Saturday, 20 November, 2021 I 14 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 142 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
SBP hikeS intereSt rate to 8.75Pc t
HE State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday decided to raise its policy rate by 150 basis points (bps) to 8.75 per cent. The central bank had earlier rescheduled its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting which was to be held on a later date in light of “recent unforeseen developments that have affected the outlook for inflation and the balance of payments.” “With risks rotating from growth to inflation and the current account faster than expected, there is now a need to proceed faster to normalise monetary policy to counter inflation and preserve stability with growth,” the statement said, adding that today’s rate increase is a material move in this direction. “Looking ahead, the MPC re-iterated that the end goal of mildly positive real interest rates remains unchanged, and given today’s move, expects to take measured steps to that end,” the statement added. It may be recalled that in its previous
Senate passes four bills amid opposition’s protest The upper house of parliament passed four bills on Friday, including the National Accountability Amendment Bill 2021, Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill 2021 amidst protests from the opposition benches. It is pertinent to note that the government managed in getting through a record number of 33 bills, including the controversial bill on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and I-voting for overseas Pakistanis, despite facing resistance from the opposition. According to sources, the Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021 and the Higher Education Commission (Second Amendment) Bill 2021 were also passed during today’s session, during which the joint opposition raised slogans against the PTI government. The opposition demanded that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani forward the media protection bill, aimed at protecting journalists and media professionals, to the respective standing committee for vetting. Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari presented the media protection bill while Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem pre-
sented the NAB bill through a supplementary agenda. Mazari pointed out that it took a year to draft the bill, saying voting to approve it should be conducted to avoid any further delay. It is pertinent to note that both the bills were approved by the majority, while a six-member group led by Senator Dilawar Khan also voted in the government’s favour. The opposition agitated over the proceedings, surrounded the speaker’s dais, chanted slogans and tore up copies of the agenda. The session was later prorogued. However, Mazari congratu-
lated media persons on the passage of the journalist protection bill. “Today, a two-year struggle to provide a comprehensive journalist and media professionals protection law, drafted in consultation with journalists’ bodies, was finally realised through parliament,” she said. The minister said that President Arif Alvi will now sign the bill into law, and also thanked journalists and media professionals for “their valuable inputs and support”. “The bill reflects these inputs,” she said, adding that it was drafted with consensus. News Desk
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Clause related to chemical castration of rapists removed from bill: Maleeka Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Maleeka Bokhari, flanked by Law Minister Farogh Nasim revealed on Friday at a presser in Islamabad that the CII had objected to the punishment of chemical castration for rapists by calling it “unIslamic”. Bokhari further revealed that following the opposition, a clause providing for “chemical castration” of habitual rapists had been removed from the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021, in the light of objections raised by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). She went on to add that the clause was later omitted from the bill before its passage in Wednesday’s joint session of parliament, noting that “Article 227 of the Constitution also guaran-
tees that all laws must be under the Shariah and the Holy Quran, hence we cannot pass any law that goes against these values.” The MNA stated that the previous Anti-Rape law had flaws that hampered the provision of justice to victims, hence a new law had been introduced to ensure swift dispensation of justice, while adding that an anti-rape crisis cell would be set up in every district hospital for rapid medical examination of cases. She further stated that the government had promised to protect people’s rights and “it did so by introducing necessary legislation”. On the other hand, Law Minister Nasim explained that while EVMs and the conventional voting system were not flawless to
the core, analysis revealed that the former had facets that made electronic machines better than the old system. It is pertinent to note that the minister’s remarks came two days after the government managed to get a record number of 33 bills, including the controversial bill on EVMs and I-voting for overseas Pakistanis, passed from the joint sitting of parliament despite facing strong resistance from the opposition. “In the previous system, there were 10-15 weak areas to rig votes like double stamping, tearing of ballot paper or incorrect stamping. In contrast, an EVM is like a calculator and it goes live which is better than the earlier mechanism,” the minister stated. News Desk
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policy review, the central bank had increased the benchmark policy rate by 25 bps to 7.25pc. Furthermore, the SBP has also decided to increase the frequency of monetary policy reviews from six to eight times a year in an effort to make the process of monetary policy formulation more predictable and transparent in line with international best practices. Accordingly, the monetary policy meetings ahead would be held on December 14, and then January 24, March 8, April 19, and June 10 in 2022. The advance calendar for the next halfyear of MPC meetings will be shared at the time of the June 2022 MPC meeting. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PMLN) leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail while reacting to the development termed the increase in interest rates catastrophic for the country’s economy. According to a report by The Express Tribune, Miftah said the rising interest
rates will only reduce industrial production and increase inconsequential government spending. “One and a half per cent rise in interest ratee will not have any impact on inflation, instead the private sector will face more difficulties and would slowdown, he said. Increasing it from 7 to 9 per cent would further increase the government’s interest payments by Rs400 billion annually,” the PML-N leader added. “The PTI government had tried to control inflation and depreciation of the rupee with similar measures in the past but because of that the economy fell further into recession,” he maintained. He questioned how inflation could be brought control by raising interest rates at such a fast pac? and claimed that the current account deficit (CAD) is set to reach an all-time high of $15 billion in October. “It is virtually impossible to stop further devaluation of the rupee, especially when imports of $75 billion are inevitable,” he said. News Desk
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Saturday, 20 November, 2021 | LAHORE
NEWS
PM dIreCts ProvInCes to CoMPlete antI-enCroaCHMent leGIslatIon IsLAMABAD
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APP
RIME Minister (PM) Imran Khan has directed the provinces to immediately complete antiencroachment legislation besides pursuing the pending cases of encroached state land.
The PM was chairing a meeting of the National Coordinating Committee for Housing, Construction and Development on Friday. The meeting was attended by Finance Adviser Shaukat Tarin, State Minister Farrukh Habib, special assistants Malik Amin Aslam and Dr Shahbaz Gill, FBR chairman, Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority chairman, and
senior officers of the federal and provincial governments. During the meeting, the Surveyor General of Pakistan (SGP) gave a detailed briefing regarding cadastral mapping in the country. It was highlighted that 88 per cent mapping of government lands had been completed, according to which thousands of
acres of government land worth trillions had been illegally encroachments. Article continues after this advertisement Most of the illegal encroachments are on forest lands, besides on the lands of WAPDA, National Highway Authority (NHA), Civil Aviation, and Railways. The premier directed the provinces to
finalise the verification of cadastral mapping data within two months and urged the provincial governments to complete the legislative process against illegal encroachments on public land at the earliest. The meeting was told that with the help of provincial governments in the next phase, the process of digitisation of private lands will be completed.
Islamabad seeks repatriation of some Pakistanis from Guantanamo Bay: minister IsLAMABAD TLTP
IHC issues show cause notices to former GB CJ and others IsLAMABAD TLTP
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday issued separate show cause notices to Gilgit Baltistan’s (GB) former chief judge Rana Shamim, Mir Shakeelur-Rehman, Ansar Abbasi and Amir Ghauri in contempt of court case. According to details, the Islamabad High Court in its show cause notices has directed former GB CJ Rana Shamim, editor-in-chief of the News International Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, investigation editor Ansar Abbasi and resident editor Amir Ghauri to appear before the court on November 30. The show cause notices state that the court may impose a criminal offense under section 5 of the Ordinance 2003. The content of the show cause notice mentioned that Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman holds an important position as the editor-in-chief of The News. A news item with the byline of Ansar Abbasi was published on November 15 with the heading of former CJP ordered not to release Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam before general elections of 2018. It is further said in the show cause that the content of the alleged affidavit of Justice (R) Rana Muhammad Shamim was published in the news. It is a crime to make a false accusation against any court. The show cause states that the purpose of the material was to interfere in the appeals pending before the court and to divert justice in Maryam Nawaz’s case. The news writer and Mir Shakeel-urRehman did not try to confirm the facts before publishing the news and the version of those who were accused of serious dishonesty was presented in the report. According to show cause, publishing news without verification is not only a violation of editorial but also journalistic principles and such news is an obstacle to justice. Mir Shakeel-urRehman, Ansar Abbasi, Amir Ghauri, and the former GB CJ have been asked to submit a written reply within seven days in the matter before the court.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan expressed on Friday the government is coordinating with the US authorities for repatriation of Saifullah Paracha and some other Pakistanis from Guantanamo Bay, according to Radio Pakistan. Responding to a question during Question Hour in the Senate, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan has always been raising voice for the people handed over to the US during the Afghan war. Responding to another question, he said seven new educational institutes will be constructed in Islamabad territory. He said 230 new class rooms are built in thirty one institutes of the capital. The minister said the federal government provided over 39 billion rupees to public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last three years.
PM Imran wishes Sikh community on Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary News Desk PM Imran Khan on Friday wished the global Sikh community on the occasion of the 552nd Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism. The premier welcomed thousands of Sikhs to visit their religious sites in Pakistan. “I reiterate my govt’s commitment to continue facilitating them to perform their religious rituals,” he wrote. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed Sikhs through the 4.7km visa-free Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Sikhs on the eve of the 552nd birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. A day earlier, on Thursday, the Indian Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, along with his cabinet members, visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur through Kartarpur Corridor. Channi, with a group of 30 people, visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the second day of the reopening of the route, which remained suspended for some 20 months following the COVID-19 outbreak. Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Latif, Pakistan Sikh
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee office-bearers and Gujranwala Commissioner greeted the Sikh Yatrees, who arrived here a day before the annual commemoration of the birthday of Baba Guru Nanak. Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesperson Amir
Hashmi said that another delegation of Sikh Yatrees from India also visited the gurdwara. The first batch of 28 Indian Sikhs, including women, visited the gurdwara on Wednesday through Kartarpur corridor on the first day of its reopening.
Karachi court directs NADRA to block CNIC of PTI lawmaker in torture case News Desk National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) Sindh director has been given a directive by a Karachi court on Friday, to block the CNIC of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Malik Shehzad Awan and other suspects who failed to present themselves in court, pertaining to a case of torturing a citizen. Nadra has been further directed by Judicial magistrate (West) Asif Raza Meer to submit a compliance report at the next hearing, followed by an order to the police to arrest the suspects. As per the details, a case against the suspects had been registered under sections 452 (trespassing a house after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 506-B (criminal intimidation) 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death,
hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The report said the complainant was asleep at his home at the time of the incident and that the suspects had hit his son with a Kalashnikov’s butt, breaking the fingers of his right hand. It added that Muhammad woke up due to the ruckus, following which MPA Malik told him to withdraw an application that the complainant had filed against the lawmaker at Mauripur police station. According to the IO’s report, the complainant, Muhammad Aslam Awan, had accused the PTI MPA, along with the other suspects, of trespassing his house in Baldia Town’s Mianwali Para on July 2, 2019. The IO said in the report that he had visited the place of the incident, recorded the statements of
eyewitnesses and collected material evidence, which proved that MPA Malik, Imran Shah, Qaiser and three others had committed the offences they had been accused of. MPA Malik allegedly also stole a cheque from Muhammad’s house before leaving in a car, according to the report. It said that while leaving, the PTI lawmaker threatened Muhammad of getting him killed and booked in false cases if he didn’t fulfil his demand. At the previous hearing, Investigation Officer (IO) Inspector Jahanzeb had filed an investigation report before the magistrate, which implicated the PTI lawmaker, two named suspects — Imran Shah and Qaiser — and three unidentified suspects for trespassing a citizen’s house in Karachi, committing theft and torturing the citizen.
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BIlawal vows to tHrasH PtI In KP P News Desk
AKISTAN Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated on Friday that PPP is all geared up to thrash the ruling PTI in K-P, in the upcoming general elections. While addressing a rally in Nowshera, he stated that “PPP jiyalas [workers] will foil your [PM Imran] conspiracies… they will hold ‘selected and puppet’ accountable” He stated that the party will send the incumbent government packing and restore the rule of genuine public representatives.
The PPP chairman while referring to Wednesday’s joint session of parliament said the government did not pass a single bill to provide relief to the masses. “70-year-old player can no longer fool youngsters,” he added. Bilawal stated that PM Imran’s policies have only brought “destruction” to the country and added that ruling party has miserably failed to fulfil its promises of bringing a “change” in the country. “Today everyone is in pain… country is facing unprecedented inflation… unemployment and poverty have hit historic highs,” he remarked.
Bilawal further warned PM Imran, saying, “The time to panic has started… PPP will hold a power show in Peshawar to mark its foundation day”. He added that only PPP can resolve the issues of masses by implementing its peoplefriendly manifesto. “When they [rulers] are being selected… they will only server their [selectors] not the people,” he added. Bilawal added that PM Imran-led government was not any making effort to reduce inflation in the country instead it was only “conspiring to rig” the next general elections.
NAB bill: Shehbaz accuses govt of rigging during prayer time News Desk Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused the government of rigging during prayer timings for the passage of the National Accountability Amendment Bill 2021. Shehbaz took to Twitter and stated that “Approval of NAB supplementary bill after bulldozing legislation in the joint sitting of Parliament is open malice”, while adding that “like thieves made use of namaz time and passed the NAB supplementary bill via rigging”. Shahbaz went on to state that the government’s “dictatorial traditions have turned Parliament into an arena, which is regrettable and reprehensible”. “This is not legislation, it is a terrible joke played with Parliament, Constitution and the people,” he stated. “Even namaz time was not spared for rigging. Is this the democracy and transparency [you claim to uphold]?” he questioned. He added that “Getting the NAB bill approved by introducing a supplementary agenda is a fascist move by a fascist government” Following a crucial meeting of PMLN’s parliamentary advisory board, held at the opposition’s chamber in the Parliament House, Islamabad, the PMLN leader went on to state that his party will not let “Imran Niazi establish his monarchy” in Pakistan. The participants were briefed on the joint opposition’s measures to challenge the legislation in court. Those in attendance at the meeting decided that the joint opposition will challenge the government’s “fascism” and unconstitutional measures both in and outside of parliament.
