the people. What the opposition parties badly need are well-thought-out policies for improving the people’s livelihood. The parties also need to reach a consensus on basic economic policies and on how to deal with the rising extremism in the country. So far their reliance is solely on slogans.
Washington Watch
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ince the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, i have received questions from a number of journalists, both American and Arab. They have asked what the US withdrawal means for the region, for US leadership in the world, and which countries will now fill the void left by the absence of the USA from the scene. i have no doubt that these questions have been prompted, in no small measure, by the messiness of the withdrawal, the nightmarish and chaotic scenes at the airport, the tragic human stories of those left behind, and the speed with which the US-friendly government collapsed followed by the Taliban’s takeover of the country That said, in each instance i have cautioned those who asked these questions to take note of the fact that the USA’s problems in the greater Middle east didn’t begin with the withdrawal. Our decline began 20 years earlier with the reckless, costly, and disastrous decisions of the Bush Administration to invade both
Religious education and the state
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T seems the Punjab government has dug itself another hole after its education Department announced that he Holy Quran would be taught as a separate compulsory subject in all schools across the province, but did little to implement the decision and the matter landed in the Lahore High court, that has forced chief Minister Usman Buzdar to approve the hiring and training of 70,000 Arabic teachers. Apart from managing and financing the logistics of such a massive recruitment exercise, the government has also set itself up to receive a series of demands from the new government employees. Granted, if indeed such a large number of government jobs are distributed, some political capital is generated as it will translate into votes, but before that, the first thing that this group of fresh recruits will ask for confirmation as full-time employees, something that will not be easy to grant, leading to protests. At some point there will be an expectation of a salary hike, that the Punjab government will again find tough to manage, forcing another round of sit-ins. Wheter enough qualified teachers can be found is a separate matter. One could appreciate such a rise in employment had the job being created for it carried some utility. That the Holy Quran will be taught in Arabic to children from classes 1-5 without teaching them the Arabic language means they won’t understand what they will be reading. it would therefore be an exercise in vain if the expectation is that children will be learning something new, when in fact no useful knowledge will be imparted under this plan. The recitation or memorization of the Holy Quran is typically an optional subject that parents teach their children at home at a level of strictness, difficulty and interpretation that varies across families. As it is, over the years, the number of school subjects have increased while syllabi have expanded, leaving children with a lot on their plates already. Adding to that workload for what seems to be more of a politically motivated move that satisfies this government’s swelling appetite for religiosity at the expense of the core curriculum is a recipe for disaster. The Punjab government tmust rethink this policy of forcing religion into education every chance it gets, much to the detriment of students.
India wants to dominate the region
muhmmaD ali alvi
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T can be the natural tendency of a person, entity or state to dictate terms and be a hegemon. This tendency multiplies when it is backed by supporting factors. consider the example of a state. A state tries to be a self-assumed and natural hegemon if it has a vast area, abundant resources, large population, powerful military or technological advancement. However, the response and treatment of other states with that particular state either puts a check on it or helps it expand its hegemonic designs. The vested interests of other states towards that hegemonic state not only help it materialize its goals but also create problems for other states. The vested interests of other states can be the result of several reasons. They could be strategic, political, economic or any other. These unjust and imbalanced attitudes and undue favours over the course of time turn the hegemonic tendencies of a state into fanaticism. This fanaticism propels that state to dictate terms according to its will, promote its hegemony, and interfere in the internal matters of other states. After independence, india in its bid to be a hegemon in South Asia started developing nuclear weapons. it was the first step towards the nuclearization of the South Asian region. it was rather an attempt to control the South Asian region and be the only nuclear power in South Asia. india conducted a nuclear explosion in 1974. The response of the world was rather mute. it was called a “fait accompli”. Pakistan was advised not to embark on a journey of achieving nuclear capability, regardless of the fact that Pakistan had faced an
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astrous byproduct of these wars is the fact that iran has now been unleashed on the region and become emboldened to meddle into the affairs of others. The prestige of the US has been weakened. And while the goal of the neoconservatives was to decisively win these wars, demonstrating American power and resolve, thereby ensuring a century of US hegemony in a unipolar world, instead we now see the emergence of a multipolar world with regional and other global powers playing out their strategic ambitions in country after country across the Middle east. So, whether we stayed in Afghanistan or not, a new reality has already taken hold across the Middle east. Other powers are already either replacing us or competing with us for influence, and some key regional allies, wearied by our blunders and miscalculations, are pursuing their own interests independent of ours. As a result, our leverage is more limited than it was. That said, the USA cannot be written off as a “has-been” power. We still have influence in the Middle east— economic, military, and cultural. We remain the world’s most successful economy, we still have significant deterrent capabilities that can defend allies, and our too often underestimated “soft power” remains our most important asset. As disastrous as the US departure may have been, we had no option but to limit our losses and leave Afghanistan and end our active combat role in iraq. But making these decisions in no way means we are abandoning the region. it simply means that we recognized the realities neoconservatives tragically ignored. What is needed now is a clearheaded examination of the damage done by both wars and a recalibration of our regional posture that realistically matches our needs with our capacities so that we can best protect our interests and those of our allies. The writer is President of the Arab American Institute
Indian hegemonic attitude and the role of the world
There needs to be separation and a limit
Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Dr James J. Zogby
Afghanistan and iraq followed by the decision to occupy them and attempt to create “democracies” that would support our interests. These wars were reckless because in both instances the Bush Administration was advised by experts in the intelligence community and career-level State Department and military officials that these were not wars we could win or governments we could fashion to our liking. in both cases, Bush ignored those who knew Afghanistan and iraq and listened instead to influential neoconservatives who had become the dominant force in his cabinet. Because these ideologues did not know the culture, makeup, or histories of either country, they allowed ideology to trump reality. As a result, these efforts were, from the outset, doomed to failure. Both wars were also costly in lives and treasure for the USA, Afghanistan, and iraq. The iraqi and Afghani losses were incalculable and devastating. in the US case, we lost more than 60000 troops, with tens of thousands more left physically and/or mentally maimed for life. it’s also important to note that in each year since the end of active combat in both Afghanistan and iraq, we’ve lost more than 6000 more US veterans to suicide— an average of 20+ per day! in addition, there are tens of thousands more who’ve joined the ranks of the homeless and those addicted to drugs— all the result of war-induced trauma. The morale of the military has been affected. These two wars and the treatment of veterans, those maimed, affected by PTSD, and addicted, has so far cost us more than $3 trillion. This is one key reason why the US military leadership was loath to commit significant ground forces to fight in Syria. And these wars were disastrous because they accomplished none of their goals. extremism wasn’t defeated. instead, it has metastasized into more lethal forms and spread to many more countries threatening the security and stability of countries across the greater Middle east and north Africa and even taking root in some european countries as well. Another dis-
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existential threat from india since independence. Similarly, there were indeed some internal factors responsible for the separation of east Pakistan but india’s negative and poisonous role in the creation of Bangladesh was there for everyone to see. india’s role in the separation of east Pakistan was not only a blatant violation of international law but also an attack on the sovereignty of an independent state. Pakistan was dismembered. But despite the indian role in the separation of east Pakistan (now Bangladesh), the world chose to remain silent. Take the example of the United Kingdom. it became the first european country to recognise Bangladesh soon after its creation and paved the way for the other european and Western nations to recognize it. As a reaction, Pakistan left the commonwealth, but when Pakistan tried to rejoin it, india blocked Pakistan’s entrance for several years before it was allowed to do so. Similarly, the world responded differently to the Siachen issue and the Kargil crisis. in 1984, india captured Siachen Glacier-a glaciated area that was under Pakistan’s control since independence. it was a violation of the already existing Loc established as a result of the previous ceasefire agreements and the Shimla agreement. The world showed a muted response. india still holds that captured area. While Pakistan was blamed openly for the Kargil crisis and the world sided with india on that occasion. Pakistan had to cope with isolation after the Kargil crisis. even sports have been used as an instrument to exert influence and the world has helped her do so. The icc, which is accused by many of being a defunct body playing in the hands of the Bcci, has played its part in helping india. For example, iPL, a cricket League organised by india gets a full window in icc schedules. no or very minimum amount of cricket is being scheduled in that period. no other league is allowed that privilege. Players from different countries except Pakistani players play in the indian League while no indian player plays in different leagues around the
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world. All this happens because of the economic interests that allow india to dictate terms. Furthermore, how states react on certain matters also help india in doing what it desires. For example, the USA designated Pakistan and several other countries including Russia and china as “countries of particular concern” and placed them on its blacklist for alleged religious freedom violations. india however, was not blacklisted despite repeated recommendations by the United States commission on international Religious Freedom(USciRF), a federal independent commission of the US that “uses international standards to monitor religious freedom violations globally, and makes policy recommendations to the president’’. USciR also recommended india be placed on the blacklist last year, but it was exempted. Furthermore, Pakistan has repeatedly asked for better and peaceful ties with india but the stern and hostile attitude of respective indian governments has always blocked the peaceful ties between the two states. The reason for this stern, aggressive and hostile attitude is the unjust attitude of the world and the selfproclaimed dominant nature of india to be the only hegemonic state in South Asia. The nuclear weapons and arms race in South Asia owes much to the muted response of the world at the time of indian aggression. Pakistan remains the only challenge to the indian attempts of dictating the terms in the South Asian region as other regional states are either weak or cannot challenge india. The statement of the indian Foreign Minister that it was because of indian efforts Pakistan was on the FATF grey list and it ensured Pakistan stays on the list depicts the inherent dominant tendencies of india and its attempt to control the region on its terms. Biases, unjust attitude and profit-oriented approach of the World has not only resulted in the nuclearization of the South Asian region but also it has made the region vulnerable as indian fanaticism and hegemonic tendencies will further pollute the environment of the region.
Biases, unjust attitude and profit-oriented approach of the World has not only resulted in the nuclearization of the South Asian region but also it has made the region vulnerable as Indian fanaticism and hegemonic tendencies will further pollute the environment of the region
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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The writer is freelance columnist
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
December bleeds
The heinous crime that must stop
muJeeb ali samo
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OciAL deviance of an individual is generated in society because of the failure of institutions to deliver. if the law and enforcement agencies go into deep slumber, then the major crimes will rise and they shall be very heinous in nature as we all have witnessed in the recent incident of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway, where the mother is raped in front of her two children. This is not the first case of such a heinous and inhuman nature, but similarly every day we read and see in the news bulletin there is an incremental rise in the cases of rape-cummurder. The rapist perpetrates the action irrespective of the age of the victim. This is a serious concern for the government and the individuals who are citizens of this free land. Hence, social deviance poses a very severe threat to the security of the society, particularly where the women and child of young age are victims of the crime. The deviant individual does not see the consequences of the illegal perpetration that he does. He is the cause of a threat to the whole system of the society and the state generally. According to the police records, in the first six months of 2020, as many as 1,005 incidents of women subjected to rape were reported. How many cases were unreported, no one knows. in 2019, according to Sahil, an nGO working for the protection of children from violence, a total of 2,846 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in the newspapers. That averages to almost eight cases a day! And these are just the ones reported in the newspapers (which are bassed on police reports). One can only imagine what the actual numbers are. According to Sahil’s latest report, based on data from 84 newspapers, covering incidents from all four provinces, as well as the islamabad capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, as of June 2020, some 497 child sexual abuse cases have been reported in the newspapers. A majority of these cases, almost 57 percent, were reported in Punjab. Of the rest, 32 percent were reported in Sindh, and 6 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sahil’s latest report also reveals that more than 35 child sexual abuse cases have been reported in islamabad during this time, another 22 have been reported in
Balochistan, 10 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and one in Gilgit-Baltistan. Sahil’s report reveals that girls are more vulnerable to child sexual abuse than boys, in the age brackets of up to 5 years and 16-18 years; however, boys were found to be more vulnerable to sexual abuse in the age brackets of 6-10 years and 11-15 years. Out of the total reported cases, 62 percent were from rural areas and 38 percent were reported from urban areas. Of these, 53 percent were girls and 47 percent boys. At least 173 children were gang-raped, whereas there were 227 reports of attempted sexual assault. And, if all this was not enough to rupture your heart, 38 children were killed during this time, after they had been sexually abused. Rape is not a mere four-letter word. Rape is a lifelong resetting of everything that is private, fiercely protected, inviolable. Rape is not a stigma on the victim, the survivor. Rape is a collective question mark on the morality of a society. Rape is not the shame of a child, a girl, a woman. Rape is the mirror to the rottenness of a system. Rape is not the izzat ka lutna of a female. Rape is the dishonour of every man who lays a harmful finger on a female. Rape even when it is not fatal, acts as an assassin of that indescribably personal part of the victim that no amount of therapy or love ever brings back to life. Rape is not merely an attack on the body. Rape is a violation of so many boundaries it is one of those darkest acts of humans that defy any justification. Rape is so many things there is no single way to encapsulate its soul-altering effect. Around a thousand Pakistani women are murdered in honour killings each year, in which the victim, normally a woman, is killed by a relative for bringing shame on the family. in July, 24-year-old Waziran was stoned to death in Jamshoro by her husband and brother,
allegedly on the pretext of honour. Last month, police named a man who had shot dead his 19-year-old sister in Karachi because of her “constant interactions” with a “man in the neighbourhood”. May it be the case of Qandeel Baloch, 6r Waziran, it was a young girl who fell victim to death in the name of honour killing. The report, compiled by the police, recorded statistics from January 31, 2019 to January 30, 2020. According to the report, 126 people, who were suspected of being involved in the 'honour killings', had been arrested. challans of 81 cases pertaining to 'honour killings' were presented in courts while 32 are still being investigated. Hence, the compiled report by police which states the violence against women is numerical. it states that 132 women were murdered for different reasons, 1,158 cases of kidnapping of girls were registered with the police, as were 128 cases of physical torture against women over the past year. in the survey report of Human Rights Watch, almost 1000 women are murdered in Pakistan in the name of honour each year, killed on the grounds of ‘unacceptable amorous relationships, defiance of physical or cyber gendered spaces, brazenness in dressing and language or perceived immorality. A decrease in the cases of such nature shall only be possible when the government passes legislation that the sole performer of the heinous act shall reap the severe consequences of the crime. it is either that his body shall be hanged at a public place or he shall be surgically operated to lose manly physical ability (castration). There is zero tolerance in the perpetration of physical violence against women. The punishment must be a model and precedent for the others.
Sahil’s report reveals that girls are more vulnerable to child sexual abuse than boys, in the age brackets of up to 5 years and 16-18 years; however, boys were found to be more vulnerable to sexual abuse in the age brackets of 6-10 years and 11-15 years. Out of the total reported cases, 62 percent were from rural areas and 38 percent were reported from urban areas. Of these, 53 percent were girls and 47 percent boys. At least 173 children were gang-raped, whereas there were 227 reports of attempted sexual assault. And, if all this was not enough to rupture your heart, 38 children were killed during this time, after they had been sexually abused. Rape is not a mere four-letter word
The writer can be reached at mujeebalisamo110@gmail.com
THe arrival of this month apprises us of the dismemberment of Pakistan; east Pakistan came into the world with the name of Bangladesh. What were the reasons for the demise of Dhaka, the list goes very long. i will categorise them into three factors; 1. indian-abiding animosity. 2. negligence of duties and responsibilities. 3. Power hunger. With the emergence of Pakistan, she was surrounded by numerous problems and issues. Much has previously been said and written. There is no dire need to repeat all of them here. india never reconciled herself to the birth of Pakistan, conspiracies and intrigues devised and launched by her were natural. Division of Hindustan did not fade from the memory of the Hindus. Why were our rulers not alert to indian fire for revenge? Who dares justify this criminal negligence? This paved the way for the fall of Dhaka, committed by the authorities in power. There was an utter political system failure, as the political and military high ups could not counteract fumes and flames being fueled by the indian Government and the public. Secondly, there was the negligence of duties and responsibilities; no sooner had Pakistan come into being than a dictatorial attitude in the bureaucracy in east Pakistan was observed as the fashion of the day. There was the world of difference for running the affairs of both the wings. There grew a sense of being ruled by east Pakistan’s people. The culture, language and ethnicity of the east wing were entirely different. islam was the binding force, one of the prime teachings of islam, equality, was shamelessly ignored everywhere. The sense of superiority in West Pakistan rulers and bureaucracy grew stronger; this heinous practice also played its destructive role. Such a shameful mentality of mind drew the tragedy of the demise of Pakistan nearer. it merits saying that all such malpractices sowed the seeds of a sense of exploitation and alienation. it is more significant to remember that the east wing was the first one to abolish the feudal system and vice versa was the one to retain it forcibly in their respective wings. i shudder to think that once again it is December and there is utter internal political instability in Pakistan. History is a witness that only such a chaotic situation proves the way for the military coup. i cannot divine the future. is our national leadership deprived of insight? This is a nation-state packed with politicians! The ruling and the opposition benches should hold a meaningful dialogue to take this country out of the quagmire of problems and issues. The whole of Pakistan is burning in a fire ignited by the regional and extraregional powers. Do our “leaders” have political insight to extinguish it? ABDUL GHAFFAR LAHORE
‘Aurat’ WHAT struck your mind when you read this word? A wife or mother standing in the kitchen, wiping the beads of sweat off her forehead as she stirs a ladle in the hot boiling pot of chicken broth? That’s it? Women have always been confined to the definition of beings who are entitled to get married before a certain age, bring humans into this world, raise them, maintain the house, and that’s all. The real question is, is this really what women are for or are capable of? Have we ever asked ourselves this question that how much talent or potential is wasted when a talented girl is married off at an early age into an uncooperative household and is deprived of access to opportunities that could lead her to somewhere, somewhere except the kitchen and laundry? We need to ask ourselves this question several times unless it sinks deep inside the pits of our mind and makes some sense, are women really some childbearing and rearing machines? Are women only for the kitchen and laundry? Why have we assigned or made these roles specifically for women? Why are all the household chores tied to women only? This is the reason that Pakistan is still lagging behind. We need to understand that women are much more than cooks and dishwashers. They are capable of so much more than stirring a ladle or chopping the veggies. She is a human being who possess many talents and qualities and she has the full-fledged right to make use of her talent and potential. She deserves to be exposed to opportunities that will enable her to earn some name beside a cook or dishwasher. TAHREEM ASGHAR PESHAWAR
Freshwater scarcity DeAR SiR, freshwater scarcity is a reality which is threatening the sustainable development of human society. earth’s hydrological (water) cycle has been interrupted by the climate change that makes water-scarce regions of the world drier, and makes the other already-wet regions wetter. Recent reports show that two-thirds of the global population is already experiencing water scarcity for at least one month of the year. However, i believe that it is never too late to take small steps and make a huge difference. every drop will count when you try! The good news is that these alarming facts are being considered, and stakeholders and the general public around the world are all agreeing to take action. Various agencies are putting together policies relevant to sustainable development. equally important, the international scientific community is working to bring more solutions. Finally, and most importantly, increased public awareness and pressure means that there is still hope for a sustainable future. AzMEEnA SiRAj KARAcHi
Inflation is being exploited inFLATiOn, another benefit of the incumbent government, has made wretched every individual. Understandably, government had to impose such taxes and was left with no other option. However, this has increased the prices of basic commodities and has been worst borne by the poor. Furthermore, i feel that the business community including shopkeepers and retailers are availing undue advantage of this by charging more than the actual price in the name of inflation. Therefore, it’s difficult for a common man to meet his needs. The state and concerned authorities should take immediate action against these overcharging shopkeepers and ensure that no one misuses tax policies to their own profit. AWAiS AHMED SHiKARPUR
08 WORLD VIEW 29th December 21_Layout 1 12/28/2021 7:47 PM Page 1
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021
08 WORLD VIEW
HUMANITARIAN EXEMPTIONS TO CRUSHING US SANCTIONS DO LITTLE TO PREVENT COLLAPSE OF AFGHANISTAN’S ECONOMY MORE AFGHAN PEOPLE MAY DIE FROM SANCTIONS THAN FROM 20 YEARS OF WAR
Intercept Lee Fang
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hen the US pulled out of Afghanistan in August, ceding to the Taliban, the country’s economy began a severe contraction — what the Financial Times calls “one of the worst economic meltdowns in history.” The sprawling crisis has left nearly 23 million people in extreme hunger, and at least 1 million children under the age of 5 are now facing the immediate threat of starvation, according to the United nations. As commerce ground to a halt, food and fuel prices skyrocketed, in large part due to economic sanctions placed on the Taliban by the U.S. As many as 300,000 Afghans have fled to neighboring Pakistan, and many more refugees may soon leave the country. There are even reports that some Afghans have resorted to selling their children in order to feed their families. The Biden administration defends the sanctions by pointing to a series of exemptions designed to allow humanitarian aid. The Treasury Department has touted its role as a leading humanitarian donor to the people of Afghanistan and its work to ensure that funds flow “through legitimate and transparent channels” via official sanction exemption licenses. But those humanitarian exemptions, overseen by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, are nowhere near enough, according to experts who spoke to The Intercept. The OFAC licenses, including new licenses released December 22, have not curbed the global chilling effect of the sanctions and are ineffective in preventing a spiraling disaster that could kill more Afghan people than nearly 20 years of U.S.-backed war and occupation. Businesses and individuals that violate U.S. sanctions on the Taliban risk steep fines and criminal penalties. The broad sanctions imposed by the U.S. lack specificity and raise the possibility that routine commercial activities in Afghanistan could fall under sanctions policy.
“none of these OFAC licenses, none of them, addresses the issue of international banks in their dealing with Afghan banks, hesitancy to deal with Afghan taxes, banking transactions for commercial imports,” said Shah Mehrabi, a member of Afghanistan’s central bank board. “The sanctions have created a lot of fear in the minds of those who do not want to go ahead and engage in taking this particular risk.” OFAC has issued licenses for medicine, remittances, education salaries, and other forms of humanitarian assistance. Additional licenses released last week allow exemptions for education funds and expand the scope of U.S. funds to aid organizations in Afghanistan. Mehrabi, who teaches economics at Montgomery College in Maryland, noted that much of Afghanistan’s domestic economy faces impending failure, a problem that cannot be solved by “merely allowing humanitarian aid to flow.” The Treasury Department, added Mehrabi, has focused on piecemeal humanitarian exemptions and has not addressed the central issue of how Afghanistan can import and export goods, collect taxes, and pay salaries. “We’re talking about an economy that’s going to collapse if Treasury does not clarify what could be done to the liquidity issue,” said Mehrabi. When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August, U.S. sanctions imposed since 2002 that criminalize any form of support for the Taliban as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group suddenly meant that penalties could apply to leaders of a sovereign state. As U.S. forces withdrew, American law firms quickly alerted international institutions across the globe that any business transaction in Afghanistan could risk violating sanctions. Any routine tax payment or duty paid to an Afghan bureaucrat could be construed as aiding and abetting the Taliban. “even if the Secretary of the Treasury does not specifically designate the entire Government of Afghanistan, it will be very difficult for contractors and grantees to know whether standard transactions with the Government of Afghanistan, such as paying taxes, permit fees, utility fees, import duties, or other routine payments will result in funds passing to the Taliban or its leaders in control of various branches of the Afghan government,” noted a client alert from the law firm nichols Liu. Contractors and businesses, the firm noted, can expect banks to “de-risk from Afghanistan,” meaning that fund transfers to or from Afghanistan “will be intercepted by intermediary banks and blocked until the contractor or grantee can demonstrate that the specific transfer to and the
use of funds in Afghanistan will comply with U.S. sanctions.” “The banking industry is reading [the sanctions] as, ‘The entire government is now the Taliban,’” a former U.S. Treasury Department official told the Crisis Group. The far-reaching sanctions, along with a Biden administration decision to freeze nearly $10 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank national reserves, sent the economy into free fall. Payments to doctors and police stopped. hospitals ran out of medicine. Residents could not withdraw bank deposits. even a printing press in Poland contracted to print Afghanis, the local currency, could not deliver its shipment. Rajeev Agarwal, the chief financial officer of KeC International, an Indian firm tapped to build electric utility transmission lines in Afghanistan, told investors in October that its five projects in the country suddenly ceased payments in August. The “U.S. has choked all the funding lines to Afghanistan,” reported Agarwal, according to a transcript of the call. “Sanctions are intended to have a chilling effect, in that sanctions will always go beyond the face of the text,” said Adam Weinstein, a research fellow with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. “no bank or business wants to walk right up to the line when it comes to compliance with U.S. sanctions policy, given that these are risk-averse institutions.” Last week, 40 members of the house of Representatives wrote to President Joe Biden urging him to ease sanctions and release Afghanistan central bank funds controlled by the U.S. government. “no increase in food and medical aid can compensate for the macroeconomic harm of soaring prices of basic commodities, a banking collapse, a balance-of-payments crisis, a freeze on civil servants’ salaries, and other severe consequences that are rippling throughout Afghan society, harming the most vulnerable,” noted the letter, led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal, DWash.; Sara Jacobs, D-Calif.; and Jesús G. “Chuy” García, D-Ill. The letter also called on the administration to provide clarity to financial institutions, including what’s known as “comfort letters” from the Treasury Department to reassure banks that they may engage in commerce without risk of violating sanctions. The Intercept asked the Treasury Department for comment about the concerns raised by the congressional letter, including whether the agency has provided comfort letters to reassure banks that they would not violate U.S. sanctions while facilitating transactions in Afghanistan. Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Treasury Department, did not respond directly to the
question about the comfort letters and pointed to the existence of the OFAC exemption licenses to respond to questions about concerns that U.S. sanctions are damaging the Afghanistan economy. “In contrast to sanctions programs administered and enforced by OFAC with regard to north Korea, Cuba, Iran, Syria, and the Crimea region of Ukraine, there are no comprehensive sanctions on Afghanistan,” reads an FAQ on the Treasury site that Finkelstein sent. “Therefore, there are no OFAC-administered sanctions that prohibit the export or reexport of goods or services to Afghanistan, moving or sending money into and out of Afghanistan, or activities in Afghanistan, provided that such transactions or activities do not involve sanctioned individuals, entities, or property in which sanctioned individuals and entities have an interest.” Kevin Schumacher, deputy executive director of the nonprofit Women for Afghan Women, noted that banks and other multinational firms are reluctant to pay large legal fees to review hundreds of pages of Treasury Department guidelines with each client just to engage in commerce with Afghanistan. The problem, he said, is that the U.S. government “doesn’t really understand who they are going after.” “That fear of the unknown,” said Shumacher, “is what prompts this massive blanket sanction regime that has resulted in the tragedy that we are seeing.” “The OFAC licenses never work, never will,” added Shumacher. “The moment that the banks see any sanction or any sort of restriction, they just walk away from doing any transactions. That’s what’s happening now with Afghanistan. The banks are not willing to take our business, and no amount of OFAC licenses is going to satisfy their needs.” In the past, multinational corporations and banks have over-complied with U.S. sanctions, ignoring OFAC licenses. Schumacher pointed out the history with Iran: The U.S., while imposing stringent sanctions on Iran, released OFAC licenses for the delivery of medicine and other medical products. But banks, in fear of violating the U.S. sanctions, ignored OFAC licenses and routinely blocked the trade of medicine and other health care products to Iran. The Washington Post reported in 2012 that despite OFAC licenses allowing the exports of medicine to Iran, exports of medicine quickly dwindled. “The exemption of medicine from sanctions is only in theory,” one Iranian importer told the Post. “International banks do not accept Iran’s money for fear of facing U.S. punishment.” There is little appetite among politicians in Washington, D.C., to radically reverse course. The Biden administration, facing low public approval
ratings following the exit from Afghanistan and a tough forecast for the 2022 midterm elections, may be continuing sanctions for political reasons. Releasing the sanctions could be viewed as recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, a symbolism that could cement negative attitudes about the administration and its Afghanistan policy. Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, have released demands that the administration go even further in sanctioning the Taliban, including any foreign governments that provide support to Afghanistan. earlier this month, the Intercept attempted to speak to a number of senators, Democrats and Republicans, about U.S. sanctions fueling widespread famine in Afghanistan. Many refused to talk about the issue. “I think we need to get aid to the Afghan people, but also I think it’s the responsibility of the Taliban government to comply with what needs to be done,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., without elaborating. Sen. Josh hawley, R-Mo., said any questions about Afghanistan should be posed to Democrats and the Biden administration, not Republicans. The Intercept also reached out to the offices of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., two vocal opponents of sanctions overreach in the past, to comment on Biden administration sanctions on Afghanistan. neither responded. Sanctions are often held up as a politically and morally viable alternative to war. not many Democrats want to revisit the issue of Afghanistan, and few politicians on either side of the aisle would recommend direct military engagement with the Taliban. But the ongoing famine crisis and the destruction of what remains of the Afghan economy could result in the deaths of millions of people. The glib attitude among many in Washington toward the destruction wrought by sanctions was captured in a memorable exchange with the Clinton administration about its heavy-handed policies against Iraq. In 1996, CBS “60 Minutes” anchor Lesley Stahl asked then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about the half-million children in Iraq who died from malnutrition because of U.S. sanctions against Saddam hussein’s government. “Is the price worth it?” asked Stahl. “I think this is a very hard choice,” replied Albright. “But the price — we think the price is worth it.” “We’ve deluded ourselves into thinking that sanctions are precise,” said the Quincy Institute’s Weinstein. “They’re not. They’re not a precision weapon. They’re a blunt force, economic weapon that essentially kills civilians.”
Israel’s prime minister gets scolded by the White House
Al MonItor
T
Ben Caspit
he lesson that US President Joe Biden wanted to teach Israeli Prime Minister naftali Bennett has been learned and the two leaders will probably talk soon. That, at least, is the hope in Jerusalem. “The Americans punched Bennett in the nose,” a very senior diplomatic security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “This was a clear American signal about the rules of the game and the relationship they expect to see between the White house and the prime minister’s office. I think Bennett got the message.” A clear indication that Bennett did, indeed, get the message can be found in his public silence in recent weeks on the issue of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. The harsh criticism that Bennett had publicly directed at the policy of the West, and specifically of the United States, has recently dropped below the radar and is conveyed, if at all, only behind closed doors. A senior polit-
ical source speaking on condition of anonymity quoted last week Bennett on this specific issue, saying, “The point has been made. There’s no need to harp on it.” The glitch between Jerusalem and Washington was triggered by a Channel 13 news report according to which the White house was ignoring Bennett’s request for a phone call with Biden, which the Israelis had put in weeks ago. The response by the prime minister’s office to the report was essentially true, saying there had not been an official request for such a phone call. On the other hand, there had been an informal one. Al-Monitor has learned that it was conveyed by Bennett’s influential policy aide Shimrit Meir (who was a guest on Al-Monitor “On Israel” podcast last April) to the new American Ambassador Tom nides in Tel Aviv. In hindsight, Israel concedes that the whole process had been mishandled, allowing the president to deviate from diplomatic protocol and ignore the request. “The request did not go through the usual channels,” a top Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “The Israeli embassy in Washington was completely unaware of it. had it been aware, it would have tried to help.” Al-Monitor has also learned that the embassy in Washington had recently recommended that Jerusalem avoid asking for a phone call between the prime minister and the president because the time was not convenient. What prompted the American displeasure was a story leaked by the prime minister’s office about a recent conversation between Bennett and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. From what Al-Monitor learned, the leak was inaccurate, to say the least. It failed to mention that Blinken was the one who called Bennett, and it described the call as “difficult” and focused on Iran. The State Department regarded the leak as an at-
tempt by Bennett to score points with Israeli voters by presenting himself as being tough with the Americans, at Blinken’s expense. In fact, it seems that Bennett was trying to create a nonexistent clash between himself and Blinken, whom the Israelis actually consider the most conciliatory link in Washington. The Americans countered with a leak according to which Blinken was the one who initiated the phone call, which actually focused on a US reprimand over an Israeli plan to push through approval of construction in the east Jerusalem area of Atarot. But the real payback came when Washington ignored the informal request for Biden to call Bennett, a call which has not occurred so far, as far as we know. On the other hand, last week’s visit in Israel by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan has been described as excellent. “The gaps between us and the Americans have been defined,” another senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “and they are a lot less major than it appears.” According to the source, the current US assessment of negotiations with Iran and of Iran’s conduct is almost identical in both capitals, Jerusalem and Washington. “If anything, the Americans are even taking a slightly tougher approach than we are,” the source said. Where they might differ is on the question of the response if and when the talks collapse. Sullivan promised his Israeli hosts that the United States would not continue with the negotiations ad infinitum and said a deadline would be reached in a matter of weeks. And what then? Israel is hoping the United States will revert to its “maximal pressure” policy on Iran applied by the Trump administration, impose additional sanctions on Iran, intensify its isolation and put a viable, concrete military option squarely on the table. The Americans have yet to decide. The senior Israeli diplomatic
source described the US position as “a strategic embarrassment,” arguing that Iran is not among Biden’s priorities right now. “Washington is currently focused only on the three ‘C’s’ — corona, China and climate,” said the source. “Iran is not there, and we are trying to move it up on the list as much as possible,” the source added. Officials in Jerusalem are hoping Sullivan’s visit has allayed tensions between the White house and the prime minister’s office and that the differences have been ironed out. Bennett is finding it hard to deal with perpetual US pressure regarding developments in the West Bank. “That is the only thing they care about,” one of Bennett’s associates admitted on condition of anonymity. “They call up all the time about Atarot, about Sheikh Jarrah, about settler violence against Palestinians, about construction in the settlements,” the associate told AlMonitor, referring to the saga of the forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. That being said, in the internal disagreement within the two ideologically disparate wings of Bennett’s government, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid have apparently the upper hand. Rejecting the approach of publicly criticizing the administration, they preach against outing the differences with the United States. Bennett, it seems, has been forced to fold and join them. Thus, Gantz has become the “go to” guy for the Americans. They believe him. They view him as a reliable asset with whom they can clarify and iron out issues. They appreciate his policy, which allows for arguing and fighting between Jerusalem and Washington behind closed doors, while presenting a unified public stand. They too have heard the quote attributed to Gantz: “We have no other America.”
Wednesday, 29 December, 2021 | KARACHI
NEWS
corporate corner SNGPL announces restoration of gas supply to CPPs LAHORE: It has been decided to restore gas supply to captive power sector. The decision has been taken to facilitate export industries. The government, Sui Northern Gas and the industrial sector have taken the aforementioned decision unanimously to keep the textile industry running. Gas shall be restored from Wednesday morning, December 29. The gas will be supplied according to specified gas quota.Gas restoration will be subject to withdrawal of stay orders by industries regarding the tariff. Pr
PSX gains 130 points in range-bound session KARACHI TLTP
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed another range-bound and low-volume session amid concerns over the upcoming mini-budget, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 130.30 points (+0.30 percent) to close at 44,043.74 points. The market opened on a positive note and remained almost in the green territory throughout the session. The investors remained cautious due to the start of the rollover week and the upcoming mini-budget. The market observed a dull trading session due to lack of fresh triggers also. The KSE-100 Index moved in a range of 210.7 points, showing an intraday high of 44,117.1 points and a low of 43,906.4 points. A total of 367 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 165 closed up, shares of 174 closed down while shares of 28 companies remained unchanged. Out of 96 traded companies in the KSE-100 Index, 55 closed up, 36 closed down and five remained unchanged. The overall market volumes increased by 28.78 million to 143.45 million shares. Total volumes traded for the KSE-100 Index increased by 9.68 million to 63.14 million shares. The number of total trades increased by 7,520 to 68,654, while the value traded increased by Rs0.57 billion to Rs4.99 billion. Overall market capitalisation increased by Rs17.42 billion. Among scrips, UNITYR3 topped the volumes with 18.87 million shares, followed by TRG (12.41 million) and HUMNL (11.75 million). Stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes included UNITYR3, TRG, HUMNL, KEL and UNITY, which formed around 41 percent of total volumes. The major sectors taking the index toward north were technology & communication with 59 points, oil & gas exploration companies with 44 points, cement with 9 points, automobile assembler with 9 points and oil & gas marketing companies with 7 points. The most points added to the index were by TRG which contributed 59 points followed by MARI with 23 points, POL with 11 points, ABL with 8 points and DGKC with 8 points. The major sectors taking the index toward south were fertilizer with 27 points, power generation & distribution with 6 points and refinery with one point. The most points taken off the index were by ENGRO which stripped the index of 18 points followed by FFC with 11 points, HUBC with 7 points, KOHC with 7 points and MLCF with 5 points.
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Govt adviSeS FarMerS aGaiNSt PaNiC buYiNG oF urea, SaYS SuFFiCieNt StoCk avaiLabLe ISLAMABAD
t
aPP
HE government on Tuesday advised farmers against panic buying urea, assuring them that unlike the shortage of urea stock in the international market, Pakistan had surplus stock for Rabi season. Speaking at a news conference along with Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam in the federal capital, Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar told farmers that there was no reason to be apprehensive as hoarders could not afford to hold the stock for a longer period. “Dealers can’t keep this stock for too long and are sure to suffer a loss. Please do not resort to panic buying,” Bakhtyar said. “Urea price per bag in the interna-
tional market is around Rs11,000 while that in Pakistan is only Rs1,800; therefore, the huge difference is tempting local dealers and profiteers to hoard urea in bulk,” he added. He said that actual production of urea during the last Rabi season was 3.17 million metric tonnes (MMT) whereas
production during the current season is estimated at 3.255 MMT which is 8 per cent higher than the last year and is expected go up to 3.355 MMT, 11pc higher, if Fauji Fertiliser Bin Qasim Limited (FFBL) is provided full gas. He said that in order to stop smuggling and hoarding of fertiliser, the
government had evolved a comprehensive monitoring system to keep check on transportation of the fertiliser. He said a web portal for monitoring of urea was launched on November 15, under which all factory dispatches with dealer name, location and truck numbers are entered by manufacturers in real time. “Once urea arrives, it is sold at controlled rate by the dealer under supervision of district/agri administration,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for National Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam said the country had recorded a bumper wheat crop of 27.5 million tonnes (MT) last year while production would be at a record high of over 28.9 MT this year. He said that although there were chances of fertiliser smuggling keeping the higher prices of urea in the international market in view, the government had taken measures to stop the crime.
Oil prices climb as worries over fuel demand recede NEW DELHI reuTers
Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday with prices trading near the previous day’s one-month high on hopes that the Omicron coronavirus variant will have a limited impact on fuel demand. Brent crude rose 7 cents, or 0.1%, to $78.67 a barrel, by 0728 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 17 cents, or 0.2%, to $75.74 a barrel, gaining for a fifth straight session. “Worries regarding Omicron are easing across the globe, resulting in some optimism over demand Prices are expected to trade with positive bias,” said Abhishek Chauhan, head of commodities at Swastika Investmart Ltd. England will not get any new COVID-19 restrictions before the end of 2021, British health minister Sajid Javid said on Monday, as the government awaits more evidence on whether the health service can cope with high infection rates. However, the upside to prices remained limited after more than 1,300 flights were cancelled by US airlines on Sunday as COVID19 reduced the number of available crews while several cruise ships had to cancel stops. China’s local symptomatic coronavirus cases rose for a fourth consecutive day on Monday, with
Sports goods’ export surges 24.5pc in 5MFY22 ISLAMABAD aPP
Xian reporting more infections in a flare-up that has put the city’s 13 million residents under lockdown. Oil prices have risen around 50% this year, supported by recovering demand and supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+. “Volumes are thin because of holidays, and markets have already digested Omicron concerns. So, the focus is on the January 4 meeting of OPEC+,” Ajay Kedia, director at Kedia Commodities said. Investors are awaiting an OPEC+ meeting on Jan. 4, at
which the alliance will decide whether to go ahead with a planned 400,000 barrels-per-day production increase in February. At its last meeting, OPEC+ stuck to its plans to boost output for January despite Omicron. Money managers raised their net long US crude futures and options positions in the week to Dec. 21, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Monday. The speculator group raised its combined futures and options position in New York and London by 4,634 contracts to 259,093 during the period.
The exports of sports goods witnessed an increase of 24.48 per cent to $134.803 million during the first five months of current financial year (2021-22) as compared to the exports worth $108.296 million during the corresponding period of last year. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the exports of footballs increased by 19.34pc, surging from $53.354 million during the JulyNovember period last year to $63.671 million during the same period of the current year. Likewise, the exports of all other sports goods increased by 46.75pc from $26.886 million in 5MFY21 to $39.456 million during 5MFY22. Meanwhile, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, exports of sports goods during November 2021 were recorded at $29.604 million against the exports of $21.226 million in November 2020, witnessing an increase of 39.47pc. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, these exports increased by 8.41pc during November 2021, as compared to the exports of $27.307 million in October 2021, the PBS data revealed.
Turkish lira weakens, further eroding last week’s gains ANKARA reuTers
Turkey’s lira weakened as much as 2% on Tuesday, extending sharp losses seen a day earlier and eroding massive gains made last week, as worries about the country’s monetary policy weighed further on sentiment. At 0800 GMT, the lira was 1.7% weaker at 11.9 to the dollar, having touched a low of 11.949 earlier. Despite staging a huge rebound last week, it has lost 37% of its value against the US currency so far this year. The lira surged more than 50% last week following billions of dollars worth of statebacked market interventions and a government move to cover FX losses on certain deposits, bringing the currency back to its mid-November levels. President Tayyip Erdogan announced
last week an incentive for savers to convert forex deposits into lira, under which the Treasury and Central Bank will reimburse losses incurred due to an erosion in lira value during the deposit period. According to a central bank document sent to banks on Monday it will support these forex-protected lira deposit accounts by not applying required reserve ratios on them. It will impose a higher commission on banks where the transfer from forex accounts to lira accounts does not exceed a certain level. The lira hit an all-time low of 18.4 to the dollar before Erdogan’s announcement, after a months-long slide prompted by fears of spiralling inflation following a series of interest rate cuts that the president had sought. Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati said late on Monday that Turkey’s state banks and
institutions did not sell dollars on the night that Erdogan made his announcement. According to traders’ calculations, the central bank’s net forex reserves excluding swaps fell some $8 billion last week, with most of the fall in the first two days of the week. They were down $17-18 billion as of last Friday since the start of the month, when the bank began its direct interventions. Turks did not sell dollars in large quantities on Monday and Tuesday of last week, according to official data that suggested they had played little role in the gains. The central bank has slashed its policy rates by 500 basis points to 14% since September, despite inflation that has risen to more than 21%. Economists expect inflation to exceed 30% next year in part due to the lira depreciation.
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IsrAelI AIr sTrIke hITs syrIAn porT of lATAkIA: sTATe MedIA
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N Israeli air strike hit the Syrian port of Latakia on Tuesday, the second such attack on the key facility this month, according to Syrian
state media. Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory since a civil war broke out there in 2011, targeting government positions as well as allied Iranbacked forces and Hezbollah fighters. “At around 03:21 AM, the Israeli
India restricts foreign funding for Mother Teresa charity
KOLKATTA: India has moved to cut off foreign funding to a charity founded by Mother Teresa, a decision critics described as further evidence of harassment of Christians under the Hindu nationalist government. The Missionaries of Charity was founded in 1950 by the late Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who devoted most of her life to helping the poor in the eastern city of Kolkata. She won the Nobel Peace Prize and was later declared a saint. Her organisation runs shelter homes across India. According to The Hindu, it received around $750 million from abroad in the 202021 financial year. The Indian Home Ministry said that on December 25 — Christmas Day — the renewal of the charity’s licence to receive funding from abroad had been “refused”. The statement issued on Monday said the reason was “not meeting the eligibility conditions” under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act after “adverse inputs were noticed”, without giving further details. Dominic Gomes, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, said the announcement was “a cruel Christmas gift to the poorest of the poor”. The news came two weeks after police in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, began investigating the charity for alleged “forceful conversion” of Hindus to Christianity — a regular accusation by hardline members of India’s majority religion. Activists say that religious minorities in India have faced increased levels of discrimination and violence since Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. In 2020, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom listed India as a “country of particular concern” for the first time since 2004. Modi’s government rejects having a radical “Hindutva” (Hindu hegemony) agenda and insists people of all religions have equal rights. India’s government has also in recent years increased pressure on non-governmental organisations receiving foreign funding, including rights groups. The Missionaries of Charity said in a statement that it had instructed its centres not to use any foreign currency account “until the matter is resolved”. The organisation, however, rejected reports that its bank accounts had been frozen. AFP
enemy carried out an aerial aggression with several missiles from the direction of the Mediterranean […] targeting the container yard in Latakia port,” Syrian state news agency SANA cited a military source as saying. The strike caused “significant material damage” and led to fires, the agency
added. On December 7, Israel carried out strikes on an Iranian arms shipment at the port of Latakia, located in President Bashar al-Assad’s western Syrian heartland, without causing any casualties. That was the first attack on the facility since the start of the war, according to the
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. While the Jewish state rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on its northern neighbour, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its archfoe Iran to extend a footprint in Syria.
Gunman kills four in Denver-area shooting spree before he is killed by police DENVER REUTERS
A lone gunman shot four people to death and wounded three, including a police officer, on Monday in a Denver-area shooting spree that unfolded at several locations and ended with police killing the suspect, authorities said. Investigators have yet to determine a motive for the rampage, which began around 5 p.m. when the gunman shot and killed two women and wounded a man near downtown Denver, Police Chief Paul Pazen said a news briefing. The suspect then fled in a car and fatally shot a man in east Denver's Cheesman Park neighbourhood, before opening fire again in a west Denver community where no one was hit, Pazen said. According to Pazen, the suspect twice exchanged gunfire from his vehi-
cle with Denver officers pursuing him, disabling a police cruiser. From there, the gunman drove into the neighbouring city of Lakewood, where he shot and killed a fourth person inside an unspec-
ified business, according to Lakewood Police spokesman John Romero. The gunman fled from Lakewood police when they attempted to pull him over and engaged in a running gun battle with
South Africa study suggests Omicron enhances neutralising immunity against Delta CAPE TOWN REUTERS
Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron infection enhances neutralising immunity against the Delta variant of the coronavirus. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, found that people who were infected with Omicron, especially those who were vaccinated, developed enhanced immunity to the Delta variant. The analysis enrolled 33 vaccinated and unvaccinated people who were infected with the Omicron variant in South Africa. While the authors found that the neutralisation of Omicron increased 14-fold over 14 days after the enrollment, they also found that there was a 4.4 fold increase of Delta virus neutralisation. “The increase in Delta variant neutralisation in individuals infected with Omicron may result in decreased ability of Delta to re-infect those individuals,” the scientists said. Alex Sigal, a professor at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa, said on Twitter on Monday that if Omicron was less pathogenic as it looked from the South African experience, “this will help push Delta out”.
CMYK
According to an earlier South African study, there is a reduced risk of hospitalisation and severe disease in people infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant compared with the Delta one, though the authors say some of that is likely due to high population immunity. The Omicron variant, first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November, has since spread worldwide and threatened to overwhelm hospitals and disrupt travel plans this holiday week.
officers before fleeing on foot and entering a hotel, where he shot and wounded a clerk, Romero said. He then shot at police officers again, wounding one of them, before police shot him dead, Romero told reporters. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect, and said circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation. The conditions of the wounded officer and civilians were not immediately known, Romero said. Anne Wilson, a shopper who was inside a cellular phone store in Lakewood when gunfire erupted nearby, told a Denver-based NBC-affiliate TV station she heard "seven or eight gunshots, and then like another set of maybe five more." Wilson said she and other customers were quickly ushered by store employees into a back room behind security gates until the danger had passed. "It is scary, scary times we live in," she said.
India allows emergency use of Merck's Covid-19 pill, vaccines NEWS DELHI: India gave emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Merck's Covid-19 pill molnupiravir, and Serum Institute of India's Covovax and Biological E's Corbevax coronavirus vaccines, the country's health minister said on Twitter. Molnupiravir will be manufactured in India by 13 companies for restricted use under emergency situation for treatment of adult patients with Covid-19, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. Earlier this year, drugmakers Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla , Sun Pharmaceuticals and some others signed non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with Merck to manufacture and supply molnupiravir in India. Last week, the US FDA issued an EUA to molnupiravir for the treatment of mild-tomoderate coronavirus disease in adults. Media reports earler in the day said the subject expert committee under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation recommended allowing EUA for molnupiravir, Covovax and Corbevax. India is working on ramping up oxygen supplies and strengthening health infrastructure to contain a possible surge of Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. The country has administered 1.43 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses so far, with more than 839 million of all adults having received at least one dose. India plans to start administering Covid-19 booster shots as a precautionary measure to healthcare and frontline workers from Jan. 10 and will begin vaccinating those aged 15-18 from Jan. 3. Medical experts have said India needs to double down on its vaccine campaign and some states have imposed night curfews and other restriction. REUTERS
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ustralia retained the Ashes with a thumping innings and 14-run win in the third Test in Melbourne on Tuesday, with debutant paceman Scott Boland laying waste to England’s hapless batsmen with a devastating six-wicket haul. Boland, only the second Indigenous Australian to play a men’s Test match, came off the Melbourne Cricket Ground turf with a prize stump and astonishing innings figures of 6-7 as England capitulated for 68 before lunch on day three, their 13th lowest total in Tests. “I thought we had a pretty good chance of winning but I had no idea we would do it before lunch,” said 32-year-old Boland, who won the Johnny Mullagh medal as the player of the match. “Obviously I thought [debuting] was going to be really tough, a big step up from anything else I’d played before. I was hoping to make a bit of an impact.” Australia sealed the series 3-0 in front of a festive ‘Boxing Day’ Test crowd of 42,000, leaving England playing for pride in the final Two tests in Sydney and Brisbane. With Australia having won by 275 runs in Adelaide and nine wickets in the Brisbane opener, home captain Pat Cummins was left pinching himself as Boland and Mitchell Starc (3-29) wrapped up the series within 90 minutes on a glorious morning in Melbourne. “Just an awesome few weeks, so proud of the group here and just everything’s clicked,” said Cummins, who has led his side with aplomb as a late replacement for Tim Paine. “So happy for Scottie in front of his home crowd today, just an amazing feeling.” England captain Joe Root was left devastated. He has now lost seven of eight Tests as captain in Australia after failing to wrest
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“I think they’ve definitely outplayed us in the three games,” Root said. “We’ve not been good enough. “For what is quite a young batting group, they’re having to learn here in the harshest environment. “We
back the urn on home soil in 2019. His top score of 28 in England’s second innings spoke volumes of the team’s batting inadequacies, and he was in no mood to discuss the future of his captaincy.
have to try and make sure we come away from this tour with a couple of wins.” FaIrytaLE spELL: Skittled for 185 in the first innings, England had resumed on 31 for four in their second on Tuesday, needing
India strike back after first innings collapse
another 51 runs to make Australia bat again. Their faint hopes were pinned on Root and Ben Stokes building a partnership after another calamitous collapse late on day two. But it all went up in smoke as Starc bowled Stokes for 11 and Boland fired up for a fairytale four-over spell. The Victoria paceman had Jonny Bairstow lbw for five, Root edge to the slips and removed Mark Wood for a caught-and-bowled duck, sending his home MCG crowd into delirium. Two balls after Wood’s wicket, Boland had his sixth victim when Ollie Robinson also went for a duck by hitting straight to Marnus Labuschagne. All-rounder Cameron Green sealed England’s humiliation by bowling James Anderson for two before the stroke of midday, leaving ticket-holders short-changed, if mostly thrilled. Australia have claimed both the Ashes and the T20 World Cup title in a golden six weeks, bouncing back from the 2-1 Test series defeat to an under-strength India over the last home summer. They will head into the final matches of the series hopeful of sweeping the Ashes for the first time since 2013/14. “We probably haven’t strung [together] the performances over the last couple of years that we expected of ourselves,” said Cummins. “So I think this really consolidates that we are a really good, strong Test cricket side. “I think it’s a good sign for the next few years.”
Root ends with third-most calendar-year Test runs in history
Centurion AFP
India collapsed on the third morning of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday. However, they struck back when Jasprit Bumrah dismissed South African captain Dean Elgar in the first over of the hosts reply. South Africa were 21 for one at lunch after bowling out India for 327. Fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada took three wickets apiece as India were only able to add 55 runs to their overnight 272 for three. Ngidi finished with six for 71 and Rabada took three for 72. Rabada started the collapse in the fourth over of the day. KL Rahul gloved an attempted hook to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock after adding only one run to the 122 he scored on the first day. There was no play on the second day because of rain. Ajinkya Rahane, the other overnight batsman, played a loose backfoot drive against Ngidi and was caught behind for 48. Four more wickets fell in quick succession before Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj added 19 for the last wicket. This prompted a change of bowlers which enabled new cap Marco Jansen to claim a first Test wicket when Bumrah was caught at third slip for 14. Bumrah produced a good delivery to have Elgar caught behind by Risabh Pant for a single off the fifth ball of the South African innings.
Syed Bilal Gilani Rafael Nadal once said: “Tennis is, more than most sports, a sport of the mind.” This quote from one of the greatest players of the game perfectly describes the sport. Since it isn’t a team sport, there is no one to share the pressure with, no one to pass the ball to. You are all alone out there on the court. Mental fortitude is required and this is what separates the best from the rest. Take some of the greats of tennis to understand the intricacies of this sport. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal – collectively known as the Big Three. Their accomplishments speak for themselves: Nadal and Djokovic have won 85 titles between them while Federer has won an astonishing 103 titles. While he may be the most iconic, I would say Djokovic is the greatest since he holds the most records. Tennis before the era of the Big Three and after is a different game – which goes to show just how much impact a single player can have on the entire sport. Not only did they make the sport more popular but also changed how the game was played. Before their era, tennis was basically serve and volley: a player would serve (overhead) to start and then go up to the net to volley the receiver’s return. However, the Big Three reinvented the game, playing from the baseline (far end) of the court. Not only was this more entertaining to watch, but there was also more variety in the
Tennis in Pakistan
game being played. These three have also produced some of the greatest matches of tennis ever played, and still do to this day. Some sports have a once in a generation player that changes the game. Basketball had Jordan, boxing had Ali, and in the case of tennis there are three such players playing at the same time – and we are lucky to have lived and still be living through their era. However, this era is soon coming to a close. And because of the high standards that have been set, people have a lot of expectations from the next generation of tennis players. Because of these high standards, tennis has also in a way become a more global and equitable sport. It still lacks the global popularity of football or cricket, which is one of the reasons behind why there is not a lot of tennis culture in Pakistan, even though the country is full of talent and raw potential. Without govern-
ment support and a proper, professional tennis board, there are very few opportunities for budding tennis players in the country. Pakistan is far, far away from doing right by young tennis players here. There is such little participation from the government, and a complete lack of facilities. Take any country in Europe and you will see that there are excellent academies and a proper system in place by which players have a route to turn pro depending on their skills, talents, and hard work. There is nothing of the sort in Pakistan. If you want to go pro being in Pakistan, you will have to do this of your own accord. This is why Aisam ul Haq has been the only Pakistani pro tennis player to ever compete in any major tournaments overseas. Tennis must be promoted on a government level. There is a lot going for it. Tennis obviously has its health benefits too. Bjorn Borg, a tennis legend, had a resting heart rate of 35 beats per minute! For comparison, a normal resting heart rate for adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Tennis players have to play a best of five sets: each set being first to 6 games, and these matches can go up to as long as 5 hours. So, yes tennis is a physically demanding sport, more so than football or cricket or any other team game and has produced one of the fittest athletes on the planet. All in all, tennis is one of the most entertaining sports out there and definitely a great sport to play yourself. I do hope that it gets the recognition it deserves from the government.
LONDON: England lost the Ashes in humiliating style on Tuesday but for Joe Root, it has been an incredible 12 months with the bat, the skipper ending the calendar year with the third most Test runs in history. His dismissal on day three of the third Test in Melbourne for 28 left him with 1,708 runs for the year, at an average of 61.00, behind only Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf (1,788 in 2006) and West Indian legend Viv Richards (1,710 in 1976). More questions will be asked of his captaincy after England were well beaten again by Australia, but Root has been in brilliant form with the bat in 2021. He moved past the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar to chalk up 1,600 runs at the second Test in Adelaide and then edged South Africa’s Graeme Smith (1,656 in 2008) in Melbourne. Root, however, had far more innings to compile his total — 29 to the 19 of both Yousuf and Richards. And the Yorkshireman, 30, is still searching for a first Ashes hundred in Australia. He has two more Tests to do it. “I think I probably wanted it too much, I was too desperate and it had probably a negative impact on the way I played, I put too much pressure on myself,” he said ahead of the tour of his will to succeed in Australia. The extent to which England have relied on Root this year is demonstrated by the numbers. Second in the pecking order is maligned opener Rory Burns, who scored 530 this year at 27.89, then Jonny Bairstow with 391 at 24.43. AFP
Former India cricket captain Ganguly hospitalised with Covid-19 NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, a senior doctor said Tuesday. Ganguly, who underwent minor heart surgery in January, was admitted on Monday suffering from a mild fever, a senior doctor of the Woodlands Hospital in Kolkata said. “His condition is stable. There is no cause for alarm at the moment,” the medic told AFP on condition of anonymity. “Ganguly has been advised by a team of medical experts of the hospital because of some pre-existing health condition.” India Today news website reported that his samples had been sent for genome sequencing to confirm whether he had contracted the Omicron variant or not. The 49-year-old, one of India’s most popular players ever and who now heads the nation’s cricket board, was admitted to hospital twice in early 2021 with chest pain and underwent an angioplasty. India, which suffered a devastating Covid-19 wave in April, has so far confirmed around 650 Omicron infections and several states have imposed restrictions on gatherings. AFP
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Disruption oF Christmas Celebrations shows real FaCe oF ‘FasCist’ inDia: alvi ISLAMABAD
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reSIDenT Dr Arif Alvi Tuesday said the disruption of Christmas celebrations and burning of effigies of Santa Claus manifested the “real face” of the “fascist Hindutva” India. The president was commenting on a news report on the freezing of the bank accounts of Missionaries of Charity — a charity founded in 1950 by the late Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who devoted most of her life to helping the poor — in West Bengal by the government of Prime Minister narendra Modi. The news came two weeks after police in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi’s home state, began investigating the charity for alleged “forceful conversion” of Hindus to Christianity — a regular accusation by hardline members of India’s majority religion.
In a separate incident in Agra city of northern Uttar Pradesh state, members of right-wing Hindu groups burned effigies of
France issues order to close mosque after ‘unacceptable’ preaching
Santa Claus outside missionary-led schools and accused Christian missionaries of using Christmas celebrations to lure people in.
“The real face of fascist Hindutva India is emerging where Hindu vigilante groups disrupted Christmas mass in many parts of India [and] burnt a Santa Claus effigy chanting slogans against [Christmas] celebrations [and] religious conversions,” Alvi tweeted. “World beware before it is too late.” In recent years, Christians have increasingly faced harassment around Christmas but this year saw a notable surge in attacks. Festive celebrations were disrupted, Jesus statues were smashed and effigies of Santa Claus were burned in a spate of attacks on the Christian community across India over Christmas. Amid growing intolerance and violence against the Christian minority, who make up about 2 percent of India’s population, several Christmas events were targeted by Hindu right-wing groups, who alleged Christians were using festivities to force Hindus to convert.
COAS Bajwa reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to ensure Afghanistan’s stability
PARIS AFP
France has ordered the closure of a mosque in the north of the country because of what authorities told AFP on Tuesday was the radical nature of its imam’s preaching. The mosque in Beauvais, a town of 50,000 people some 100 kilometres north of Paris, will remain shut for six months, according to the prefecture of the Oise region where Beauvais is located. It said the sermons there incite hatred, violence and “defend jihad”. The move on the mosque, which has a congregation of about 400, comes two weeks after Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he had triggered the procedure to close the site because the imam there “is targeting Christians, homosexuals and Jews” in his sermons. This, the minister said, was “unacceptable”. Local authorities were legally bound to observe a 10-day period of information-gathering before taking action, but told AFP on Tuesday that the mosque would now be shut within two days. Local daily Courrier Picard reported this month that the mosque’s imam was a recent convert to Islam. A lawyer for the association managing the mosque told AFP that it had filed for an injunction to overturn the ban. The lawyer, Samim Bolaky, said there would be a court hearing on the appeal within 48 hours. The authorities said the imam, who the association claims had preached only occasionally and had now been suspended, was in fact a regular presence at the mosque, according to the official document citing the reasons for the closure seen by AFP.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday met Andreas Papastavrou, Greek Ambassador to Pakistan who paid a farewell call to Gen Qamar at GHQ. The COAS stated that Pakistan is committed to cooperate with its international partners for peace in the region to ensure Afghanistan’s stability, as per the statement issued by the InterServices Public relations (ISPr). The military media wing added that during the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security sit-
uation especially current situation in Afghanistan and cooperation in various fields were discussed. According to the ISPr, the army chief once again stressed upon the need for global convergence on Afghanistan and sincere efforts to avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe. “[The] COAS thanked the visiting dignitary for his services in Pakistan and acknowledged his contributions for fostering strong ties between the two countries” The outgoing Greek envoy ap-
preciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation, special efforts for border management, role in regional stability and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two countries. It is pertinent to note that earlier this month, US Special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West called on General Qamar and discussed the current security situation in Afghanistan, besides opportunities of bilateral cooperation and matters of mutual interest. newS deSk
turkey, Qatar await taliban green light to run afghan airports Private Turkish and Qatari companies have agreed to jointly operate five airports in Afghanistan, although they are still waiting to reach a final deal with the Taliban, officials said Tuesday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that a “memorandum of understanding” had been inked in Doha earlier this month, covering Kabul and four other airports in the war-ravaged country. Cavusoglu said the United Arab emirates (UAe), which operated the civilian part of Kabul airport before the Taliban stormed back to power in August after two decades of war, had also expressed an interest in joining the Turkish and Qatari companies. He said the issue was discussed during Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s visit to the Turkish capital Ankara in late november. “They said ‘maybe we can run work trilaterally’ but there was never any concrete proposal,” said Cavusoglu. “We haven’t presented any proposal to them either. But operating the airport briefly appeared on the agenda.” Turkish and Qatari officials have said little about the details of the memorandum of understanding, refusing to say which companies were to be involved. responding to mounting speculation that a deal may be imminent, Afghan civil aviation ministry spokesman Imamuddin Ahmadi told AFP on Tuesday that “no deal has been signed yet”. The Taliban have already rejected Turkey’s offer to provide security for Kabul airport, which offers an escape route for civilians seeking to flee the impoverished country, as well as a way for humanitarian aid to reach Afghanistan. Cavusoglu has stressed that no deal can be reached until the Taliban allows a trusted foreign operator to secure the airport terminal while the Taliban protects its perimeter. “Our teams went to Kabul…to present our proposals and then our friends in Doha continued the discussions,” Cavusoglu said on Monday. “It is natural for different countries to make bids in this process,” Cavusoglu added. “The Taliban administration had stated it would receive proposals from different countries.” AFP
Afghan women protest against ‘Taliban killings’ of ex-soldiers A crowd of women marched through the Afghan capital on Tuesday, accusing Taliban authorities of covertly killing soldiers who served the former US-backed regime. Around 30 women gathered near a mosque in the centre of Kabul and marched a few hundred metres chanting “justice, justice” before they were stopped by Taliban forces, an AFP correspondent saw. The Taliban also tried to prevent journalists from covering the march, organised against the “mysterious murders of young people, particularly the country’s former soldiers”, according to social media invitations. Taliban fighters briefly detained a group of reporters and confiscated equipment from some photographers, deleting images from their cameras before returning them.
Since the hardliners returned to power in August they have effectively banned unsanctioned protests and frequently intervene to block demonstrations against their austere brand of Islam. The protest comes weeks after separate reports by the United nations, Amnesty International and Human rights Watch said there were credible allegations of more than 100 extrajudicial killings by the Taliban since their takeover. “I want to tell the world, tell the Taliban to stop killing. We want freedom, we want justice, we want human rights,” said protester nayera Koahistani. In a statement read aloud by protester Laila Basam, the demonstrators called on the Taliban “to stop its criminal machine”.
The statement said former soldiers and government employees of the old regime are “under direct threat”, violating a general amnesty announced by the Taliban in August. The protesters also aired objections to the ratcheting restrictions women are facing under Taliban rule. The government issued new guidelines at the weekend banning women from travelling long distances unless escorted by a close male relative. “Women’s rights are human rights. We must defend our rights,” said Koahistani. Video footage posted online on Tuesday showed another women’s protest held elsewhere in the capital that also called for women to be allowed education and work opportunities. AFP
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk