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Thursday, 21 April, 2022 I 19 Ramzan, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 293 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Sharif tellS cabinet to brace for tough timeS

ISLAMABAD

staff report

rime minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday told a maiden meeting of his cabinet to roll up their sleeves to meet the rising challenges of inflation, unemployment, poverty and load-shedding, and turn the desperation into an opportunity for progress and public service delivery. The prime minister believed that their dedicated and sincere efforts could turn the tide and make the country cope with the challenges successfully. He congratulated the cabinet members, coming from different political parties of the ruling coalition, said the federal cabinet comprised seasoned politicians with vast experience and competence having a huge struggle to their credit. He said the government came

into being consequent to a no-confidence motion against the former prime minister. The incumbent government is based on a coalition that was being applauded as well as criticised. He expressed the hope that despite representing their own political parties, the coalition members would move on setting aside their personal biases with just one aim to serve the masses. He also reiterated his resolve for making untiring efforts to come up to the people’s expectations. “i call this a war cabinet as we are fighting against inflation, unemployment and poverty which we inherited from the previous government. The previous government had badly failed,” Sharif remarked. The prime minister said though the cabinet formation faced a bit of delay, yet if was done consisting of very competent and experi-

enced members. He said the cabinet members would be briefed about the loadshedding and the factors behind it which would follow the decision making by the cabinet. He urged the cabinet to pay attention to the issues faced by the federating units, particularly Balochistan. recounting the challenges, the prime minister said the country was under an immense debt burden but it was upon the incumbent government to overcome the challenges despite having limited resources. “Today, we have to face the challenge collectively and should not evade any sacrifice. We will have to respond to propaganda through facts, which would ultimately bury the lies,” he remarked. recalling the immense victimisation of all opposition parties during the previous government, the prime minister claimed corruption was rampant during the last three and half years. Citing the successful journey of the development of Germany and Japan, the prime minister said despite being hit by the second World War, both the countries bounced back and achieved excellence just on the basis of their struggle. He also referred to the teachings of the Quran, Prophet muhammad (PBUH), as well as muhammad Ali Jinnah, advising the followers to put in their best to achieve excellence and change their fate. Sharif told the cabinet that besides the politicians, the bureaucracy also faced huge pressure from the previous government which wanted them to act as an approver against that time’s opposition. He said the government machinery including bureaucracy, doctors, engineers and others needed the backing and encouragement of the government to make them perform better.

IMF asks Pakistan to end fuel subsidy, exemptions to revive loan program ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbas

As the multiparty coalition government is going to approach the international monetary Fund (imF) for revival of the derailed loan program, the international lender has asked Pakistan to take various stiff measures including ending fuel subsidy, exemptions while levying further taxes to get the next tranche of the loan program. Talking to a group of journalists in the ministry of finance here on Wednesday, Finance minister miftah ismail indicated that his government would meet the condition of the imF regarding ending the fuel subsidy given by the previous government besides making other immediate arrangements. He, however, said that he would try to convince the Fund regarding taking tax measures as there are only two months ahead of the next budget. He pledged to pursue policies that will meet the demands of the imF. “i will go to the imF and we will get it restored,” said ismail. “The government will do the required belt-tightening. We will get budget discipline back on track.” While leaving for Washington to meet with imF officials on Wednesday, he was hoping that the programme, which was

renegotiated by former prime minister imran Khan and ex-finance minister Shaukat Tarin — would resume once again. He said that the imF wanted from the present government to increase the prices of petroleum products as well as to impose taxes and petroleum levy, do away with the industrial amnesty scheme, reduce the circular debt of the power sector, increase electricity tariffs and fiscal savings. He said that the imF has said that if these conditions are met, the program will be revived and added that he would try to persuade the imF to revive the program and immediately release the next installment. He said that all the demands cannot be implemented at once but can be done gradually. The imF will be told that with two months left in the current financial year, imposing taxes would not be possible whereas an increase in the rate of personal income tax would not yield any increase in revenue. He said that personally he was not supportive of an increase in the tax rate. He said that withdrawal of the amnesty scheme is possible and the government has to increase the prices of petroleum products but any decision to this effect would be taken by the Prime minister with minimal burden on the people..

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

US COnGReSSWOMAn ILhAn OMAR MeetS IMRAn KhAn ISLaMaBad

NewS DeSk

NITED States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar called on former prime minister Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence on Wednesday. According to a tweet by former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, the two discussed Islamophobia and other issues during the meeting. The US lawmaker “expressed her admiration for Imran Khan and his position on and work against Islamophobia globally,” Mazari said. The ousted premier

also appreciated Omar’s courageous principled stance on issues. Earlier in the day, Ilhan Omar arrived in Pakistan and held various meetings. She also met National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf at the Parliament House. Ashraf, during the meeting, stressed that relations between Pakistan and USA are vital for regional progress and development. “Enhancing Parliament to Parliament contacts would strengthen these relations between both countries,” stated a press release from the NA Secretariate quoting Ashraf. “Both countries are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations and he expressed his

PM vows to further deepen economic ties with Bahrain ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to further strengthen economic ties with Bahrain during a meeting with Bahrain’s Ambassador Mohammed Ebraheem Mohammed on Wednesday. Ambassador Mohammed conveyed the Bahraini leadership’s message of felicitations to the new prime minister and reaffirmed his country’s desire to further consolidate its bilateral relations with Pakistan. “The prime minister strongly emphasised the importance of deepening bilateral economic engagement and highlighted the vast potential in the trade, investment, IT, manpower, and food security sectors,” a statement from the PM office said. Sharif appreciated the efforts of Bahrain’s government in looking after the Pakistani community during the testing times of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also welcomed the project of King Hamad Nursing University and Associated Medical Sciences Hospital in Islamabad, which is a testament to the close brotherly relationship between the two countries. The Bahraini ambassador recalled the long-standing and fraternal ties between the two countries and underlined Bahrain’s desire to further deepen and broaden bilateral relations with Pakistan. Bahrain is home to a large Pakistani diaspora in the Gulf region. Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy close, cordial ties resting on the firm foundation of shared faith and values.Staff RepoRt

Grade 21 officer Fawad Asadullah given DG IB powers ISLAMABAD: The federal government has assigned powers of the director general of Intelligence Bureau (IB) to grade-21 officer Fawad Asadullah. The Establishment Division on Wednesday issued a notification of appointment of Fawad Asadullah who is currently serving as Commandant IB Academy. Fawad Asadullah has served on senior posts in the IB. Pertinent to note that the slot of IB DG has been laying vacant due to the 90-day leave of Dr Muhammad Suleiman. As per the notification, Fawad Asadullah will perform duties of the IB director general in absence of Dr Muhammad Suleiman. Staff RepoRt

Senator Shahzad Waseem notified as Opposition Leader in Senate ISLaMaBad Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI’s) Senator Dr. Shahzad Waseem has been nominated as Opposition Leader in Senate. Chairman PTI Imran Khan nominated Shahzad Waseem as Opposition Leader in Upper House of the Parliament and notification in this connection was also issued on Wednesday. The PTI Senator was earlier serving Leader of the House in Senate and Yousaf Raza Gilani as Opposition. As many as 28 PTI Senators will be part of opposition in Senate with Shahzad Waseem as Opposition Leader. Shahzad Waseem sent his resignation as Leader of the House which was accepted by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.

desire to strengthen these ties for promoting mutual interests.” Sworn into office in January, 2019, Omar made history when she became one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to the US Congress. She also raised her voice against the rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir. Omar is known for raising her voice for equality and human rights around the world. Born in Somalia, she was forced to leave her country when a civil war broke out. She spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before migrating to the US in the 1990s.

PTDC, Mishal Pakistan to promote research in tourism sector Shahzad Paracha Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Mishal Pakistan Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote research in tourism sector of Pakistan to develop national travel and tourism competitiveness index on annual basis. Managing Director PTDC, Aftab ur Rehman Rana signed the MoU on behalf of PTDC while CEO Mishal Pakistan, Amir Jahangir signed from the other side to jointly work for bringing travel and tourism related initiatives into public discussions, through various interventions. Mishal Pakistan is the country partner institute of the World Economic Forum and PTDC is national tourism organizations of Pakistan. Aftab ur Rehman Rana, Managing Director, PTDC on the occasion said PTDC was working to promote tourism at home and abroad through its various initiatives and the launch of upcoming Tourism Brand Pakistan will serve as a milestone achieving major targets to open new avenues of tourism and project soft image of Pakistan as tourist destination. Amir Jahangir the Chief Executive Officer of Mishal Pakistan said, “this partnership is a significant step towards institutionalizing the travel and tourism policy making efforts by fo-

cusing on improving the tourism sector data”. He further said, “Pakistan is making a conscious effort to showcase and improve country’s travel and tourism industry on global competitiveness rankings. This will improve not only the country’s image in the long run but would also impact the travel and tourism related global indicators as well.” The prime focus of this MoU is to establish a working relationship between PTDC and Mishal Pakistan to establish a mechanism to collect necessary data on the growth of tourism sector in Pakistan and produce a national travel and tourism competitiveness index report annually to educate policy makers and industry stakeholders about the overall trends and challenges faced by the industry. Under this MoU, PTDC and Mishal will establish a mechanism at provincial and federal levels to compile tourism and hospitality sector data and produce a research report on the overall growth of tourism sector in Pakistan, as a result it will also help in improving Pakistan’s rankings on the International Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index which is biannually produced by the World Economic Forum. Mishal and PTDC will also organize trainings for journalists on how to report on travel and tourism competitiveness related data and the reforms

undertaken by PTDC to promote tourism in Pakistan. Mishal will assist PTDC in creating international linkages with technology platforms that can generate influence around public discourse including Google, META, Facebook, Instagram, and etc. This interaction will create new approaches for tourism awareness. Mishal will create multiple categories around travel and tourism at the annual journalism AGAHI Awards. It will create opportunities for PTDC to work with industry players and the academic institutions, especially the mass communications/journalism departments to create short film/documentary competitions and festivals on various verticals of travel, tourism and hospitality/generosity with RINSTRA and other industry players. PTDC has the vision to develop the tourism sector as a national priority in a sustainable and acceptable manner, taking full advantage of regional and international trends and developments so that it can significantly contribute to the improvement of quality of life in Pakistan whilst promoting the country’s cultural and natural heritage. PTDC is the apex body in the country to create public policy options for the public as well as private sector to expand the business opportunities that can attract domestic and foreign tourists as their preferred destination for affordable and sustainable tourism.

Aptma wants cotton support price at Rs8,000 per 40kg TLTP All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has urged the government to announce Rs8,000 per 40kg as cotton support price for the upcoming season. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Aptma said that at present, wheat is being harvested in Punjab and the cotton sowing will commence within next few days and this window for capturing the maximum area for cotton should not be lost or delayed. “Minimum Support Price (MSP) will increase the profit and confidence of farmers who have shifted to other crops like sugarcane, rice and corn. Last year, MSP was also announced, but the government was late in announcing the price when the sowing season had nearly ended. During the cropping season 2021/22 cotton yield per acres increased 33.5 per cent from 433kg per hectare to 652kg per hectare because farmers took extra care due to the anticipated higher price of cotton.” Pakistan is losing at least $5 billion directly on account of low production of cotton, the Aptma said, adding that the increase in cotton production will have a direct impact of $1 billion per 1 million bales and a seven times multiplier impact on the fiscal flows in the economy. The cotton area in this decade has declined 33 per cent from 2.9 million hectares to 1.9 million hectares. Almost 1.5 million farmers grow cotton, out of which, 75 per cent is grown in Punjab while the rest is grown in Sindh, while cotton area in Punjab has decreased by 50 per cent from 2.53 million hectares in 2012 to 1.28 million hectares in 2022. In Pakistan, cotton yields have fallen 26 per cent from 880kg/hectare to 652kg/ hectare over the last 10 years, while in Punjab the decline has been more pronounced and productivity has fallen 36 percent from 814kg/per hectares in 2012 to 520kg/hectares in 2022.

IMF asks Pakistan to end fuel subsidy, exemptions to revive loan program conTInued froM Page 01 “We are working on a workable plan to present before the IMF to at least ensure the release of the next tranche. Things would be clear once we sit on the table about the stalled program,” the minister said. The negotiations with the IMF officials will continue until April 24 and the IMF will release the US dollar one billion tranche after successful talks. Governor State Bank of Pakistan Reza Baqar has been in Washington for talks with the IMF officials. Governor central bank will also attend the session of the World Bank’s steering committee. The minister further said that along with the IMF officials, he would also meet representatives of the World Bank and finance ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and an official of the Chinese finance ministry during the visit to the US. He hoped since Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif enjoys cordial relations with important countries like China and Saudi Arabia, the existing loans would be rolled over. He also was optimistic about bailout support from Pakistan’s friends. Talking about the huge fuel subsidy extended by the previous government, the minister said the subsidy allowed for petrol for the months of May and June will cost Rs96 billion, and the government cannot bear this burden.

While taking the populist move of not taking tax on petrol and diesel, Imran Khan has put the Shehbaz Sharif-led government in trouble. Making petrol cheap is not a favor, it is the nation’s money through which they give subsidies,” the finance minister. The finance minister said the government is giving a subsidy of Rs52 on diesel and Rs21 on petrol, and due to this, Rs68 were paid off from the national exchequer in terms of April’s subsidy. “This is double the cost of administrative expenses of our civilian government. We cannot keep this up. The prime minister will have to take a decision in this regard,” he added. The minister, however, rejected the possibility of passing on the actual fuel price in one go to avoid a major burden on the consumers. Apart from fuel price adjustment, in order to reduce deficits, the minister further indicated a cut in PSDP by Rs100 billion. The government could reduce public sector development spending with other necessary budgetary discipline arrangements. In reply to a query, the minister, interestingly, termed current devaluation of currency irrational saying that there must be a market monopoly behind the development. He said the dollar has a small market in the country and any major withdrawal of dollars may influence the currency status temporarily.

He expressed the hope that the value of the rupee would not slide further while the markets would also perform well. Ismail said that the rupee was also devalued by Rs68 during the PTI regime and the ex-government took around $27 billion in external debt, an average of $9 billion per year, adding that the average of taking debt was just $1 billion in the PML-N government. The finance minister said the PML-N had left the growth rate at 6.1%, which was reduced to 1.9% in the first year of the PTI government, and negative one per cent the following year. He said the budget deficit during the five years of PML(N) tenure was recorded at Rs1,600 billion on average, however, during the current year, it has been recorded at Rs5,600 billion. The finance minister said the tax collection has also been reduced from 11.1% of GDP to 9.1%, whereas the debt, which was Rs24,952.9 billion in the PML-N era, has now risen to Rs42,735 billion by December 2021. Ismail said that during its tenure, the PTI government took more than Rs20,000 billion in debt. He said that from first Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan to Nasir-ul-Mulk, the total debt was recorded at Rs25,000 billion whereas Imran khan took Rs20,000 billion debt in less than four years. The finance minister said when PML-N took debt, the same was utilized

to build energy plants, road infrastructure, dams, and education projects, however, no such utilization was witnessed when the PTI government was in power. He said that exports increased only in value, not in quantity adding that imports too increased and are expected to reach a historic high of $75 billion this year. The finance minister further said the current account deficit was also at $20 billion, whereas the reserves have gone down to $10.8 billion. He added that other than the power circular debt, the PTI regime has accumulated a gas circular debt of 1.5 trillion, adding that the government would constitute a commission to investigate the smuggling of urea. Miftah said the fiscal deficit remained at Rs1,600 billion per annum on average during the government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, while the Imran Khan-led government took this figure to around Rs5,600 billion. He said the total debt of the country from 1947 to 2018 was Rs25,000 billion whereas the PTI government added at least Rs20,000 billion to the national debt in its three-and-half-year tenure. Regarding power outages in the country, the minister said power plants with a capacity of 7,500 megawatts of electricity were shut down due to massive circular debt, lack of fuel, and the incompetence of the previous government. Miftah also stated that the PTI also ruined the energy sector as before the PTI government’s tenure there was no circular debt pending in the gas sector. “But now the gas sector is faced with a circular debt of Rs1.5 trillion,” the minister said, adding that the SNGPL’s debt alone amounted to Rs200 billion.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | KARACHI

PeRvAIz SenDS ReFeRenCe tO DISqUALIFy DeFeCtInG PtI LAWMAKeRS tO eCP ISLaMaBad

Staff RepoRt

UNJAB Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Wednesday sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a reference against 26 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers seeking their lifetime disqualification on charges of violating party discipline. PTI chief whip, on behalf of PTI chairman Imran Khan, handed over the reference to Elahi. The disqualification reference against the lawmakers has been moved under Article-63 of the Constitution. The deviant members named in the reference include Abdul Aleem Khan, Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Ghulam Rasool Saeed, Saeed Akbar, Faisal Hayat, Mehar Aslam, Khalid Mehmood,

Coalition government lost majority in national Assembly: Fawad Lahore Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry Wednesday said the coalition government lost its majority after the death of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MP Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan and the exit of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNPM) from the ruling alliance. In a tweet, Chaudhry demanded of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take a vote of confidence from the National Assembly. “The ruling coalition now stands at 168 in contrast to 172 votes required for having a majority in the House,” he said. On April 11, Sharif, then PML-N president, was elected as prime minister unopposed in a National Assembly session boycotted by PTI.

FBR launches inland revenue strategic reform plan

Nazeer Chohan, Nauman Langrial, Ameen Zulkurnain, Muhammad Salman, Zawar Hussian, Nazeer Ahmed, Fida Hussain, Ayesha Nawaz, Sajida Yusuf, Muhammad Tahir, Uzma Kardar, Sibtain Raza and others. The reference will however not be applicable to independent candidates including Chaudhry Nisar, Ahmed Ali, Jugnu Mohsin, Bilal Asghar Warraich, Raja Sagheer and others. It is pertinent to mention here that Hamza Shehbaz was elected Chief Minister Punjab during a Punjab Assembly session that saw unprecedented violence resulting in attacks on Speaker Elahi and Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari. He bagged 197 votes, including from 24 PTI dissidents, two independents and the lone Rah-i-Haq Party lawmaker.

Lahore The registrar’s office of Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday again objected to the petition of Punjab chief ministerelect Hamza Shehbaz for his oath-taking, this time for making the governor a respondent and not pinning a copy of his predecessor Usman Buzdar’s resignation to the petition. The counsel for Shehbaz had accelerated efforts for getting the objections removed and have the petition fixed for hearing on the same day. It merits a mention here that the Punjab governor and chief secretary had been made respondents in the petition. It was stated in the petition that the resignation of Buzdar had been accepted on April 1, and since then, the office has been lying vacant. The petition also stated that it was a constitutional convention for the governor to call the elected chief minister and

ISLaMaBad

ISLaMaBad Staff RepoRt

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday launched the Inland Revenue Strategic Reform Plan (2021-25). While addressing the occasion, the FBR Chairman remarked that the Inland Revenue Strategic Reform Plan encapsulated FBR’s vision for the future. The country’s premier revenue collection organisation aspires towards building a stronger and more modern institution, driven by the principles of integrity, efficiency, and effective service delivery, he added. He reiterated that the plan envisaged the transformation of Inland Revenue into a world-class, technologically-savvy, and taxpayer-centric service. He thanked all the development partners for their much-needed support in developing this valued document and assured them of his fullest cooperation in implementing the same. It is pertinent to mention that the Inland Revenue Strategic Reform Plan clearly sets the reform agenda for the four-year period from 202122 through to 2024-25. The plan provides reform actions to improve tax administration in the 4 strategic reform areas which include improving tax compliance, strengthening tax administration, building institutional capacity, and reinforcing the legislative framework. Article continues after this advertisement.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed the government to release the list of gifts to former prime minister Imran Khan since assuming power in August 2018. A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb directed the deputy attorney general, Atiq ur-Rehman Siddiqui, to public details of the pile of gifts Khan received from foreign governments and world leaders. During the hearing, the petitioner claimed the former prime minister sold some of the presents in “violation” of the Constitution. At this, the judge remarked that no one is above the law and directed Siddiqui to raise the matter before the cabinet. “Present details of all foreign gifts retained by Khan in next hearing,” the judge said while issuing directives to the official. The court also directed to recover all foreign gifts presented to government officials in the last two decades. Siddiqui requested time to respond after which the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused his predecessor of selling presents the latter received during his visits abroad. Sharif made these claims during a meeting with journalists at his office last Friday. “I can confirm you that Imran Khan took gifts worth Rs140 million from Toshakhana and sold them in Dubai,” he said, adding that valuables included jewellery, bracelets and watches. Responding to the claim, Khan said that the detail of every item he purchased from Toshakhana is on record and if anyone has evidence of corruption, they

Karachiites likely to bear Rs5.27 per unit hike in electricity bills ahMad ahMadanI K-Electric has sought from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to approve Rs5.27 per unit increase in the power price on account of monthly fuel charges adjustment (FCA) of March 2022. According to sources, if NEPRA approves Rs5.27 per unit hike under the head FCA of March 2022 then the power consumers of the K-Electric will bear additional burden of approximately Rs8 billion and 59 crore. NEPRA, in a public hearing notice, informed that a hearing in the matter of request filed by K-Electric regarding monthly FCA of March under Multi Year Tariff (MYT) 2017-2023 will be held on April 27, 2022. “All the interested/affected parties are invited to

raise written/oral objections as permissible under the law,” said NEPRA’s hearing notice. As per details, the K-Electric earlier filed its request for monthly fuel charges adjustment (Own and Power Purchases) for the month of March 2022 and requested an FCA of Rs4.87 per unit. However, the K-Electric, subsequently, filed its revised request for monthly FCA (Own and Power Purchases) for the month of March 2022 due to change in Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) rate and requested Rs 5.27 per unit increase in the tariff. According to NEPRA, the hearing will discuss whether the requested fuel price variation is justified and, whether K-Electric has followed the merit order while giving dispatch to its power plants as well as power purchases from external sources.

Buzdar’s resignation as Punjab chief minister challenged Lahore

administer the oath to him, adding violation of constitutional conventions was in fact a deviation from the Constitution itself. It also alleged that a constitutional crisis was being created in Punjab which was against the parliamentary democracy and the spirit of the Constitution, adding the governor’s office was a symbol of federation and unity and the governor’s job was to protect the Constitution. “In the written Constitution, the governor does not have the powers of a king. The governor’s refusal to take oath from the petitioner is a political ploy and bad intention. The offices of the president, assembly speaker and governor are bound to avoid adopting party policies,” it stated. “As the oath is not being administered, the petitioner has got no choice but to file a constitutional petition. The Punjab governor should be ordered to administer the oath to the newly-elected Chief Minister of Punjab without any delay,” the court was urged.

IHC orders to uncover gifts sent to Imran Staff RepoRt

Staff RepoRt

LHC again objects to Hamza’s petition for early oath Staff RepoRt

NEWS

should come forward. “I thank God, that in three years (of rule), all [dirt] they have got against me is this Toshakhana scandal, which is already on record,” said Khan. He maintained that he was well within his right as the chief executive to purchase those items according to law and he, in fact, amended the rules and made it mandatory for officials to pay at least 50 percent of the value of the item, up from 25 percent. Established in 1974, Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores presents given to rulers, MPs, civil servants and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries as a goodwill gesture. It has valuables ranging from bulletproof cars, goldplated souvenirs and expensive paintings to watches, ornaments, rugs and swords. As per the country’s law, any gift received from dignitaries of a foreign state must be put in the state depository or the Toshakhana. It merits a mention here that cases involving presents from Toshakhana are pending in the courts against former prime ministers and a president — Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, and Yusuf Raza Gillani.

The resignation tendered by Usman Buzdar as Punjab chief minister, and approved by Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, was challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday. In the petition, which nominated Punjab chief secretary Buzdar, Sarwar, Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz as respondents, Barrister Nadeem Sarwar argued that Buzdar’s resignation was not addressed to the governor, but to the prime minister. It recalled Buzdar tendered his resignation on March 28 and had addressed it to then-prime minister Khan. “Furthermore, contrary to the constitutional obligation, he did not write it himself,” Sarwar said, and requested the court to declare acceptance of his resignation “unconstitutional”.

Cross-border attacks from Afghanistan ‘matter of concern’: Khar ISLaMaBad Staff RepoRt

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said attacks on the security forces from Afghanistan were a matter of concern for Pakistan, adding Islamabad respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the neighbouring nation. The remarks from Khar, who assumed office on Tuesday, came days after Foreign Office said incidents of the Pakistan Army being targeted in cross-border attacks from Afghanistan had risen significantly, and called on Taliban authorities to act against militants. Only last week, seven soldiers were killed in the border district of North Waziristan. During a meeting with Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammed Sadiq, Khar said the incidents of “targeting security forces from Afghanistan are a matter of concern” for Islamabad. “Pakistan respects Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she added. “A stable and peaceful Afghanistan was of utmost importance for Pakistan. Pakistan is determined to continuing its efforts for peace in the region including Afghanistan.” The meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Islamabad, was also attended by Additional Secretary (Afghanistan Affairs) Amir Aftab Qureshi and Director General (Afghanistan Affairs) Asif Memon. Also during the meeting, Sadiq gave a detailed briefing to Khar on the law and order situation in Afghanistan and the region.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

PakIsTan urGEs GLobaL hELP For CrIsEs-hIT dEvELoPInG naTIons UNiTeD NaTiONs

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PEAKING on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Pakistan called on the international aid agencies to enable the developing countries to prepare viable and sustainable infrastructure projects aimed at addressing the triple crises — Covid-19, environmental and economic — that hit their economies disproportionately. “It is vital that the recovery should be a pathway to a sustainable global economy, in particular by investment in sus-

tainable, quality and resilient infrastructure, which will also create decent jobs and reduce poverty,” Ambassador Aamir Khan, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told a meeting of ministers and governors of Group of 24 which deals with international monetary and development finance issues. While the developed economies had injected around $17 trillion into their economies, the developing countries, needing an estimated $4.3 trillion, have been able to mobilise around $100 billion in additional financing so far, he said. “Sustainable global recovery will not be

possible if the majority of the world’s population is left behind,” Khan said. In this regard, he said the vaccine inequity must end and that adequate financing is critical. To this, the G-77 proposed the mobilisation of larger concessional assistance to developing countries, extension of the debt service suspension by all creditors and early action to ease unsustainable debt, and the voluntary re-allocation of at least $250 billion of the unutilised new SDRs (Special Drawing Rights) to the developing countries. Khan, in Pakistan’s capacity as G-77 chairman, also proposed expanded lending

In Pakistan, Afghan refugees face hardship and a frosty reception Peshawar ReuteRS

When Khair Wali heard the Taliban had started killing former Afghan soldiers, he feared he could be next, so made the decision to travel to Pakistan with his pregnant wife and two children. For many Afghans like Wali, a 23-yearold former army cadet, Pakistan was their only realistic hope for sanctuary. But thousands who have arrived by bus, taxi, on foot or even on donkeys since the Taliban seized power last year have found hardship and hostility in a country that has grown tired of hosting refugees from Afghanistan. “The police are very disrespectful and call us ‘muhajir‘ (migrant) … and the way they spew profanities, it feels really bad,” Wali, 23, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Peshawar, the closest major city to the Afghan border. Abdur Rehman Khan, the city’s deputy superintendent of police, said officers followed strict government orders not to harass Afghans, adding that they regularly conduct searches and deport those who do not have a valid visa.

When stopped by police, Wali shows an expired visa from a previous visit to Pakistan and a scribbled number on a chit of paper he got from a nonprofit that helps the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, record how many new Afghans are trickling into the country following the Taliban’s return. Like many other new arrivals, Wali had few savings and has found no support from government agencies since he and his family arrived in September. Before the Taliban’s takeover last August, Wali earned about 16,000 Afghani ($184) a month as a trainee soldier. Now, he struggles to feed his family despite having found a job in a glass shop with the help of a relative. “Life is tough here. There I had my own home, land and employment. Here I have nothing,” he said, showing the bloodied cuts on his ungloved hands as he cut a piece of glass. ECONOMIC BURDEN? Pakistan is home to more than 3 million Afghan refugees, according to official estimates, though UNHCR says nearly half of those are second- or third-generation Afghans born in Pakistan but still classed as refugees. Last year, the government partnered with the UNHCR to verify and update 1.4 million

Civil-military harmony imperative for state to function effectively: Mazari News Desk PTI leader and former human rights minister Shireen Mazari on Tuesday said that civilian supremacy is a norm in democracy but cordial ties between civil-military leadership are imperative for the state to function effectively. In a series of tweets, she said: “A lot of confusion is unnecessarily being created over civilmilitary relations. Let’s get some facts clear. In a democracy, civilian supremacy is the norm but for the state to function effectively there must be civil-military harmony.” Apparently referring to ousted prime minister Imran Khan’s decisions, she said that it is the premier’s prerogative to nominate a candidate for the post of the chief minister and make appointments to the top military leadership of his own choice. “So let’s be clear. There is no arrogance in a PM appointing CMs of his choice – in fact it is his prerogative. Just as it his prerogative to advise president on selection of the three service chiefs. PM’s prerogative to select DG ISI. Advice on military appointments always rightly sought from military,” she added.

PTI’s struggle for justice system, supremacy of constitution, law: Governor Punjab LAHORE: Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has said that the struggle of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is to establish justice system in the country and for supremacy of constitution and law. This was stated by him while talking to a delegation of lawyers from different districts who called on him at Governor House Lahore on Wednesday. Omar Sarfraz Cheema said that Pakistan’s legal community and PTI have worked side by side for the independence of the judiciary. He said that justice could not be achieved in the country without judicial reforms. He said that no society can develop without justice. Punjab Governor said that the people running the institutions are the guardians of the honor and dignity of these institutions. He said that in order to take Pakistan forward, we have to ensure the rule of law and justice. Staff RepoRt

Afghans who had registered their presence in Pakistan in 2006/07 and granted them refugee status. Another 880,000 who had registered in 2017 were also given leave to stay though without refugee status, and both groups received identity cards that make it easier for them to access services such as healthcare and banking, UNHCR said. Still, about half a million Afghans are undocumented, not including the 100,000 known to have arrived in Pakistan since the start of 2021, said UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi. The real number may be much higher because many people slipped across the countries’ porous border and did not register, Afridi added. Pakistan did not grant refugee visas to the latest wave of Afghans, instead giving them short-term transit visas, according to several new refugees travelling to a third country. The Foreign Ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment. After decades of providing refuge to Afghans displaced by conflict, ordinary Pakistanis increasingly see them as a drain on limited public resources during an economic malaise that has seen the rupee hit an all-time low against the dollar.

by the multilateral development banks (MDBs) and their recapitalisation, reduction in the market borrowing costs for developing countries, earliest fulfilment of the commitment to provide $100 billion-plus in annual climate finance, aiming to achieve a balance between mitigation and adaptation, and access to private capital for sustainable development projects. “To this end, the MDBs, the UN and its agencies, and other relevant development actors, should enable the developing countries to prepare viable, sustainable infrastructure projects, which can access both public and private finance,” he added. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan said last July that the country did “not have the capacity or the economic strength to bear another inflow of refugees”, and the government has repeatedly vowed not to let more Afghans cross the border. New arrivals said there was no government programme to support new refugees with registration, food, shelter and other basic necessities. In the streets of Peshawar, some people said they saw the newcomers as unwelcome competition for jobs. “It will be the poor like us who will be affected by these muhajirs,” a Pakistani tuktuk driver said as he gestured towards a line of tuk-tuks, whose drivers, he said, were all Afghans. But the migrants tend to take on jobs that Pakistanis “frown upon”, said Ashfaq Yusufzai, a journalist at Dawn who has been reporting on Afghan refugees for more than two decades. Afridi said it was wrong to see the Afghans as an economic burden, saying they contributed to the local economy. Pakistanis have also benefitted, he said, from more than 4,000 UNHCR projects in fields such as health and education that aimed to “mitigate the impact of the protracted refugee presence and promote social cohesion”. MIGRANT NETWORK: Many of the refugees who have arrived in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover have turned to a longestablished network of Afghan migrants, as well as friends and relatives, for help finding work and a place to live.

Beggars from India swarm IIOJK in Ramadan sriNaGar Staff RepoRt

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in the holy month of Ramadan, beggars including women and children from different Indian states have swarmed the territory in thousands, much to the annoyance of locals, particularly in Srinagar. According to Kashmir Media Service, though there is no official number of such non-local beggars seeking alms in IIOJK, they can be seen in clusters of dozens across the territory in recent days. “There is no registration of such entrants into IIOJK and these people do not have any identity proofs on them. This is not only a public nuisance, but it is also a security threat given the situation in Kashmir,” a senior official in the administra-

tion told the media, requesting not to be named. While such non-local beggars have become a common sight in IIOJK lately, their numbers have had a meteoric rise during the month of Ramadan. “We stay here for the month of Ramadan. People here are generous and donate lavishly,” said Babu Ram, a beggar from a far-flung village in Rajasthan, who is in the Islamabad town of south Kashmir. While beggars thrive on the generosity of the Kashmiri people, they do not leave things to chance. Many of these beggars carry children, who are in bad shape, to gain sympathy. Locals told the media that these beggars “hunt” in packs and they almost attack you in the middle of a crowded place. “You can escape one, but they come in packs, and at one point you give up and give the money to them. It is like being looted,” a local in Srinagar said.

Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan Limited posts strong financial results in Q1, 2022 karachi pReSS ReleaSe

FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL) announced its financial results for Q1 on April 20, 2022. The Company reported revenue of PKR 14 billion in the first quarter, showcasing 20.7% growth versus last year. The growth was led by improvement in the portfolio mix, coupled with an increase in volumes of both, the Dairy & Beverages and the Frozen Desserts segments. Riddled with sharp increases in commodity costs due to continued inflation and the devaluation of the Pakistani Rupee, the business environment remained fraught with challenges. Consequently, the Gross Margins declined by 140bps. However, the Company continued to drive cost-efficiencies through multiple cost-saving initiatives, which resulted in FCEPL registering a post-tax profit of PKR 664 million in Q1 vs PKR 547 million in the same period last year - an improvement of 10bps. Committed to improving standards and nourishing Pakistan, FCEPL established the Pakistan-Netherlands Dairy Development Centre, in collaboration with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS). By leveraging Netherland’s rich dairy expertise, the Centre aims to improve Pakistan’s dairy development capacity and quality by increasing production, improving food security, enhancing food-safety, and integrating sustainability in Pakistan’s dairy value chains and food landscape. DAIRy AND BEvERAGEs: The Dairy and Beverages segment reported a revenue of PKR 12.8 billion, registering a 19.5% growth year-over-year. The segment’s growth was led by Olper’s as it continued to strengthen its position as the market leader with ongoing brand and trade investments. The segment witnessed significant expansion in the retail footprint and E-Commerce channel during the quarter and will continue to explore new channels and route to markets to serve its customers effectively and efficiently. To simultaneously diversify and strengthen its portfolio, and solidify its association with mornings, the Company launched Olper’s Cheese, which offers the nutritional equivalent of one glass of Olper’s milk (200g) in every slice of Olper’s cheese (20g). Additional recent launches including Olper’s flavored milk, Olper’s full cream milk powder (FCMP), Olper’s pro-cal, Olper’s cream and Tarang Elaichi, continued to accumulate market share. Frozen desserts: With revenue of PKR 1.2 billion, the frozen desserts segment reported a growth of 34.1% vs the same period last year. Offering a value-added product at an affordable price, the Company launched the O’more Double Choco Chips Cone in 2022 at a price point of PKR 50, which was well-received in the market and is expected to grow.

HBL Q1 2022 profit rises to Rs14.6bn driven by strong business volumes karachi pReSS ReleaSe

HBL today declared a consolidated profit before tax of Rs14.6 billion for the first quarter of 2022 and a profit after tax of Rs8.6 billion, both higher than in the same period last year. The Q1’22 results include a one-time severance charge of Rs2.6 billion. Excluding the impact of this one-time charge, the Bank’s profit before tax is 18% more than in Q1’21. Along with the results, the Bank declared a dividend of Rs. 2.25 per share (22.5%). Following a breakthrough performance in 2021, the Bank continued to build on its growth story, with its fortress balance sheet increasing by another 5% over December 2021 to Rs4.5 trillion. Beating historical trends, HBL was able to grow current accounts beyond the previous year-end peak to nearly Rs1.2 trillion, 37.4% of the total deposit base of Rs3.2 trillion. Advances grew by 4% in one quarter alone, well ahead of the market, to nearly Rs1.6 trillion, with broad-based growth across all segments. The Bank’s flagship Consumer business continued to

break records with loans crossing Rs110 billion; agriculture lending achieved a new high of Rs41 billion. HBL Microfinance Bank, the largest microfinance provider of housing loans, posted doubledigit growth with deposits crossing Rs100 billion and a loan portfolio of Rs65 billion. Net interest income of the Bank increased by Rs3.8 billion to Rs36.3 billion in the first three months of 2022, driven by an exceptional growth of over Rs450 billion in average volumes. Fee income continued to break barriers, rising 24% to Rs7.3 billion; the fee engine is firing on all cylinders, with an outstanding performance from the Cards business, and double-digit growth in all key businesses. A spectacular Treasury performance resulted in income rising by 42%. Total revenue of the Bank thus increased by Rs6 billion over Q1’21 to Rs46.6 billion. Administrative expenses (excluding severance charge of Rs2.6 billion) increased to Rs27.8 billion on the back of rising inflationary pressures, higher salesdriven costs and a continued investment in people and technology. Total provi-

sions reduced by 36% to Rs1.2 billion; the infection ratio remains well-controlled at 5.2% with total coverage at over 100%. Demonstrating its commitment to giving back to the community, the endowment fund of the HBL Foundation was doubled to Rs100 million, while the annual contribution was raised by 50%, to 1.5% of post-tax profits. Commenting on the Bank’s Q1’22 performance, Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO – HBL said, “The Bank’s business volumes have set new benchmarks on the back of a very strong performance across all client segments and activity drivers. We continue to work diligently on building technological innovation, working with the Government of Pakistan on public-private partnerships, and most importantly serving our clients with excellence. HBL’s digital channels, being our strategic priority, processed an unprecedented Rs2.8 trillion from 109 million transactions, representing a YoY growth of 64%.” HBL solidified its dominant position in all aspects of its Consumer business. HBL Cards remained the first choice for

clients, registering a 58% growth in Credit Card spend over same period last year. HBL’s Debit Card remains the market leader with 6.1 million cards and a 21% market share. Spend volumes increased by 53% over Q1’21, with e-commerce volumes growing by 56%. There has been a considerable focus on formal finance to Small Enterprises under HBL POS finance and SBP’s SAAF scheme with disbursements of Rs1.4 billion under each program. HBL maintained its leadership position in Supply Chain Financing, registering a growth of 20% over Dec’21 to reach Rs7.4 billion. HBL’s total SME funded advances in Q1’22 stood at Rs73 billion. During the quarter, HBL Nisa opened 37,000 new accounts with deposits of over Rs6 billion. HBL has remained amongst the highest contributors to the RDA initiative with 20% of all RDA accounts; during Q1’22, we channeled an additional USD 100 million into the country. HBL Prestige branches were inaugurated in Multan and Faisalabad, taking the total presence to 27 lounges in 12 cities.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

AhsAN IqBAl sees electIoN AFter reForms

e ombudsman helps elderly get back property after 35 years LAHORE: Maqsood Hussain, an octogenarian resident of Mustafa Abad town in Lahore, succeeded in getting possession of his residential plot after 35 years due to the involvement of the office of the ombudsman Punjab. In a statement issued on Wednesday, a spokesman said Maqsood Hussain approached the ombudsman office stating that he has deposited all the instalments of a five-marla plot 480-E in Tajpura Housing Scheme which was allotted to him in 1987 by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). However, he is still unable to get possession of the plot despite numerous applications submitted to LDA for the same, the applicant stated. Taking notice of it, the ombudsman’s office directed the concerned LDA staff to give possession of the plot to the applicant within 15 days and a compliance report should also be submitted to the ombudsman’s office. In the light of the instructions, the LDA has handed over the possession of the plot to Hussain and submitted a compliance report to the ombudsman’s office. The applicant has thanked the Ombudsman Punjab retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan for the timely redressal of his complaint, the spokesman said. staff report

Pakistan seeks clarification from BBc on report about Imran Khan’s last day at Pm office Pakistan has sought clarification from the United Kingdom’s British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) about the report it published related to events that took place at the PM Office, hours before the no-trust vote against Imran Khan on April 9. The UK-managed BBC’s director-general has confirmed that they have received a written complaint from Pakistan seeking clarification on the report. In response to the report earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, had rejected it and termed it “baseless and a pack of lies.” “The report published by British broadcasting agency today is baseless and a pack of lies. The propaganda report has not cited any credible, verified or relevant source,” the ISPR had said. The military’s media wing had added that the said report was a violation of basic journalism ethics and there was “no truth” to the fake news. “The report clearly seems a part of an organised disinformation campaign.” In a recent press breifing, Director-general ISPR Major general Babar Iftikhar had said that BBC published a ‘false story’ and ‘it was nothing but a pack of lies’ “The army has nothing to do with the political process that took place a few days back in the country,” he had iterated. “Do not drag the army into political matters.” staff report

MPHASISINg how electoral reforms are imperative before “even thinking about new elections”, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday announced the formation of a committee in parliament to begin the electoral reforms process. “First we will make sure that the

electoral reforms are done and then we will think upon the new elections,” he said while talking to the media during his visit to National Center for Artificial Intelligence at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) He termed it a constitutional requirement to complete the delimitation process for which the Election Com-

Top British diplomat calls on Sharif ISLAMABAD staff report

British High Commissioner in Islamabad Christian Turner on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed his government’s desire to work with Islamabad on expanding bilateral cooperation. According to a statement from Sharif’s office, Turner congratulated Sharif on assuming the office of the prime minister and conveyed the best wishes of the British government.

During the meeting, Sharif expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his congratulatory tweet. He added that Pakistan highly valued its relations with the United Kingdom which he observed were based on historical linkages and convergent interests on a broad range of issues. He emphasised the importance of enhanced trade and investment ties and the need for elevating the relationship to a strategic level. Highlighting the positive

bridge-building role played by around 1.6 million-strong Pakistan diaspora residing across the UK, Sharif emphasized the need of strengthening cooperation in the field of legal migration to fully realise the potential. The prime minister also appreciated the work undertaken by the UK in promoting education, health and other social sectors in Pakistan. Turner thanked Sharif and expressed the desire to work closely with Pakistan on deepening and broadening bilateral cooperation.

PTI challenges IHC order to decide funding case in a month ISLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) filed an intra-court appeal against the decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide a funding case against the party in four weeks. Speaking to media after filing the appeal, the party’s secretary-general, Asad Umar, termed the ECP a biased agency, and said that it does not look the incumbent commission could hold free and fair elections in the country. “The judiciary has directed to hold all parties accountable in the foreign funding case, however, only the committee finalized for scrutiny of PTI accounts finalized its probe which also followed media trial of the party,” he said. He further said that documents shared by the PML-N and PPP in scrutiny of their foreign funding cases should also be made public. “The proceedings on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan

should proceed in a just and transparent manner,” he said. While presenting argument before the ECP in foreign funding case recently, PTI’s lawyer Anwar Mansoor, a former attorney general, argued before the ECP that a company registered outside Pakistan could not be called a local entity. “Funding from multi-national and local companies has been prohibited,” Anwar Mansoor said. “In the election law funding from foreign sources has been prohibited,” he said. “The Election Act has removed the ban on funding from the local companies,” the counsel further argued. “Are you confessing to foreign funding to the party?” Sindh member of the ECP Nisar Durrani questioned. “No funds received from prohibited sources,” PTI counsel replied. “The money came from abroad but the allegation of funding from prohibited sources is wrong,” the counsel said.

APHC calls for complete shutdown in IIOJK on Modi’s visit SRINAGAR agencies

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has appealed to the Kashmiri people to observe complete shutdown on the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit to the territory on 24 April (Sunday) to convey a message that they reject India’s illegal hold of their homeland.

mission of Pakistan required around 6 to 7 months. The newly inducted minister in the 37-member cabinet went on to say that the new coalition government would actively engage China to speed up various projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “The government’s top priority was to strengthen the country’s economy as it was the

According to Kashmir Media Service, the appeal has been made by the illegally detained APHC Chairman, Masarrat Alam Butt, and Vice Chairmen Shabbir Ahmad Shah and ghulam Ahmad gulzar. The APHC leaders in their messages from jails termed the visit of Narendra Modi to the territory a cruel joke with the people of Kashmir. They said the RSS-backed fascist Modi regime has broken all the records of brutality

and has usurped all the basic rights of the Kashmiri masses. The APHC leaders maintained that the scrapping of Article 370 and 35-A was a direct attack on the basic rights of the Kashmiri people and a blatant violation of the international law. Since 5 August 2019 when special status of IIOJK was revoked, Kashmiris are not only under siege but Indian forces’ personnel have intensified their atrocities in the occupied territory, they said.

hearing in Nawaz’s removal from ecl adjourned as judge goes on leave LAHORE: Hearing in a petition filed against the restriction imposed on the removal of the name of disgraced former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif from the Exit Control List (ECL), which was due to be held at the Lahore High Court (LHC), had to be cancelled on account of the absence of Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi who is on a leave. The hearing was also adjourned for an indefinite time period. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had filed the petition whose last hearing was held on January 20, 2020. It is pertinent to mention here that the LHC had allowed the former prime minister on November 16, 2019, to leave for the UK on the pretext of medical treatment. staff report

CMYK

only pre-requisite for its sovereignty.” Iqbal highlighted how he inaugurated the AI Center in 2018 to prepare the youth to adapt with the latest emerging technologies. “The artificial intelligence, automatic robotics, big data cloud, cyber security and applied mathematics were the driver sectors of the fourth generation industrial revolution.” app

NA raise voice against operations in Fata, Balochistan The members of the National Assembly from Balochistan and erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on Tuesday again raised voices over the ongoing security operations in their respective areas as Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf allowed the lawmakers to deliver lengthy speeches on points of order after setting aside a 205-point lengthy private member’s day agenda. Most members in their speeches lashed out at policies of the previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government and targeted former premier Imran Khan for allegedly polluting the political atmosphere by inciting the youth to violence and use of abusive language. They sought action to prevent him from spreading anarchy. Some lawmakers also drew the attention of the government towards the problems being faced by those associated with the agriculture sector, demanding subsidies on seeds, fertilisers, electricity charges for tube wells and other agriculture inputs. Meanwhile, Zahid Akram Durrani of the JUI-F was elected as deputy speaker after no other candidate filed nomination papers against him. He is expected to take oath today (Wednesday). Speaker throws away 205point private member’s day agenda, allows members to make speeches on points of order; Zahid Durrani elected deputy speaker unopposed Taking the floor, Mohammad Jamaluddin of the JUI-F alleged that women and children of Waziristan had been martyred during the bombing in Khost, the border town of Afghanistan some three days back. “Are our agencies so weak? They (terrorists) visit our areas regularly. They come here dancing on horses carrying Kalashnikovs after traveling 40 to 50 kilometres. Don’t they (agencies) see them (terrorists)?” he asked, while also “condemning” the incident. The JUI-F MNA asked the government to do something to bring back the women and children living as IDPs (internally-displaced persons) to their native areas. He said if there were terrorists or Taliban in the area, then the security forces must take action against them, but at least innocent people should not be targeted. He termed such “bombing attacks” on tribal people a violation of human rights and Pakistan’s Constitution. staff report

06-07 Comments - 21st April 2022_Layout 1 4/20/2022 11:41 PM Page 1

Thursday, 21 April, 2022

06 COMMENT

Surveillance of the Siasi Basta B?

Testing times ahead for ruling alliance Balancing economy and politics

The police kept a record of criminal bad characters, the ISI of political ones

he projections by the IMF, World Bank and rating agencies present a grim picture of Pakistan’s economic condition. The new ruling alliance has inherited an economic growth rate of four percent, a higher than estimated inflation and current account deficit, and even percent unemployment. What it translates into for the common man is partly noted by the World Bank report which cautioned that rising food and energy inflation was expected to diminish the real purchasing power of households, disproportionally affecting poor and vulnerable households. Not that the new PM was ignorant of the situation. Only months back Shehbaz Sharif had been slamming the PTI government over its economic policies that had put the country under heavy debt and unprecedented inflation and unemployment. however, last week Mr Sharif expressed confidence that despite the economic situation being ‘very serious’ it could be improved with hard work and unity. It appears however that crucial role will be played by sound economic decisions. The populist economic decisions taken by the outgoing government have to be reversed as they would have an adverse impact on fiscal and external deficits and constrain the new government’s capacity to drive meaningful change. This would require a phasing out of energy subsidies and ensuring the availability of food staples at affordable prices, which is a complex supply-chain-cumpricing issue. A phase-out of energy subsidies would lead to challenges that include a spurt in inflation, followed by second-round effects as goods and wages are re-priced. The government will also have to focus on containing the fiscal deficit at a level which ensures debt sustainability, closely coordinate fiscal and monetary policy and retain exchange rate flexibility. The government also has to negotiate with the IMF to restart its suspended programme, which will not be easy after Mr Khan threw out key conditionalities in his last days. Imran Khan wants early elections as he wants to ride on a sympathy wave generated by a nationalistic narrative of “regime change through foreign conspiracy”. he hopes to build pressure for snap polls through resignations from the assemblies. Navigating the next two quarters without any populist uprising would be a critical issue. For this the new government needs to maintain a balance between economic and political imperatives. however party interests have to give way to long-term national interests when push comes to shove.

Dr FariD a Malik

UrING the time of the raj, every Police Station was required to keep a record of ‘bad characters’ in their respective area and then monitor their activities to control crime. It was called ‘Basta B’ or ‘register of Bad Characters’. every fortnight the inductees of this list presented themselves for scrutiny before the ShO. First in 1958 and then again in 1985, some of these characters managed to enter the elected Parliament of the Islamic republic of Pakistan. To control their disorderly conduct at the higher level a ‘Siasi Basta B’ was opened within the ISI where their much-needed surveillance was carried out by the Director General. Now that the establishment has decided to remain neutral the ‘Siasi Basta B’ have been given a free hand. even the current Prime Minister with his tainted past and the majority of his supporters are inductees of this infamous register of Bad Character maintained by the agency. Only conviction in a court of law can debar a candidate from contesting for a public office Character does not matter. Getting bail on fake medical reports may indicate moral degradation but it can pave the way to physical freedom and a return to power at the opportune time. Such imposed leadership is a curse for the nation. In the first free Surveillance is the only effective method to keep the Basta B in control otherwise they create a menace

Pak-US relations

he US State Department’s congratulations to the new Sharif government would have been unremarkable, and liable to be dismissed as the usual diplomatic noise accompanying changes of government, had it not been for the accompanying denial, repeated for the umpteenth time, that the USA had nothing to do with the change of government. This denial has been made necessary by the ceaseless claims by ousted PM Imran Khan, who has claimed that the USA had conspired with the opposition against him because of his independent foreign policy. Presumably he reconciles this with receiving Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at his Bani Gala residence. Going by his refusal to deal with opposition leaders while PM, on the ground that they were not nice people, he should have refused any defiling contact with an American too, especially a Democrat Congresswoman who firmly supports President Joe Biden, whose failure to phone Mr Khan was one of the signs of the deteriorating relationship. Ms Omar, who was one of only two Muslim woman elected to US Congress, may help burnish Mr Khan’s status as an international statesman, but it will also be used by the Shehbaz government to burnish its own Islamic credentials, because though Ms Omar can hardly make US policy turn on its head, the fact that she is going to go on to Azad Kashmir, will burnish the new government’s pan-Islamist credentials. The visit also highlights the need of the present government to make relations with the USA a priority. The Foreign Office is expected to get a minister in the person of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, but it is still not clear when he will take oath. however, the Foreign Office has already received a Minister of State, hina rabbani Khar, who held the portfolio as a full minister after Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s 2011 resignation. As a minister, she had done a competent job, and whether she has the primary responsibility or a subordinate role, she will have to work hard to repair relations with what is still, despite Mr Khan’s continued claims, the country’s most important relationship.

The country needs the government to work with the opposition

MUHaMMaD ali alVi

he supporters of the joint opposition are happy that they are back in “Purana Pakistan” and everything will be perfect from now onwards. The PTI supporters on the other hand are depressed as their “Naya Pakistan” dream is over for now and they are back where everything is wrong. Supporters of both sides, be it on social media platforms, informal meetings or public gatherings, have crossed all limits while going in support and defence of their political affiliations. Supporters of both sides have justified the actions, right or wrong, of their political parties. And in doing so they have not bothered to consider whether the justification provided by them is legitimate or not. Whether the action or act they are justifying is even justifiable or not. In the last couple of months, many important developments have taken place in Pakistan’s politics. New developments take place with each passing day in politics and it is the way democratic societies move forward. But, many unfortunate events in the last couple of weeks have marred the whole process. And, the most worrying aspect is the response those events received from the followers of different political parties. The differences among the supporters of different political parties are so intense that they even justify wrong acts knowing that the acts are wrong and should not be justified just to prove their

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have been handed over to a person whose name is included in the ‘Siasi Basta B’ of ISI. Without effective surveillance these bad characters can play havoc with the country and its vital strategic assets. I am sure Inspector Sharif Chandi, the custodian of the law must be turning in his grave at the free hand given to these political rogues who have been plundering the nation for the last 40 years. recently a scene was witnessed during Iftar in an Islamabad five-star hotel. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a PPP Senator, was seen punching an elderly person assisted by a PTI dissident MNA. his father, Nawaz Khokhar, was Deputy Speaker during the second Benazir regime. As a result of a minor car accident, he ordered his gunman to hold hostage an Army officer and his family. he left the scene to lodge an FIr. hours passed by, luckily a Military Police (MP) squad was passing by who spotted the gun. On seeing the men in uniform, the guards ran away and the siege ended. The matter was reported to the then Army Chief General Asif Nawaz Janjua who was furious. Nawaz Khokhar was summoned to the GhQ; he sought the help of the PM who then requested the President to intervene. The Chief held his ground, the Deputy Speaker was forced to apologize with the family of the officer in the presence of his own family members. It was a major embarrassment for the bully. Now his son is a Senator in the party of Bhutto. Surveillance is the only effective method to keep the Basta B in control otherwise they create a menace for the public. Now that the damage has been done and the ‘Bad Characters’ of Gawalmandi and Gujrat have managed to enter the nation’s Parliament, the establishment cannot shun its responsibility of containing their evil designs. In case it is decided to shut down this political monitoring cell within ISI, then the names and deeds of these Siasi Basta B characters should be made public together with their disqualification under the constitutional provisions. In the words of the legendary Air Commodore M. M. Alam, when he decided to resign after meeting the master manipulator Zia-ul-haq the political architect of the ‘Sharif Dynasty’ ; “I am very concerned about Pakistan”. The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

Imported or selected: values lost

Congresswoman’s visit marks a new stage

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

for the public. Now that the damage has been done and the ‘Bad Characters’ of Gawalmandi and Gujrat have managed to enter the nation’s Parliament, the establishment cannot shun its responsibility of containing their evil designsSurveillance is the only effective method to keep the Basta B in control otherwise they create a menace for the public. Now that the damage has been done and the ‘Bad Characters’ of Gawalmandi and Gujrat have managed to enter the nation’s Parliament, the establishment cannot shun its responsibility of containing their evil designsand fair elections in 1970, the 1958 inductees of the Siasi Basta B were wiped out; now it is time to get rid of the 1985 entrants in the register of Bad Characters. The first time I heard about Basta B was in the 1970s. It was a students’ function in the Punjab University in which film star rangila was the Chief Guest. he presented his famous lines on the stage “Dingi Lataan, Police Muqbila, Basta B Badmash, Dacha Dach Tay Gacha Gach” , there was a big laugh from the audience ( Bowed Legs, Police encounters, by People of Bad Character followed by a free-for-all). It took me a while to understand what he was saying. In those days some Police encounters did take place and our famous agile cricketer Asif Iqbal had bowed legs but I had no idea about ‘Basta B Badmash’. So, I decided to find out more about it. My father’s friend Muhammad Sharif Chandi was Police Inspector posted at the Civil Lines Station. he lived there as well. In those days the staff was required to stay in-house. Boarding and lodging was provided by the government. he took me to his office and showed me the ‘register of Bad Characters’ which he maintained and regularly updated for effective surveillance. It was a lifetime experience to learn about preventive measures for the maintenance of law and order. When crime was committed in the area the ‘Basta B’ individuals were the first to be called to the station to explain their activities. They could not obtain pre- or post-arrest bails as they were considered a menace to the society who did not enjoy full rights of the citizen. They did have the option of challenging their entry in the register and having their name removed before returning to the mainstream of life. It is for the first time in the checkered political history of Pakistan that the levers of state power

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political parties right. What happened in the Punjab Assembly was horrifying and a moment of shame for the whole country. Not only was the sanctity of the Assembly compromised but wrong precedents were also set by the members of the assembly and their supporters. having a difference of opinion is a right but forcing others to hold the same is wrong. There is no justification for the incidents that took place with the Deputy Speaker and the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Irrespective of the party one supports, one has to agree that those shameful incidents should not have taken place. And, everyone should have condemned those incidents irrespective of the party differences. But, unfortunately, many justified those inhuman behaviours. This was not the first time quarrelling took place in the Punjab Assembly, but this time things got out of hand quickly. The same is the case with other Provincial assemblies and even the National Assembly where Lawmakers abuse and fight with each other. The current justification of those horrific acts is not a new phenomenon. Supporters of political parties have reached this stage over time. This sheds light on the lack of a culture of tolerance and acceptance among the followers of different political parties. everyone seems to be stuck with his opinion that he deems right and is not in a state of mind to listen to others. The lack of acceptance and tolerance culture among the supporters of different political parties and the current political polarization owes much to the government-opposition relationship in Pakistan over the years. Government and Opposition both work for the betterment of the country. And their working and productive relationship is very essential for the development of the state. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, this is very rare. The PTI came to power in 2018. It was given a majority by the people. But since the day its government started, the opposition claimed that it was a selected government and had a stolen mandate. And, till the day the PTI government was ousted by the joint opposition this narrative never changed. In pursuance of this narrative,iInstitutions were blamed and the government was criticized. The PTI government on the other hand considered itself a legitimate government that came to power with the public vote. Similarly, the PDM, which came to power with the success of the no-trust motion, considers itself the only solution to Pakistan’s problems and a truly rep-

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resentative government of the people. however, the PTI on the other hand has called it an “Imported government” that has come to power as a result of a foreign conspiracy. These are two different narratives. Both sides convince their supporters that they are telling the truth. This shapes the mindset of their supporters. And they believe their narratives to be true without applying their minds. So this makes them stick to their point of view in a way that they believe their views only to be true and every other point of view false. This has been going on in Pakistan since its inception. The fact that no Prime Minister has ever completed his term and the first democratic government completed its term only in 2013, tells about the Government-Opposition relationship in the country. It doesn’t matter if we live in a “Naya Pakistan ‘’ or “Purana Pakistan”, Pakistan will progress only if the government and Opposition relationship is developing and encouraging. The party that forms the government should take into confidence the losing parties and work jointly. While the losing parties should do their job of criticising, evaluating and acting as a check on the government policies and work with the government for the betterment of the country. The government should also accept the opposition’s role instead of just grinding it. The opposition should act as a check on the government policies rather than just criticising and blaming the government. And, this can not happen unless every political party has confidence in the electoral process. Unless every political party accepts the public decision. Unless the losing parties accept their defeat wholeheartedly. And, this does not seem to happen in the near future as the political parties do not seem to be interested in solving this crisis. every government tries to introduce electoral reforms. But, the opposition does not approve of those reforms. This has been going on for years. For example, the PTI government introduced electoral reforms but the opposition rejected them. Now, PDM is in power with the purpose of electoral reforms but it will be a useless exercise as the opposition’s benches are empty now. The government and opposition, in their accusations and blame game, reach a stage where the values (tolerance, acceptance, integrity) that are the essence of a democratic country have no worth for them. And, this shapes the conduct and behaviours of their supporters who cross every limit to support them. The writer is a freelance columnist

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06-07 Comments - 21st April 2022_Layout 1 4/20/2022 11:41 PM Page 2

Thursday, 21 April, 2022

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

After Imran AFTer much brinkmanship and inordinate delaying tactics by Imran Khan, the constitutional democratic norms prevailed. Imran Khan left in his helicopter without a word to his supporters gathered outside the parliament house. People took a sigh of relief in Purana (old) Pakistan. The road ahead is full of economic challenges for the new PM. hopefully, the new government would not focus its energies on the blame game, as is tradition where every upcoming government blames its predecessors for creating a mess. Imran Khan was excessive in holding responsible past governments of PML-N and PPP for looting, plundering and stashing the looted money in foreign safe heavens. In that mission, he forgot that he was voted in to recover the looted money and restored the economy. But as the leader of Naya Pakistan is now history, the upcoming PM should not repeat the mistakes and blunders Mr Khan made. It is also hoped that after recovering from the shock of defeat, Imran Khan would play the role of a mature opposition leader and would desist from creating hindrance for the government of the day. he must shun his previous penchant for container politics. he must not forget that people only thronged his public meetings and sit-ins in past because he promised the moon to the people and he was untasted. Now neither he is expected to get unprecedented support from the public nor backing from powerful stakeholders. Similarly, other political parties including PPP, PML-N and JUI-F should maintain political maturity as has been shown by them throughout the troubled Imran era. GULSHER PANHWER JOHI

Paying tributes to Allama Iqbal

Benefits of Newspapers

Today is Allama Iqbal’s 84th death anniversary

MUHaMMaD ZaHiD riFat

r Muhammad Iqbal was a great thinker and poet who had presented the concept for creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent, which came to be known as Pakistan. The ever-grateful nation continues to pay glowing tributes to him for his memorable contributions towards awakening of the Muslims and creation of Pakistan, generally round the year but particularly on his birth anniversary which is celebrated on November 9 and death anniversary, marked on April 21 every year. The birth anniversary of the great thinker and poet is celebrated officially on November 9 and the death anniversary on April 21 every year, though privately a number of functions and symposiums are also duly organized by various socio-cultural organizations at which scholars and Iqbaliyat experts as well as people from different walks of life pay rich tributes to the great philosopher. On such occasions, different aspects of the life, teachings and poetry in Urdu and Persian of the great philosopher and poet are highlighted. But, somehow, one aspect has not been so highlighted on all these occasions by the speakers that Dr Muhammad Iqbal was also an elected member of the Punjab Legislative Council from 1927 to 1930 from Lahore City Urban on a seat for Muhammadans on a ticket of the All-India Muslim League. In those days, Muslims were described as Muhammadan and others as non-Muhammadan. Allama Iqbal was elected as President in the annual meeting of the All-India Muslim League in Allahabad which continued for two days. It was here that he had presented his concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent. he had also attended Second and Third round Table Conferences. Briefly, for the information particularly for the younger generation now, it is well-known that Allama Muhammad Iqbal hailed from a Kashmiri family. In 1861, Allama’s grandfather Sheikh Muhammad rafiq bought a house in Kashmiri Mohallah of Sialkot which is now known as Iqbal Manzil. Allama Iqbal was born in this house on 9 November 1877.

Allama Iqbal was fond of poetry from his childhood days and was introduced to the people in 1901 when Sir Abdul Qadir published his poem Himala in his literary journal Makhzan. Allama Iqbal had lived at several places in Lahore for varying periods, including the upper story of a bookshop of Attar Chand Kapoor Booksellers in Anarkali, in a house on Mcleod road. he had also lived somewhere inside Bhati Gate though the exact location has not yet been identified. The construction of Javed Manzil on Mayo road (which runs from Lahore railway Station to Garhi Shahu) then took place. It has since been turned into Iqbal Museum, housing the personal belongings of the great thinker and poet. It itself makes an interesting story which may not be known to many. While residing on Mcleod road, Allama Iqbal had in 1934 bought a piece of land measuring about seven kanals in open auction at Mauza Garhi Shahu in the name of his younger son Javid Iqbal. When the construction of the house was completed at a total cost of rs 43,025, he had shifted there from Mcleod road. Javed Iqbal was the owner of the house and Allama Iqbal lived there on rent. Allama Iqbal had got written a document on stamp paper in May 1935 according to which he had rented three front rooms for rs 50 per month and the amount was paid regularly to his son/landlord Javed Iqbal and receipt of the same duly acquired. Within four days of shifting to the newlyconstructed house, Allama Iqbal suffered a great personal loss when his wife and the mother of Javed Iqbal, Sardar Begum, expired on May 24, 1935. Allama Iqbal lived at Javed Manzil till his death on 21 April 1938, nine years before his concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims was translated into reality under the inspiring leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Pakistan had come into existence on 14 August 1947. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah along with his illustrious sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah had visited Allama Iqbal at Javed Manzil in 1936. hindu leader Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was also a great admirer of Allama Iqbal and had visited him at the Javed Manzil. Transformation of Javed Manzil, the last abode of Allama Iqbal, into Iqbal Museum is also story of great interest and will be narrated some other time in bit detail. In brief here, on the asking of military ruler, President/Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Ziaul haq, Dr Javed Iqbal had sold Javed Manzil along with all personal documents, be-

longings and articles of personal use to the Federal Government for rs 3.5 million and it was turned into Iqbal Museum in December 1977. Dr Javid Iqbal had purchased a bungalow of his choice, as per direction of the President/COAS to the Punjab Government, on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where he had lived till his death a couple of years back with his wife, Justice (retd) Nasira Javid Iqbal. Dr Javid Iqbal’s bungalow in Gulberg is also a place of great interest for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat, as in one of its room there is a big mural which is the great art work of prominent Pakistani artist Jimmy engineer who had translated Allama Iqbal’s collection of Persian poetry “Javid Namah” into colours on the asking of Dr Javid Iqbal in 1980/81. It was the desire of Allama Iqbal expressed in one of his letters to his son Javid that Javid Namah be translated into a mural by any artist. The great thinker and poet had stated that in the first instance, no artist can do so but if any artist dares and accomplishes this challenging task, he will attain immense fame and reputation both nationally and internationally. Pakistan’s most prominent artist Jimmy engineer had undertaken this challenging task and accomplished it successfully in one year while staying at the bungalow of Dr Javid Iqbal all the time during 1980/81. he was criticized on accomplishing this task but he had brushed aside such criticism by merely saying “I have done what others could not do with the blessings of Almighty Allah and I am genuinely proud of my artistic feat”. Jimmy engineer continues to regard the Javid Namah mural and series of Pakistan Movement paintings as his major artistic achievements which have given him immense fame and reputation in Pakistan as well as around the world internationally. On display in the Iqbal Museum are Allama Iqbal’s original degrees, about 60 books including holy Quran, and english and Urdu books which had remained under his study, letters written and received, furniture, dresses, utensils as well letters and his own handwritten manuscripts and so on. There is lot to see for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat at the Iqbal Museum and also at the bungalow of late Dr Javid Iqbal on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where Jimmy engineer’s mural of Javid Namah may be of some interest for many.

There is lot to see for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat at the Iqbal Museum and also at the bungalow of late Dr Javid Iqbal on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where Jimmy Engineer’s mural of Javid Namah may be of some interest for many

The writer can zahidriffat@gmail.com

reached

The newspaper is one of the most read and lovable written papers. It is a factor of knowledge that is full of national and international information and news. It makes us aware of current affairs and also builds the passion for learning in our hearts. It leads to a habit of reading books as well as helping us to become great writers. Most importantly, it also improves the vocabulary and grammar of a person. You can learn new words and rectify your grammar by reading newspapers. In addition, a person who reads newspapers can speak smartly on various topics. They simply socialize better as they are aware of common topics. Unfortunately, while having so many benefits still our youth are busy using mobile phones, scrolling on social media instead of reading newspapers. Maybe they aren’t aware of the benefits of reading newspapers. They must aware of the fact that if we have a newspaper in hand then we won’t need any company because it is one of the most beneficial habits. We should read newspapers on a daily bases to gain numerous benefits. ADIL WAHID KARACHI

Animals too have rights everY living being, be a human or an animal, has the right to live but unfortunately, in most territories of Pakistan, birds are being hounded and hunted brutally. Although the government of Pakistan restricts hunting, still there are many cruel hunters who neither think about God’s command nor the administration’s ban. It is disastrous and miserable that a large number of birds are being hunted mostly in agricultural places of Pakistan. Many notifications have been issued against bird hunting but all in vain. The wildlife administrators and other concerned authorities have also failed to take action on this barbarity against innocent birds. It is high time to realize that birds are also living beings who have the right to live their lives. Accountability must be taken against these inhuman actions as strictly as possible and the hunters should be punished so that no one again dares to do so again. PARVEZ MOULA BAKHSH KARACHI

Soaring Prices in Lahore FOLLOWING the political unrest in the country, markets in Lahore are facing unprecedented price hikes. In many markets, the prices are higher than the approved rate list. It seems that many daily needs of the public have been hoarded. Shopkeepers are not ready to accept any argument from the customers to sell the things on the approved rate list as they claim to have purchased commodities at a high cost themselves. The buying capacity of an ordinary person is shrinking day by day. I request the authorities take action against this situation and bring the prices back to a reasonable level. FURQAN ABDULLAH SAQIB LAHORE

Track and trace The implementation of the “Track & Trace” (T&T) System is a commendable effort by the Federal Board of revenue (FBr) after 15 years of struggle. Through T&T, the collection of sales tax increased by 33% only from the sugar industry. The FBr hinted that in the next few months, along with the entire tobacco industry, other important industries like fertilizer, petroleum, and cement will also be brought under digital surveillance of the track and trace systems. According to the Ipsos report, the illicit trade from 5 major industries (tea, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, real estate and tyres) has reached rs 310 billion. The fiscal stamps mechanism of the T&T system could be a game-changer. however, without a uniform and effective implementation of the track and trace system across the industries, the desired results for the track and trace system cannot be achieved. ABU BAKAR KAREEM LAHORE

08 WORLD VIEW 21st April 22_Layout 1 4/20/2022 9:20 PM Page 1

Thursday, 21 April, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

WashIngTon WeIghs up droppIng IrgC from TerrorIsT lIsT

arab neWs Kerry boyD anDerSon

AlKS to revive the nuclear deal with Iran recently hit the one-year mark. Reports suggest that the parties are close to an agreement — a key time when breakthroughs can happen but also when talks can fall apart. At this critical moment, Iran demanded that Washington remove the Islamic Revolutionary guard Corps from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list. The demand has prompted debate within the Washington foreign policy community. Former US President Donald Trump designated the IRgC as an FTO in 2019, the first time that a state-run entity had been added to a list that was designed for nonstate actors. Now, that designation is a potential point of leverage and a potential stumbling block in returning to the deal that Trump tried to sink. The debate in Washington over removing the IRgC from the FTO list largely breaks down along the lines of supporters and opponents of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. JCPOA supporters see a deal as crucial to constraining Iran’s nuclear program, and many believe that the FTO list is not worth risking a nuclear-armed Iran.

REMOVING THE IRGC FROM THE LIST COULD DAMAGE US RELATIONS WITH PARTNERS IN THE REGION, PRIMARILY ISRAEL AND THE GULF STATES JCPOA opponents do not believe that saving the deal is worth removing the IRgC from the FTO list. Partisanship also informs the debate; however, among knowledgeable experts, the debate cuts across some partisan lines with more nuanced discussion. Many JCPOA supporters — primarily Democrats and centrists — argue that Biden should seriously consider removing the IRgC from the FTO list to reach a deal. Their starting point is that the JCPOA is a valuable agreement that is worth some compromises. Their second main point is that the FTO designation for the IRgC has limited or no practical value. They note that the IRgC’s malign actions have increased since 2019, suggesting that designating it as an FTO did nothing to change its behavior. They see the FTO as primarily or entirely symbolic. Furthermore, the FTO already has a political history that undermines its role as a credible list of terrorist organizations. A key part of the argument in favor of delisting the IRgC revolves around the fact that the US has many other sanctions against the IRgC. Understanding US sanctions law requires specific expertise, and commentators on both sides of the FTO issue often mis-

understand or oversimplify sanctions. however, sanctions experts on both sides of the debate note that the IRgC is listed under multiple other US sanctions and that the FTO designation did very little to materially constrain or punish it. Foreign policy commentators who oppose removing the IRgC from the FTO include centrists, Republicans and former Trump administration officials; most, but not all, also oppose the JCPOA. Some of their arguments will have little influence with the Biden administration. Those who oppose the JCPOA tend to oppose any compromise with Iran. Some opponents have expressed concern that removing the IRgC from the FTO would reduce sanctions pressure but have little evidence for this. This group of commentators have spilled much ink in cataloging the evidence that the IRgC engages in terrorism, but the other side does not dispute this. Some opponents to delisting the IRgC make more persuasive points that might have influence with the Biden team. While the FTO designation has little material impact on the IRgC, that does not mean that its symbolic value is worthless. If removing the

The reason intelligence agencies keep getting it wrong

WashingTon PosT GerShom GorenberG

NTellIgeNCe agencies have a poor record of crucial predictions lately, at least of those that have become public knowledge. Until the last minute, the grimmest forecasts of U.S. intelligence agencies last summer said Afghanistan’s government could hold out against the Taliban for three to six months after American forces left. No one expected near-instant collapse. Then, in mid-February this year, “U.S. officials” — in the usual anonymous style — expected Russia to take Kyiv in several days and all of Ukraine in about a week. Russia’s own strategy assumed no resistance, believing Ukrainians would greet the invaders with flowers as liberators. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, figured in U.S. expectations as someone to evacuate from Kyiv. Zelensky himself labeled the threat of invasion as mere “psychological pressure,” which fit the Ukrainian intelligence assessment that Russia was bluffing and wouldn’t attack. Why so many mistakes? history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does echo. The echoes of intelligence history teach that the field’s core mistake is too much confidence in predicting how people — individuals and whole nations — will act. To be fair, the U.S. assessment that Russia was preparing to invade turned out to be entirely correct. This, it appears, depended on what intelligence can achieve, especially by technological means — uncovering orders, supplies, troop movements and more. A century ago, armies began radioing vast amounts of enciphered information. That created the opportunity to intercept and decipher an enemy’s communications — as Britain did with its success against germany’s enigma cipher during World War II. After that came satellites, staring down at the movement of forces. Add a reported network of human sources, and U.S. agencies had a highresolution picture of what Russia was doing. Ukrainian agencies presumably received much more of this picture than the public did — but still misread Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s intentions. In part, that’s because they knew how divided Ukraine was internally. Zelensky’s approval rating was 21 percent. Putin could have destabilized Ukraine without invading, a senior intelligence official there told Israeli correspondent Anshel Pfeffer. logic said Putin had no need for war. It’s dangerously easy to assume the enemy shares your

logic. In early April 1940, British military intelligence had multiple signs that germany would invade Norway — and ignored them because, logically, germany would target Norway and Sweden together, and too few german divisions were available to conquer both countries. On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, with deciphered messages showing that Japan was about to attack the United States, Army Chief of Staff george Marshall gave priority to warning Manila because, logically, that’s where Japan was likely to strike. his choice contributed to a fateful delay in warning commanders at Pearl harbor. In early October 1973, Israeli intelligence ignored all evidence of egypt preparing to attack because, logically, it would not do so until it had the weapons it needed to retake all of Sinai. egyptian President Anwar Sadat followed different logic. As for Zelensky, no one foresaw that he would mobilize the Ukrainian language and send it into battle, to borrow what journalist edward R. Murrow said of Winston Churchill. But then, U.S. assessments hardly predicted that Churchill would become the wartime leader we remember. A U.S. diplomat reported in early 1940 that when he met Churchill, the latter was “drinking whisky and soda.” The diplomat added that “it was quite obvious that [Churchill] had consumed a good many whiskies before I arrived.” Other U.S. diplomats described Churchill as “old and tired” and a “has-been.” It is remarkably difficult to predict how a person will respond to crisis, to know who will evade responsibility and who will powerfully rise to it. Judging the mood of a whole nation, as well as forecasting how it will behave in a cataclysm, is harder yet. The British National Archives holds thick folders of diplomatic messages from dozens of countries during World War II, all intercepted by British intelligence. Some of the cables contain reports on a country’s state of mind, based on diplomats’ conversations with officials, businesspeople or anonymous sources. Reading through them, I occasionally found one that lit up with seeming prescience, given what happened in the months after. Yet so many were wrong. Perhaps the ones that turned out right were no more prescient than a bet on the winning number at the roulette table. Zelensky’s superb political theater surely stiffened Ukrainians’ resolve. But more was at work. The decision of some random 40-year-old citizen to volunteer for the territorial defense force and potentially face combat with minimal training could also be the result of a conversation with a neighbor, who was in turn influenced by her brother-in-law. After the fact, historians will explain why a particular emotion swept through a population. But it’s not obvious beforehand. “The heart is deceitful above all things,” the prophet Jeremiah forewarned all who would try to prophesy after him. Satellites can photograph supply lines; code breakers can decrypt secret orders. Neither can read what a person will do in extreme duress; a person doesn’t know herself till the moment comes. The greatest mistake in the intelligence assessments of recent months was not the misreading of leaders or nations. It was the hubris of, yet again, putting too much trust in those assessments. Gershom Gorenberg is an Israeli historian and journalist.

IRgC from the FTO list is important to Iran, then it must have meaning. It is reasonable to argue that the IRgC’s behavior should merit removal before taking it off the list. Removing the IRgC from the list could damage US relations with partners in the region, primarily Israel and the gulf states, especially after the Biden administration removed the houthis from the list in 2021. Furthermore, Iran has insisted that negotiations focus only on nuclear issues, but its FTO request implies a broader scope. While Biden has not publicly taken a clear position, statements from US officials provide clues. State Department spokesman Ned Price suggested on April 18 that, if Iran wanted to expand the scope of negotiations beyond nuclear issues, then Washington would expect Iran to address US concerns “that go beyond the JCPOA.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley recently said that the IRgC’s Quds Force should not be delisted. A State Department spokesperson said that the president agrees that the Quds Force is a terrorist organization, according to Al-Monitor. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 6 that he was “not overly optimistic” about reaching

a deal. Biden wants a revived JCPOA, but, if he removed the IRgC from the FTO, Republicans would accuse him of giving in to Iran and terrorists. Fortunately, Washington has options. Several experts have suggested ways to use Iran’s demand as leverage in negotiations. There are reports that the Biden team might remove the IRgC from the FTO list while specifically designating the Quds Force as an FTO, though Iran reportedly has rejected the idea. Other reports suggest that Washington might offer to delist the IRgC in exchange for a public pledge from Tehran to de-escalate regional tensions and halt attacks on Americans. Washington Post writer Jason Rezaian, who was held hostage in Iran, also proposed steps to specifically sanction IRgC officials who have engaged in human rights violations and to demand that Tehran make payments granted by US courts to victims of Iranian hostage-taking and acts of terrorism. While the FTO list has little material impact on the IRgC, it has symbolic value. Washington should not concede this point without gaining something from Iran in return. The Biden team wants to revive the JCPOA, but there are limits on what it will concede. Kerry Boyd Anderson is a writer and political risk consultant with more than 18 years of experience as a professional analyst of international security issues and Middle East political and business risk.

The threat to Indian state Tribune Shyam Saran

he events of the past few weeks fill one with a sense of foreboding. The diversity of our country has been its defining characteristic through the ages. It is threatened with a stifling uniformity. The embrace of diversity can be, and has been, a cause for celebration. We are a people who speak different languages, profess different faiths or no faith at all and share an incredible range of cultural traditions, musical and dance forms and literary and artistic sensibilities. Our cuisines offer a breathtaking range of flavours and our textile traditions and regional costumes are a designer’s delight. Indian culture is rich and vibrant because for us culture is for sharing not just for showing. India’s diversity demands a political dispensation which accommodates and nurtures this unique source of strength and vibrancy. The Constitution reflects this age-old wisdom. The assumption that a religious fault-line can enable other fault-lines in Indian society to be transcended in a larger hindu unity is deeply flawed. Diversity acknowledges difference. Difference can lead to positive interaction, each actor confident of her own identity but eager to explore other identities. Difference can also lead to a sense of threat, an assertion of separate and narrow identities, an anxiety about being absorbed in a more amorphous collectivity. These differences then become fault-lines in society. These could be fault-lines involving religion, language, even modes of dressing and food habits as we have been witnessing in recent years. What should be a source of strength instead spawns deepening divisions. The assumption that creating a religious fault-line between hindus and Muslims can somehow enable other fault-lines in Indian society to be transcended in a larger hindu unity is deeply flawed. No overarching hindu unity can be built on the basis of a hindu-Muslim binary. As soon as one fault-line is excavated, others will erupt. We are already witnessing the reassertion of regional identities. The next delimitation exercise, redrawing electoral constituencies, may well deepen the North-South divide. The larger population increase in the northern, mainly hindispeaking states, may lead to an even more skewed representation in Parliament. Would the southern states be willing to accept a diminished representation as reward for their greater success in delivering relatively higher growth and lower population increase over the past several years? This is a simmering danger that not much attention has been paid to. There are other fault-lines which may surface with unexpected virulence. It is becoming apparent that a set of social norms and taboos, specific to the hindi-speaking heartland, are sought to be imposed across different communities and regions. There is rising intolerance of beliefs and practices which do not conform to the norms of an imagined hindu society. It has always been accepted that some devout hindus would be vegetarian during Navratri, and also avoid certain kinds of grain and vegetables such as onions and garlic. It has never been expected that the rest of the country’s population must adhere to these

food prohibitions. But that is what we have witnessed recently. One could enjoy Navratri dishes as a matter of choice for their unique flavours without thinking about their religious associations. Now, it has become an identity marker. It is the same with Iftaar parties during Ramzan. People of all communities would join Muslim friends and colleagues to enjoy a vast array of special dishes. Now, these, too, have become an identity marker. The sense of sharing, of celebrating together, is diminishing. Throughout the year, there are many religious festivals to be celebrated. What used to be family celebrations or small community affairs have now become politically charged sectarian events. There is something perverse about raising Jai Shri Ram slogans while intruding into mosques or planting saffron flags on masjid minarets. To associate the holy name of Shri Ram with such deeply offensive behaviour cannot be the public image of hinduism. Does this ancient faith, which has survived for centuries, need an enemy ‘other’ to survive and flourish? There are over 200 million Muslims in our country and are spread across its length and breadth. Is it possible to reduce them to the status of second-class citizens and still survive as a democratic country with citizens enjoying equal rights? Would repeated acts of discrimination and violence perpetrated against them invite no reaction? If even a small fraction of the 200 million become radicalised and take to retaliatory violence, would the Indian State be able to handle the security challenge? Would more democratic freedoms have to be sacrificed to enable the State to keep us safe? There could be external ramifications, particularly among Islamic countries. Would Indian foreign policy be able to manage the fallout? The framers of the Constitution were conscious of the fault-lines in India’s diverse society which could be easily ignited and overwhelm the State. There had to be a strong commitment to national unity but this unity was sought to be achieved not through the suppression of diversity, but through transcending it in a larger concept of common citizenship. Indians could retain and even celebrate their multiple identities but as equal citizens enjoying individual-based fundamental rights. The enjoyment of these rights was not linked to membership of a particular community. The only exception allowed was for Scheduled Castes and Tribes taking into account the social infirmities that they had suffered through history and therefore needed a special but temporary dispensation. Any citizen may voluntarily follow her community’s norms but the community cannot have a veto over the exercise of her rights as an individual, guaranteed in the Constitution. This is a basic character of the Constitution which is being undermined as each community claims a veto over actions of other communities. Any community whose ‘sentiments have been hurt’ claims an entitlement to attack others, sometimes with indiscriminate violence without the state intervening. These disturbing trends, if left unchecked, could irretrievably fracture Indian society. Not just Indian democracy but the future of a united India itself would be in danger. Shyam Saran is a Former Foreign Secretary and Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | kArAchI

NewS corporate corner railway material thief nabbed by female police officer

Discounts for stuDents on orange train will minimize pollution: officials

UNJAB government officials have suggested reducing metro train fares for students in Lahore to reduce the carbon footprint in the city. For this, the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA) has prepared a summary that will be presented to the new cabinet of the Punjab government, when it is appointed. As per the summary, seen by Geo.tv, students, of both private and public educational institutes, will be allowed to get special passes made to travel on the Orange Line Metro Train. The passes will ensure that the students get a discounted fare. Students in Lahore already get a 50% discount on their bus fares. Offi-

LAHORE: A woman police officer of Railways police (W) Mughalpura division has arrested an alleged employee of Pakistan Railways Carriage shops Mughalpura on charges of theft. Female duty officer, Sub-inspector Mafia Yasmeen along with other fellow police officers and special branch intercepted a railway employee of S.S Tank repair shop, Carriage and Wagon Shops. The accused was bodily searched by Police constable, on search, precious pure Copper wire belonging to railways weighing 15kg approx. was recovered from him. The accused also admitted to have committed the theft. The case under section 380PPC on complaint of lady Subinspector has been registered against the employee at RPS workshop Mughalpura. It is pertinent to mention here that this bold and responsible act by lady SI is a testament and good example to be followed by other female police officers, as it also proves that they are not behind their male counterparts in active participation of crime control and prevention. pr

the utility stores corporation has sharply reduced the rates of sugar and flour on the orders of the prime minister. spokesman

cials hope to extend the same facility to those travelling on the metro train. “If the summary is approved then it would reduce the use of cars and motorbikes by students on the roads of Lahore,” Uzair Shah, the general manager (operations) for PMA, told, “This will prove to be very environmentally friendly for the city.” His department estimates that if students begin using the metro train more often then it could reduce annual fuel emissions in Lahore by 30,000 tonnes. In the winters, Lahore chokes on a thick blanket of smog due to emissions from vehicles. Last year, it was ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world. staff report

Ibrahim Murad stresses on Creativity, Innovation for Development of Pakistan laHORE pr

Creativity and innovation play a major role in the country's progress and development, University of Management and Technology (UMT) President Ibrahim Hasan Murad has said. Addressing a gathering in connection with the International Day of Creativity and Innovation, held on April 21, Mr. Murad said that this day is celebrated each year to make people aware of the role of creativity and innovation in the country’s development. He said this day was meant for producing new ideas, offering innovative solutions, arranging new activities and achieving creative outcomes so that the world could enjoy peace and prosperity.

He also added that creativity and culture were major components of sustainable development and the mark of identity of a country or a community. “Some of the most daunting problems like poverty, hunger, water crisis and unemployment can be solved by employing creativity and innovation,” he added. Mr. Murad encouraged the youth to practice new ideas, make new resolutions and move towards making the world a better place through creative thinking and innovation. “Our youth need to focus on innovation to achieve economic growth and get empowered. At UMT, we encourage and enable participants to practice creativity and come up with innovative ideas and solutions for a sustainable world,” he concluded.

PNS Shamsheer visits Bahrain as part of flag showing mission islamabad pr

ISLAMABAD: The price of sugar has been reduced by Rs 15 per kg while a special reduction of Rs 75 per 10 kg bag of flour has been made. Sugar will now be available at Rs 70 per kg at all utility stores across the country, while a 10 kg bag of flour will be available at Rs 400 and a 20 kg bag at Rs 800. The prices of other subsidized items have not changed. All consumers are requested to bring a copy of their ID card and avail of the federal government's Ramadan Relief Package. pr

Pakistan Navy Ship SHAMSHEER visited Port Mina Salman, Bahrain during deployment on Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP). The ship is patrolling in assigned areas and contributing towards international efforts to ensure maritime security in the region. Upon arrival at Port, the ship was warmly received by Naval & Air Attaché of Pakistan and Senior National representative of Pakistan, at HQ NAVCENT, Bahrain. During the stay at port, the Commanding Officer PNS SHAMSHEER Called on Commander Royal Bahrain Naval Forces, Commander Coast Guard Bahrain and Commander Combined Maritime Forces. During the interactions, matters of mutual interest were discussed and further enhancements of bilateral ties in all spheres were reaffirmed. Commanding Officer of PN Ship con-

veyed well wishes of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi for the officers and men of Bahrain Naval Forces. During port visit, various professional ex-

IGP Balochistan gives final touches to foolproof security plan fo Youm-e-Ali QUETTa staff report

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Inspector General Police Balochistan, Mohsin Hassan Butt regarding security and other arrangements of Yum-e- Ali. DIG Headquarters Jawad Dogar, DIG CTD Jawad Qamar, DIG Quetta Syed Fida Hassan Shah, AIG Operations Rizwan Omar Gondal, AIG IT Abdul Hayee Baloch, SSP Operations Abdul Haq Umrani, SSP Traffic Sher Ali Hazara, SP Legal

Hameed Dasti and other officers were also present in the meeting. Addressing the meeting, the IG Police said that the police, administration, FC and other law enforcement agencies would be on duty for the security of Yume- Ali procession. At the level of police stations, instructions were given to improve the system of checking and security on the external and internal routes of the city. He said that in view of past incidents, besides tightening security, other important

steps would also be taken. The procession of Yum-e- Ali will be closely monitored through CCTV cameras installed through the control room and practical steps will also be taken. Additional police personnel will be deployed to deal with any untoward incident. All arrangements have been made by Balochistan Police in this regard. Roads and streets adjacent to the routes will be sealed to make the procession routes safer. Instructions have also been issued to the traffic police regarding diversions and free flow of traffic.

change and orientation visits were arranged between PNS SHAMSHEER and Bahrain Defence Forces. Pakistan Navy believes in promoting peace and stability in the region and is committed

to maritime security and order at sea. The visit by PNS SHAMSHEER is expected to further enhance existing diplomatic and defence ties between the two countries.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FORIGEN NEWS

ChINa expresses Deep CoNCerNs over IslaMophobIC vIoleNCe IN Israel, sweDeN IsLAMABAD

MiAn AbRAR

hina Wednesday said it was “deeply concerned” with the escalating violence and conflict between Israel and Palestine, especially the tensions in Jerusalem. During a regular briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mr Wang Wenbin said China opposes any unilateral attempt to alter the historical status quo of Jerusalem and hopes relevant parties can stay calm, exercise restraint and prevent the situation from getting out of control. “China holds that the Palestinian ques-

tion should not be marginalized, still less forgotten, and the injustice lasting for over half a century should not continue. China’s position on the Palestinian question is consistent and clear,” he said. “We have been playing a constructive role in its (Palestine) resolution. Last year, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward a three-point proposal for the implementation of the two-state solution,” he said. Wang Wenbin said China calls on the international community to direct more attention and input to the Palestinian question. “The international community, major countries in particular, should face up to the crux of the Palestinian question and

Indian court stays demolition of shops in Muslim-majority area of New Delhi

work on Palestine and Israel to resume peace talks at an early date, so as to realize peaceful coexistence. China will not cease its support for the just cause of the Palestinian people until the Palestinian question is resolved,” he added. Responding to another question about reports that far-right political party Stram Kurs (Hard Line) recently organized anti-Islam rallies in multiple places across Sweden and burned the Quran, which has triggered an outrage among the Muslim community, Wang Wenbin said China have noted the relevant reports. “China always opposes extreme behavior of attacking people with different religious beliefs and instigating conflicts between civilizations. Freedom of speech

Blinken calls on Israel, Palestine to ‘end the cycle of violence’ WAsHINgTON

AgENcIEs India’s Supreme Court stayed the demolition of small, illegal retail shops in the wake of communal violence in New Delhi, shortly after civil authorities began tearing down the structures under the protection of police and security forces in a Muslim majority locality of the Indian capital. The drive to demolish the properties in Delhi’s Muslim majority Jahangirpuri area came four days after violence there during a Hindu religious procession. A three-judge bench of the top court, headed by the Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, ordered that the status quo should be maintained in the case until the next hearing, slated for Thursday. The petitioner to the court said the municipal authorities had not alerted the local shopkeepers before the razing operation. The civil authority leading the demolition, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Local police and members of the paramilitary forces, all of whom report to the federal home ministry, were present on Wednesday in Jahangirpuri, a residential area about 25km (14 miles) from the Indian Parliament. Hundreds of officers in riot gear, backed with seven bulldozers, surrounded a few shops in a small Muslim pocket of the area. Some scrap dealers left the site in the morning ahead of the demolition. A senior police officer overseeing the demolition said adequate forces had to be deployed to ensure civic authorities could do their job peacefully.

should not be used as an excuse to incite racial or cultural discrimination and create division in society,” he said. “No civilization is superior to others. They are different only in feature and geographical distribution. We advocate replacing clash of civilizations with exchange of civilizations. We oppose discriminatory rhetoric against certain religion and civilization,” he asserted. “It is hoped that Sweden will draw a lesson from the matter and earnestly respect the religious beliefs of Muslims and other minority groups, protect their lawful rights and interests, and square their words of respecting and protecting freedom of religious belief with actions,” concluded the Chinese MoFA spokesman.

ReuteRs

S Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders Tuesday to “end the cycle of violence” after a sharp escalation in tensions last week when Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and detained hundreds. In separate calls with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Blinken stressed “the importance of Israelis and Palestinians working to end the cycle of violence in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza by exercising restraint and refraining from actions that escalate tensions,” the State Department said. He also urged both sides to exercise “restraint” and refrain “from actions that escalate tensions” including at the mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site, but known to Jews as the Temple Mount — Judaism’s holiest place — in Jerusalem’s Israeli-annexed Old City. In his call with Lapid, Blinken reiterated the US government’s “steadfast commitment” to Israel’s security and condemned recent rocket attacks from Gaza. In his call with Abbas, Blinken affirmed the US commitment to improving Palestinians’ quality of life. But with both leaders, Blinken urged for a two-state solution. The State Department announced Tuesday evening that Yael Lempert, assistant secretary for near eastern affairs, would travel to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt for talks aimed at “reducing tensions” in the region. Her trip will last from Tuesday until April

26. Israel carried out its first air strike on the Gaza Strip in months early Tuesday, in response to a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave after a weekend of violence around the Jerusalem holy site. The strikes come after weeks of mounting violence, with a total of 23 Palestinians and Arab-Israelis

killed, including assailants who targeted Israelis in four deadly attacks. The violence, coinciding with the Jewish Passover festival as well as the holy month of Ramadan, has sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s events, when similar circumstances sparked 11-day attacks in Palestine that levelled parts of Gaza.

Chin says sending more weapons Dung power: India taps new energy cash cow to Ukraine will not bring peace NEW DELHI

AgENcIEs China on Tuesday called on all countries to support diplomatic negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire, warning against sending more offensive weapons.

“Continuing to send more offensive weapons will not bring peace. It will only prolong and escalate the conflict, and further aggravate humanitarian catastrophe,” said Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council meeting on the humanitarian

issue of Ukraine. Zhang said diplomatic negotiations must be promoted with a greater sense of urgency, since the prospect of an extended and prolonged conflict is worrying. “Putting an early end to the conflict is the fundamental way to resolve the humanitarian crisis,” he said. “We call on Russia and Ukraine to adhere to the general direction of dialogue and negotiation, continuously narrow differences, and accumulate conditions for a ceasefire.” On the protection of civilians, Zhang said that every effort must be made to reduce the harm to civilians caused by the conflict. “China once again calls on all parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint, strictly abide by international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian facilities, and facilitate evacuation and humanitarian assistance operations,” said the envoy. “The parties concerned should strengthen communication on humanitarian issues, and conduct coordination and cooperation on issues such as opening humanitarian corridors and organizing the safe evacuation of personnel,” he added. China appreciates the fact that the neighboring countries of Ukraine have provided “safe havens and humanitarian assistance,” he said. Since February 24, 5 million people have fled Ukraine and another 7 million are displaced internally, according to the UN.

AFP

India is tapping a new energy source that promises to help clean up smog-choked cities and is already providing a vital revenue stream for poor Indian farmers: truckloads of bovine manure. Cows are venerated as sacred creatures by the country’s Hindu majority. They also have pride of place in India’s rural communities, where they are still regularly used as draught animals. Rural households have long burned sun-dried cattle droppings to heat stoves, a practice that continues despite government efforts to phase it out with subsidised gas cylinders. Villages on the outskirts of the central Indian city of Indore are now being handsomely rewarded for handing over their mounds of bovine waste in a pilot project to help meet the city’s power needs. “We have a very good quality dung, and we keep the dung clean to ensure it fetches the best price,” farmer Suresh Sisodia told AFP. The 46-year-old has sold nearly a dozen truckloads of fresh manure at the equivalent of $235 per shipment — more than the monthly income of the average Indian farming household. Sisodia’s farm has 50 head of cattle and, in the past, occasionally offset costs by selling manure for fertiliser. Now, he is hopeful for a more reliable revenue stream. ‘Dung money’ “The farmers pick it up once every six or 12 months and there are seasons when they don’t — but the plant could give us a steady income,” he said, adding that his farm generates enough manure to fill a truck every three weeks. His family are one of the many beneficiaries of “Gobardhan” — literally “dung money” in Hindi — since the inauguration of a nearby biomass plant by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February. Sisodia’s cattle droppings are carted to the plant, where they are mixed with household waste to produce flammable methane gas and an organic residue that can be used as fertiliser. Eventually, the plant is slated to work through 500 tonnes of waste, including at least 25 tonnes of bovine faeces, each day — enough to power the city’s public transit system, with plenty left over. “One half will run Indore buses and the other half will be sold to industrial clients,” plant boss Nitesh Kumar Tripathi told AFP. The Gobardhan pilot programme has faced its share of logistical hurdles, with decrepit rural roads making it hard for the plant’s dung-carrying trucks to reach farms. Farmers have also been sceptical of what appears to be a get-rich-quick scheme and required careful “assurances of quick and regular” payments before signing on, said Ankit Choudhary, who scouts villages for potential suppliers. The Indian government, however, has high hopes for the initiative, with Modi pledging waste-to-gas plants in 75 other locations since the Indore facility began operations. Cultivating alternative energy sources is an urgent priority in India, which burns coal to meet nearly three-quarters of the energy needs of its 1.4 billion citizens. Its cities regularly rank among the most smog-choked urban centres in the world as a result. Air pollution is blamed for more than a million deaths in India annually, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022 | KARACHI

PCB aNNouNCeS SCHedule foR PaKIStaN-NetHeRlaNdS odIS

NEws DEsk

he Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the schedule for the national team’s tour of the Netherlands. According to the schedule, the Pakistan team will play three ODIs against the Netherlands in Rotterdam on August 16, 18 and 21. The matches will be the part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. The three ODIs were earlier planned in July, 2020, but had to be postponed following the Covid19 outbreak. PCB Director International Zakir Khan said: “We are pleased that with the support of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (KNCB), we have been able to reschedule the series, which is important to the growth and development of cricket in Netherlands as well as to the two teams’ chances of progressing directly to the 2023 World Cup. “Our men’s national cricket team had an excellent 2021-22 season and I am confident they will build on the momentum to entertain expat Pakistanis and the Dutch spectators with good cricket. This series will also help KNCB attract new and young audiences towards the game.”

‘Sooner the better’ – PSG hope to wrap up title AgENcIEs Mauricio Pochettino is hoping Paris Saint-Germain can clinch the Ligue 1 title on Wednesday despite being without the injured Lionel Messi, as the Argentine coach batted away questions about his future in the French capital beyond this season. PSG are 15 points clear of Marseille with six games left in the season after beating their rivals 2-1 on Sunday. That means they could be crowned champions on Wednesday, provided Marseille fail to beat Nantes and PSG better their nearest challenger’s result when they travel to Angers. If Marseille do not slip up, PSG will have another chance to secure their eighth title in 10 seasons – and a record-equalling 10th French crown overall – when they play host to Lens on Saturday. “The sooner the better,” Pochettino said when asked

if he would prefer to win the league away from home or in front of the PSG fans at the Parc des Princes, where supporters angry with club management and at the manner of their Champions League exit have decided to stay silent during remaining games this season. “For me it would be an immense source of joy to be involved in winning the club’s 10th league title. “That should be a great source of motivation for everyone but we still need to go out and win it as soon as possible.” Despite their strong position in the league, the end of the season is proving to be something of an anticlimax for PSG after they started the campaign by signing Messi and targeting Champions League glory. Having also exited the French Cup early, the Champions League collapse against Real Madrid in the last 16 in March left the Qatar-owned club with the sole remaining aim of reclaiming the domestic title they lost to Lille last season.

Russian players to be barred from competing at Wimbledon: report

Messi has contributed just three Ligue 1 goals and will play no part against Angers because of an inflamed Achilles tendon, PSG said. Meanwhile Neymar, who has belatedly come to life this season and has scored six times in the last three matches, will also be absent due to suspension. “For a long time I have said that winning the Champions League is a fundamental objective for PSG so it will always be a big disappointment for the club if we don’t win it,” admitted Pochettino. His own future remains up in the air, with speculation linking him to Manchester United dying down now that Erik ten Hag is the favourite for the Old Trafford job. Pochettino added: “I have a year left on my contract and so it is not a matter of wanting to continue or not, it is a contractual matter.” “Obviously there are always expectations. Any coaching staff wants to do better than last season and we still have that desire to improve.”

PCB abandons drop-in pitches plan

LONDON ReuteRs

Russian players will not be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a report in sports industry news site Sportico on Tuesday. Earlier this month, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which organises the grasscourt Grand Slam, said it was in talks with the British government on the participation of players from Russia and Belarus. The organisers said it planned to announce a decision in mid-May ahead of the entry deadline for the June 27-July 10 tournament. The AELTC did not immediately respond to request for comment on the report. A ban on Russian players would prevent world number two Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, ranked eighth, from competing in the men’s draw. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is 15th in the women’s rankings. The report said it was unclear whether players from Belarus would also be banned. Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a “special operation”. Tennis governing bodies banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion. Individual players are allowed to compete on tours but not under the name or flag of their countries. British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said last month that he would not be comfortable with a “Russian athlete flying the Russian flag” and winning Wimbledon in London.

NEws DEsk The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has abandoned the plan of installing drop-in pitches and issued notifications to improve and enhance the existing pitches, according to media reports. The ground staff and curators have begun implementing the instructions issued by PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja.

“Preparation of GSL and NSK for another big season has started. Separately and as part of PCB’s efforts to create the best possible facilities for Pakistan future stars, up-gradation of pitches in the first phase at select grounds that entertain maximum grassroots cricket is near completion,” the PCB said in a statement. The report said that Bermuda Dhaka Grass will be used to improve the pitches in Karachi and Lahore stadiums. This will not only improve the condition of the pitches but also offer more movement to the pacers. To prepare the players for the conditions in Australia, hard and bouncy pitches will also be curated as these will further help when Pakistan will host England and New Zealand at home next year, it added. “This is what we call post-season. Here we rectify all the shortcomings and we also experiment with new grass and soil. The aim is to decompact the pitches and remove all the lifeless soil and organic matter from them, which brings about massive improvements,” said a pitch curator in a video posted by the PCB. A total of 13 pitches are expected to be renovated under this new initiative launched by the PCB.

SPORTS 11

‘Hospitable’ Pakistan is best among all the countries I’ve visited, says Rob Key NEws DEsk

Former England batter Rob Key has revealed that Pakistan is the best among all the countries he has visited. The 42-year-old was part of the commentary panel of the historic Pakistan-Australia series. He also emphasized that the perception in England regarding the country is not right. He has been looked after better than anywhere. “I was a bit nervous before when I came out here, I knew very little about Pakistan but i know it was two very good teams and a historic tour, it’s been a privilege to be part of it,” Key said in a video released by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). “I think in England we have this perception of Pakistan there’s nowhere near right actually, we have no idea how good it really is and it’s just been fantastic I think hospitality is second to none, all the countries I’ve been to this is the best by an absolute mile,” he added. Meanwhile, Key termed Australia captain Pat Cummins bowling to Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was the best moment of the series. “I think probably the moments I remember the most are when you had probably two of the best in the world going at it which only Test cricket can bring,” he said. “So especially in the second Test when Cummins was bowling at the top of his game against Babar Azam who was at the top of his game, they were the moments because Test cricket is about the journey, It is not always about the results and seeing those two go at it in last innings, that’s as good as it gets,” he maintained. He concluded by saying: “Pakistan is one of the great countries actually it is one of place you have to come and you have to see the food is better than anywhere else and there’s a very good golf course in Lahore.”

Shoulder injury rules Gloucestershire’s Naseem Shah out for a month NEws DEsk Fast bowler Naseem Shah has been ruled out of Gloucestershire’s remaining County Championship games in April and May after picking up an injury to his shoulder. The 19-year-old sustained the injury during the opening weekend of the season at Northants and will therefore be unavailable for selection for Glos until the start of the T20 Vitality Blast campaign. Following discussions between the medical teams of both Gloucestershire and the Pakistan Cricket Board, it has been decided that a period of workload management is in Naseem’s best interest to allow him to get back to full fitness as quickly and safely as possible. The reduction in first-team involvement for Shah, following a busy period of PSL and Test match appearances during the winter, prior to joining Gloucestershire, will allow him to undergo a sustained period of rest and recovery. Naseem will undergo this process of rehabilitation in Bristol with the Gloucestershire medical team and will return to first-team action in time for the T20 Vitality Blast campaign.

Man United ‘six years’ behind after Liverpool thrashing LIVERPOOL AFP

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said the Red Devils are “six years” behind Liverpool after being blown away in a 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Tuesday. Jurgen Klopp’s men won 5-0 at Old Trafford in October and expectations of a similar rout were well-founded as Liverpool exposed the massive gulf between the sides with Mohamed Salah scoring twice and Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane also on target. Liverpool move two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table, but still need the English champions to slip up in their remaining seven league games of the

season to win the title. Rangnick will step aside at the end of the season, with Ajax manager Erik ten Hag reportedly set to take over. And the German said the impact Klopp has made on transforming Liverpool’s fortunes is the example for United to follow. “It is embarrassing, it is disappointing, maybe even humiliating,” said Rangnick. “We have to accept they are six years ahead of us now. When Jurgen Klopp came they changed at the club and lifted not just the team but the club and city to a new level. “That is what needs to happen with us in the next transfer windows.” In contrast to the fine margins separating Liverpool and City, a 22-point gap now lies

between the league leaders and United in sixth with only Tottenham and Arsenal’s own failings keeping the Red Devils in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Rangnick’s attempt to plug the holes in the United defence was a recall for Phil Jones, making just his second Premier League appearance since January 2020, as part of a back five. But it took just five minutes for the visitors to be cut open. Mane’s through ball picked out Salah in acres of space and he found Diaz to apply a simple finish from close range. “They always try to give us the ball in a one-against-one situations, so it makes our

CMYK

life much easier,” said Salah. Support for Ronaldo: Two minutes later the fierce rivalry between English football’s two most successful clubs was set aside in a show of support for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar was missing for United after revealing on Monday that his newborn baby son had died. Supporters on all sides of Anfield stood for a minute’s applause, while the Liverpool fans sang their own anthem “You’ll never walk alone”. “That was my moment of the game,” said Klopp. “So many things are much more important in life than football, we feel for Cristiano and his family.” On the field, the one-way traffic continued with United barely able to get out of

their own half. A second Liverpool goal seemed inevitable and when it arrived, it was of the highest quality. Joel Matip fizzed the ball into Mane’s feet and the Senegalese lofted a first-time pass over the top for Salah. The Egyptian had not scored for Liverpool from open play since February, but showed no signs of a lack of confidence as he cushioned the ball into his path and slotted low past David de Gea. Half-time offered United some respite and they improved markedly after the break thanks to the introduction of Jadon Sancho. But Liverpool were still the lethal side in attack as Mane coolly steered home the third from Diaz’s cross to end any hope of a United revival.

Thursday, 21 April, 2022

pRayeR tiMings

NEWS

ArMED fOrCES SyMbOL Of uNiTy Of PAkiSTAN: iMrAN kHAN ISLAMABAD

Mian abRaR

ORMER prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Wednesday urged people of Pakistan to give utmost respect to the armed forces which, he said, was the institution to keep Pakistan intact. Addressing the party workers and supporters live on social media on Wednesday night, Imran Khan said that if the armed forces were weak, Pakistan could have been in tatters if the armed forces were not able to foil enemy conspiracies. Replying to a question regarding the role of state institutions in the upcoming elections, the deposed premier said that the entire institutions are not corrupt but some elements in them indulge in ‘bad practices’. “These are also humans [in institutions]… if one or two individuals do something wrong, the entire institution is not responsible,” he added. “If one person makes a mistake, this does not mean that the whole institution is at fault.” Talking about the chief election commissioner,

he said that all his judgements are “anti-PTI”. “The day [foreign funding] cases of all three parties are heard simultaneously, it will be clear that only PTI has a proper system of funding,” he added. Imran Khan said that if former prime minister Nawaz Sharif comes back and gets another ‘NRO’, he will not accept it and bring people out on streets. “It will discredit judicial system as no one would believe in it… everyone will say the wealthy can get away with anything in Pakistan,” he added. He said that in third world countries, they only catch small thieves and not the big ones but in the first world, there is no such thing. “You cannot imagine prime ministers making factories there… rule of law is the biggest issue in Pakistan,” he added. Imran Khan said that there are big mafias in Pakistan and his government was bringing them under the rule of law. To a question about dissenting PTI members, Imran Khan said that they thought when PTI would come into power, the government will make their businesses grow [in a wrongful way] but we did not. “That’s why we faced issues because we stopped them. If sugar prices suddenly increased by Rs26 per

kilogram then we tried to stop it … these people have exposed themselves,” he added. Earlier, PTI’s official social media team was instructed to make preparations for the party chairman’s address. The party leaders also held an important meeting of the political committee in which overall political situation was discussed. The participants were briefed on the preparations for the upcoming public rally to be held on April 21 at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. Special instructions were given to officials to reach the venue on time with their caravans. On the occasion, ex-PM Imran said the country had no choice but to give the people a chance for their future through transparent elections. “People protect the sovereignty and democracy of a country,” he said. “If change of government is accepted through conspiracy, no future head of government will dare to face external pressure.” Imran maintained that the whole nation is united and mobilised for its freedom and sovereignty. Sources said the PTI chief will announce a future strategy on the historic site of Minar-e-Pakistan.

Pakistan wants to further deepen bilateral cooperation with US: PM tells Ilhan Omar ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday told Muslim US Congresswoman Ilhan Abdullah Omar that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the United States and wanted to further deepen bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect, trust, and equality. The premier expressed these views during a call on by Ilhan Omar here at Prime Minister’s Office. Omar later also called President Arif Alvi during her maiden visit to Pakistan. The congresswoman is on a fourday visit to Pakistan — April 20-24 —

where apart from having meetings with the political leadership in Islamabad, she will visit Lahore and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to have a greater understanding of Pakistan’s cultural, social, political, and economic potential, the PM’s Office said. The prime minister warmly welcomed her on her first-ever visit to Pakistan and appreciated her courage of convictions and political struggle. The premier hoped that it would lead to deepening people-to-people ties and strengthen exchanges between the Parliament of Pakistan and the US Congress. The prime minister underscored that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the United States and

wanted to further deepen bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect, trust, and equality. He highlighted that constructive engagement between the two countries could help promote peace, security, and development in the region. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest including Pakistan-US bilateral relations as well as regional situations were discussed. Maintaining that the US was Pakistan’s largest trading partner, the prime minister emphasised the need to further enhance cooperation between the two countries, especially in the trade and investment fields. The prime minister lauded the efforts of the Pakistani diaspora in rein-

forcing the Pakistan-US ties and added that Islamabad deeply valued their contribution to national development and growth. The prime minister highlighted the serious human rights situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, enabling the region to realize its economic potential and promote social progress. The prime minister emphasised that a peaceful and stable South Asian region can focus on its growth and development. He added that concerted efforts, at the global level, were needed to deal with the scourge of Islamophobia.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:47

12:32

4:01

6:06

6:56

8:16

fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 4:04 am iftar: 6:35 Pm

islamabad sehr: 4:03 am iftar: 6:42 Pm

karachi sehr: 4:46 am iftar: 6:57 Pm

fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 3:14 am iftar: 6:45 Pm

islamabad sehr: 4:13 am iftar: 6:52 Pm

karachi sehr: 4:56 am iftar: 7:07 Pm

Ex-DCO acquitted in Model Town massacre case An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday acquitted former Lahore Division district coordination officer Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman in the Model Town massacre case. Fourteen people, including men and women, were killed and more than 100 injured during the anti-encroachment operation outside the Model Town residence of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on June 17, 2014. During the proceedings, the court observed that the plaintiff, PAT, could not establish allegation against Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman. The accused had moved an acquittal application before the court. Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar in his judgment stated that the role of the accused in the alleged conspiracy could not be established. The court concluded that there was no probability of the conviction of the accused in the case and acquitted him. Earlier, the court had indicted more than 120 persons in the case, including 116 police officials, on a private complaint filed by Idara Minhajul Quran for seeking their trial on the charges of killing its workers in the 2014 Model Town incident. The court had in 2017 partially admitted the complaint against 125 officials of the police and district government while rejecting it to the extent of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the then Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and 10 others, including federal and provincial ministers. The 12 political leaders against whom the ATC had rejected the complaint were Nawaz, Shehbaz, Hamza Shehbaz, the then Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique, ex-foreign minister Khawaja Asif, former information minister Pervaiz Rashid, ex-state minister Abid Sher Ali, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the then Personal Secretary to Chief Minister Syed Tauqir Shah, ex-home minister Azam Suleman and the then Lahore Commissioner Rashid Mahmood Langrial. news desk

Nawaz’s ECL case dropped by LHC, day after being fixed for hearing The Registrar Office of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday cancelled the cause list for a division bench that was supposed to take up a plea filed by Shehbaz Sharif in 2019 seeking the removal of Nawaz Sharif’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL) following a court order. news desk

Article 63-A: SC judge probes ‘is disloyalty to party not dishonesty?’ Supreme Court Justice Ijazul Ahsan questioned on Wednesday whether disloyalty to a political party by a parliamentarian was dishonesty and could lead to his disqualification. He raised the questions during the hearing of a presidential reference seeking the apex court’s interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution, which is related to disqualification of lawmakers over defection. A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, heard the reference. “Is disloyalty not dishonesty?” Justice Ahsan asked PPP counsel Farook H Naek who presented his arguments during the hearing today. He further asked whether a lawmaker could be disqualified over “dishonesty”. Naek replied that “disloyalty” was a strong word, adding that it was not mentioned in Article 63-A. At the start of the hearing today, Naek recalled that Article 58-2(b) — under which elected governments had been sent packing in the past — was abrogated in 1997 through the 13th Amendment but was brought back by military dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2002. The article was again removed through the 18th Amendment in 2018, he said. Article 63-A was made a part of the Constitution via the 14th Amendment, he said, adding that it gave broad powers to party heads. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did have not have the authority to reject the party head’s decision prior to a presidential order amending Article 63-A in 2002 that reduced the powers of party heads, the PPP counsel said. The 18th Amendment further reduced the powers of party heads and transferred them to the parliamentary leaders of the parties, he said, adding that after Article 63-A was amended, the authority to make the final decision was given to the SC. “According to the 18th Amendment, the authority to make a decision on a reference related to Article 63-A was given to the ECP.” news desk 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