The participants also mulled over bulldozing government’s legislation on key issues, including on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote. The meeting was held to observe that the electoral reforms were materialised without consensus for the first time in the country’s history. While addressing the meeting, Shehbaz stated that the government’s legislation was unlawful and contrary to the Constitution. “We reject the royal decree of Imran Niazi,” he quipped, adding, “this government has been humiliated in front of the people and it is now attacking the Constitution.” Shehbaz further noted that a recent statement issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was against the legislation and was a testament against EVMs. “LPG, flour, sugar, medicines, electricity and gas are all out of masses’ reach. A government that can’t provide a kilo of flour and sugar to people or make
the gas cylinder affordable is rubbing salt on the wounds of the poor by talking about providing new homes.” He went on to say that the government that bombarded masses with inflation has now waged a suicide attack on parliament. “Those who are supporting the tyrant, anti-people and anti-law government are guilty before the masses.” The PML-N president said he admired the unity and passion of the opposition. “The struggle will bear fruit and it will result in the supremacy of Constitution and relief to the masses.” On the other hand, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman too reacted strongly over the hasty passage of the bills in the joint session. She stated that “what was left of Parliament in the Senate was destroyed today”. Referring to the government as the “tabahi sarkar” (a regime that brings about destruction), she said it is “unwilling to allow the provinces to speak or breathe” and that questions on
the sovereignty of Pakistan, whether regarding the deal with the International Monetary Fund or amnesty deals, are not heard. “They are unwilling to hear us on the census, or water, or any resource share of the provinces, as that is what the Senate does,” Rehman said. She elaborated that the treasury introduced a supplementary agenda at 12:35pm, “without laying bills, and just called in members to bulldoze a NAB bill”. “From now on, the Senate too will not run,” she remarked, terming it a “blackday” in parliamentary history. She went on to share a copy of the NAB bill, saying that it was laid “literally after voting when members had left for Friday prayers”. “Leader of the Opposition’s office had been told all bills will go to respective standing committees but were not sent,” she added. “The same was done to person specific HEC bill,” the PPP leader said. Rehman clarified that the Opposition did not oppose the Journalist Protection bill, but had only asked for it to go to the standing committee, as it had asked for other bills. It is pertinent to note that the Upper House approved the NAB Amendment bill, which was presented by Federal Minister for Law Dr Farogh Naseem, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Amendment bill presented by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Ali Mohammad Khan. Furthermore the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals bill, introduced by Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, was passed after 35 votes were given in favour of the bill while 29 voted against it.
Govt taking steps for empowerment of women: alvi News Desk President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed the need for increased number of educated women to put the country on the fast-track of socio-economic development. Talking to a delegation of female students from the Langlands School and College, Chitral, led by its Principal Carey Schofield, in Islamabad on Friday, he said steps are being taken for the financial empowerment of women by providing them business loans through the Kamyab Jawan Programme. The president said government is focusing on women education as well as their skill-development to ensure their financial inclusion. He lauded the contributions of the Langlands School and College in the field of education that has produced a number of educationists and professionals in the medical and engineering sectors.
‘Unilateral’ talks with TTP rejected by Sindh Assembly News Desk The Sindh Assembly on Friday expressed concerns over the ongoing negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). While passing a resolution, the Assembly demanded the federal government to take all relevant stakeholders in loop. It has also been added in the resolution that all political parties and other institutions through parliament must be involved, and the government must build a unanimous consensus over the matter. The resolution moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Qasim Siraj Soomro was opposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers who protested on moving the resolution in the house. “This house objects to the unilateral negotiations with banned TTP that are being carried out in the most secretive manner by the Federal Government which indicates the complete bypass of the parliament as the supreme institution in the country to decide upon such matters of national security,” the resolution stated. t further added that the, “TTP has claimed thousands of innocent lives in the
country over the last two decades, including of innocent civilians, brave soldiers of the armed forces, police officers, religious scholars, non-political prominent people and lest we forget, the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar massacre. “To initiate talks with such a ruthless organization indicates the Federal Government’s unwillingness to crush them by means of force,” the resolution read. “[The] Prime Minister cannot strike a deal with TTP on its own as this matter of our national interest and must be discussed in the parliament. The house demands the Federal Government to take on board all relevant stakeholders, political parties and institutions through the Parliament and build unanimous consensus over such a consequential move,” the resolution concluded. It is pertinent to note that since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the TTP has ramped up attacks on its side of the border, compelling Islamabad to reach a peace deal. However, experts say the group has been emboldened by the Taliban’s successful ousting of world superpower the United States from Afghanistan.
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04 NEWS
SaUDI arabIa SeTS age lImIT FOr Umrah pIlgrImS RIYADH
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AUDI Arabia has said that permits for performing Umrah for overseas Muslims are limited to those aged from 18 to 50 years. Before travel, overseas pilgrims are also required to be fully inoculated against Covid-19 with vaccines recognised in Saudi Arabia and presenting an officially endorsed vaccination certificate to obtain an electronic entry visa via a platform of the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the kingdom’s Ministry of Umrah and Hajj said, Gulf News reported. The ministry has recently launched a service enabling overseas Umrah pilgrims to obtain permits for performing the rituals in the Grand Mosque in Mecca in an effort to facilitate procedures for them. Domestic pilgrims and worshippers, meanwhile, have to obtain similar permits and avoid escorting children in the Grand Mosque. Last month, Saudi Arabia eased restrictions against Covid-19 as the epidemiological situation in the country has stabilised amid a sharp decline in infections. The relaxed measures include ending distancing for
DCO secretary general visits CUI
worshippers in the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medina where full capacity has been rein-
stated. However, worshippers are required to continue wear face masks at both mosques.
Govt to set up capital industrial estate in Islamabad NEWS DESK Business community of the capital of Pakistan has been assured that after passage of Rent Control Act for Islamabad from the Parliament the government is committed to set up a Capital Industrial Estate (CIE) with collaboration of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) to create jobs and promote industrialization. Federal Minister for Planning & Development Asad Umar expressed these views while visiting the ICCI on Friday and congratulated the traders on the enactment of an amended rent restrictions bill into a law. He further expressed that Capital Development Authority (CDA) will purchase the land for the Federal Industrial Estate saying the Ministry of Commerce will support this project whereas the ICCI would have managed its maintenance & operations and the
project would be executed on a publicprivate partnership model. He said that a Special Technical Zone would also be set up in Islamabad to promote the IT sector, adding present government has also initiated various other important projects for Islamabad including repair and expansion of roads, constructions of bridges and underpasses, Bara Kahu bypass etc. He said a new water supply project would start soon to supply 100-million-gallon water per day from Ghazi Barotha Dam. He said a 50 percent job quota has been made available for Islamabad for 6 to 15 scales and jobs were now being advertised. On the occasion, Ali Nawaz Nawaz, Special Assistant to PM on CDA Affairs also congratulated traders for resolution of their longstanding issue of rent control act and said that many new initiatives were in the pipeline for the better development of the federal capital.
Digital Cooperation Organisation Secretary General Deemah Al Yahya visits Jazz Digital Headquarters to discuss Pakistan's digital transformation journey and mutual interest in digital inclusion. PR
FFC holds corporate briefing Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), held its second Corporate Briefing for the year 2021, as a part of its best corporate governance practices. FFC has been recognized by PSX as first amongst Top 25 Companies consecutively for 10 years attributed to its Compliance of Code of Corporate Governance, Company Performance and Efficient Management. In the same backdrop the subject briefing for the period ended 30th September 2021 was held at FFC’s corporate Head Office, Rawalpindi where prominent capital market analysts and dignitary from PSX Mr. Muhammad Saqib (in person) and Ms. Khushbukht Shuja (thru VC) also attended the event. Company Secretary FFC, Brig Asrat Mahmood SI(M) (Retd) opened the meeting and apprised the house about significance of the event. Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Mohammad Munir Malik briefed the house about FFC’s performance for three quarters of the year 2021 and assured Company’s commitment to achieve higher standards of performance and sustained earnings. PR
COURT NOTICE In the Court of Saim Raza Shah, Civil / Family Judge Class-l, Phalia. Suit No. ... Date of Institution. 16-11-2021 Nature of Suit: for Disulation of Marriage . Titled as "Sumaira Riaz Versus Frahat Anyat" To, Frahat Anyat urf Waseem S/O Muhammad Anyat Coast Wraich R/o khumb Klian Tehsil & , District Mandi Bahauddin Presently at France. Whereas, defendant are informed that they are avoiding their service willfully through summons/notices as well as registred post A/D and concealing themselves. Thererfor, service of defendant is not possible through ordinary means. Hence, defendant are hereby informed through proclamation in newspaper that they appeared in person or through their learned counsel before Court on 23-11-2021, otherwise they will be proceeded against ex-parte and no objection shall be accepted. Announced by the Orders of this Hon'ble Court.
Islamabad: Deemah AlYahya, Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization visited COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) on Wednesday during her three-day visit to Pakistan. She was leading four-member delegation from DCO accompanied by senior officials of Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Islamabad. AlYahya is a renowned digital economy expert and advocate of digital literacy, empowerment and training in communities traditionally marginalized by the ‘digital divide’. Secretary General DCO visited various digital facilities in COMSATS University Islamabad and was briefed about CUI Data Center, Digitalization of Library, Video Conferencing Facility, Medical Image Processing Research Group (MIPRG) and Medical Imaging and Diagnostics Lab (MIDL). A meeting with senior officials at CUI including Prof. Dr. Shahid A Khan, Head, Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization; Prof. Dr. Sajjad A. Madani, Registrar; Prof. Dr. Shahzad A. Malik, Dean, Faculty of Engineering; Prof. Dr. Aftab Khan, Dean, Faculty of Sciences; Dr. Sohail Asghar, Professor, Department of Computer Science; Ali Tawab Baloch, Head, International Office; Dr. Majid Iqbal Khan, Head, Department of Computer Science ensued the campus visit. Prof. Madani gave a detailed presentation about CUI. He informed that the COMSATS University Islamabad is a public sector university having seven campuses in Pakistan having five faculties, twenty two academic departments and nine state of the art research centers. He said that CUI offers more than 100 degree programs at BS, MS and PhD level to over 34,000 students, including over 500 international students. Prof. Madani also informed regarding the special initiatives of CUI on digitization, internationalization and technology innovation patronized by Prof. Dr. Muhammad T. Afzal, Rector CUI. Secretary General DCO in her presentation highlighted aims, objectives, goals of DCO. She briefed about DCO vision of having collaboration among its sevenmember counties including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Nigeria and Oman. She said that the purpose of the visit was to unlock the full potential of DCO Forum for realizing the Digital Pakistan Vision of the Government of Pakistan and finding potential areas for developing digital cooperation between COMSATS University Islamabad and DCO’s member nations. She also emphasized on women and youth empowerment in the growing digital economy. PR
Traffic policemen encouraged for brilliant performance Islamabad: Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Muhammad Sarfraz Virk on Friday awarded policemen over their brilliant performance and urged them to continue hard work for convenience to citizens. Following the directions of IGP Islamabad Qazi Jamil ur Rehman, SP (Traffic) Muhammad Sarfraz Virk reviewed the performance of traffic police during last week. He awarded commendation certificates to those showing good performance and issued warning to Policemen involved in sluggish policing. Policemen awarded by the SP (Traffic) . He said that Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) would continue accountability process to improve functioning of department and bring efficiency in policing affairs. The SP (Traffic) Muhammad Sarfraz Virk said that special measures are being taken to make Islamabad accident free city and ensure smooth traffic flow. Implementation on traffic rules is very much crucial to avoid accidents and campaigns would be launched to ensure traffic discipline in the city, he added. The SP (Traffic) said that police officials should ensure effective command and control system while dealing with their subordinates. He said that education teams of ITP are active in various areas of city while its FM Radio 92.4 is giving updates to citizens about traffic flow on main avenues. He said that ITP would continue its efforts for safe road environment in the city. PR
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NEWS
SEnatE PaSSES four bIllS amId oPPoSItIon’S ProtESt P contInUeD froM pAge 01
PP Senator Sherry Rehman via Twitter lashed out at the government for being unwilling to listen to the opposition. “What was left of parliament in the Senate was destroyed today when the treasury introduced a supplementary agenda at 12.35pm without laying bills and just called in members to bulldoze a
NAB bill. From now on the Senate too will not run,” she said. Rehman said that the government was unwilling to allow the provinces to “speak or breathe”. According to her, the office of the leader of the opposition had been told all bills would go to respective standing committees but they were not sent. Talking about the NAB bill, she said that it was presented after members had
left for the Friday prayers. “Because friends in the media are asking: we did NOT oppose the journalist protection bill but were asking for it to go to a standing committee, same as what we wanted for all bills after the supplementary agenda was produced when members had left for Friday prayers,” she added. On the contrary, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry hailed the passage of bill, saying it was an expression of the
government’s commitment towards journalistic freedom. He also thanked Mazari for turning his idea for journalists’ protection into reality. He said the new law would pave the way in securing the lives of journalists. “Congratulations to working journalists. This bill will grant journalists rights that are only given to media professionals in highly developed societies,” the minister said in a tweet.
Clause related to chemical castration of rapists removed from bill: Maleeka contInUeD froM pAge 01
Weekly SPI spikes by 1.07pc ISLAMABAD TLTP
The weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the combined group recorded an increase of 1.07 percent WoW during the week ended November 18, 2021, says the figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The combined index was at 169.29 compared to 167.5 on November 11, 2021, while the index was recorded at 143.05 a year ago, on November 19, 2020. Out of the 51 monitored items, the average price of 27 items increased, 10 items decreased whereas 14 items registered no change during the week. The weekly SPI percentage change by income groups showed that SPI increased across all quantiles ranging between 0.39 percent and 1.44 percent. The lowest income group witnessed a weekly increase of 0.39 percent while the highest income group recorded an increase of 1.44 percent. On a yearly basis, analysis of SPI change across different income segments showed that SPI increased across all quantiles ranging between 16.31 percent and 19.16 percent. Yearly SPI for the lowest income group increased by 18.62 percent while the highest income group recorded an increase of 19.61 percent. The average price of sona urea stood at Rs2,082 per 50 kg bag which is 1.54 percent higher than last week’s price and 23.32 percent higher when compared to last year. Meanwhile, the average cement price was recorded at Rs742 per 50 kg bag, which is 0.45 percenthigher than the previous week and 30.23 percent higher than prices last year.
Regarding the opposition’s criticism of the government’s alleged move to make changes to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) law, he said the SBP had its own statutory powers which it would not delegate to any authority. He said it was regrettable that the opposition raised objections on different issues without studying them. “For example, the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav is a matter of Pakistan’s national security and this is our country’s red line. How do you call yourself a politician when you don’t get the hang of such matters?” he said. Nasim said the International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Bill, 2020, was not person-specific, adding that “it will be applicable to anyone coming under the ambit of the law.” The minister said the opposition
could criticise any matter provided they were raising factually correct objections. “Besides, there are some red lines that must be seen and not crossed,” he added. On the matter on consensus, he stated that “The result of the census
was rejected by the MQM and it demanded an audit of five per cent results, which was initially agreed to by the then government but it later backtracked. Now we are conducting a new census, which is the only feasible option,” he added.
FTO directs FBR to rectify misconduct at Customs check posts ISLAMABAD STaff rEPorT
Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Dr Asif Mahmood Jah has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to rectify the maladministration taking place at Customs check posts across the country, assuring his co-operation in this regard. As per details, in an investigation initiated by the FTO himself, it was found that multiple complaints regarding harassment leading to corruption had been filed at various Customs check-posts. The complaints mostly pertained to interception goods moving to their respective destinations after having paid duty taxes, as a matter of routine, by Customs officials without any solid information or approval from the senior hierarchy. According to the investigation report, this unnecessary checking of duty paid goods was causing
hindrance and delay in the smooth flow of duty paid goods and was contrary to the government’s policy of creating ease in doing business (EoDB). The FTO has pointed out that such counterproductive measures are contrary to law, perverse, arbitrary, biased, involves the exercise of power for corrupt motives and falls within the ambit of maladministration. The FTO further issued instructions to the chief collectors concerned for strict implementation at field formations, directing them that the vehicles carrying imported fresh and dry fruits cleared from Customs Station of Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KP) and Balochistan shall not be checked at any check post located enroute to inland country or by Customs mobile squads. Authorities have been ordered that these vehicles can only be checked on specific information and that too, after it has been brought in the knowledge of the respective collector.
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10 Pakistani companies approved for exporting meat to Egypt ISLAMABAD aPP
Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry Abdul Razak Dawood on Friday welcomed the approval of 10 Pakistani slaughterhouses from Pakistan by the Egypt’s Veterinary Quarantine Department for importing meat to their country. “Congratulations to ten slaughterhouses from Pakistan which have been approved by the Egypt’s Veterinary Quarantine Department for export of meat to Egypt,” the advisor said on his official Twitter account, adding that “this has been done as a result of audit conducted by the Egyptian Veterinary authorities”. He further added that this is a part of the country’s policy of geographical and product diversification. “Our exporters are urged to go full speed ahead to capitalise on this opportunity as this sector has immense potential,” he said. The companies approved for exporting meat to Egypt include P.K Livestock & Meat Company (private) Limited, TATA Best Food Limited, Fauji Meat Limited, Al Shaheer Corporation Ltd, The Organic Meat Company Private Limited, Tazij Meat and Food, Abedin International Abattoirs (private) Limited, and Zenith Associates. Earlier in October, Jordan had approved three Pakistani meat processing companies including include Tata Best Food Limited, Organic Meat Limited Company, and Tazij Meat and Food for the same purpose. “Ministry of Commerce (MoC) is glad to inform that Jordan has notified three of Pakistan’s slaughterhouses for export for bovine, sheep, goat and camel meat to Jordan,” Dawood had stated on Twitter.
Current account deficit widens to $1.66bn Pakistan’s current account deficit widened by 46.65 percent MoM to stand at $1.66 billion in October 2021 from $1.13 billion in September 2021 on the back of a moderate decline in exports and remittances and some uptick in services imports, according to the latest data released by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). High energy prices kept the import bill elevated despite a downtick in non-energy imports, the central bank said on Twitter. However, in the same month last year, the country’s current account posted a surplus of $448 million. During 4MFY22, the current account witnessed a deficit of around $5.084 billion against a surplus of $1.313 billion in the corresponding period last year. NEWS DESK
Skies darken for Indian IPOs after Paytm’s diappointing debut MUMBAI agENciES
Paytm’s dismal stock market debut this week is likely to put a damper on future offerings after the IPO of the digital payments firm ranked among the worst-performing in Indian history, six analysts and bankers said on Friday. Indian companies have raised a staggering $9.7 billion through initial share sales in the first nine months of 2021, for the highest such tally in any of the corresponding periods of the last two decades, said accountants EY. But offerings planned for later this year, such as those by payments rival MobiKwik and hotel aggregator OYO, will face questions after Paytm’s debut plunge of more than 27%, as investors turned queasy at its lack of profits and lofty value. “This episode should hopefully bring some realism to valuations that promoters expect from the public markets,” said Kristy Fong, a senior investment director at fund manager abrdn, based in Singapore. Investors and analysts who expressed concern over the IPO valuation of the loss-
making Paytm at about $18.7 billion had cautioned that “frothy” valuations with unclear business models might not end up well in the current market. “It will take three to four months for people to forget Paytm and that it destroyed wealth,” said Jimeet Modi, founder of Mumbai-based brokerage Samco Securities. “Until that time, it’s going to be tough for all super-expensive IPOs.” But the debut of Paytm, which is backed by Ant Group and SoftBank, was in stark contrast to that of food delivery firm Zomato , which surged 66% in July after raising $1.2 billion. Similarly, shares in FSN E-Commerce, which owns cosmetics-to-fashion platform Nykaa, jumped 80% on their debut this month. Now analysts fear that even approaching IPOs which have seen huge demand may take a beating on listing. “This will put spokes in the market … even the ones that have seen huge subscriptions will see a drop in the premiums,” Arun Kejriwal, founder of independent research firm KRIS, told Reuters. BEHEMOTH LIC IN THE WINGS: All
eyes are turning to plans for India’s biggestever IPO, that of state-owned life insurance behemoth LIC, which is expected by the end of March 2022 and could raise more than $10 billion if the government offers a stake of 10%. Some analysts see little risk from the Paytm fallout for LIC, however, as it is a household name in India, commanding more than 60% of the life insurance market, with assets exceeding $500 billion. “My sense is even if they price LIC a little higher, I think given what it is, and what it stands for, and what’s been built over many years, I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” said an executive at a boutique investment bank who sought anonymity. “There’s tremendous interest and there’s money in the market.” Some say concerns over LIC cannot be ruled out, though, despite a business model that is starkly different from that of Paytm. “Everybody will be in a bit of a learning mode after this (Paytm) listing,” said one of the investment bankers working on LIC’s IPO, adding that they remained confident about its chances. The government has named Goldman
cMYK
Sachs, Citigroup, SBI Capital Market, JM Financial, Axis Capital, Nomura, BofA Se-
curities, J.P. Morgan India, ICICI Securities and Kotak Mahindra to handle the IPO.
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06 COMMENT
Reasons behind caste-based reservation in India
Imran Khan and TLP Same objectives
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n April the Interior Ministry banned the TLP for engaging in terrorism, with the Information Minister claiming that the militant network had links with India. Those in power however took little interest in preparing a strong legal case against the TLP or its chief Saad Rizvi. This encouraged the TLP to initiate fresh protests for the release of Saad Rizvi last month. At least four police officials reportedly died while trying to stop the march from proceeding to Islamabad. Talks were then re-initiated with the TLP. It appears from media reports that there were differences between the Army and Prime Minister Imran Khan over use of force against the TLP. Mr Khan had reportedly authorised the use of force against the TLP marchers. The Army calculated what it would entail to applying force against the marchers, with many casualties taking place if the law enforcers were to open fire on those refusing to disperse. Also factored into this calculation was the probable blowback of casualties and its impact on public opinion. The establishment opted for talks therefore. It is highly discouraging to hear from the Information Minister that “neither the government nor the state is completely ready to fight extremism.” Had the TLP been dealt with by an iron hand in 2017, instead of being mollycoddled by those who matter, the situation would have been different today. The lesson that needs to be learnt by all is that protecting or mainstreaming extremist organisations for political manoeuvring makes them strong, enabling them to take on their benefactors even. If the state becomes weak and violent groups become strong, the problem starts,” says the Information Minister, adding that soft change in society came only when the state established its writ and enforced laws. “If you want soft change, you must be hard.” Contrarily Imran Khan treated the TLP as soulmates for three years maintaining that he and the TLP have the same objective but different approaches.
Trying to remedy past discrimination Dr rajkumar Singh
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n today’s India the programme of affirmative action or reservation based on caste criteria has been set on different dimensions and practical experiences as existed in pre- and post-independence society, such as, social discrimination, economic discrimination, compensation for historical wrongs, and so on., not to talk about the social discrimination at the time of independence, even today, especially in rural India, despite the collapse of the traditional subsistence economy, caste continues to exert its strong presence in different forms and manifestations. Untouchability, a cursed legacy, is present and survives by adapting to new socio-economic realities where tea stalls keep separate cups for Dalit customers which they have to wash themselves, not buying milk or vegetables from Dalit vendors, making Dalit children sit separately at the back of the classroom in schools, and the worst form of punishment comes when a marriage is performed flouting the caste norms between a Dalit and an upper caste woman. Although in urban India we hardly come across such instances, it’s a shame to continue the practice, outlawed more than seven decades ago. Constitutionally, socially and practically it should have no place in any part of India in which we are committed to live with dignity of labour and without any form of discrimination. The second major cause of making the caste a basis for reservation is economic discrimination which reflected in our society in public and private enterprises where we found a wide gap in wages of SC/ ST/ and OBC workers in comparison to ‘Others’. As these two groups enter the market with substantial differences in education levels, their pre-market discrimination showed a thorough gap in the whole professional life wherever they move and work regardless of the position of the market, active or inactive.
Smog ignored?
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MOG might be a god metaphor for the many crises afflicting the state, both open and hidden. Unfortunately, it has very unmetaphoricaly, indeed very literally, taken people by their throats and inflicted an increasing number of respiratory diseases upon people. The most characteristic sound of urban life is a hacking cough, as citizens fail to overcome the paroxysm of coughs that the season has brought with it. The pity is that the winters are not to blame unaided. First has come the burning of crop stubble in fields. But that alone cannot be blamed. There is also what might be thought of as perennial pollution, spewed by factories, brick kilns and vehicles. The government has set up a committee, which is another way of pushing the matter onto the backburner. This seems an odd reaction for a party which made a lot of noises about the environment in its election campaign. However, the only practical solution it has tried is tree plantation. That is a longterm solution, involving waiting for an increase in cloud cover, by which time many would have died, not from the coronavirus, but diseases caused by the air. Already, Lahore has been getting the worst Air Quality Index reading in the world. It seems only a matter of time before that position becomes permanent, unless the government undertakes some basic steps, long neglected. It must revive the inspection requirement for vehicles, and take all vehicles, whether transporting goods or people, and whether plying commercially or individually, off the roads if they cannot pass inspection. Such measures as shutting down on a working day, such as the Lahore High Court has done, will not work. This was tried in new Delhi, with the government staggering days of opening for all offices, schools and even markets, but the city is still a major centre of pollution. The government must crack down on polluting factories, as well as brick kilns which have yet to shift to nonpolluting technology. While individuals and community-based organizations have a role, it is the state which has to act.
The recent Rafale revelations are just the latest of many amjeD jaaveD
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French portal Mediapart has alleged that its investigation has revealed that Dassault Aviation paid kickbacks amounting to at least €7.5 million to an intermediary, Sushen Gupta, in Mauritius between 2007 and 2012. The secret commissions were paid to clinch the Rs 59,000-crore ($9.3-billion) inter-governmental deal with India for then 36 (now 126) Rafale fighter jets. Indian media points out that the then ruling Indian national Congress coalition government had negotiated a price of Rs. 526 crore but the present Bharatiya Janata Party coalition approved the deal at exorbitant price of Rs 1670 crore. Thus Rs 144 per crore as commission, or kickbacks, went into the middleman’s pocket. Mediapart revealed, `the deal involves offshore companies, dubious contracts and false invoices; that detectives from India’s federal police force, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), and from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which fights money laundering, have had proof since October 2018 that Dassault paid at least €7.5 million euros (equivalent to just under Rs 650 million) in secret commissions to Gupta’. An independent French judge has been appointed to investigate the charges. But, even Mediapart itself is pessimistic about an early judgment, as it is a complex case. the judge will have to seek the least-likely cooperation of the Indian government. In 2019, India’s Supreme Court and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had already declared the deal “transparent”. The BJP shrugged off the opposition’s allegation saying that the period during which the commissions were paid related to the period Indian national Congress, InC (which they derisively called “I need commission”) ruled India. Mediapart itself is not optimistic about early heasrings. On 11 October 2018, Mauritius’ attorney general provided India’s CBI documents about payment of commission connected. Within less than two weeks,on October 23, the CBI’s headquarters were raided by the Delhi Police and the CBI’s Director Alok Verma was removed in what the opposition called a nocturnal conspiracy to bury the murky Rafale ghost. The deal engenders several questions. The delay in finalization of the procurement deal is obvious. What about India’s claims about indigenization of defence equipment? What about Teja aircraft? Why has neither the Dassault nor the CBI responded to Mediapart’s allegations?
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi
Umar Aziz
Joint Editor
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
The writer is head of the political science department and dean of the Social Sciences faculty of the B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
Unanswered questions about India’s Rafale deal
The government does not seem serious
Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Surprisingly, this factor is working more explicitly in urban areas where identification of caste is difficult and the nature of market is both more modern and formal than in rural and less developed zones. In the context it’s also a fact that urban markets are supposed to more merit-oriented. and naturally recruitment decisions are taken on access to education and quality of education, access to resources which enhance overall learning and develop skills suitable for the work as well as responsiveness. In addition, this factor becomes clearer when we focus the role of networks in informal and personalized recruitments where “who you know” is often more important than “what you know” as a well knitted chain of people you know, especially in case of important places and famous institutions where talents are easily earned and used in favour of people produced from the same institutions. Employers across the country, including those who belong to Multinational Companie,s care much about social identity, region, and merit along with conviction that merit is distributed by caste and things we value most. In the circumstances, it is clear that only preferred position for reserved category is not a remedy of discrimination and the public sector is only place, they can be employed or engaged for improvement of their overall status in society as they found very limited entry in private enterprises. In fact, the past ill-doings have generated systematic disparity between caste groups and actively kept untouchables at the very bottom of the social and economic order. It motivated the Indian government to compensate for the historical wrongs and enact legislation for reservation for some of these disadvantaged groups in education, public sector employment, and politics. Although, from the beginning the Indian government provided for reservation to compensate the historical injustices, it is not sufficient to resolve the problems of discrimination which led to exclusion to a large number of unprivileged people, originated to the division of labour in the household, in the community, and in the world of work.
The contours of exploitation evolved and muted in different forms over the centuries, its manifestations like inequality and injustice in society remained the same throughout the period. In the context, deep and large-scale exploitation gave rise to exclusion which contains multiple dimensions-social, economic, and political. It is not simply used to describe a situation but also to focus on a process which excludes individuals or groups from communities, livelihoods, and rights, thus depriving them of freedoms that are constitutive of, and instrumental in development, which is a source of well-being for people, ordinary people. Closely related to it is the concept of exclusion from markets available in society. In general markets exclude people as consumers or buyers as well as producers and sellers if they do not have income, People excluded from the society experience the feeling if they have neither assets, physical or financial, which can be used to yield an income in the form of rent, interest, or profits. In pre and post-Independence periods the provision for reservation was made to uplift the position of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes through adequate representation who were also lagging far behind socially, educationally and as a result in employment in comparison to other members of society who were in the mainstream of society, politics and decision-making of the State as well. For this purpose, the Constitution itself provided a three-fold scheme bearing a. Protective arrangements, which required to enforce equality, to provide punitive measures for transgression, to eliminate and to eliminate established practices that perpetuate inequality; b. Affirmative action, which provided positive or preferential treatment in allotment of jobs and access to higher education for integration in the mainstream society. In Independent India the reservation for SCs and STs community was first implemented in 1950 with 12.5 percent and 5 percent respectively which later revised in proportion as 15 percent and 7.5 percent in direct recruitment in services of Central and State Government. They were getting the facility of reservation in promotion since 1954 and further in the year 1982 the government specified 15 and 7.5 percent jobs in public sector undertakings government-aided educational institutions as quota reserved for SC and ST candidates.
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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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How was a deal between Dassault and the Anil Ambani group signed even before any official announcement? All defence contracts have a mandatory anti-corruption clause “no bribery, no gift, no influence, no commission, no middlemen”. And this clause is included in the tender for purchase of fighter aircraft. Why did the Indian prime minister Modi abrogate this clause? How didGupta get hold of confidential documents belonging to the Indian negotiating Team (InT) in 2015 from the Ministry of Defence? The documents detailed the stance of Indian negotiators during the final lap of negotiation and, in particular, how they calculated the price of the aircraft. This gave a clear advantage to Dassault Aviation (Rafale). The documents included the ‘benchmark price document’ of 10 August 2015, the ‘record of discussions’ by the InT of the Defence Ministry, the ‘excel sheet of calculations made by defence ministry’ and ‘Eurofighter’s counter offer of 20 percent discount to the government of India’. A note from 24 June 2014, sent to Dassault by Gupta, offering a meeting with “the political high command” was also recovered and asked if such a meeting had taken place with the “high command” in the Modi government. Why did Modi not initiate an investigation into the role of the middleman despite recovering incriminating documents from him? It appears all governments in India pay lip service to defence reforms. Criminals are perched in Indian parliament. According to the Association of Democratic Reforms, the ruling BJP has 116 MPs or 39 percent of its winning candidates with criminal cases, followed by 29 MPs (57 percent) from the Congress. nearly half of the newly-elected Lok Sabha members have criminal charges against them, a 26 per cent increase as compared to 2014. A pauper in India can hardly aspire to become a law maker. India’s Tehelka Commission of Inquiry headed by had suggested in 2004 that a sitting Supreme Court Judge should examine all defence files since Independence. Concerned about rampant corruption in defence purchases, he desired that the proposed Supreme Court Judge should be assisted by the Central Vigilance Commission and the CBI. He stressed that unless the existing system of defence procurement was made more transparent through corrective measures, defence deals would continue to be murky. He submitted his report to thenPM Atal Behari Vajpayee. The Commission examined 15 defence deals including the AJT, Sukhoi, Barak missiles, T-90 tanks, tank navigation systems, simulators, hand-held thermal imagers, Karl Gustav rocket and Kandla-Panipat pipeline. The irregularities in the scrutinised defence deals compelled the Com-
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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mission to suggest de novo scrutiny of all defence purchases since Independence. Rampant corruption, particularly in defence purchases, is a source of deep concern, to the Indian electorate. The courts absolved then PM Rajiv Gandhi of involvement in the BOFORS scam (as the present Supreme Court absolved Modi). The BJP, then in opposition, exploited Rajiv’s acquittal as an election issue. Kuldip nayyar, in his article “The gun that misfired” (Dawn, 14 February 2004), lamented, “There was practically no discussion on Bofors-guns kickbacks in the 13th Lok Sabha which has been dissolved for early elections. Once the main target Rajiv Gandhi died, the non-Congress parties lost interest in the scam”. The mechanisms of public accountability in India have collapsed. Corruption has become a serious sociopolitical malady as politicians, bureaucracy and armed forces act in tandem to receive kickbacks. Because of lethargic investigation, the anti-corruption cases, filed in courts, drag on for years without any results. To quote a few past cases: (a) Bofors-gun case (Rs 64 crore) case was filed on January 22, 1990 and charge-sheet served on October 22, 1999. Among the accused were Rajiv Gandhi, S K Bhatnagar, W n Chaddha (middleman), Octavio, and Ardbo. The key players in the scam died before the court’s decision). (b) no recoveries could be made in the HDW submarine case (Rs 32.5 crore). The CBI later recommended closure of this case. Like Modi, the previous prime ministers kept the recommended reforms on the backburner. For instance, then Central Vigilance Commissioner P Shankar alleged (October 2003): “The CVC had submitted its defence deals report on March 31, 2001. Yet a year later, the government has not conducted the mandatory departmental inquiry to fix responsibility”. Shankar explained that the CVC had examined 75 cases apart from specific allegations made by former MP Jayant Malhoutra and Rear Admiral Suhas V Purohit Vittal. Malhoutra’s allegations were about middlemen in defence deals. After his report, the Ministry lifted the ban on agents in november 2001 to regularise the middlemen. Purohit, in his petition in the Delhi HC on a promotion case, had alleged unnecessary spare parts were bought from a cartel of suppliers instead of manufacturers, at outrageous prices and at times worth more than the original equipment. The problem is that the modus operandi of corruption ensures that it is invisible and unaccounted for. There are widespread complaints that the politicians exercise underhand influence on bureaucracy to mint money. With middlemen’s raj, the situation is unchanged even today. The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
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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
Elections: To be or not to be fair, that is the question THE noise around electoral reforms has risen to a crescendo. While the ruling coalition is bent on bringing in reforms like Electronic Voting Machines to strengthen democracy, the opposition fears that it would give further impetus to rigging. Let us suppose for a moment that our election process is completely free and fair. Is that a panacea for all the ills that impair democracy? Certainly not! Socrates argued that the world’s conception of democracy is totally flawed. He propounded a new concept called ‘intellectual democracy’. While the former grants the right to voting to every eligible citizen, the latter caters to only the skilled pool of the population. With ‘skilled’, Socrates meant educated bevy of people who are cognizant of the government structure and functioning of a nation, who are aware of the tenets of democracy, and who can analyse and astutely resolve problems. Do we fit this explanation? Regrettably, many of our denizens have no idea what a vote of no-confidence is, what external debt is, or what lies under the jurisdiction of the local governments. Many of our ministers also have shallow expertise in the fields they are designated. Is it judicious to allow these people to decide who should rule the nation? Certainly not! Socrates argued only the skilled chunk would vote for the right person. With almost 40% of our voters being illiterate, and a regressive and extremist mindset ruling the roost, the selection of an able leader by them is unlikely. AShrAf AhmEd hydErAbAd
Foreign assistance for development The debt crisis owes something to the foreign loan burden
muhammaD ZahiD rifat
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VERY country, particularly the developing countries like Pakistan, need foreign assistance in one or other form for its development and accelerating pace of economic growth and undertaking projects, programmes and policies for the welfare and well-being of its people. External resources or foreign assistance mainly comprise project loans and grants, programme loans and other loans and grants. Project loans and grants are received from friendly countries and specialized international financial institutions i.e. World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank among several others. Project loans and grants so secured are generally used for procurement of project equipment, supplies and services, etc. Programme loans are provided for budgetary support and these are linked and tied with achievement specific targets and goals of any developing country like Pakistan. Such programme loans not only help in stabilizing foreign exchange reserves but also in generating a rupee counterpart to meet the country’s development needs. Other loans mainly comprise loans secured from the Islamic Development Bank and generated through Sovereign Bonds, Sukuk Bonds etc which are received from non-traditional sources by Pakistan generally for balance of payments as well as budgetary support. The aim and objective of seeking and securing foreign or external financial assistance, as per information gathered from official sources, can in simple words stated as “promoting economic and social development in the developing countries like Pakistan”. This can also be defined as “administrative transfer of resources from a friendly donor country or one or the other International financial institutions/ agency to the developing countries with more or less specific view to encourage their economic growth”. Foreign aid or assistance can be and generally is in the form of money, goods or technical assistance and can be between two or many countries bilaterally or multilaterally, as the case may be, between countries and financial institutions. Foreign aid or assistance is also needed and required for meeting both the national economy’s balance of payments gap as well as investment gap. This is why project and technical assistance alone are not considered to be quite sufficient. Furthermore, a large part of the foreign assistance is also needed and sought in the
shape of food and commodity aid. Any assistance for projects does not simply help in financing import of capital goods and related services but also meets part of expenditures in the form of local currency. This foreign assistance or aid in the form of project, programme and technical assistance accompanied by commodity imports also help in generating counterpart local currency funds that in turn are utilized for financing the country’s development expenditures. As a matter of fact, many developing countries like Pakistan do not have sufficient funds on their own for providing public goods and services such as education, transportation systems or clean water and waste disposal facilities for the people at large. Although such goods are essentially needed and required for development, on the other hand their economic rate of return is also so uncertain that private investors are unwilling to provide funds on a large scale. Foreign assistance or aid also substitutes private in those instances, providing the funds for investment in public goods that the international market will not supply to the developing countries or show willingness for supply but rather at a higher interest rate. In principle, foreign aid is a major source of capital, fueling the growth of developing countries and helping in promoting economic and human resources development. Foreign assistance or aid is good, so to say, if it is the result of financing investment appropriately in productive capacity. Increasing output allows debt and interest to be repaid. If the foreign aid is for financing current account deficit and consumption, then there is no net investment and resultant future economic growth as such. In such situations, foreign assistance becomes not only a burden but huge burden depending on the amounts so involved. As such, an effective and efficient external debt management with the objective for ensuring that the foreign assistance is utilized efficiently, effectively and honestly for the purposes secured by the government and not a single penny is wasted or allowed to go down the drain. Foreign assistance or aid is only useful if it is utilized productively and efficiently, irrespective of from which source it is coming, otherwise developing countries like Pakistan are most likely to face a financial crisis and are caught up in a serious debt trap. This is the situation of economic crisis which Pakistan is currently facing and trying to overcome with the help of friendly countries at the earliest possible. The sequence of events in financial crisislike situations can, generally speaking, be a) as debt liabilities rise without corresponding increase in revenue, as the government would obviously need to set aside an increasing share of budgetary resources for debt service, b) the level of debt service would soon begin to adversely
Soaring diabetes cases
affect the routing of the government expenditure, often requiring additional borrowings to meet the rising contractual payment obligations, c) the country would slowly slide into debt trap and for countering such situation more and more borrowings would be required to serve the accumulated debt thus creating a vicious circle, d) the rising debt service obligations would eventually lead to default, THAT IS, the inability of the country to honour its principal and interest payments commitments, and e) the default in such cases is generally followed by prolonged negotiations with the creditors, both individually and collectively such as the Paris Club or London Club, leading to rescheduling/restructuring/writing off of external debt and in these unpleasant developments, the relief programmes usually include reform conditions to redeem the government finances and put the national economy back on the track. As stated above, foreign assistance or aid commitments made by friendly countries and international financial institutions and banks in some cases every now and then either go up and or go downward causing anxious moments of worries for the economic managers team. For financial year 2021-22, for which figures are now officially available, Pakistan’s total external loans and grants have been estimated at Rs 2747,691.647 million, including all foreign assistance loans and grants for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP)of the Federal Government and outside PSDP. Total external resources for financial year2020-21 were budgeted at Rs 222,2919.000 million and revised figures were slightly higher and placed at Rs 2286,858.519 million. needless to say, the foreign assistance is secured for development projects of federal and provincial governments and also for autonomous institutions including WAPDA, Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and the national Highway Authority (nHA). Pakistan’s 27 development partners, that is, lending countries, agencies and other sources of funds generation in alphabetic order include Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), China, Commercial Banks, EIB, Sukuk Bond, European Union, France, Germany, GAVI , International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD-World Bank), International Development Association (IDA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Multiple Donors Trust Fund (MDTF), Oman, OFID, Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC), Saudi Arabia, Turkish Exim Bank, United Kingdom (UK) and the USA.
The foreign assistance is secured for development projects of federal and provincial governments and also for autonomous institutions including WAPDA, Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and the National Highway Authority (NHA).
The writer can zahidriffat@gmail.com
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IT is true that Covid-19 is still spreading and causing countless deaths all over the world. But, it is important that we do not forget about other harmful diseases that have been plaguing us for a long time. Diabetes is one of them. Pakistan is witnessing a surge in cases of diabetes, having increased by a staggering 70% since 2019, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Diabetes is a chronic disease that can occur when the pancreas is not able to make insulin. There are two types of diabetes. Type-1 generally affects people of lower age groups, especially children. The average age of children diagnosed with type-1 is 13 years, which in itself is quite alarming. Symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, hunger, fatigue, irritability, unintentional weight loss, fruity-smelling breath and blurred vision. These symptoms can be paired up with the slow healing of wounds for type-2 diabetes. A person experiencing these signs should see a doctor at the earliest and seek medical advice because the outcome for children with diabetes improves significantly when detected at an early stage. Obesity among children is one of the leading causes of diabetes. According to recent studies, approximately 10 million Pakistani children from 8-10 years of age are likely to develop diabetes because of their unhealthy diet and sugary. This can prove to be fatal in the long run as patients tend to suffer from cardiovascular diseases or chronic renal failure later on in life. The government must take immediate measures to spread awareness. On the other hand, parents must ensure that their children are physically active for at least 1-2 hours every day. NEElAm yASir KArAchi
Cat’s eyes WHILE the rest of the world is steering out of outmoded things, Pakistan is still clinging to the old-fashioned modes. This includes the use of ‘cat’s eyes’ or ‘road studs’ that are commonly used to slow down the speed of vehicles. They are used across the country as a tool to reduce fatal accidents, however, they have proven contrary to their purpose. Most developed countries banned the use of cat’s eyes to ensure minimal accidents and resorted to alternative means to curb accidents. Even in Pakistan, the installation of cat’s eyes has caused significant damage to both vehicles and human lives. Recently, on my way back home I saw a motorbike horrendously skid off from the studs. The two riders sustained several injuries as they landed on the sharp edges of the studs. Research has revealed that tire manufacturing giants order their free installations on purpose in a bid to distort wheel alignment and balancing. This ultimately compels the car or bike owners to visit the companies for maintenance. Such tactics by manufacturers have put the lives of people in extreme danger. The manufacturers should be liable to punishment for such malpractices. The Supreme Court has already banned its use, but the relevant authorities have done little to implement the court’s orders. Authorities need to work for strict compliance to judicial orders so that the writ of the judiciary is respected. Reflectors at roadsides can be used in lieu of road studs at night for direction or rubber-made road studs with round corners can be used. There is an urgent need to overhaul the road infrastructure and modern means should be used. michAEl SAmuEl rAwAlpiNdi
Smog and Air Pollution AIR pollution is becoming a major problem in Pakistan and neighbouring countries. The regular burning of crop residues by farmers has contributed to the deteriorating air quality. Lahore is more affected by the smoke from residue because of its proximity to the Indian border and local agricultural lands. The smog situation in Lahore is continuously worsening. According to the data obtained from the air quality monitoring devices, the air quality index of Lahore reached 580 several times this month. The Smog Commission in Lahore suggested that air pollution cannot be controlled or reduced by focusing on Lahore alone. It is imperative that the Punjab Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) set up 30 air quality testing stations across the province to assess the situation and access information. However, at present, there is only data available from two stations on the EPA Punjab website. To reduce air pollution, ordinary citizens must also undertake precautionary measures in line with the information being provided to them. Prime Minister Imran Khan said that controlling air pollution is the government’s top priority. However, it is important to ensure that the issued policies are being implemented as well. The government must set up stations across the country to check air pollution and strictly monitor the use of substandard fuels, smoke vehicles, brick kilns, etc. on an emergency basis. SAddAm, bAbAr SolANgi iSlAmAbAd
08 WORLD VIEW 20th November 21_Layout 1 11/19/2021 10:29 PM Page 1
Saturday, 20 November, 2021
08 WORLD VIEW
Smog of demoCRACy — wHy AiR Pollution iS not A PolitiCAl iSSue AIR POLLUTION OR CLIMATE CHANGE WILL NOT BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE BY ITSELF, NO MATTER HOW ACUTE THE PROBLEM. IT HAS TO BE MADE INTO AN ISSUE
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YoGENdRA YAdAV
HY is air pollution not a political issue? If this thought crossed your mind last week, you are not alone. If you happen to live in the National Capital Region, you just had to look at yourself and your neighbours to notice bouts of coughing, breathlessness and eye irritation. Or just look outside the window. Thanks to media headlines over the last few days, a sizeable population is reasonably paranoid, as it should be, about Delhi’s AQI levels. Why, then, are democratically elected governments not equally concerned? This is not a lazy, naïve or moral question, but a genuine puzzle. This is not a routine indictment of politics and politicians for being corrupt and short-sighted, etc. Everyday quotidian politics is like a market. Just as a business works for profit, a political entrepreneur works for power. Just as we don’t expect a shopkeeper to suffer losses to serve customers, we should not expect run-of-themill political leaders and parties to risk losing elections in order to serve the people. Political parties and political leaders do what they get rewarded for and desist from doing what they may be punished for. They don’t act honestly and wisely, since they have little
electoral incentive to do so. Air pollution is different. Or so it would seem. Air quality is not a remote, invisible issue that escapes attention. You do not need the media to see it. It does not take medical knowledge to see that smog affects your health. Air quality is not just a temporary illness, it compromises lifespan. If there is one thing every voter needs desperately, it is clean air. So, political entrepreneurs should rush to meet this need, claim credit and enhance their electoral prospects. At least the logic of political marketing would suggest that. Yet politics doesn’t follow this logic. What happened in the Supreme Court last week has become an annual ritual: Delhi has pollution emergency, the government wakes up after the redline is crossed, someone rushes to court and the court gives a dressing down. And we wait for next year. While there can be a debate about the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government’s performance in other areas, not even its friends would accuse the Arvind Kejriwal government of having done a thing about improving air quality. During the last six years, the number of DTC buses has gone down. Metro fares have become prohibitive. Last-mile connectivity continues to be nonexistent. Except for cheap gimmicks like smog towers, the Kejriwal government has not even tried to be seen doing anything
How authoritarians, despots and ‘autocrats’ are prevailing all over the world alternet
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ALEx HENdERSoN
LTHOUGH the 20th Century had more than its share of human rights abuses — from communism in the Soviet Union, Maoist China and Cambodia to a long list of farright fascist dictatorships in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa — it was also a century in which liberal democracy prevailed in many places that once had authoritarian rule. But during the 21st Century, far-right authoritarianism has been on the rise in many places that were democratic in the past, from Turkey to post-communist Hungary to the Philippines. Journalist Anne Applebaum takes an in-depth look at this trend in a disturbing essay recently published by The Atlantic. Applebaum is not optimistic in her article. The journalist warns that authoritarians are winning in many countries, including Belarus — and she offers extensive analysis of Belarus’ strongman president, Alexander Lukashenko. Applebaum, stresses, however, that the model of far-right authoritarianism one sees with Lukashenko differs from the fascist model of the 20th Century in that many of 2021’s despots and tyrants pretend to favor voting rights in their countries when in reality, they don’t. “All of us have in our minds a cartoon image of what an autocratic state looks like,” Applebaum explains. “There is a bad man at the top. He controls the police. The police threaten the people with violence. There are evil collaborators, and maybe some brave dissidents. But in the 21st Century, that cartoon bears little resemblance to reality. Nowadays, autocracies are run not by one bad guy, but by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, security services — military, police, paramilitary groups, surveillance — and professional propagandists.” Applebaum continues, “The members of these networks are connected not only within a given country, but among many countries. The corrupt, state-controlled companies in one dictatorship do business with corrupt, state-controlled companies in another. The police in one country can arm, equip and train the police in another. The propagandists share resources — the troll farms that promote one dictator’s propaganda can also be used to promote the prop-
aganda of another — and themes, pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.” Indeed, the far-right authoritarians of 2021 — Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán — do not enjoy dictator-for-life status in the way that Spain’s Francisco “El Generalísimo” Franco or Chile’s Gen. Augusto Pinochet did during the 20th Century. Franco seized control of Spain following the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s and stayed in power until his death in 1975. Technically, Erdogan or Orbán, in contrast, could be voted out of office. But as Applebaum explains, they have undermined the systems of checks and balances in their countries so much that voting them out of office is extremely difficult. For that matter, MAGA Republicans — by undermining voting rights, trying to seize control of bipartisan election boards and making false claims of widespread voter fraud — have been trying to implement the Orbán/Putin/Lukashenko/Erdogan model in the United States. There’s a reason why MAGA Republicans have such intense hatred for Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger even though all of them are right-wing conservatives: Cheney, Romney and Raffensperger, as right-wing and Ronald Reagan-inspired as they are, at least acknowledge President Joe Biden as the loyal opposition. Steve Bannon and other Donald Trump allies don’t believe in the concept of loyal opposition. Applebaum concludes her article by warning that the Biden Administration needs to fight authoritarianism as aggressively as it can around the world — and that includes home-grown authoritarians in the U.S. “If America ceases to interest itself in the fate of other democracies and democratic movements, then autocracies will quickly take our place as sources of influence, funding, and ideas,” Applebaum warns. “If Americans, together with our allies, fail to fight the habits and practices of autocracy abroad, we will encounter them at home; indeed, they are already here. If Americans don’t help to hold murderous regimes to account, those regimes will retain their sense of impunity. They will continue to steal, blackmail, torture and intimidate inside their countries — and inside ours.”
against air pollution. It hasn’t bothered to spend the tax collected in the name of environment. In retrospect, Sheila Dixit’s introduction of CNG was the only serious step by an elected government in Delhi to improve the quality of the air that its voters breathe. To be fair to the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Narendra Modi government fare no better. The MCD has done almost nothing to control waste burning or construction-related pollution. The Modi government, ever so keen to snatch powers from Kejriwal, is happy to file affidavits in the Supreme Court, and do nothing else. Here, then, is the question for you: How come governments don’t care for something that routinely affects not just an overwhelming majority but every single voter? How can political parties turn a blind eye to an issue concerning life and death of the largest possible vote bank? This is a puzzle not just for you and me but also for democratic theory. You cannot resolve this puzzle unless you recognise that there is nothing magical about the mechanism called democracy. There is no reason why democracy will fulfil the real need, even the deepest need, of an overwhelming portion of or the entire population. Democratic politics may respond to the needs of a majority, but only under certain conditions. The glossy advertisement for democracy tends
to hide the small print that “conditions apply”. AWARENESS, ARTICULATION, AGGREGATION — ALTERNATIVE: Babasaheb Ambedkar hinted at these conditions when he exhorted his followers to “educate, organise and agitate” and make use of democratic spaces for the marginalised section. You need to reformulate these somewhat to tackle the air pollution issue. First of all, competitive politics responds to demand, and not just needs. Except for some visionary political leaders, a politician need not respond to what the voters need, unless their need is articulated in the form of a clear demand. This requires a clear awareness and articulation. Voters must be able to connect the consequences to the cause: The visible fact of pollution to the inaction by the governments. And they must not keep it to themselves, but express it publicly. The first condition is: Voters must speak up on air pollution. The second condition is aggregation of demands. In politics, demand is necessary but not sufficient. Some or many individuals shouting aloud is not an answer. Someone needs to bring together these demands and mobilise the disparate groups who favour the demand. Except for very smart and sensitive politicians who can anticipate a demand before it is presented to them, ordinary politicians do not move unless threatened by collective action. So the second condition is:
Learn to organise. Form mohalla committees, air quality monitors’ groups and collective strategies to name and shame leaders and bureaucrats responsible for this mess. Finally, such collective action may take you some distance but that is no guarantee of decisive and effective action. Mere criticism doesn’t move voters unless they see tangible and effective alternatives. Corruption has always existed and has been critiqued, but it becomes a decisive electoral issue only when a leader or a party that is seen to be honest is in the electoral fray. The same holds true for air quality or for environment in general. Ordinary voters may be sick and tired or even disgusted with the government’s performance, but this issue can become decisive only when another political party takes this up on its agenda and offers a credible alternative plan of action. Here is the third condition: An alternative both in terms of policies and politics. Air pollution or climate change will not become a political issue by itself, no matter how acute the problem. It has to be made into an issue. You and I have to clear the smog of democracy through awarenessbuilding, public articulation, smart aggregation and presentation of alternatives. Yogendra Yadav is among the founder of Jai Kisan Andolan and Swaraj India.
Russia’s Communist Party comeback
Project Syndicate
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NINA L KHRUSHCHEVA
little over a year ago, while on sabbatical from the American university where I teach, I returned to my hometown, Moscow. I didn’t exactly arrive in a bastion of free speech. But it was a place where some freedom still remained. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny traveled around the country, attempting to muster support for politicians who were not under the Kremlin’s thumb. Popular protests took place. Independent NGOs operated in the country. Journalists and analysts did not necessarily toe the Kremlin line. And the Communist Party was widely viewed as a relic of the past. Since then, Navalny has been imprisoned and the protest movement he mobilized has been crushed. His anti-corruption foundation has been outlawed for “extremism,” and its members are under investigation or in exile. Virtually every day, another journalist, media outlet, humanrights advocate, or independent organization is listed as a “foreign agent” or — worse –— an “undesirable.” Russia’s descent into “unfreedom” over the last year was steep, but not far. For example, the law under which the foreignagent designations were made was enacted in 2012, with the aim of disrupting or discrediting organizations or people engaging in “political activity” while receiving funding from abroad. But the law’s application has become increasingly arbitrary, to the point that a retweet is now grounds for being branded a foreign agent. (The “undesirable” label gets you outlawed altogether.) This year alone, a record 101 entities have been added to the list of foreign agents. The total of 359 includes 88 media-related individuals and organizations. According to the Russian government, these “agents” must be listed, because they “influence state politics.” Influencing pol-
itics is of course a core purpose of both journalism and advocacy work. And that’s the problem: Though President Vladimir Putin has positioned himself to remain in control of Russian politics for the foreseeable future, he views criticism as an existential threat. Amid all this silencing and persecution, an unlikely group has survived and become the Kremlin’s only real opposition: the Communist Party. Thanks largely to Navalny’s “smart voting” strategy — whereby voters are urged to support whoever has the best chance of beating a Kremlin-backed candidate — Communists performed strongly in September’s parliamentary and regional elections. Officially, Communist Party candidates took 18.9% of the popular vote for the State Duma (parliament), compared to nearly 49.8% for the Kremlin’s United Russia party. But the Communists refused to recognize the results, insisting that the vote was rigged. And, indeed, some experts estimate that they should have gotten around 30% of the vote, with United Russia taking about 35%. It seems that, for many Russians, Communists are now more respectable than Putin. But this is not the Communist Party of old. Far from denying themselves all earthly pleasures, Party members can be seen wearing fur coats, traveling abroad, driving foreign cars and using social media. Some — like the charismatic farming executive Pavel Grudinin (who was barred from running in September’s election) — are millionaires. And while the party is still led by the 77-year-old Gennady Zyuganov, it is increasingly supported — and shaped — by younger members. Consider Nikolai Bondarenko. Nicknamed the “Red Navalny,” the 36-year-old Bondarenko was highly critical of the poorly designed pension reform of 2018. More recently, when a regional minister suggested that Russians should be able to “eat well” on a measly 3,500 rubles ($50) per month, Bondarenko documented his efforts to prove her wrong on his YouTube channel. Despite threats to bar him from elections, Bondarenko was allowed to run in the State Duma election. Despite the support of Navalny’s smart-voting system, he lost to the United Russia candidate. But his potential should not be dismissed: He recently headlined a protest in which he accused United Russia of a “state and government takeover.” Then there is the 43-year-old Anastasia Udaltsova. Like Bondarenko, she improbably lost the last election. But she remains
highly — and increasingly — popular. Yet another rising star, the elegant Ekaterina Engalycheva, was elected to the Moscow City Duma in 2019, thanks to smart voting. Somewhat ironically, the Communist Party’s modern makeover reflects a yearning for the past: In 1917, Lenin’s Bolsheviks promised justice and equality, delivered by a state that, while strict, was merciful and just. Moreover, like the liberal Navalny, today’s Communists represent a vision of predictability and consistency, in which people are not subject to the whims of one man. It is based on this logic that all opponents of the Kremlin are increasingly joining forces: This is the “united Russia” that can stand up to Putin’s United Russia. This approach is not exclusive to Russia. In the Czech Republic’s recent parliamentary elections, Andrej Babis — also known as the Czech Donald Trump — was unseated as prime minister because a coalition of opposition groups put aside their ideological differences to form the Together Coalition, whose leader, Petr Fiala, will likely head the new government. As Fiala put it, “People were fed up with the populist” and wanted “normal, competent and decent politics.” Hungary’s opposition, too, is fielding a unity candidate for prime minister in next year’s parliamentary election, as well as a single electoral list. Of course, the Czech Republic is still a democracy, so Babis is preparing to move into opposition. Unseating Putin will be far more difficult, and more sweeping measures aimed at crushing the Communist Party can be expected. But this approach also carries its own risks for the Kremlin. The fact that the president is claiming that Russian democracy “hasn’t died,” pointing to the country’s “lively opposition” as proof, shows that he has an interest in at least pretending not to have led Russia to near-totalitarianism. Putin says he just wants stability. But his regime is pushing Russia toward greater instability. If the Kremlin drives the Communist Party underground by devising and implementing rules capriciously, as it has done to Russia’s liberals, the risk of a social explosion will grow. And if it decides against repression, Russia’s Communists — yes, the Communists — could become a force to be reckoned with. Nina L. Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at The New School, is the co-author (with Jeffrey Tayler), most recently, of “In Putin’s Footsteps: Searching for the Soul of an Empire Across Russia’s Eleven Time Zones.”
Saturday, 20 November, 2021 | LAHORE
NEWS
WB says Pakistan's remittances have grown by 26pc in current year ISLAMABAD app
Compared to the overall growth of 8 per cent in remittances of South Asia, remittances of Pakistan grew by 26pc during the current year until now, according to estimates from the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief released on Friday. “Pakistan had another year of record remittances with growth at 26pc and levels reaching $33 billion in 2021,” says the report. In addition to the common drivers, the government’s ‘Pakistan Remittance Initiative’ to support transmission through formal channels attracted large inflows, it says, adding that Afghanistan’s fragile situation emerged as an unexpected cause of remittances intended for Afghan refugees in Pakistan as well as for families in Afghanistan. According to the report, overall remittances to South Asia likely grew around 8pc to $159 billion in 2021. Higher oil prices aided economic recovery and drove the spike in remittances from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries which employ over half of South Asia’s migrants. Economic recovery and stimulus programs in the United States also contributed to the growth. In India, remittances advanced by an estimated 4.6pc in 2021 to reach $87 billion, according to the report. Remittances is the dominant source of foreign exchange for the region, with receipts more than twice as large as FDI in 2021. On remittance costs, the report states that South Asia had the lowest average costs of any world region at 4.6pc but sending money to the region through official channels is expensive compared with informal channels which remain popular. Cost-reducing policies would create a win-win situation welcomed by migrants and South Asian governments alike, the report suggested. The report says, remittances to low and middle-income countries are projected to have grown a strong 7.3pc to reach $589 billion by the end of 2021. This return to growth is more robust than earlier estimates and follows the resilience of flows in 2020 when remittances declined by only 1.7pc despite a severe global recession due to COVID-19, according to the brief. For a second consecutive year, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (excluding China) are expected to surpass the sum of foreign direct investment (FDI) and overseas development assistance (ODA). This underscores the importance of remittances in providing a critical lifeline by supporting household spending on essential items such as food, health, and education during periods of economic hardship in migrants’ countries of origin. “Remittance flows from migrants have greatly complemented government cash transfer programs to support families suffering economic hardships during the COVID-19 crisis. Facilitating the flow of remittances to provide relief to strained household budgets should be a key component of government policies to support a global recovery from the pandemic,” World Bank Global Director for Social Protection and Jobs Michal Rutkowski said. Factors contributing to the strong growth in remittance are migrants’ determination to support their families in times of need, aided by economic recovery in Europe and the United States which in turn was supported by the fiscal stimulus and employment support programs. In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Russia, the recovery of outward remittances was also facilitated by stronger oil prices and the resulting pickup in economic activity. Although remittances registered strong growth in most regions as flows increased by 21.6pc in Latin America and the Caribbean, 9.7pc in Middle East and North Africa, 8pc in South Asia, 6.2pc in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.3pc in Europe and Central Asia, in East Asia and the Pacific; however, remittances fell by 4pc – though excluding China, remittances registered a gain of 1.4pc in the region. Moreover, remittances are projected to continue to grow by 2.6pc in 2022 in line with global macroeconomic forecasts. A resurgence of COVID-19 cases and reimposition of mobility restrictions poses the biggest downside risk to the outlook for global growth, employment and remittance flows to developing countries. The report concludes that the rollback of fiscal stimulus and employment-support programs, as economies recover, may also dampen remittance flows.
No gas suPPly to CNg statioNs oN suNdays: ssgC KARACHI
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HE Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on Friday announced there shall be no gas supply to the compressed natural gas (CNG) stations every Sunday for 24 hours. According to the SSGC authorities, the gas supply will remain suspended to the CNG stations from 8 am (Sunday) to 8 am (Monday). In the first phase, the gas supply to CNG stations will remain suspended for 24 hours, the closure schedule can be extended upon the increase in the demand of the gas. Earlier on Thursday, a sub-committee of the federal cabinet on Energy headed by Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar had announced to shut gas supply to the CNG sector in order to overcome shortages to household consumers. During the meeting headed by Asad Umar, a detailed briefing was given on demand and supply of gas in the winter season along with load management options available with the
government. The meeting approved measures to safeguard the household consumers from being hit by the gas shortage and decided to ensure uninterrupted supply to them. The meeting decided that the gas supply from the captive power plants would be diverted to household users besides also disconnecting the supply to the CNG sector. Rather than the CNG sector, the meeting decided to ensure gas supply to the export sector. The cabinet body on energy also
LAHORE All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Chairman Abdul Rahim Nasir has rejected the sudden hike in gas prices from $6.5/MMBTU to $9/MMBTU for export oriented units. He was addressing a hurriedly-called press conference at APTMA House here on Friday and was accompanied by the Chairman Northern Zone Hamid Zaman, Senior Vice Chairman Kamran Arshad and APTMA Secretary General Raza Baqir. Nasir said this upward revision in gas tariff was in contradiction of the commitment given by the federal government for continuous supply of gas/RLNG on $6.5/MMBTU. “The Regionally Competitive Energy Tariff (RCET) provided by the current government over the past 3 years has yielded
mulled over a summary regarding an oil storage facility in Kemari and established a committee to be headed by SAPM on CPEC to look into the matter. On November 12, a report quoted Federal Energy Minister Hammad Azhar saying that in order to meet natural gas shortages in the country, domestic consumers will be supplied gas three times a day for cooking only. Speaking in the Senate, the minister said the gas will be available at the time of breakfast, lunch and dinner, re-
jecting reports that the commodity would be provided thrice a week. Talking about the government’s efforts to minimise gas shortages, he said talks with Russia on a gas pipeline are moving forward. A Russian delegation toured Pakistan a few days ago, he pointed out, adding it would again visit Pakistan for a new round of talks on the matter in the next two to three days. Hammad Azhar said the country has secured 11 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the months of November and December.
Govt pledges stable gas supply to exporters in winter ISLAMABAD: Amid an expected shortfall in the country, Hammad Azhar, Minister of Energy has assured the exporters of all provinces that the government would maintain the gas supply during winters. In a meeting with export sector, the minister said, “in return, exporters would shut down inefficient private power plants and bring them to the national grid.” Two days ago, in the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, it was discussed that industrial activities will be the focus of gas management plans, especially in the export sector, with the petroleum division informing the meeting that the growing demand for domestic consumers will be met through savings from captive power plants. tLtp
Central bank accuses banks of involvement in currency speculation
Wheat sowing being done as per schedule, food minister told ISLAMABAD staff report
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has expressed serious concerns over speculation by banks in the currency business, saying they were involved in the multibillionrupee game, amid a sharp decline in the value of the local currency. According to a report by Dawn in this regard, a high-level meeting, chaired by SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir and attended by presidents of at least ten to twelve banks, was held in the State Bank on Thursday. Media reports state that the central bank confronted banks
for engaging in speculative trade in the forex market, and warned them to stay away from the activity, as it pushed to curb speculation and prevent the rupee’s free fall. “The SBP has warned banks against such type of practices, otherwise strong action will be taken against them,” a report by The News stated quoting sources. It is pertinent to mention here that the rupee has been described by international currerncy watchers as the worst performer this year, falling 13.4 per cent against
APTMA rejects hike in gas price shahab omer
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outstanding results. The industry has delivered to the nation by investing Rs450 billion in machinery for capacity enhancement as per commitment. This has resulted in an increase of $500 million in exports each and every month in FY22 so far. But the new projected investment of $5 billion, setting up of 100 new plants and addition of at least 500,000 new jobs with 90 percent of them in Punjab would all be jeopardized,” he said Chairman added that the textile industry’s commitment to increase exports by $7.5 billion by the end of fiscal year 2021-22 over the fiscal year 2017-18 has become a reality. He further added that the present government’s visionary, progressive, and pro-export policies have enabled unprecedented textile export growth and the textile exports have increased by 27 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year. “A comparison of gas tariff in the region with Pakistan in a study conducted by PIDE
suggests that gas to the export-oriented sector is available at $4.05/MMBTU in Bangladesh and $5.19/MMBTU in India. In the textile sector the component of energy costs account for roughly 18 percent of final product value. An increase of $2.5/mmbtu would result in around 5 percent hike in the final cost,” he added. Speaking to the media, the chairman northern zone emphasized the point that the textile industry operates on a very slim margin of 3 to 4 percent, and the present rise gas tariff only for the industry located in Punjab would render it uncompetitive and unserviceable not only globally but also in the local market. “It will lead to large scale closures and resultantly unemployment. The tariff increase only for industries in Punjab is also against the principle of promissory estoppel which protects previous agreements and contracts,” Zaman apprehended.
the dollar since the beginning of the current fiscal year (FY22). Earlier, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin while blaming the same on banks had said that speculative elements would be disappointed as the rupee could appreciate due to the revival of the IMF bailout soon. Moreover, the SBP is likely to make a sharp move in the interest rates while announcing its monetary policy today in a bid to control the surging inflation. monitoring report
Federal Minister of National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam on Friday was informed that wheat sowing all across the country was being carried out as per schedule and that provinces were on track to meet the assigned wheat targets. In this regard, Imam conducted a high level meeting with his provincial counterparts to monitor the ongoing sowing of wheat in the country. The meeting was attended by Punjab agriculture minister Hussain Jahania Gardezi in addition with representation from all provinces. The federal food minister was briefed that wheat sowing in Punjab stood at 51 per cent, 42pc in Sindh, 40pc in KP and 40pc in Balochistan. Further, Fakhar Imam inquired if there were any outstanding issues that the provincial agriculture departments were facing in order to meet the assigned targets. He was briefed that the certified seed of wheat is sufficiently available with all provinces. The food minister said that it is imperative that a track and trace system is established to ensure maximum productivity of the agri sector in the country. He praised the efforts of Punjab Agriculture Minister Hussain Jahania Gardezi in ensuring that the farmers sow wheat seeds timely. Gardezi briefed Fakhar Imam that the government of Punjab had also conducted numerous seminars to create awareness in addition with partnering with five agricultural universities of the province to mobilise agricultural students to ensure proper sowing of wheat seeds.
Saturday, 20 November, 2021 | LAHORE
10 fOREigN NEwS
IndIa’S ModI baCkS down on farM reforMS In SUrPrISe vICtory for ProteSterS gHAZIABAD
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NDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday he would repeal controversial farm laws that farmers have protested for more than a year, a significant climbdown for the combative leader. The sudden concession on the three laws comes ahead of elections early next year in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and two other northern states with large rural populations. “Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws,” Modi said in an address to the nation. “In the parliament session starting later this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal these three agricultural laws.” The legislation, introduced in September last year, was aimed at deregulating the sector, allowing farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets, where growers are assured of a minimum price. Farmers, fearing the overhaul would cut the prices they get for their crops, staged nationwide protests that drew in activists and celebrities from outside India, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and US singer Rihanna. Modi’s capitulation leaves unresolved a complex system of farm subsidies and price supports that critics say the government cannot afford. It could also raise questions for investors about how economic policy is being overwhelmed by political interests.
Many of the biggest protests are centred around the capital New Delhi, where farmers have been camped by the roadside since last November, demanding the laws’ repeal. Rakesh Tikait, a farmers’ group leader, said the protests were not being called off. “We will wait for parliament to repeal the
laws,” he said on Twitter. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government said last year that there was no question of repealing the laws. It attempted to break the impasse with farmer groups by offering to dilute the legislation, but protracted negotiations failed.
Violent turn: The protests took a violent turn on Jan 26, India’s Republic Day, when thousands of farmers overwhelmed police and went on to storm the historic Red Fort in New Delhi after tearing down barricades and driving tractors through roadblocks. One protester was killed and scores of
US warns China after South China Sea standoff with Philippines
Britain outlaws Palestinian group Hamas LONDON ReuteRs
Britain’s interior minister Priti Patel on Friday said she had banned the Palestinian group Hamas in a move that brings the UK’s stance on Gaza’s rulers in line with the United States and the European Union. “Hamas has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities,” Patel said in a statement. “That is why today I have acted to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.” The organisation will be banned under the Terrorism Act
and that anyone expressing support for Hamas, flying its flag or arranging meetings for the organisation would be in breach of the law, the interior ministry confirmed. Patel is expected to present the change to parliament next week. Hamas – full name the ‘Islamic Resistance Movement’ – has political and military wings. Founded in 1987, it opposes the existence of Israel and ‘peace talks’, instead advocating “armed resistance” against Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Until now Britain had banned only its military arm — the Izz alDin al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas political official Sami Abu Zuhri said Britain’s move
showed “absolute bias toward the Israeli occupation and is a submission to Israeli blackmail and dictations.” “Resisting occupation by all available means, including armed resistance, is a right granted to people under occupation as stated by the international law,” said Hamas in a separate statement. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett welcomed the decision, saying in a Twitter post: “Hamas is a terrorist organisation, simply put. The ‘political arm’ enables its military activity.” Hamas and Israel clashed most recently in a deadly 11-day conflict in May. ‘Strengthening tieS’: Interior minister Patel was forced
farmers and policemen were injured. Small farmers say the changes make them vulnerable to competition from big business and that they could eventually lose price support for staples such as wheat and rice. The government says reform of the sector, which accounts for about 15 per cent of the $2.7 trillion economy, means new opportunities and better prices for farmers. “The government failed to convince small groups of farmers of its intentions,” Modi said in a speech after greeting the country on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Many of the protesting farmers are Sikh. “We welcome the announcement made by the prime minister, but we need to know the government’s stand on our other key demand of making (minimum support prices) compulsory for all crops,” said Darshan Pal, another farmers’ leader. Minimum support prices are state-set prices at which the government buys rice and wheat from farmers. The expanded demand for minimum prices on all crops has gained traction among farmers from across the country, not just the northern grain belt. Opposition parties congratulated the farmers. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, India’s main opposition party, said their firm stand forced the “arrogant” government to concede. “Whether it was fear of losing UP or facing up to conscience, the BJP govt rolls back farm laws. Just the beginning of many more victories for peoples voices.” Mahua Moitra, a lawmaker from the Trinamool Congress Party and one of Modi’s staunchest critics, said on Twitter.
to resign as Britain’s international development secretary in 2017 after she failed to disclose meetings with senior Israeli officials during a private holiday to the country, including then-opposition leader Yair Lapid. Lapid, now Israel’s foreign minister, hailed the decision on Hamas as “part of strengthening ties with Britain.” Hamas is on the US list of designated foreign terrorist organisations. The European Union also deems it a terrorist movement. Based in Gaza, Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, defeating its nationalist rival Fatah. It seized military control of Gaza the following year.
MANILA ReuteRs
The United States on Friday warned China after a standoff in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, saying it stood by Manila amid an “escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability”. Beijing “should not interfere with lawful Philippine activities in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone”, US State Department Ned Price said in a statement. On Thursday, the Philippines condemned “in strongest terms” the actions of three Chinese coast guard vessels that it said blocked and used water cannon on resupply boats headed towards a Philippine-occupied atoll in the South China Sea. “The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms that an armed attack on Philippine public vessels in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments,” Price said. “The United States strongly believes that PRC (People’s Republic of China) actions asserting its expansive and unlawful South China Sea maritime claims undermine peace and security in the region,” he added. The incident came as US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed a range of issues in a three-hour video call.
VP Kamala Harris to become first woman to get presidential powers AgeNcIes President Joe Biden will transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris during the “brief” time on Friday he is under anaesthesia for a colonoscopy as part of a regular health check, the White House said. Biden, the oldest person to hold the presidency in US history, went to the Walter Reed Medical Centre just outside of Washington early Friday on the eve of his 79th birthday. The White House described the appointment as Biden’s “routine annual physical”. It was his first since taking office in January. During a colonoscopy examination, Biden will be anaesthetised and as in past practice, the vice-president will assume power, which includes control over the US armed forces and the nuclear weapons arsenal. President Biden will transfer power to the vice-president for the brief period of time when he is under anaesthesia. The vice pres-
ident will work from her office in the West Wing during this time,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. Harris, 57, is the first woman to hold the vice presidency and made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party nomination in 2020, before being picked as Biden’s running mate. Psaki noted that a similar temporary transfer of power, “following the process set out in the Constitution”, had been carried out when president George W. Bush underwent the same procedure in 2002 and 2007. Psaki said that a written “summary” of the findings from the president’s exam would be released “later this afternoon”. Any details on Biden’s health are sure to be closely watched, given speculation on whether he will stand by his stated intention to seek a second term in 2024. Biden pledged before his election a year ago to be “totally transparent” with voters about all aspects of his health. In a letter released by his election cam-
paign in December 2019, Biden’s physician had described him as “a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency”. Biden does not smoke or drink, and prior to his election worked out at least five days per week, according to the letter. He was vaccinated early on against Covid-19, and received a booster shot in September. The health check comes at a crucial moment in his presidency, with the House of Representatives adopting Biden’s huge “Build Back Better” social spending agenda. Earlier this week, Biden signed into law another package to fund the biggest national infrastructure revamp in more than half a century. The twin victories come after weeks of falling approval ratings for Biden and setbacks for his Democratic party ahead of next year’s midterm elections when the Republicans are widely predicted to take control of
at least the lower house of Congress. After returning from hospital, Biden was due to participate in the annual tradition of issuing a presidential “pardon” to a turkey,
with the bird being spared from next week’s Thanksgiving meals. He was then due to fly to his family home in Delaware for the weekend.
Saturday, 20 Novemer, 2021 | LAHORE
SPORTS 11
PAkiStAn thrASh BAnglAdeSh By four wicketS in firSt t20i AFP
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AkISTAN were able to beat Bangladesh by four wickets in the first T20I of a threematch series in Dhaka on Friday, courtesy late fireworks by khushdil Shah, Shadab khan, and Mohammad Nawaz. The visitors restricted Bangladesh to a measly 127-7 as the hosts batted first at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Fast bowler Hasan Ali picked up 3-22 and right-arm medium pacer Mohammad Wasim 2-24 for the visitors as Afif Hossain top-scored with 36 off 34 balls for Bangladesh. The tempting target looked increasingly challenging when Pakistan slumped to 24-4 in the chase with Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik both going for ducks. But Fakhar Zaman and khushdil Shah put them back on track with knocks of 34 runs each. In the end, Pakistan reached 132-6 with four balls to spare, with Shadab khan hitting a six to win the match and leave him unbeaten on 21 off 10 balls. Playing Xi: Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr Bangladesh: Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudullah (capt), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Aminul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman
Tim Paine steps down as Australia’s Test captain over texting scandal South Africa’s AB de Villiers announces retirement from all forms of cricket ReuteRs Former South Africa international AB de Villiers said he has decided to retire from all forms of cricket, bringing to an end a 17-year career. De Villiers had retired from all international formats in May 2018 but was in talks about a return to the limited-overs side for the Twenty20 World Cup before deciding against playing for the Proteas again. The 37-year-old was still involved in franchise cricket, last playing the Indian Premier League for Bangalore. “It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket,” De Villiers said in a statement on Friday. “Ever since the backyard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly. “That’s the reality I must accept — and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I’ve had my time. Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me.” An explosive batsman who also kept wickets, De Villiers has often been referred to as “Mr 360” for his wide range of shots that found all corners of the boundary. De Villiers retires with over 20,000 runs to his name in Tests, one-day internationals and T20Is for South Africa.
ReuteRs Distraught and in tears, Tim Paine stepped down as Australia’s Test cricket captain on Friday after revelations he had been investigated and cleared over sexually explicit text messages sent to a female former colleague four years ago. The development has plunged Australia’s Ashes preparations into disarray three weeks before the first Test in Brisbane starts on Dec 8. Breaking down in tears while reading from a statement in Hobart, Paine said he was cleared by a Cricket Australia Integrity Unit investigation but his actions did not meet the standards of an Australian cricket captain or the wider community. “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party,” said Paine, who was married to wife Bonnie in 2016 and has children with her. “I’m sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport and I believe that it is the right decision for me to stand down as captain, effective immediately. “I do not want this to become an un-
welcome disruption to the team ahead of what is a huge Ashes series.” Shortly before Paine’s admission, Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper reported the Tasmanian had sent lewd messages and an explicit photo to the colleague f o u r months before he was appointed Test captain in the wake of the Newlands balltampering scandal in 2018. The report said the woman was a Cricket Tasmania employee who resigned in 2017 and later complained to the state governing body and to Cricket Australia. “We thought this incident was behind us and that I could focus entirely on the team, as I have done for the last
three or four years,” said Paine, who declined to take any questions. “However, I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public.” Cricket Tasmania said the woman had not made her allegations against Paine until after she w a s charged with theft in mid2018. Cricket Tasmania Chairman Andrew Gaggin said in a statement that the investigation had found Paine’s “interaction” with the woman to be “consensual, private, occurred on the one occasion only, was between mature adults and was not repeated.” Gaggin added that criminal charges against the former employee
were still pending and it was inappropriate to comment further given the matter was before the courts. Wicketkeeper-batsman Paine, 36, becomes the second Australian captain in succession to lose his job amid scandal, after Steve Smith stepped down for his involvement in a ball-tampering controversy during the Test series in South Africa. Paine resigns after 23 Tests as captain, with 11 wins, eight losses and four draws. He said he would still make himself available for selection. Vice captain Pat Cummins will be expected to take the captaincy from Paine ahead of the fiveTest Ashes series. That would make Cummins the first specialist fast bowler to take the role since Ray Lindwall led Australia in one Test against India in the mid-1950s. Cricket Australia (CA) said it accepted Paine’s resignation and would name a captain soon. “While the board acknowledges an investigation cleared Tim of any breach of the code of conduct regarding this matter some years ago, we respect his decision,” CA Chair Richard Freudenstein said in a statement.
One year from World Cup, clock ticks ever louder for Qatar DOHA AFP
After upending the football establishment by winning the right to host the World Cup, Qatar’s preparations are heading into overdrive with a year to go as they rush to welcome more than a million fans and prove their critics wrong. The tiny Gulf state has a reputation for punching above its weight but challenges do not come much bigger than holding football’s showpiece event in a desert peninsula of 2.7 million without a strong sporting tradition. Twelve months before the November 21, 2022 kick-off, the Qatari capital Doha, which is hosting almost the entire tournament, is dotted with roadworks and building sites that are causing chaos for its inhabitants. With some Qatari infrastructure projects delayed by the pandemic, the clock is ticking more loudly than organisers might have liked, just as scrutiny of the prepara-
tions starts to rise. However, most of the building blocks are in place, with six of the eight World Cup stadiums due to host the 16-team Arab Cup from November 30. “I’ve never seen a country in the world which has been so ready so much in advance… it will be like a toy store for fans when they come,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Qatar this week. Qatar rocked football in 2010 when they beat favourites the United States in the World Cup bid process, a victory that sparked accusations of vote-buying — which were hotly denied — and questions over the country’s suitability. Since then, FIFA’s old guard has been toppled in a welter of corruption cases and Qatar has emerged as a major player in the sport, snapping up French giants Paris SaintGermain and with the Qatar Foundation becoming Barcelona’s first shirt sponsor. Meanwhile, Qatar has faced constant criticism of the working conditions of its
hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers, including those who built the World Cup stadiums. It has responded with labour reforms, although officials admit the situation is a “work in progress”. “Since we won the World Cup (rights) we have received a lot of criticism. There is constructive criticism that we tried to take on board,” Fatma al-Nuaimi, head of communications at the Qatar organising committee, said last month. “We also try not to let this criticism stoP us.” Resource-rich Qatar has been active in other sports apart from football, holding the world athletics championships in 2019 and its inaugural Formula One grand prix takes place on Sunday, exactly a year before the World Cup opens. But the World Cup, with 1.2 visitors pouring in — nearly half the country’s population — is an undertaking of an altogether different scale.
Serious questions are being asked about where the fans will stay, with reservations already closed at Doha’s limited collection of hotels. Officials have talked about providing floating hotels and promoting homestays, while many fans will end up in newly built apartments and even air-conditioned tents. Even so, accommodating such numbers — about 300,000 a day, plus 150,000 World Cup workers, according to one source with knowledge of the matter — looks difficult. “This World Cup is being implemented in uncharted waters: there has never been a mega-sporting event with so many visitors and working staff in addition to the regular population on such a small territory who will stay put for the duration,” the source said. “There is simply no historic experience to draw from.” Most of the World Cup stadiums will be tested, albeit with limited numbers of fans, at the upcoming Arab Cup which finishes on
December 18, a year to the day before the World Cup final. The Lusail Stadium, which will host the 2022 decider, will not feature at the Arab Cup as it is undergoing “testing and commissioning of… multiple systems”, its project manager told AFP last month. Meanwhile, Qatar has pledged to vaccinate fans who are not inoculated against Covid-19, while FIFA has moved to allay concerns about the availability of alcohol in the Muslim country, where it is largely banned. “(Alcohol) will be available in designated areas during the upcoming FIFA World Cup,” a FIFA spokesperson told AFP. On the pitch, holders France are strongly tipped, with England also expected to figure but European champions Italy must fight through a playoff next year just to qualify. Expectations are low for Qatar, who will make their World Cup debut after qualifying as hosts, despite their impressive Asian Cup victory in 2019.
Saturday, 20 November, 2021
Prayer Timings
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GovT ProvidinG SUbSidieS, incenTiviSinG conSTrUcTion indUSTry: PM iMran
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HIlE visiting Naya Pakistan Housing Authority’s project Farash Town Apartments in Islamabad on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed the government is providing subsidy and incentivising construction industry to help low income people to have their own houses.
The prime minister said thirty-five billion rupees have been allocated for subsidy on construction of houses by the low income people. He said the government will provide three hundred thousand rupees subsidy on every house for the first one hundred thousand units. He said while one hundred thousand apartments are under construction, the
process will now speedily move forward as the structure of the system has been finalised. He said the construction industry has been incentivised in different ways including tax relief. He said One Window Operation has also been started to facilitate the construction sector. Regarding Farash Town, the prime
minister said of the total 4400 apartments, 2000 each have been allocated for low income people and middle income people and four hundred apartments will be provided to slum dwellers. RUDA, CBD pRojeCts to pRomote moDeRn ResIDentIAl, BUsIness fACIlItIes: The premier, while chairing a separate meeting, said Ravi Urban Development Authority and Central Business District projects will promote modern, self-sustained, clean and green residential and business facilities in the country. The PM said these projects are very crucial for attracting foreign direct investment in housing and construction sectors in the country. The prime minister directed the authorities to win over maximum investment for both the projects. Earlier, the prime minister was informed that work on the development of basic infrastructure including roads, sewerage and drainage in the Central Business District is in full swing and is likely to be completed ahead of schedule. The construction work on Bab-e-Pakistan Project will also start soon. The prime minister was apprised that the Ravi Urban project is all set to develop its Saphire Bay Project. A state of the art industrial estate, powered by renewable energy, is also ready to be launched very soon. news desk
Pakistan desires to maintain enduring ties with Bahrain: COAS RAWALPINDI aPP
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said that Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement and wishes for long term and enduring relationship with Bahrain. The army chief expressed these views during a meeting with Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Kingdom of Bahrain Fawzia Bint Abdullah Zainal, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media release. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, current security situation in Afghanistan and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed. The COAS also reiterated the need for global convergence on Afghanistan to avoid humanitarian crisis and coordinated efforts for economic uplift of the Afghan people. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation, special efforts for border management, role in regional stability and pledged to play her part for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.
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Pakistan, UK finalise negotiations on readmission agreement The British High Commission Islamabad announced on Friday that the United Kingdom has finalised negotiations with Pakistan on the UK-Pakistan Readmissions Agreement, ensuring the return of illegal migrants who have no lawful basis to remain in the country. It was decided that the agreement will be presented to Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet in the coming weeks to be implemented by the end of the year, subject to cabinet approval. British Permanent Home Secretary Matthew Rycroft, during a two-day visit to Pakistan, finalised the negotiations with Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar, as per the high commission’s statement. “The ground-breaking agreement will enable the sharing of criminal records between the UK and Pakistani authorities to support effective law enforcement cooperation between the two countries,” the statement read. During his visit, Rycroft also spoke about the UK Home Office’s new immigration system that will level the global playing field to those wishing to come to the UK. Pakistani students will benefit from new graduate routes, providing an excellent opportunity for Pakistani students to enter into skilled roles in the UK job market. Highlighting the ground-breaking collaboration between the Metropolitan Police and Pakistani authorities last year, which resulted in getting justice for the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, Rycroft expressed his desire to work closely with the government of Pakistan during his visit to tackle shared threats and bring criminals to justice. The British High Commission Islamabad statement added that the UK is committed to working with Pakistan to develop an effective partnership on migration as part of a deep and mutually beneficial relationship. news desk
Sindh signs agreement for water supply to Tharparkar KARACHI: The administration of Sindh signed an agreement with a Kuwaiti firm to supply water from Nabisar to Vajihar in Sindh’s Tharparkar desert, Arab News quoted Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Kuwait as saying. The official signing ceremony between Kuwaiti state-owned firm, EnerTech Holding Company, and the provincial administration of Sindh, was held in Karachi on Wednesday. The event took place so as to prepare the financing documents for the project to build a 61-kilometer pipeline, which is estimated to cost $190 million, a statement said. Pakistan’s ambassador to Kuwait Syed Sajjad Haider and the chief executive officer of EnerTech Global Abdullah Al-Mutairi attended the event virtually. Earlier this year, the two sides also signed a concession agreement in June 2021. “The project aims to build and operate a historic water supply and storage project, with a total project cost of about $190 million, in the Thar region of Sindh province,” Pakistan embassy in Kuwait announced. It added that the initiative was also going to result in job creation in the area. EnerTech Holding Company is wholly owned by the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA). The 25-year concession agreement is for the processing and supply of 45 cusecs water from Nabisar to Vajihar. Expressing his view on the strategic project, the CEO of the Kuwaiti firm applauded the Pakistani authorities, financial institutions and his own team for making the timely execution of the project possible. Al-Mutairi maintained that Pakistan is an emerging economy while expressing his desire to develop projects and avail opportunities in areas involving clean water, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure development. TLTP
Indian-occupied Kashmir shuts down after two civilians killed in raid reburied Thousands of Kashmiris defied the biting winter cold to attend the funerals on Friday of two men killed during a security operation, heralding a widespread shutdown in the Indian-occupied valley. The pair — who police said had died in “crossfire” on Monday in a gunfight with suspected fighters — had been hurriedly interred by authorities in a remote graveyard. The deaths sparked anger in the restive region with their families insisting they had no links to the fighters, accusing security forces of murdering them in “cold blood” and demanding their bodies be returned for a proper Islamic burial. Officials on Thursday ordered a probe into the killings of Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Mudasir Ahmed Gul before exhuming their remains and handing them over to relatives amid wails and emotional post-midnight scenes in Srinagar. Thousands of people turned out for their pre-dawn reburials, with some angry mourn-
ers shouting “we want freedom!” and others reciting Quranic verses, an AFP photographer on the scene said. “Your death has shattered us completely,” Bhat’s niece Saima Bhat posted on Twitter, adding she did not know “if we’ll be able to cope up from this tragedy!” Family members told AFP that officers had instructed them to bury the men at night and not to allow crowds to assemble. “There was just about enough time for our family and his children to have a last glimpse,” said one of Bhat’s relatives, declining to be identified. Residents in large parts of the territory observed a complete shutdown later on Friday to protest the killings, in response to a call by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a group of parties seeking self-determination for Indian-occupied Kashmir. Shops and business establishments stayed shut across Srinagar and public transport did not circulate, with only a trickle of
private cars on the roads. Similar shutdowns took place in most main towns across the highly militarised disputed territory. Police and paramilitary troops in riot gear were deployed in force in the dead men’s neighbourhoods and at some “volatile points”. Such shutdowns have been largely impossible since 2019 when New Delhi annulled the region’s partial autonomy and brought it under direct rule, but with tensions at a peak, authorities decided not to intervene on this occasion. Police in Kashmir have previously denied families access to the bodies of slain suspected fighters or their “associates”, saying it helps stop the “glorification” of antiIndia fighters, whose funerals were usually attended by thousands of people. An armed rebellion against Indian rule of Kashmir erupted three decades ago and the conflict has left tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, dead so far. afP
Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk