E-Paper PDF 15 October (ISB)

CMYK

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019 I 15 Safar-ul-Muzaffar, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 105 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

‘InconvenIent truth’ lAnded JustIce IsA In trouble, sc told g

CoUnsel says JUdge beIng targeted over FaIzabad verdICt that qUestIoned role oF seCUrIty agenCIes In tlP’s sIt-In ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

s a full court bench of the supreme Court (sC) took up a case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Monday, his counsel Muneer A Malik claimed the reference against the sC judge stemmed out of the “inconvenient truth and observations” made by the judge in the Faizabad verdict.

During the hearing, Malik told the court that a particular mindset was targeting the top court judge through coordinated efforts after the verdict.

A 10-judge full court led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial is hearing a set of petitions challenging the presidential reference filed against Justice Isa over alleged non-disclosure of assets in his wealth statement. The verdict had questioned the role of security agencies in brokering an agreement between the far-right Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the government, the counsel said, adding that following the verdict multiple pleas were filed against the judge.

“Eight review petitions were filed against the sC decision. The petitions were part of a coordinated exercise as they stated that the judgement ‘demoralised’ the armed forces,” he said.

Advocate Malik said that both the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had filed applications against Justice Isa in the aftermath of the Faizabad sit-in case verdict.

Both parties had raised the same type of questions in their pleas. Prime Minister Imran Khan belongs to the PTI while the law minister [Farogh Naseem] belongs to the MQM-P, he said. The federal government initiated the reference through the law ministry.

In a comment on the applications filed by the both parties, Justice Faisal Arab said it appeared that both the parties had exchanged drafts before filing the petitions and used the same computers, whereas Justice Mansoor Ali shah said that the same font was used in both the applications.

He raised a question about the gap between

the verdict on Faizabad sit-in and the reference against Justice Isa. Advocate Munir said that the court received an application by Waheed Dogar on April 10 while the Faizabad sit-in case was decided on February 26.

“The review petitions, filed in March, are still pending. In April, a complaint was filed in the Asset Recovery Unit alleging non-disclosure of foreign assets in the wealth statement of Justice Isa,” Malik informed the full bench.

Talking about the assets that the reference claimed Justice Isa had failed to disclose, Advocate Malik said Justice Isa’s wife had purchased the first flat in 2004, while the petitioner became a judge in 2009. His assets were verified when he was sworn in as a judge, said the lawyer.

The second and third properties were bought in 2013 by his offspring when the judge was serving as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court.

“Justice Isa is not a beneficial owner of the flats — neither direct nor indirect,” Advocate Malik contested the claim that accused the judge of holding benami properties. The counsel continued that there was no allegation of corruption and dishonesty.

Both Justice Isa and President Arif Alvi keep constitutional posts, he said, expressing his hope that the two would take care of the decorum of their posts.

Advocate Malik, however, put it on the record that his client had reservations over the expenditures by some people enjoying high constitutional posts.

“No one, including Justice Isa, is above the law,” he said, adding that the way the sJC had taken action would also be exposed.

Malik said that a character assassination campaign against Justice Isa, who is supposed to be the chief justice in the future, has been going on since May 28.

“The lawyers’ action committee and the assets recovery commission also talk about the reference.

The president and the special assistant to the prime minister on information also talked about the presidential reference. [But] Justice Isa has now got a chance to defend himself in the court,” he said.

Anti-govt movement from Oct 18: Bilawal STORY ON PAGE 02

Kate, William to begin ‘complex’ tour of Pakistan

STORY ON BACK PAGE

The hearing witnessed chaos when a lawyer, Ajmal Mahmood, took the rostrum to inquire about a misconduct complaint he had filed against Justice Bandial before the supreme Judicial Council.

He questioned how Justice Bandial could be hearing cases when a complaint was pending against him. supreme Court Bar Association President Amanullah Kanrani attempted to resolve the matter by asking the lawyer to leave the rostrum.

Justice Bandial said the misconduct complaint against him had already been dismissed by the sJC. He did not issue a contempt notice to the lawyer.

The hearing was adjourned till Tuesday, October 15.

‘WIFE AND KIDS INDEPENDENT’: Justice Qazi Faez Isa, in his rejoinder to the government’s statement, has stated that he is not bound to furnish the money trail of the properties owned by his family members as they are no longer his dependents.

Justice Isa made the revelation in a reply to the top court regarding the presidential reference filed against him, and maintained that the charges against him seek to damage his reputation.

According to the judge, he owns a home of 1600 square yards in Karachi that has been empty for the past ten years as he has taken up state residences in his capacity as a judge.

Justice Isa said that he has no properties in London or any other country outside Pakistan, and also noted that contrary to reports, his wife does not hold dual citizenship.

With regards to the properties under question, Justice Isa said that the first property was bought for Rs20.6 million in 2004, while the other two in 2013.

He maintained that the prices of all three properties together are lower than a one kanal house in the posh areas of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Justice Isa also objected to the Attorney General submitting response on behalf of the supreme Judicial Council.

“It is a violation of the Constitution, the attorney general only advises the federal government on legal matters,” the judge said in his reply.

IhC refers eCP appointments issue to parliament STORY ON PAGE 02

India restores post-paid cellphone connections in occupied Kashmir STORY ON BACK PAGE

PM forms committee for talks with JUI-F STORY ON PAGE 02

CMYK Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

02 ISLAMABAD Anti-govt movement from Oct 18, Bilawal announces KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari has once again announced that the anti-government movement will be formally launched from October 18. He was addressing a luncheon meeting organised in his honour by advocates Zafar Soomro and Abdul Ghafoor Soomro at a local hotel here Monday. He said after the Oct 18 public gathering against anti-democratic forces in Karachi, public meetings will be held in Tharparkar and Kashmore and then from South Punjab to Central Punjab and then KP to Azad Kashmir public meetings will be held and rallies will be taken out. Bilawal said we will take message to the people which is not shown to the masses on media, adding that Bilawal said that he had said during the 2018 general elections that some forces will conspire to hijack people’s rights by making puppet alliances to win elections. He said we have seen within one year how PTI and its allies have attacked democratic, human and economic rights of the people.

Bilawal said media and judiciary are not independent now. He said had the judiciary been independent then reply would have been given to the presidential reference of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He said we have not even been given justice in Benazir Bhutto murder case.

He said government is snatching economic rights. He said selected rulers are people-enemy therefore we vehemently opposed their budget. STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD

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MIAN ABRAR

UTTING an end to his dilly-dallying policy over the opening dialogue with the chief of Jamiat Ulemae-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday formed an inter-ministerial committee to open a channel with the defiant maulana.

“During the cabinet meeting, the prime minister and his ministers discussed in detail the option of a dialogue with the JUI-F chief and finally formed a committee to open dialogue with the religious cleric,” a source within the government told Pakistan Today. “Some cabinet members and chief ministers of KP and Punjab are included in the committee,” said the source and added that the committee is tasked to open dialogue with the maulana, begin-

PM fOrMs cOMMittee fOr tAlks with JUi-f

ning Tuesday. It merits mention that the prime minister on Friday had asked his close aides to keep open a channel of dialogue with Fazl.

A spokesman of the prime minister had told media-persons that the prime minister had directed for opening a dialogue with the JUI chief. “The prime minister’s response was clear that there is no harm in reaching out to the maulana to avoid any deadlock,” the spokesman said. The spokesman said the prime minister was of the view that the JUI-F chief was “toeing the line of the two main opposition parties” — Pakistan Muslim

League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP).

Previously, the premier had decided to form a mediating team comprising of Minister for Interior Brig. (r) Ijaz Shah, chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Minister for Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri among others.

However, Qadri said on Saturday that he had not been assigned the task for mediation. Later, the government also claimed the prime minister did not form a team for mediation and there was no plan to reach out to the JUI chief. However, sources in

IHC refers ECP appointments issue to parliament ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered that the issue of the appointment of two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) be sent to the parliament.

During the hearing of a petition challenging the appointments, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that the National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman should “end the deadlock” and prevent the ECP from becoming “non-functional”. Additionally, the high court said a written order was to follow.

President Dr Arif Alvi, on August 22, appointed Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui from Sindh and Munir Ahmed Kakar from Balochistan against two of the vacant posts previously held by Abdul Ghaffar Soomro and retired Justice Shakeel Baloch from the respective provinces.

The chief election commissioner (CEC) refused to administer the oath to both members-designate and wrote a letter to the law ministry, saying that the appointment of ECP members was not in accordance with relevant articles of the Constitution. Following this, the IHC admitted a petition filed by Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon, challenging the appointments, for regular hearing. During the proceedings today, Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman told the court that petitions regarding the ECP appointments had been submitted in the apex court, the Sindh High Court and the Lahore High Court. “This is a matter of public interest, do you want to make the election commission non-functional?” Justice Minallah inquired during the proceedings.

Saying that the ECP had become “almost non-functional”, he asked: “Can the parliament not even solve such a small issue?”

Justice Minallah said that the National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman should resolve the issue through consultations. “Does the federal government still want to defend the deadlock?” the IHC chief justice asked, in response to which the additional attorney general said that he should be granted permission to ask the federal government for instructions.

The court expressed confidence in the parliament to solve the matter, as Justice Minallah remarked: “Who will say that this matter should not be solved in the forum of the parliament?

Constitutional institutions should not be non-functional; does the government want this?” Prior to the hearing today, the secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs submitted a reply in the court on behalf of the federal government, requesting the IHC to adjourn proceedings on the petition till the Supreme Court issued its verdict on the matter.

Wheat, flour prices rise in KP as Pakistan resumes export to Afghanistan PESHAWAR INP

Wheat has become costlier in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as price of refined flour has increased by Rs500 to Rs 4,500 per 85kg bag within just two days in the open market. The price of atta (whole wheat flour) and maida (super fine flour) has been increased from the previous Rs4,000 to Rs4,500, according to price rates available from the atta market in Peshawar. As Pakistan has resumed partial export of wheat flour related items to Afghanistan via Torkham border after about two months, atta dealers are of the opinion that the gov-

5.8 magnitude quake jolts parts of country ISLAMABAD: An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi and several cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the wee hours of Monday. The tremor was felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Peshawar, Nowshera, Kohat, Swat, Chitral, Manshera, Dir

ernment has contributed to putting wheat crop under pressure and raising its prices and domestic demand. Besides, wheat exporters are also piling up stocks owing to better future export prospects.

Importantly, the general public in Peshawar has demanded the government to immediately control the rising inflation in the state. Sources told the media on Monday that several countries export wheat items to Afghanistan; however Pakistan’s wheat is much better in terms of quality and cheaper than many other exporting states.

Analysts expressed fear that roti prices might increase following the government’s decision amid continuous rising prices of wheat.

Bala, North Waziristan, Kurrum Agency, Mohmand Agency, Batgram, Malakand and adjoining areas. People came out of their homes in panic and started reciting verses from the Holy Quran. No loss of life and property was reported from any area of the country due to an earthquake. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad, the epicenter of the quake which struck on Monday was located in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan at the depth of 157 kilometers. STAFF REPORT

CMYK

the federal government claim that the prime minister had reviewed his previous decision to engage the Maulana after some input from ‘concerned quarters’.

‘STICK AND CARROT POLICY’: In a dramatic move, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mehmood Khan has directed the formation of lists of staunch JUI-F workforce so as the action could be taken when needed.

At least two sources have confirmed that the KP CM has directed action against JUI-F workers and its baton-wielding force to ensure peace in across the province.

Assets inquiry case: Akram Durrani fails to satisfy NAB team PESHAWAR: Former federal minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Akram Durrani failed to satisfy the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team in ongoing assets beyond means case investigation against him. According to sources, Durrani was grilled for around four hours by the accountability team, in which he failed to give satisfactory answers to the queries of the top graft buster. The former federal minister was served a questionnaire comprising 15 questions and was asked to submit the answers within a week.

According to the NAB, the former minister had allegedly allotted plots owned by the DHA Foundation in sectors 1-12 and 1-16 to his near and dear ones and caused losses to the national exchequer. He served as the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from 2002 to 2007. He served as federal minister for Housing and Works, in the Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018. Last year, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal had ordered an inquiry against Akram Khan Durrani over misuse of power and illegal allotment of plots. Durrani was reelected to Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a candidate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) from Constituency PK-90 (Bannu-IV) in general election of 2018. On October 2, 2018, Akram Khan Durrani became leader of the opposition in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). STAFF REPORT

Verdict on Zardari's plea for jail facilities reserved ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday reserved the verdict over the plea submitted by former president Asif Ali Zardari seeking facilities of air conditioner and fridge in his jail cell. Judge Muhammad Bashir heard Zardari’s appeal for provision of facilities in prison cell where he is currently being kept on allegations of money laundering. His lawyer Latif Khosa told the court that the medical report has suggested providing an AC and fridge to his client while the report has also suggested shifting him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) due to heart pain. Zardari’s lawyer told the court that the former president’s health is at risk but he will not seek clemency from the government. Khosa also sought permission for a personal attendant for Zardari, however the court asked how a private person could be allowed to live in jail.

To which Khosa told the court that he will stay outside the jail in a camp. STAFF REPORT

CMYK Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

NEWS

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PM IMrAN MOVes AgAINst INflAtION, cAlls All cMs fOr MeetINg ISLAmABAd

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STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday directed the authorities concerned to take steps for controlling prices of basic food items and called the chief ministers of all four provinces for a meeting on Friday to devise a strategy to control inflation, which surged by 11.4 per cent year-on-year in September.

The development was announced by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan in a postcabinet meeting press briefing.

“The premier has also directed officials to maintain the prices of life-saving medicines. The participants of the meeting were told that a

summary was being moved to reduce the prices of 89 medicines,” she said. Firdous told the media that the cabinet members decided that the price committees of provinces will be activated whereas elements responsible for fluctuation of prices and hoarding would be penalised in accordance with the law.

The federal cabinet also approved the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). Further, the premier also took the cabinet members into confidence over his recent visits to China and Iran. He apprised the cabinet of his efforts to facilitate better relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The cabinet members were told that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has recovered 1,262

‘Major’ blackmailing scandal surfaces in Balochistan Uni nEWS dESK The law enforcement agencies on Monday arrested the Balochistan University’s security branch officer and surveillance in-charge for blackmailing students with the help of “immodest video content”.

According to a report in a local media outlet, the videos and footage of secretly installed cameras were also recovered from the suspects, which were used for blackmailing the university students. The suspects had secretly installed cameras in various blocks of the university and used the video footage to blackmail varsity students. The law enforcers also recovered “immodest and unethical content” from the staff officer of the vice-chancellor. The accused used these recordings to blackmail students, mostly women, and subjected them to harassment. Several affected girls have contacted the inquiry officials after the Federal Investigation Agency’s investigation of the scam. A spokesperson of the Government of Balochistan has promised stern action against those involved in the harassment scandal. The FIA extended the scope of the investigation to 200 employees.

acres of land during the past year.

“The cabinet also approved the appointment of board members under the Health Care Act as well as the Real Estate Regulatory Authority Ordinance,” she said.

The participants of the meeting approved a master plan for Islamabad and a reorganisation plan of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Dr Firdous said it was decided to take up the G-6 sector in Islamabad as the pilot project under the new master plan. The cabinet approved building of a state of the art and modern housing sector in G-6. It was decided to restructure the policy on zoning of sectors and high-rise buildings. The people of Islamabad were facing difficulties due to shifting of responsibilities between Cap-

ital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) which was not fully empowered, she observed.

She said in the master plan, different bypasses, ring roads and highways were proposed to divert traffic coming from other parts of the country away from Islamabad.

The cabinet principally approved the separation of policy making and regulatory powers of CDA and make it a modern and autonomous organisation. The SAPM said that the cabinet members also approved the policy regarding Langar Khanas.

Under the policy, the programme will be run under a public-private partnership to extend its scope.

The cabinet suspended the matters of six other ordinances during Monday’s meeting.

DEO’s murder triggers province-wide protests in KP nEWS dESK A large number of students, teachers and members of the civil society on Monday protested the murder of district education officer Nawab Ali in Kolai-Palas Kohistan district whereas similar protests were also held all across the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

According to media reports, Nawab was allegedly murdered in his office. Pallas Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Hafeez said that a first information report (FIR) was registered against unknown suspects under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Additionally, a Joint In-

vestigation Team (JIT), led by Mansehra sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ashiq Hussain, has also been formed to investigate the case on the request of the slain education officer’s family.

Protesters in Bisham blocked the main artery of Karakoram Highway for two hours as they chanted slogans against MPA Mufti Ubaidur Rehman, police and district commissioner of Kolai-Palas Kohistan, accusing them of being involved in the murder case.

Addressing the protesting students and teachers, speakers demanded of the government to arrest the culprits as well as police heads, Rehman and the DC for their alleged

involvement in Nawab’s death. Protests were also held in Pattan in Lower Kohistan, Shangla, Puran, Chakesar, Shahapur, Martung, Karora, Dehrai, Alpuri, Dandai and other areas.

Demonstrations were staged in schools and colleges across the province. In government and private schools, students and teachers offered prayers for the DEO and the national flag was flown at half-mast in all government schools.

The Shangla teachers’ association said that a black day will be observed tomorrow and schools will remain closed. Protests were also held on Sunday against Nawab’s murder.

Kashmiris practicing peaceful civil disobedience, says new fact-finding report nEWS dESK A new report released by a team of four academics, activists and journalists has chronicled the ways in which Kashmiris have been dealing with the lockdown in the Valley following the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 on August 5. The fact-finding report says that many shops and offices have been closed, but this is not due to them succumbing to the calls of militants, separatist leaders or political leaders. It is, in fact, an “act of resistance against the Indian state”.

The team found about three instances where people said they saw posters possibly by militants, asking people to shut their shops. Instead, they say that many more people claim that they were being forced by Indian security personnel to keep their shops open. “These are people the Kashmiris are equally scared of. It is at their behest that people

are being arrested. So the decision to defy them is significant and brazen. And yet, that is the choice most Kashmiris have made. To go against the diktat to open shop. And remain in this mode of civil disobedience for as long as they can,” says the report. Their report says that the fact that there has not been any violence from the people of Kashmir “has to do with the resilience of the people. It is an active and collective choice being exercised each day, to observe civil disobedience. In feeling rejected and betrayed by the Indian state, Kashmiris have chosen to respond back, through a largely non-violent protest.”

The authors say that this method of protesting is a marked difference from how Kashmir has protested in the past: “People in Kashmir are no longer interested in an interaction with the Indian state. That space is now dead.” They say that people across the spectrum – from hardliners to sep-

aratists who either want a union with Pakistan or want azadi, to those siding with India – have experienced collective shock and trauma. All of this has turned many Kashmiris into “silent protestors”. The report warns that this phenomenon of silent protest and civil disobedience may just be the lull before an impending storm.

The team says that they observed differences in Jammu, which was not under the same kind of state lockdown as the Kashmir Valley. In Jammu, communication lines were open, as were shops and commercial establishments. There was no civil disobedience there. But many in the business community complained that their enterprises have suffered major losses. The report also contains recommendations for the Indian government, judiciary, civil society, media and human rights organisations. It advises the government to immediately restore Articles 370 and 35A, and full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. It also asks the government to restore all communication channels, release political leaders and social activists and withdraw the army and paramilitary forces.

The government would also need to work closely with various stakeholders to bring peace and normalcy in the state, the authors say.

The report calls for the judiciary to give an urgent hearing to various cases that are in the different courts. Civil society should engage with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to restore faith in democracy and counter the humiliation and betrayal felt by the people of the state. The team says they visited five districts over eight days and spoke to a number of people such as politicians, bureaucrats, homemakers, schoolteachers, traders, fruit-sellers, taxi unions, students, teachers, intellectuals, poets, writers, farmers, children, journalists, civil society workers, wedding caterers, Pandits, Sikhs and Christians.

CMYK

Atc acquits 15 suspects in Ziarat residency attack case QuEttA STAFF REPORT

An anti-terrorism court in Quetta on Monday acquitted 15 suspects in the Ziarat residency attack case due to lack of evidence. The verdict was reserved on October 4. On June 15, 2013, militants attacked the Quaid-eAzam residency in Ziarat with hand grenades and completely destroying the historical monument where the founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah spent his last days. A police man outside the Quaid’s residency was also killed in the attack.

Bomb disposal squad at that time had also claimed to have defused six more bombs planted inside the residency. The residency was rebuilt and later inaugurated on August 14, 2014 by the government.

The founding father of the country, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had spent last days of his life in Ziarat at the historic wooden structure.

Ziarat is considered a tourist point in Balochistan province. A large number of tourists used to visit the town and the memorials of the Quaid every summer.

shehbaz to meet fazl on Oct 15 nEWS dESK Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) General Secretary Ahsan Iqbal on Monday has said that PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on October 15. In a statement, the PML-N leader said that Fazl has welcomed ex-prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s suggestions regarding Azadi March, however, JUI-F will review the recommendations during its policy committee meeting on Tuesday. Earlier, Ahsan Iqbal said that Nawaz Sharif had called on all opposition parties to participate in the march. He further said that there is no rift in the ranks of PML-N on the issue of Azadi March. On Sunday, a delegation of PML-N had held meeting with the JUI-F chief and handed him a letter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Nawaz Sharif in the letter had reiterated his support to Fazl’s anti-government Azadi March. Fazl has decided to lead Azadi March from Sukkur on October 27.

The campaign will be started from Sindh as the JUI-F chief can be arrested from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) provincial governments which might affect the march at the beginning.

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

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Four new dengue cases surface in Faisalabad FAISALABAD: Four new cases of dengue virus surfaced in Faisalabad on Monday, with the toll reaching up to 41 in the city so far. According to rescue sources, a total of 147 dengue cases were reported from the district this year, with 41 alone from Faisalabad. Four lives have been claimed by the virus so far. Separately, a woman died of dengue fever in Karachi on Sunday, taking the death toll from the mosquitoborne disease in the metropolis to 17 this year. Earlier on Saturday, the anti-dengue cell prepared a detailed report on the country-wide situation of the mosquitoborne viral infection which numbered the cases up to 28,525. Sources said that the special monitoring cell established to monitor the spread of the virus has already forwarded its report to the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza.

The sources of the health ministry told that the overall cases of the disease soared up to 28,525 citing the report as the highest number of patients, 7,690, were emerged in Islamabad. The report stated that 6,269 cases were reported in Punjab, 5005 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 4,858 from Sindh, 2,764 from Balochistan, 1,295 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), 436 from KP’s tribal districts and 208 from other parts of the country. STAFF REPORT

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HE Grand Health Alliance strike in the major hospitals of Punjab entered the fifth day on Monday against MTI act.

As a protest, doctors have closed work in Outdoor Patients Departments, operation theatres, Pathology, Radiology and locked the departments as well.

Nishtar hospital administration taking action against protesting73 doctors and paramedical staff has issued showcause notices while doctors burnt all the notices. Doctors chanted slogans outside Nishter Hospital against not fulfill-

ing their demands and issuing showcause notices against them. Patients coming from far-flung areas have been facing immense difficulties while the patients expressing their difficulties said that they have been coming to hospitals for five days but not receiving any treatment which made them in a distress.

Doctors kept on their repeated demands said that they will not end their protest and strike until the fulfilment of their demands and withdrawing of the MTI act by the government.

On the other hand, doctors and paramedics protest and strike also continued in the whole of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and OPD’s of government hospitals are closed.

Rs27bn allocated for welfare projects: Buzdar

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that a new programme is being started to provide necessary facilities to the people living in rural and urban areas of the province.

He said that a huge sum of Rs.27 billion has been allocated for this programme and the rights of the people will be returned back

Bus set ablaze after two killed in accident

by improving basic facilities. He stated this while presiding over a meeting to review proposals for implementing the Punjab Municipal Services Programme at his office here on Monday.

Giving a detail of the programme, Usman Buzdar said that cleanliness and sewerage system and provision of clean drinking water will be improved. Similarly, non-functional water supply and sewerage schemes will be restored and necessary machinery will also be procured to improve the cleanliness system.

The chief minister said that Punjab Cities Programme will be implemented in collaboration with the World Bank adding that 16 cities have been included in this programme while master planning of 100 tehsil-level cities will be done as well. He gave approval to need-based recruitments

in local government department against vacant posts and directed the department to take immediate steps in this regard.

Usman Buzdar expressed strong indignation over the slowpace of work in certain public welfare schemes in southern Punjab, especially in DG Khan, and directed that action should be initiated by identifying those showing negligence and lethargy. Dereliction will not be tolerated in public welfare matters; he warned and added that action will be initiated against those responsible for it.

Secretary Local Government Dept. briefed about the implementation on Punjab Municipal Services Programme. Provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, secretary finance and others attended the meeting.

LHC indefinitely adjourns hearing of Maryam Nawaz’s bail plea

FAISALABAD: At least two people were killed while one sustained severe wounds as speeding bus crushed motorcycle in Faisalabad on Monday. According to details, the accident took place on Jhang Road when a speeding bus lost control and collided with the bike. The enraged locals staged protest in the area and burned the bus, demanding the authorities to take action into the mater. STAFF REPORT

SHEIKHUPURA: Three people were crushed to death by a speeding truck while another was critically injured here on Monday. Rescue sources said that a recklessly driven truck ran over four people present at roadside at GT Road in tehsil Muridke of Sheikhupura while waiting for vehicle to take them to fruit market. Three people died on the spot in the accident while another sustained critical wounds.

The truck driver responsible for accident fled the scene. The bodies and injured were shifted to hospital for medico-legal formalities. The police impounded the truck and after registering a case against driver at large have started raids for his arrest. INP

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LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday adjourned hearing of a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz against her arrest in money laundering and Chaudhry Sugar Mills case without any proceedings.

According to details, the hearing was adjourned without any proceedings due to Justice Ali Baqar Najafi’s unavailability. In a petition filed in the LHC, Maryam Nawaz has raised objections to his arrest.

The petition stated that Maryam Nawaz is being subjected to political revenge and that the anti-corrup-

tion watchdog has not found single evidence against her. Maryam requested the court that she must be released on an interim bail till the decision over her final bail in the case. However, the hearing was postponed indefinitely without any proceeding. Earlier, accountability court issued notices to NAB on Maryam’s bail plea and ordered sought record from the bureau on October 14. The PML-N stalwart is currently in the jail on judicial remand in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills reference along with her cousin Yousaf Abbas. On August 8, NAB had arrested Maryam Nawaz, her cousin Yousaf Abbas in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. NAB revealed that Sharif family had used Chaudhry Sugar Mills for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares.

Court reserves verdict on Khawaja brothers’ pleas LAHORE STAFF REPORT

An accountability court on Monday has reserved verdict on acquittal pleas of former railway minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and ex-Punjab health minister Khawaja Salman Rafique till October 16 in Paragon Housing Society reference.

During the proceedings, the court directed authorities to present the accused in next hearing.

On September 3, accountability court had indicted PML-N leader and MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique in the Paragon Housing Society case. The Khawaja brothers have been accused of embezzling nearly Rs2 billion.

In all previous hearings, their defense counsel had repeatedly maintained before the court that the details of banking transactions of the last ten years had been

handed over to the NAB. On April 26, the NAB Lahore had approved filing of a reference against the Khawaja brothers and Nadeem Zia for the alleged corruption. Qaiser Amin Butt, the director of Paragon Housing Society, was also included in the inquiry initiated by the NAB, and he was also arrested in November last year. Later, he agreed to turn approver against the Khawaja brothers and Zia.

child killed after rape SIALKOT: A body of a child was recovered from a field in Jeseral wala tehsil of Daska in Sialkot on Monday. According to details, police said that the child was killed after being raped, adding that the 8-year-old had been abducted Tuesday. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has asked RPO Gujranwala to submit a report on the matter after the media reported the incident. According to DPO Sialkot, action has been initiated and the culprit of the incident will be apprehended soon.

On the other hand, the deceased Subhan’s heirs blocked Daska road as a protest, disrupting traffic between Sialkot and Lahore. STAFF REPORT

Balloting for naya pakistan housing project held in Lodhran LAHORE: The computerised balloting for the formal allotment of houses to the low-income class of society under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project (NPHP) was held in Lodhran on Monday. Punjab Housing Minister Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed pressed the button for computerised balloting and also announced the names of allottees after the draw. The minister mentioned that the construction of 200,000 houses would start in December. By next month, Naya Pakistan Housing Project would be started in 10 big cities of Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Jehlum, Bhakkar and Toba Tek Singh. INP

Husband, brother-in-law injure woman for ‘refusing to make tea’ A woman in Mian Channu, Khanewal has accused her husband and her brother-in-law and his son of torturing her for refusing to make tea, according to a first information report (FIR) registered on Monday. In the FIR lodged by the woman at Mian Channu’s Sadar police station, the victim said she was at her residence on Sunday when her brother-in-law and his son came with axes, alleging that she had refused to make tea. She said that her brother-in-law struck her with an axe on the right side of her nose and injured her. Additionally, his son struck her hand with another axe. According to the woman, her brother-in-law dragged her from her hair and instead of saving her, the woman’s husband also began to hit her. When others in the area heard her making noise, they came into the house, the FIR states. The woman was shifted to a hospital for treatment of her severe injuries.

A case has been registered against the suspects under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) of the Pakistan Penal Code. SHO Malik Tayyab Sarfaraz said that on the instructions of Khanewal DPO Umer Saeed Malik, searches were conducted and two of the primary suspects — woman’s husband and nephew — were arrested.

The DPO said that teams had been formed for the arrest of the third suspect — the victim’s brother-in-law — who the DPO said, should be arrested soon. NEWS DESK

Punjab collects Rs77 billion, register 44pc growth in first quarter of FY2019-20 LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Punjab has collected Rs 77 billion with registering a 44 percent of growth in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of the last year despite the tough conditions for the provinces by the federal government to get share in federal divisible pool of resources.

This was disclosed in the first quarter review meeting of the finance department of the Chief Minister Special Monitoring Unit chaired by Punjab Finance Minister

Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakhat attended

by Minister for Industry and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal, head of SMU Fazeel Asif, Commissioner Lahore Dr Mujtaba Paracha, Secretary Finance Abdullah Sumbal and other official concern. The meeting was briefed that despite the financial backlog left by the previous government, the government has given Rs 233 billion surplus budget in order to meet the financial requirements of the federal government to meet the IMF program conditions. It was informed that Rs 388 billion revenue collection target was fixed for the Punjab dur-

ing ongoing fiscal year 2019-20 which is 44 percent higher than the last fiscal year. The 13th meetings of the resources mobilization committee got approved Rs 41 billion worth schemes through cabinet. Rationalization of the subsidy was also approved for WASA and transport departments.

The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) registered 19 percent growth in revenue, besides aligned the real time invoice monitoring system with FBR STRIVE system.

Further, provisional committee for 9th NFC award was also constituted. The cabinet committee for Finance and development

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logically rejected Rs 7.7 billion supplementary grants besides disposing off 488 agendas of the 17 meetings. The austerity committee ensured saving of Rs 1.1 billion from different schemes. The Finance Department achieved a milestone of launching of E-Pay application for the payment of all taxes which is the first ever in Pakistan.

The E-Pay Punjab will also helpful in improving the ease of doing business in the province. Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakhat instructed the secretary finance to bring the issues of WASA and Housing Projects in resource mobiliza-

tion committee meeting besides ensuring the importance and usefulness of the suggestion of revenue generation of the resource mobilization committee to all elected representatives. The Industry Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal criticized the performance of the Bank of Punjab and stressed the need of promoting the SMEs, ease loans for housing schemes, agriculture loans and adopting the culture of commercialization. Earlier, the minister chaired the meeting of the Communication and Works and approved the second phase of Naya Pakistan – Manzilan Assan project.

CMYK Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

NEWS

05

PML-N DECIDEs TO fOLLOw NAwAz’s ORDERs fOR AzADI MARCH LAHOre

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STAFF REPORT

HE Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leadership has decided to implement in letter and spirit former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s directives regarding the party’s participation in Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s long march.

The decision was taken during a high-level PML-N meeting presided over by Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

It was decided that in accordance with Nawaz’s October 16 letter, Shehbaz along with the JUI-F chief would formally announce the strategy soon.

The meeting also discussed the country’s economic, political, internal and foreign issues.

It finalised the party strategy for participation in the October 31 Azadi march. The senior PML-N leaders strongly condemned implicating Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case and the persecution of the Sharif family for the past three decades in the name of accountability which “continues till this day despite no evidence of corruption”.

The meeting pointed out that the Panama Leaks joint investigation team had already conducted an exhaustive investigation into this matter and had found nothing, based on which this case had been registered.

It pointed out that without the resur-

facing of undeniable and clear evidence to overturn that previous ruling, launching of any new investigation in this regard was illegal.

“This is not only a blatant violation of law but total disregard and contempt of the judicial process,” they said. “This is nothing but the worst example of political victimisation aimed at pressuring Nawaz into giving up his struggle for the democratic rights of the people of Pakistan.” The PML-N leaders said Nawaz was making a new history of a relentless, unshakeable struggle for the people of Pakistan with bravery, honour and an iron resolve.

The meeting expressed utmost solidarity with Nawaz on this journey, hailing his persistence in the face of such

persecution and victimisation.

The meeting dubbed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf regime as unqualified and incompetent, and strongly condemned its “anti-people policies and measures”. It maintained that the country was in its worst-ever economic crisis, worsening unemployment, with the industry paralysed and all engines of growth and employment shut down.

It pointed out that amid this burden of massive taxes upon Pakistanis, the PTI’s failure in achieving economic targets had added fuel to the blazing fire of national catastrophe.

Traders, industrialists, workers, teachers and doctors are all on board for the strike over the disastrous management of the clueless regime.

Raza Rabbani elected member of IPU executive committee newS DeSk In a major development, Senator Raza Rabbani emerged victorious on Sunday after India withdrew the candidature of Shashi Tharoor, a seasoned diplomat and noted writer, for a slot in the prestigious executive committee of the InterParliamentary Union (IPU), a global inter-parliamentary forum aimed at political multilateral negotiations.

The IPU is holding its 141st general assembly in the Serbian capital. It opened with a meeting of the IPU’s Asia Pacific Group to decide about its joint nominee for a slot in the executive committee. Of the 34 members of the executive committee, Asia has three seats and two of them are already held by China and Thailand. The election to the third seat was to be held on Sunday. The term of the executive committee’s member is three years.

According to the National Assem-

bly Secretariat, Pakistan fielded former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani for the coveted slot and his candidature was being vigorously pursued by Pakistan’s parliamentary delegation led by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser. It may be noted that Speaker Qaiser is chairman of the Asia Pacific Group for the current year. As the meeting opened, the Indian delegation, led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, in a surprise move, forwarded the candidature of noted writer and Congress member of the Lok Sabha, Shashi Tharoor.

However, sensing a better position of Rabbani, the Indian delegation made an attempt to gain more time for canvassing and demanded a deferment of the vote. They also attempted to refer the matter to the main general assembly.

However, this was thwarted by the Pakistani delegation, which sought the group chairman’s ruling on the issue and urged him to follow the tradition of

Asia Pacific fraternity of deciding the matters internally and not by the IPU’s general assembly. Pakistan’s appeal was seconded by China, Canada, and the Philippines, a senior official of the NA Secretariat, who was attending the event, told a private media outlet.

The Canadian delegate drew the house’s attention to the previous case when a similar situation was tackled by voting within the group. The Indian delegation tried to delay the election till the last day of the IPU’s general assembly, which will conclude on Oct 17, but failed to get support from countries attending the session. Consequently, finding no buyers of India’s point of view and sensing an imminent defeat in the ballot, Tharoor withdrew his candidature. Thus,

Court reserves verdict on plea seeking transfer of video leak case to ATC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A cybercrime court on Monday reserved its verdict on a petition filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) requesting to transfer the case involving the scandalous video of former accountability

judge Muhammad Arshad Malik to an anti-terrorism court (ATC). The FIA prosecutor informed the court that terrorism clauses have been added to the charges against the judge, therefore, under the law, the case can be transferred to the ATC. After hearing the arguments from both parties, the court reserved its verdict on the petition.

Pakistan’s Raza Rabbani won the seat.

To add to Pakistan’s jubilation, Asia Pacific Group unanimously elected Senator Sherry Rehman to the prestigious bureau of the IPU’s Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Trade and Finance. Senator Javaid Abbasi was also elected to the IPU’s Drafting Committee.

With these elections, Pakistan’s parliament has got the prestigious presence of its seven members in different committees of the IPU.

Malik, who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, became the center of controversy after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz came out with explosive claims regarding the accountability judge. In a press conference in July, Maryam had aired a video in which Malik allegedly confessed to a PML-N supporter, Nasir Butt, that he had been pressured into convicting Nawaz. She demanded that the Al-Azizia verdict be overturned and said that the entire judicial process had been severely compromised. Malik, who denied Maryam’s claims, was repatriated to his parent department, the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Are we well aware of our role?

MArInA PervAIz Every year on 16th October, Food Day is celebrated. This day was introduced by international organization Food and Agriculture (FAO) in 1979. People from around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate worldwide hunger from our lifetime, these events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all.

Pakistan has South Asia’s second largest economy. However, entrenched poverty, social inequality, and limited access to basic social services, along with conflict and natural disasters have limited its development. 45% of children suffer from stunted growth due to under nutrition.

In addition to being frequently affected by natural disasters, the country ranks seventh among the most vulnerable to global warming. The country faces persistent drought, specifically in the provinces of

Sindh and Balochistan, resulting in food insecurity and ultimately an increase in under nutrition. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, numerous population displacements took place as a result of the crisis. Here, 48% of children are stunted and the overall acute malnutrition rate is 17.3%.

The humanitarian space is limited, but there are few authorities who still are working for interest of human such as Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and to maintain dialogue with the higher authorities for the coming years. Supported by the government, strategy is to link their nutrition programs with water, sanitation and hygiene, and food security activities and to stop adulteration in any form.

In the effective implementation of its nutrition policy a nutrition clinic was set up earlier to provide people the right knowledge about hygiene, diet and health.

PFA DG Usman who is also the Secretary health now assures that they can safe people from the burden of diseases through providing awareness about the selection

of healthy food. PFA is promoting the healthy food business culture in Punjab by utilizing all available resources. All food business operators are on the radar of PFA in Punjab. It is not only ensuring the provision of safe and healthy food in Punjab but also improving food safety and nutrition. The nutrition program is the only way forward to improving nutrition statistics of Punjab and Pakistan. PFA will spread its awareness program in every nook and corner of the province for the acquisition of healthy Punjab. Rumours are that nutrition clinics will be operationalized in 36 districts of Punjab till the end of March 2019. PFA is taking concrete steps to a sustainable future as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The government has taken certain initiatives in this direction. The Mega Food plans were initiated few years back where at Pakistani’s marriages “One dish” concept was introduced because of the excessive amount of food being wasted every year; where millions are sleeping without

CMYK

even the slightest aroma of the food, at marriages the food is wasted in bulk which is not utilized in any manner. Pakistan PM Imran Khan aims to curb food wastage, which is one of the biggest reasons for food price rise and malnutrition in the country. One third of all food produced in Pakistan is wasted. Take a minute to think about that. Some estimates indicate that around 36 million tons of food goes to waste in Pakistan every year, while 43% of the country's population is food insecure. According to the latest edition of the Global Hunger Index 2018, Pakistan is ranked at 106th place out of a total of 119 countries. Now if we become responsible for our actions we can save food and that can be given to people who are needy and our dying due to malnutrition. According to World Food Ptogramme (WFP) organization 20.5% of the population is undernourished and 44% of under the age of 5 children are stunted.

Many local groups of students have

IHC for compliance report on Asad Durrani's ECL case ISLAMABAD APP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the Interior Ministry to submit implementation report in a case pertaining to Gen (r) Asad Durrani’s name on exit control list (ECL). Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani conducted the hearing on a petition filed by former general seeking contempt of court proceeding against interior ministry for not removing his name from the ECL. During the course of proceeding, the bench asked that why the court orders were not implemented so far.

It would not be good if a contempt of court notice served to secretary of interior ministry, he said. Durrani’s lawyer pleaded that neither his client’s name was removed from the ECL since this court order, dated February 27, 2019, nor the quarter concerned had given any update over the issue. The court directed the ministry to submit implementation report of the court order and adjourned the hearing of the case till November 8.

Registration for Naya Pakistan housing project to end on Oct 15 ISLAMABAD INP

The registration process for the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme, PTI government’s flagship residential plan for low-income strata, will end on Oct 15. The registration process was launched on July 15 and continued for three months and, currently, over 1.15 million people have registered. According to NADRA, the process will continue until October 15 and citizens from all districts across the country can apply for it. “Citizens can get registered either or through NADRA’s eSahulat against a fee of Rs250,” it said. It merits a mention here that only one member of a family can apply for the housing program and aspirants who have already applied for it are not allowed to apply for a second form. The scheme is targeted towards people from low-income backgrounds, therefore families without a residence of their own will be preferred.

collaborated together and have started an initiative of providing free home cooked food to the workers, porter, laborer etc since 2017 and are calling for more people as it is the most humble thing one can do “To feed a hungry person” this is only one step in the right direction on a smaller scale and it can go vast if everyone start doing their bit no person in Pakistan or in this world will sleep empty stomach or die because of hunger. To ensure that sustainable change is triggered and people are actually aware of the situation but is everyone doing everything? NO! And that is also what is not being asked; just do your bit for better future for all and for humanity every small change can make big differences. Eradication of hunger may be an ambitious goal, but it is now an aim that many countries are jointly focusing on and as it is said by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): “The best of all charities is to feed a hungry person” and it is not our spiritual but moral duty to help others in need; step up for better, healthy and prosperous Pakistan our leader Quaid e Azam dreamt of and now the legacy is moving forward with our Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

06 WORLD VIEW

Why Turkey Took The fighT To Syria I want to repeat and emphasIse that turkey’s fIght Is not agaInst the kurds. our fIght Is agaInst the terrorIsts. any descrIptIon of the sItuatIon as ‘turks agaInst kurds’ Is malIcIous and false

New york Times

i

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu

T is dismaying that Turkey’s military operation in northeastern Syria is being spun in the American news media as an attack on Kurds, as weakening the fight against the remnants of Daesh (or the so-called Islamic State) and hurting America’s credibility with its allies. I am compelled to set the record straight because the 67-year-old NATO alliance that Turkey has with the United States is not temporary, tactical nor transactional.

Turkey started the operation to ensure its national security by removing the danger posed by terrorists along its border regions.

This operation will liberate Syrians living there from the tyranny of terrorist organisations and eliminate the threat to Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity. These two developments would facilitate the safe and voluntary return of displaced Syrians.

Turkey has never accepted a

corridor run by a terrorist group on its border. We have repeatedly proposed establishing a safe zone, including at the United Nations General Assembly. We have called on the United States to stop providing material support to terrorists.

But the American security bureaucracy couldn’t bring itself to disengage from the group, known for short as the PYD/YPG. This is even though American officials, including a secretary of defence, have admitted that the PYD/YPG, which forms the core of Syrian Democratic Forces, is inseparable from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or the PKK, in Turkey, which is recognised as a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and NATO. Our American interlocutors seemed to agree that those forces needed to be removed from along our borders and we had even agreed on a timeline. Most recently, military-to-military talks in August ended with a mutual commitment to establish a safe zone from which the PYD/YPG was supposed to be removed. But the United States did not see this through and gave us the strong impression that it was playing for time as the ter-

rorist group entrenched itself even deeper in Syria.

The PYD/YPG may present itself to the world as the group that fought Daesh, but it also smuggles explosives to the PKK by digging tunnels into Turkish soil. We have found its members ushering Daesh prisoners toward Turkey. And in November 2017, the BBC reported on a secret deal under which the Syrian Democratic Forces arranged transport and allowed hundreds of Daesh terrorists to escape during the coalition operation to liberate the city of Raqqa.

We had to act. Several voices expressed concerns about the safety of the Kurdish population in Syria. I want to repeat and emphasise that Turkey’s fight is not against the Kurds. Our fight is against the terrorists. Any description of the situation as “Turks against Kurds” is malicious and false. Kurds are not our enemies.

Our target is the complex of terror run together by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the PYD/YPG, which have recruited child soldiers, intimidated dissidents, altered the demography and forced conscription in areas under their control. The Kurds, Arabs, Christians and others who have

been suffering under the PYD/YPG yoke will be better off when freed. The World Council of Aramaean Christians have been asserting this point insistently.

Before proceeding with this operation, we have taken all steps to minimise risk to civilians and prevent a humanitarian crisis.

Over the past several years, Turkey has provided shelter to large numbers of refugees from northeastern Syria, including Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens.

Most of them, including over 300,000 Kurds, were driven from their homes by the terrorists. We have extended to them safety, shelter and livelihood in Turkey.

We have shared our bread and the benefits of our public services.

Turkey is the biggest humanitarian spender in the world and host to most refugees worldwide.

Turkey has established a reliable pattern in the last three years.

Turkey’s operations in northwestern Syria — in 2016-7 in and around Jarabulus and 2018 in Afrin — cleared a vast area of the terrorist presence. In the aftermath of those operations the communities that suffered under the terrorists started living in peace and benefiting from orderly governance.

Some 365,000 refugees returned to their home in northwestern Syria.

We have instituted public services, including schools for over 230,000 students. Six hospitals with 55 ambulances employ over 2,000 Syrian and Turkish personnel in liberated areas in northwestern Syria. Scores of recreational and sports facilities were built, including a soccer stadium. Businesses were rehabilitated and a border gate was opened to facilitate trade. Agriculture and animal husbandry started receiving material support.

Compare Turkey’s previous operations to the destruction of Raqqa by the coalition and you will see how carefully we manage counterterrorism operations. The lessons learned in those operations will help us make it even better this time around. The PKK and the PYD/YPG have been blackmailing the global community by claiming that the fight against Daesh would falter without them.

But the fight against those brutal terrorists will not falter, especially if our allies stay the course and cooperate with Turkey. We are the only nation that put boots on the ground against Daesh.

The fight against Daesh and other terrorist organisations will have to continue with everyone’s contributions and cooperation.

Several European countries have been reluctant to allow the return of their citizens who joined the group. However, wishing away

the problem cannot be the policy.

They must shoulder their share of the burden.

We in Turkey are convinced that we are paving the way for the Syrian refugees to return home and ensuring that Daesh and other terrorist groups will not re-emerge.

I am aware that safe and voluntary return home of the Syrian refugees needs to be carefully planned and managed. This has to proceed in accordance with international law and in cooperation with the relevant United Nations agencies. Syria is home to several ethnicities and viable and representative local councils need to be established until a political solution is found to the Syrian conflict.

After our last counterterrorism operation, in areas where the Kurds were in majority, Turkey facilitated the creation of local governing councils with a Kurdish majority to reflect the population.

The Syrians want to go home now. They have suffered more than enough. We are taking the initiative to help create the peaceful conditions that are necessary for the homecoming of millions of refugees. Contrary to the prevailing misapprehensions, our operation will help address the humanitarian dimension of the problem, contribute to the preservation of the unity of the country and add to the political process.

Mevlut Cavusoglu is the foreign minister of Turkey.

Xi-Modi meeting further attlee and churchill– a deft account of a terrific double act cements China-India relations PeoPle’s Daily Hua YisHeng

At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the southern Indian city of Chennai on October 11 for the second informal meeting with Modi.

The Indian Prime Minister tweeted in Chinese, English and Hindi, respectively, to welcome President Xi’s visit and express hope that the informal meeting will further cement India-China relations. Informal meetings between the Chinese and Indian leaders have become a new model for high-level exchanges between the two countries. Xi and Modi held their first informal meeting in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in April last year. The meeting enhanced the mutual understanding and friendship between the two leaders.

Since then, the two countries have comprehensively promoted exchanges and cooperation in various fields, properly controlled relevant differences, and brought their relations onto a new stage of steady progress. The current world is experiencing changes unseen in a century. The strength of Eastern countries continues to rise while that of Western countries falls, and the focus of the world economy and strategy has shifted from Europe and the Atlantic region to Asia and the Pacific region.

China and India, both developing countries and important emerging economies, as well as the only two countries in the world with a population of one billion, face common development opportunities and realistic challenges. Both countries intend to make use of positive factors to follow the trend of the time.

At the same time, unilateralism and protectionism are mounting and the risks and challenges for developing countries have risen. The cooperation between China and India not only contributes to each other’s national development, but also helps safeguard the common interests of developing countries and promote the process of multi-polarisation and economic globalisation. The talks between Xi and Modi have enhanced mutual understanding, drawn a beautiful blueprint for China-India relationship development in the future, and injected stability and positive energy to the world full of uncertainties.

The leaders of the two countries have conducted in-depth communication on overarching, long-term and strategic issues concerning the development of bilateral relations.

During the Wuhan meeting, President Xi proposed a basis and three key points for developing China-India relations. He called on

the two sides to correctly analyse and view each other’s intentions with a positive, open and inclusive attitude, pointing direction for bilateral relations. The Chennai meeting has elevated China-India relations into a new phase under the guidance of high-level exchanges. China and India should respect each other, learn from each other, and work together to achieve common development and prosperity, and realise the great rejuvenation of the two civilisations.

China respects neighbouring countries to choose development paths based on their own national conditions. The country insists on not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and not imposing its will on them.

In terms of China-India cooperation, China has always been concerned about the feelings of India. Both as ancient civilisations with several thousand years of history, China and India have carried on their exchanges and mutual learning till this day.

China-India cultural and people-to-people exchanges bear great potential. Both countries should take the 70th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity to conduct broader and deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

They should also jointly advocate and push forward dialogue and exchanges among different civilisations, so as to inject more lasting driving force into the development of bilateral ties and continue to produce new glory for Asian civilisations. China and India have developed a new space for pragmatic cooperation. In recent years, the bilateral trade volume between China and India has continued to rise, reaching a record high in 2018. The two countries see a lot of development opportunities in each other. Companies of the two countries have actively explored each other’s markets and conducted business operations to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

China and India are promoting industrial integration, and digital cooperation is expected to become a new bright spot for cooperation.

China and India have sent a common voice from developing countries. In recent years, the two countries have interacted closely on multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the Group of 20. Strengthening policy coordination between China and India is conducive to increasing the representation and voice of developing countries.

Hua Yisheng is an international relations expert.

observer andrew rawnsleY

At the state funeral of Winston Churchill, one of the pallbearers was Clement Attlee, his wartime deputy. The massive TV audience witnessed a deathly frail Attlee stumble as the leadlined coffin was carried up the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral. It was a mark of their deep mutual esteem that Churchill had asked for Attlee to be one of his bearers and Attlee had insisted on performing the honour despite his ill health.

Thrown together in the dark hours of 1940, the two men forged the crossparty coalition that saved their country from the menace of Nazism and then, when Hitler was done, contested each other at the ballot box for mastery of post-war Britain. In this terrific account of an extraordinary double act, Leo McKinstry rightly contends that their relationship was “unprecedented in the annals of British politics”. A five-year wartime partnership between two leaders, followed by a decade of peacetime competition between them, is unlikely to be repeated.

One of the author’s easiest tasks is painting the contrasts. Churchill was charismatic, buccaneering, humorous, impulsive, inclined to lachrymosity, often erratic in his conduct of government and employed his genius with the English language to rouse the nation at its time of gravest peril. He was always the largest character in any room. Attlee was shy, dry, taciturn, cautious, even-tempered, orderly, unsentimental, never a captivating orator and often dismissed as a nonentity. “A funny little mouse”, as Clementine Churchill called him, he spent much of his life in the shade of more obviously gifted contemporaries.

The self-effacing socialist was a

man of radical politics, but conventional tastes. The flamboyant Tory was a man of conservative politics, but a romantic temperament. His friend FE Smith once remarked: “Winston is easily satisfied with the best.”

Churchill, whose extravagance often put him on the edge of bankruptcy, liked to holiday on the French Riviera.

For the austere Attlee, it was Frinton.

Churchill loved to sit up late with his cronies consuming prodigious amounts of alcohol; Attlee’s favourite evening drink was a bedtime cocoa with his wife, Violet. Churchill believed, from a very early age, that he “walked with destiny”. He was not surprised to find himself prime minister, only that he had to wait so long.

Until it happened, few thought Attlee had it in him to lead Labour to a landslide election victory in 1945 and then preside over a radically reforming government that would change Britain for decades to come.

The contrasts, vivid though they were, ultimately mattered less than the deeper commonalities that bonded them. Both had a great love of their country that expressed itself in a profound patriotism, but not a narrow nationalism. We can only guess what Attlee would make of Jeremy Corbyn or Churchill of Boris Johnson, but you have to doubt that they would be impressed. Both had backgrounds as social reformers, Churchill as a Liberal cabinet minister under Lloyd George, Attlee as a welfare worker in the East End of London. Both had strong marriages that sustained them through the bleak stretches of their careers. Both were rather accidental leaders. Attlee secured the Labour leadership mainly because of the vices of more trumpeted rivals. Churchill became prime minister, despite the great reservations of many Tories, because there was no other figure of stature on their benches who had not been discredited by appeasement.

Both were infused with a humanity that allowed them to appreciate the qualities of the other man. Attlee played a pivotal role in guaranteeing that Churchill took the helm after the fall of Neville Chamberlain, ensuring that Britain was led by the ideal wartime prime minister. The Labour leader did so in the face of resistance in his own party because of Churchill’s previous crusades against socialism.

He later explained: “What once earned him the reputation of being a reactionary and a warmonger was the same quality that enabled him to save civilisation from the greatest dangers it has ever faced.” Even during the most harrowing chapters of the war, when Britain knew only defeats and Tory intriguers schemed to replace Churchill, Attlee was staunchly loyal.

Churchill had earned that fidelity.

In the interests of forming a coalition with as much support as possible, he invested Attlee with considerable authority in the novel constitutional position of deputy prime minister and was generous in the allocation of cabinet posts to Labour. The presence of Labour ministers running big domestic departments responsible for the economy, workforce and post-war reconstruction helped establish the party’s fitness for power in the minds of voters.

That their partnership survived all the vicissitudes of war “was partly a reflection of Churchill’s greatness and partly of Attlee’s patience”. They did row at times. On one occasion, Churchill speechified to the cabinet before declaring: “Well, gentlemen, I think we can all agree on this course.”

Attlee tartly interjected: “You know, prime minister, a monologue by you does not necessarily spell agreement.”

At the 1945 election, Churchill was conveyed on a national tour in sumptuous style by special train and limousine. Attlee was driven around by his wife in their humble Hillman saloon.

The contrast between the grand Tory patrician and the modest Labour man of the people now worked to Attlee’s advantage in a Britain that wanted a more equal society. That campaign was acrimonious, but there was never between them any of the vicious personal antipathy that flowed between Disraeli and Gladstone or Asquith and Lloyd George. Churchill let fly with fiery denunciations as the Attlee government founded the NHS and expanded the welfare state. Yet when the Conservatives returned to power in 1951, it was a measure of both Attlee’s achievements and Churchill’s good sense that his One Nation Tory government did not seek to dismantle Labour’s post-war settlement.

Attlee and Churchill: Allies in War, Adversaries in Peace by Leo McKinstry is published by Atlantic Books (£25).

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

FOREIGN NEWS 07

As optIons nArrow on syrIA, trump prepAres to drop sAnctIons hAmmer on turkey WASHINGTON

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Agencies

RESIDENT Donald Trump’s administration is set to impose economic sanctions on Ankara, potentially as early as this week, for its incursion into northern Syria, one of the few levers the United States still has over Nato-ally Turkey.

Using the US military to stop the Turkish offensive on US-allied Kurdish fighters was never an option, defence officials have said, and Trump asked the Pentagon on Sunday to begin a “deliberate” withdrawal of all troops from northern Syria. After Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday that Trump had authorised “very powerful” new sanctions targeting Turkey, the ad-

ministration appeared ready to start making good on Trump’s threat to obliterate Turkey’s economy. On Sunday, Trump said he was listening to Congress, where Republicans and Democrats are pushing aggressively for sanctions action.

“Dealing with @LindseyGrahamSC and many members of Congress, including Democrats, about imposing powerful Sanctions on Turkey,” Trump said on Twitter, referring to the loyal Trump ally and US senator who lambasted the president last week. “Treasury is ready to go; additional legislation may be sought.

There is great consensus on this. Turkey has asked that it not be done. Stay tuned!” he added. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that sanctions were “being worked out at all levels of the government for rollout”.

Trump is struggling to quell harsh criticism, including from some of his staunchest Republican backers, that he gave Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan a green light to attack the Kurds last Sunday when he decided to pull a small number of US troops out of the border area.

Turkey’s offensive aims to neutralise the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and seen by Ankara as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish insurgents in Turkey. But the SDF has also been Washington’s key ally in fighting that has dismantled the militant Islamic State (IS) group’s “caliphate” in Syria. Trump’s decision, rooted in his long-stated aim to get the US out of “endless wars”, has prompted bipartisan concerns that it opens the door to the revival of IS. While sanctions appear to

be the strongest tool of deterrence, the US and its European allies could also ponder arms sales bans and the threat of war crimes prosecutions. “Good decision by President @realDonaldTrump to work with Congress to impose crippling sanctions against Turkeys outrageous aggression/war crimes in Syria,” Graham tweeted. It is unclear what sanctions are in the order drafted last week, which Mnuchin said was ready for activation at any moment, and whether they would be as severe as what lawmakers are proposing.

FRANCE CALLS FOR AMRS EMBARGO: Meanwhile, France called upon the European Union foreign ministers to

call for an arms embargo on Turkey and to once again condemn Ankara’s offensive on Syria. The EU foreign ministers must also request that the US hold a meeting of the coalition against IS, France’s foreign minister said on Monday. The EU, which Turkey still aspires to join, had already condemned the Turkish air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria but has been infuriated by President Tayyip Erdogan’s threats to send refugees to Europe. “This offensive is going to cause serious humanitarian devastation,” Jean-Yves Le Drian said as he arrived for a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.

Spain jails Catalan separatist leaders for independence bid

BARCELONA Agencies

Thousands of angry protesters took to the streets of Barcelona on Monday after Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders to between nine and 13 years in jail for sedition over the failed 2017 independence bid.

As the news broke, demonstrators turned out en masse, blocking streets in Barcelona and elsewhere as police braced for what activists said would be a mass response of civil disobedience. The long-awaited ruling capped weeks of rising tension, and puts the Catalan question at the heart of the political debate less than a month before Spain heads into its

fourth general election in as many years. Ahead of the ruling, Barcelona had woken up to a heavy police presence, with forces noticeably visible around the regional high court, the main Sants train station and El Prat, Spain’s second busiest airport. “I feel very affected by the sentence even though I expected it. I feel fury and a sense of powerlessness,” said Joan Guich, a 19-year-old maths student who was protesting on Gran Via. “They have been convicted for an ideology which I agree with.”

The 12 defendants were put on trial in February for their role in the banned October 1, 2017 referendum and the short-lived independence declaration that followed it. The harshest sentence of 13 years was handed to

former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras who served as the main defendant in absence of Carles Puigdemont, the region’s leader who fled Spain to avoid prosecution. In a tweet from Brussels, Puigdemont denounced the sentences as an “outrage”. “100 years in all. An outrage.

Now more than ever, by your side and those of your families. It is time to react as never before,” he wrote.

And in a letter to his supporters released on Monday, Junqueras said the story was far from over. “Nothing ends today, you neither win nor convince,” he wrote in remarks directed at Spain’s central government. “We will come back even stronger… and win. Spain’s government has expressed hope that the trial’s end would allow it to move on from the crisis in the wealthy northeastern region, where support for independence had been gaining momentum over the past decade. “Following the Supreme Court decision we need to turn the page based on peaceful co-existence in Catalonia through dialogue,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, speaking in English. But Junqueras’ leftwing ERC party has said dialogue would not be possible without an “amnesty” for “political prisoners and those in exile”.

Barcelona Football Club also tweeted its own response to the ruling, saying: “Prison is not the solution. “The resolution of the conflict in Catalonia must come exclusively

from political dialogue.” The separatist movement is hoping the guilty verdicts will unite their divided ranks and bring supporters onto the streets.

“It is time to rise up against the authoritarian fascism of the Spanish state and its accomplices,” tweeted the radical CDR, whose activists briefly blocked Barcelona’s Sants station on Sunday and cut traffic on one of its main streets. “It is time for the #PopularRevolt.” “Democratic Tsunami”, a newly formed group set up to coordinate the response, called on demonstrators to meet in Barcelona’s Plaza Cataluna Monday afternoon, while the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural, the region’s two biggest grassroots pro-independence groups, have called an evening rally.

In the coming days, demonstrators will march from five towns towards Barcelona where they will congregate on Friday, when a general strike has been called. For many, the situation has brought back memories of tensions in the street in the run-up to the October 1, 2017 referendum which was marred by police violence, and ahead of the short-lived independence declaration that followed on October 27.

Former parliamentary speaker Carme Forcadell was handed 11 years and six months in prison, while five other former ministers were jailed for between 10 years and six months and 12 years.

Iran president says there is video footage of attack on Iranian tanker DUBAI: Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said an Iranian tanker damaged in the Red Sea on Friday had been hit by at least two rockets, and there is video footage of the incident. Iranian authorities reported that the Iranianowned oil tanker, the Sabiti, was struck off Saudi Arabia’s coast. There has been no independent report on the cause of the damage. Iran’s rival Saudi Arabia has said it was not behind any attack on the tanker. Saudi authorities said they received a distress message from the vessel, but they added that it had switched off its transponder before they could assist. Rouhani, speaking live on state television on Monday, said the attack was undoubtedly carried out by a government and that there would be consequences. Agencies

Britain, EU enter make-or-break Brexit week LONDON Agencies

Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeated Monday that Britain must leave the EU on October 31, as divorce talks resumed in Brussels in a pivotal week that could define how and when Brexit finally happens. In an elaborate ceremony in parliament in London, Queen Elizabeth II set out Johnson’s legislative programme for the coming year, with leaving the EU top of the agenda.

“My government’s priority has always been to secure the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on October 31,” she said in a speech to robed peers from a gilded throne in the upper House of Lords. “My government intends to work towards a new partnership with the European Union, based on free trade and friendly cooperation.”

But this depends on the outcome of closed-door discussions in Brussels, where officials are

racing to reach a deal on Britain’s exit terms before a summit of EU leaders starting on Thursday.

If he cannot get a deal by Saturday, Johnson will fall foul of a British law demanding he ask the EU to delay Brexit for a third time rather than risk a potentially disastrous “no deal” departure. “A deal is possible and it’s possible this month,” Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney said as he arrived for talks with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

“It may even be possible this week but we’re not there yet.”

Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief Brexit negotiator, briefed EU ambassadors late Sunday after a weekend of talks between officials described as “intense” and “constructive”. After weeks of gloom, the last few days have given a glimmer of hope that an agreement can be reached but there has so far been no decisive breakthrough.

Barnier warned on Sunday that “a lot of work remains to be done”.

This message echoed by

Johnson’s spokesman in London, who said on Monday: “The talks are constructive but there is a lot of work still to do.” More than three years after the 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU, divorce talks remain stuck on how to avoid customs checks between British Northern Ireland and Ireland. After British MPs rejected a

previous plan, Johnson put forward fresh proposals earlier this month — but they have been met with a cool response in Brussels.

Johnson took over from his predecessor Theresa May in July vowing no more delays, after she postponed Brexit twice in a failed attempt to get her own divorce deal through the British parlia-

ment. But he has no majority in the House of Commons, leaving him powerless even to call an election without the support of opposition parties. In a statement issued alongside Queen Elizabeth II’s speech, Johnson said the British public were “tired of stasis, gridlock and waiting for change”.

It was time to leave the EU and seize new opportunities, “to tear away that bureaucratic red tape, to set our own rules, and to release the talent, creativity, innovation and chutzpah that exists in every corner of our United Kingdom”.

As well as a commitment to Brexit, the Queen’s Speech included a raft of domestic measures, from tackling domestic violence to plastic pollution.

Earlier, finance minister Sajid Javid announced the government’s first post-Brexit budget would take place on November 6 “to shape the economy for the future”.

But Johnson is unlikely to get any of his plans through the Commons, and if an election comes, a

new Queen’s Speech will be necessary. “I’m not sure they’ll still be in office on November 6 and it doesn’t appear to be at all certain that we will leave the EU on October 31,” said Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Some resolution is expected when the British parliament holds its first Saturday sitting since the 1982 Falklands War. A law passed against Johnson’s wishes last month requires him to ask the EU to delay Brexit by three months if MPs have not approved a Brexit deal or a “no deal” departure by October 19. Johnson could theoretically refuse, although he would face an immediate court challenge. EU leaders could complicate matters further still by deciding to offer Britain extension terms that parliament cannot accept. But Brussels insists the ball is now in Johnson’s court. “If the British government wants a solution, it must move quickly now,” a European diplomat told AFP. “The clock is ticking,”

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

08 COMMENT

Where have all the creative souls gone?

Imran Khan’s ever shifting priorities

A polite reminder that music is not plastic

And JUI-F’s shot across the bow

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E said he would provide jobs and houses. then he promised to give hens and eggs and calves to the unemployed to help them earn their living. Lately he has been saying that he would be kashmir’s ambassador and make india undo the revocation of article 370 and lift the restrictions imposed on iOk. Frustrated over his failure to fulfill any of the promises made, the PM has now decided to act as a facilitator to resolve the iran-saudi dispute. He also wants to arrange ‘some sort of dialogue’ between iran and the Us to get the nuclear deal restored, thus hoping to succeed where the European signatories of the deal have miserably failed. the PM needs to realize that the real test of his leadership lies in resolving the enormous problems that the masses face at home. the first year of the Pti rule has made peoples’ lives miserable. the number of the unemployed has risen by tens of thousands. the prices of the commodities of daily use and the rise in utility bills have added further to peoples’ distress. if one is to go by the latest WB report, the second year of the Pti’s tenure offers little prospect of improvement in the common man’s livelihood. Growth is expected to remain low in the near term as the economy is stagnating amid deficits and low reserves. Yet another macroeconomic crisis due to high twin deficits and low foreign reserves is likely to slow down the economy.

Weeks before the JUi-F’s azadi March was to begin, the federal ministers along with their Pti colleagues in kP and Punjab started issuing statements that indicated the government’s nervousness. With the doctors in kP on strike for over two weeks now and the trading community having announced a countywide strike on 28th and 29th the government fears the azadi March will attract several sections of society. the government may weather the coming storm as the two mainstream parties are not ready to put their full weight behind the JUi-F. another year of unrelieved suffering and there would be more formidable protests against the government. there is a need for the PM to focus on the common man’s problems instead of wasting time on foreign tours.

Nipping militancy in the bud For our own sake

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akistan has fought a largely successful, long and bloody war against terrorism at home for more than a decade through multiple military operations that took the fight to the enemy. One brand of that enemy however has remained untouched over the years- militant outfits operating freely and openly in the country. although some of these ‘experiments’ were ‘taken care of’, LeJ for example, others have been tolerated. it was only when Pakistan was placed on the FatF grey list last year that action against proscribed organisations such as the Let/JuD and JeM became necessary. since then, Hafiz saeed has been arrested under charges that are not easily bailable, his assets have been seized and many of his top people are detained as well. Last week four more members of the Let were arrested- a move that has been welcomed by Washington through the state Department’s representative in this region, alice Wells, who has urged Pakistan to ‘prosecute the arrested and prevent militant groups from operating on its soil for its own future’. the Us has reiterated this advice many times before but Pakistan took little to no action. now the country is faced with the prospect of being placed on the dreaded FatF black list that will categorise it as being a noncooperative country in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. india being a member of the FatF is lobbying to get Pakistan on the black list, and why wouldn’t they? after all, it fits right into their narrative of labeling Pakistan a “terrorist supporting failed state”. it was up to us to prove that we are cooperative through prompt and visible action. Yet in the past year we have come up short in the eyes of the asia Pacific Group (aPG) citing overall poor compliance even in its latest report released a few weeks before the ongoing FatF meeting. Pakistan has the support of some allies and might survive this review, but this is not a sustainable strategy- the country must take action against all militants for its own sake, not just because it is being made to do so.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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haSaN aFTaB SaEED

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ECYCLinG is a great idea. Provided one is talking about plastic, paper or metals. not so much when it comes to music and certainly not when practically all the musicians of the country use it as a convenient way to make an easy buck and to stay relevant. the twelfth season of Coke studio has just taken off with atif aslam’s cover of Wohi Khuda Hai. the question isn’t whether atif aslam did justice to nusrat Fateh ali khan’s original. Of course, he couldn’t possibly have. no heightened powers of expression and no greater musical gift could have transformed an atif aslam, or anybody else for that matter, into nusrat. there’s no accounting for tastes, so there are plenty of those who believe atif did rather well. the real question however is, why is there such dearth of creativity. (sorry, fancy choruses and electronic gimmickry on old tunes don’t qualify.) Why are musicians, including the so-called stars, so averse to producing original work? as if on cue, ali Zafar, has also released a duet which, according to a report, ‘reinvents’ the Balochi classic Laila o Laila. and as if the reinventing bit wasn’t enough, another gimmick has been thrown in for good measure: the female singer is 12 years old! the message is loud and clear: for hits anything is kosher. interestingly, the same folk song had also been redone, not too long ago, on Coke studio too. (Well, which folk song hasn’t?) then, Rostam Mirlashari had apparently beaten ali to it. Well, ali has had his revenge now. this sums up our musical landscape nicely:

if it’s not a ‘tribute’ to some artist, it’s a folk tune then what choice do the masses have? it’s hard that is rehashed and presented amid much fanfare to say what’s worse: musicians shortchanging as some sort of a musical miracle. While it’s true their audiences by selling old stuff in new packthat folk songs don’t belong to any one man, aging; or the fans lapping it all up. this creative laziness has a way of rubbing there comes a time (after 200 ‘reinventions’, say?) when they must be retired in favour of itself on everybody, which is detrimental to most fresher stuff. incorporating folk here and there in artistes themselves. How unfortunate that Zohaib one’s own creations is one thing; repeating it Hassan chose to recycle nazia’s or his own songs each time he got the opportunity at Coke studio. wholesale is quite another. this is by no means the first time for atif. a pity that such a wide audience was deprived of He sang another classic Tajdar e Haram (a ‘trib- original work from an accomplished composer. atif has hinted that he doesn’t undertake the ute’ to sabri Brothers) also for Coke studio, as recently as in 2015. ali Zafar is also a veteran aforementioned devotional projects for money or recycler, having rehashed Jaan e Bahaaran, and fame, but as part of a search for something better. all the more reason he Ae Dil Kisi Ki Yaad Mein, should embark on that both for Coke studio. a search on his own steam, brief survey of Coke sturather than on somebody dio songs over the years While it’s true that folk else’s hard work. makes it clear that rehashit’s one thing to sing in a ing is by no means an ocsongs don’t belong to any birthday party. Or inside a casional affair; instead, practically half the numone man, there comes a bathroom, where there should be complete freedom. bers in every season come time (after 200 But rehashing classics comunder the category of ‘tribunder any nobleute’ or folk. ‘reinventions’, say?) when mercially sounding guise needs to While we are at it, we stop. Can we have it made might as well get straight they must be retired in unlawful by an act of parliaonce for all what does (and favour of fresher stuff ment? and can we have an what doesn’t) qualify as a especially stiff penalty for ‘tribute’. s.D. Burman narrecycling something sung by rates an interesting incithe great nusrat, even if – dent. Fishing at a village pond on the outskirts of Calcutta, he had nothing especially if – it’s by his own kith and kin?

While on the subject of kith and kin, Rahat to show for his patient wait of many hours. Frustrated, he was about to call it a day when a lad of Fateh ali is on the Coke studio list again this about ten jumped into the pond and started season. it’s a safe bet that unless restrained he singing Tadbeer Se Bigri Hui Taqdeer Bana Le, will rehash some old song, probably one by quite unaware that the delighted composer of the uncle nusrat. Can we have our legislation in song was within earshot. That was a tribute. Re- place before he goes ahead and does that? the cycling somebody else’s creation on a commer- clock is ticking. as for folk, would it be too much to suggest cial platform, merely replacing the original orchestration and interval pieces (which in case that items like Balle Balle and Jugni may have of a classic are every bit as divine as the tune is) worn themselves out, and that it won’t be such a by ‘modern’ instrumentation and then presenting bad idea to leave them alone for a while? in the it as some sort of a service to the cause of music meantime, can our musicians, especially the stars, come up with some original work please? is not a tribute. it’s theft.

Tajdar e Haram is the biggest Coke studio Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, hit to date. Wohi Khuda hai has had ten million views inside four days. One could ask what ex- literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be actly the problem is if the masses like covers, but reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

When worse comes to worst The only choice we have is to persevere with patience and persistence

Shah Nawaz Mohal

Y

OU win some, you lose some. no one wins it all, no one loses it forever. and the above two sentences are neither copy-pasted from some self-help book nor learned from some new age nonsense. it is, in all honesty, merely an observation.

You must know some of them happy-go-lucky lads and dames who don’t need much to make their day a good, joyous one. and then there are others, who, well, are so much in love with their sadness that they consider it a sacrilege to part with it. they are the folks who have seen the worse come to worst.

Most of us know as a gospel truth that the economy is in the gutter, the politicians are either crooks pretending to be saints or sex symbols convincing us that they have mended their ways as they preach us all that is old is rotten to the core, and the society has turned itself into a dog-devouring-dog cage. the dolled up anchors yell their lungs, evening in, evening out so as to convince us that things are beyond redemption and no matter what we do, they are simply beyond repair. all of the above things may sound and look worryingly bad, even apocalyptic to some. trust me, they just sound and look as such. things aren’t half as bad, folks, if only you had the will

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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and courage to see it sans dystopian lenses that news is no news, it is said. no one buys ‘no news’, right? Good doesn’t sell much, it just doesn’t! our ubiquitous screens have put on our eyes.

For the great ease of many and greater good For those of you who still have in them the capacity to skim through a book or read a summary, of all, following are the ten signature, telltale signs kindly search ‘Better angels of our nature’ by Dr. that sift sad, bitter men from those who get sad steven Pinker. Dr, Pinker teaches psychology and every now and then but never turn bitter in life. incessant complaining comes at the top. linguistics at Harvard University and is a famed secondly, they whine about everything and author. in his 800 page heavy tome, Pinker delves deep into causes and reasons as to why violence anything under the sun, whether it is good, bad or ugly. they always know who to blame for all that has decreased over time among our species.

Do you know that less people go to their goes awry in their lives and in the world at large.

Fourthly, they see trouble where there is beds with empty stomachs than a decade or two none. Fifthly, loath their back. no two states are at government as if it is an arfull-blown war with each ticle of faith. also they other. the average life exgive a hoot to the endpectancy all over the globe Trust me, they just sound don’t less complexity of society. is at an all-time high. Child next, they love to revel mortality rates are at an alland look as such. Things in the misery they’ve caretime low across the World. aren’t half as bad, folks, if fully assembled around Millions of people are getEighth sign is ting out of debilitating only you had the will and themselves. that they look tired, worried poverty every month. and in agony every time after hearing these courage to see it sans you encounter them. they feel-good bits, the sad and bitter man will itch to redystopian lenses that our wait stoically for a future where happiness, contentmind us of Burma and ubiquitous screens have ment, abundance and all Brexit. He’ll tell us the things nice await them. and number of suicide bombs put on our eyes the last sign to look for is our country has had during that they seek refuge in past one year. He’ll advonovelty and are indifferent cate the plight of kashmir to those who care whether and the atrocities in Palestine. in his world the rise of Donald trump and they exist or not. and since prose has its limitations when it narendra Modi dwarf the sobriety of angela Merkel and even-mindedness of noam Chomsky. comes to summing things up, we’ll end this piece the whole universe conspires against the with an excerpt from thomas Hood’s poem, sad, bitter men. the entire world is out there to ‘the Bridge of sighs’. get them. Friends are foes in making. Enemies Mad from life’s history, are ticking time bombs. all they cherish, all they Glad to death’s mystery, love can be and will be snatched at any time. swift to be hurled— they wait for Godots. their Godots don’t exist. anywhere, anywhere, Every night the world ends, the very next Out of the world! morning it starts exactly from where we’ve left it. the prophets of doom and heralds of gloom, never Shah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and forget, have to sell their merchandise that comprises of anxiety, depression, worries, cynicism, journalist based in Islamabad. He can be doubt, insecurity, and fear among others. Good reached at mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com.

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

COMMENT 09 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

The youth betrayed tHE Pti is a ruling party which has most of its support base in the youth, but it has been unfair with it’s own youth after coming into power. in current situation when we look around, we find youth in more of a crisis than ever before. as Pti government excluded the educational budget then Higher Education Commission HEC has cut few educational stipends of universities. similarly universities are extending the amount of fees due to having low budgets, which is also affecting Pti’s youth.

On the other hand Chinese government is excluding the number of scholarships for Pakistani students due to slow working of CPEC projects. and PM khan’s promise of jobs is also not looking to be fulfilled. But according to some traders and Economists 1 million people lost their jobs during this Pti government and 4 million became poor.

Meanwhile it is requested Prime Minster khan to please don’t disappoint your youth as they are behind your party’s rise.

SYED TAHIr rASHDI Karachi

A strong economy

Our content is King of cringe Becoming relevant on the global stage by producing better material

aMNa KhaN

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OMEnts like this require someone who will act, do the unpleasant thing, the necessary thing” i can’t help but agree with Frank Underwood’s opening monologue in House Of Cards. the first netflix original to grace our laptop screens, prior to which netflix had invested in buying content from networks and filming studios at nominal fees to attract subscribers to their streaming platform. then they did the ‘unpleasant thing’ and ‘acted’ instinctively for what was unavoidable even ‘necessary’ to survive in the media climate of 2013. they took a gamble - a huge risk, in the words of ted sarandos, “the stakes were high, in terms of the size of the bet” and as we can see it really paid off. since then there’s been a drastic increase in the amount of money streaming services such as HBO, HULU, amazon and apple tV spend on individual content, proving ‘originality’ is what works. Our media avenues should’ve gotten the memo of ‘going global’ early on when tyrion Lannister’s doppelganger Rozi khan attracted hordes of tourists to his restaurant in Rawalpindi. Honestly at this point being tone deaf to your audience seems as Pakistani a trait as being a biryani enthusiast. it’s apparent, all media entities think about is likability. also perhaps not getting gunned down by the clergy but mostly it’s about how they can get a person of null & nil education to watch ‘this’. ‘this’ does not constitute any informative programming, no! Just in case that might make society a more functional place to live in by, perhaps, making men less sexist and women less judgmental; we can’t have that now, can we? then come the neglected audiences those who are colonized by chance not choice.

Channels figure that these people already have internet access and the local media isn’t really willing to win over any educated minds. it’s a useless endeavor because their competition is foreign programming, so they don’t even try. if only they would’ve been this averse to innovation when mobile phones were on the line, we’d still be using fax machines - laziness aside it would’ve been because people are used to it, so why change when the masses have already adopted? this is the exact explanation anyone willing to invest in intelligent programming

gets -’people won’t buy it, so why even try? Be- human isn’t poor! But we dare not challenge world views. - (Only for as long as they sell of sides we’ve always done it this way.’ thirst for tasteful content sways no one, course) and as soon as india starts doing it there’s only greed for mindless profiteering we’ll do it too. the remake obviously, originalhere; unrelatable dialogue coupled with super- ity & social consciousness just isn’t our thing. ficial story-telling lacking any insight to an ed- Our neighbours are universalizing themselves ucated human mind whatsoever. Local channels so the world can relate & we aren’t - that’s the are strictly peddling conservative opinions problem. this is also another reason why we which are outdated and problematic. For those lose clout regarding kashmir because our media of us yearning to see ourselves be claimed by rhetoric is so blatantly profit ridden, it becomes our country of birth, it is futile to say the least hard for the world to register any genuine conbecause after watching House of Cards, Hum- cern for the kashmiri people’s future.

Honestly there’s no problem in beginning safar feels a tad bit tone deaf in a world where the perspectives of Muslims are pigeonholed to from scratch, by copying the west - verbatim.

Legitimate improvements take time and we a beard & hijab. there’s no patience for self-expression even don’t have any. translating dialogues, using in countries that claim to be majoritarily Mus- green screens to superimpose the Pakistani lim. in that case we can’t really blame the Un equivalents of western actors (not Humayan for not even batting an eye when Priyanka saeed) sounds doable. We need to break away Chopra expressed her hawkish brand of patri- from brazenly sexist and tone deaf content by prioritizing quality. Linear otism, can we? as i narratives and editing watched a progressive styles are also a thing of celebrity in her own right the past. Millennials need ayesha Malik defend our Linear narratives and movies that mimic their honour i realized how her media habits - fast words were wasted on a editing styles are also a social paced, unpredictable and country which would’ve ones’ with uncertain endheckled her to death for thing of the past. ings (not everyone needs wearing an off shoulder in Millennials need movies to be in love, or married, its streets. that’s the irony or terrible if they’re sexuof our support; it wavers that mimic their social ally active). that’s the because the world is as way, the only way we’ll fickle about us, as we are media habits fast be able to hitch a ride on about ourselves. Even more unfortunate was our paced, unpredictable and this new trend of digitally sponsored content showbest bet against PCJ. an ones’ with uncertain cased online. item song peddling, queen Genuine feedback & of pretentious woke-dome endings (not everyone organic sharing will deterwho had to travel to Oslo mine what works by to make a speech about needs to be in love, or showing us how real how much she cares about married, or terrible if praise is rewarded. People schools in sukkur, authenticity and women’s hockey and they’re sexually active) celebrate companies modelled on kashmir as long as there’s the principles of true ina pre-planned photo-op tent succeed. Companies happening nearby to caplike Prime video that have ture it. this just in, she’s been nominated for the most expensive commissioned cinema in tamil, telugu, Bengali and several other smaller pockets of indian celebrity publicity stunt of 2019 (female).

Every single recently released mainstream states because it has proven it sells both locally Pakistani film pandered to mass mentality & not & internationally. there’s a shared human exone film owned up to the Muslim diaspora. it perience that comes from contextual flavour in took Zoya akhtar an indian Muslim to paint a dialogues & authentic regional story telling.

Pakistan is thrice the size of several indian protagonist with realistic colours and show him bowing down on a prayer mat in Gully Boy. not states who have secured foreign production one movie from here cares about representation contracts; it’s deplorable that there’s less surety or takes privilege in diversifying the identity of of success here than there. tV’s and smart Pakistani Muslim’s. i’m glad Zoya’s parents screens are the only literacy we have in an age who are prolific Muslim artists in their own where books are outdated, we need to take the right, stayed where they knew their talents responsibility of educating our own - with would be appreciated, so that their daughter mindful unsanitized content. Content that can expunge Pakistan’s reputation as the infamous could make cinematic history.

Meanwhile, our television makes us con- ‘Pornistan’ (statistics by Google and PornMD flate prosperity with our skin color and it shows confirm Pakistan as the number 1 country that we’re still hung up on our colonial past. We searching porn related Google queries). sounds import turkish and Chinese dramas distorting reasonable to take stock of what skills Pakour children’s mindsets and essentially their fu- istani’s boast about being number one at and ture because we don’t want to risk being un- giving our youth more insightful things to sellable to the common man’s impaired taste. watch. it is in moments like this when we need as hard as it is to believe, not every white per- to ‘act’ and do the ‘necessary’ thing of creating son is ‘just’ beautiful, just as every dark skinned better content!

aCCORDinG to Buddha a man should first direct himself in a way he should go, and only then should he instruct others. this means that we first have to put our deeds in place and fix ourselves before preaching to others. as in planes they say, help yourself first before helping others. that also suggests that a person must first stand strong before deciding to lead others out of a problem. Unfortunately, in our country every person worth a name without knowing or giving roadmap pretends himself to the be savior of the declining economy. Wish our leaders could learn from Goethe’s saying that a man who believes he can do without world deceives himself, but the one who believe world can’t do without him is still more mistaken. Our ruling class from all sectors and the elite services failed to setup a system which could meet demands of every segment of society. things only move when people resort to sit-ins and violence, direct or implied. it is imperative for us as a nation to realize that without a robust economy, neither democracy nor any kind of theocracy can bring prosperity. in the end in the modern world, bombs, jingoism, and rhetoric doesn’t take a nation far. We all must work together toward developing a strong economy. the government must sit with opposition to develop policies that encourage investment. Enough of beating the drum of corruption by past governments and assigning blames. it is now time for action. they must work to show what they can do to change things around. similarly, all sectors of society must put in their best effort to make the economy strong. Only then will we be able to stand strong and be heard in the global scene. rAJA SHAFAATuLLAH Islamabad

Injustice with students tHE sudden decision of the education department of conducting 8th grade annual examination in education board has surprised the students and teachers of private schools. it has been almost two months that the 8th classes have begun and we have almost covered half of our textbooks. it is strange and shocking when suddenly we are asked to change our textbooks for the annual examination. However , to this notification, we 8th graders are totally depressed of having wasted our two months whereas our preparation went all in vain. the education department no doubt, has failed to give our due rights. it is confusing that why were we not informed before the starting of our classes? Why everyone is silent and not taking any action over this? What can students do and how can they cover the other textbooks for the annual examination’s preparation. On the other hand, purchasing new textbooks is not affordable for all of us . there too are poor students studying. the textbooks that they bought in great expense are now further not going to be taught. is the education department really doing good for us ? We students need justice and want our elders to raise voice for us .

SAHAr ABDuL KArIM Turba

Pat on the back it is pretty interesting to see new Zealand withdrawing the controversial racist africa and Middle East refugee policy. and this is the best way forward and way to go! it has been said that the media houses have played a very important role in annihilating the whole controversy around the policy. the so-called discriminatory refugee policy seems to have been following very hard rules against migrant people from regions like asia.

We are all human beings and any bias against humanity should be resisted and protested with the help of media and people.

On my personal and professional facets, i have been tirelessly encouraging equal treatment among people from all walks of life in my native areas like tiruchendur, korkai, tuticorin, tirunelveli, kanyakumari in tamil nadu and in my professional areas like Coimbatore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and both my mother and father have often given me advice on such beautiful facets.

Countries like new Zealand shall take beautiful lessons from the continent asia mixed with festivals and family values to create beautiful cultural traditions among all.

P SENTHIL SArAvANA DurAI Mumbai

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

10 FOREIGN NEWS RIYADH

r

Agencies

USSIAN President Vladimir Putin will visit Saudi Arabia on Monday, where he is set to seal oil agreements as well as use his influence to defuse rising tensions in the Gulf.

The meeting with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comes following attacks on Saudi oil installations that Riyadh and the US have blamed on Iran, an ally of Moscow. The oil will be “the main topic of discussion” between the leaders, Russian political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov said, as a deal between the 24 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is due to expire next spring.

Russia is not a member of OPEC, headed by Saudi Arabia, but it has worked closely with the group to limit supply and push up

Oil, iran tOp agenda as putin visits saudi arabia prices after a 2014 slump that badly hit the Russian economy.

Moscow and Riyadh — a traditional ally of Washington — have made a striking rapprochement in recent years, marked in particular by King Salman’s first visit to Russia in October 2017. A year later, when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was under fire after the assassination of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, Vladimir Putin went out of his way to shake his hand at a G20 summit, to much comment.

In an interview with Arabiclanguage television channels ahead of his visit, Putin praised his good relations with the King

and Crown Prince. “We will absolutely work with Saudi Arabia and our other partners and friends in the Arab world… to reduce to zero any attempt to destabilise the oil market,” he said in the interview broadcast Sunday.

Analyst Lukyanov said that Moscow — with its older ties to Iran as new links with Saudi — could “play the role of a peacemaker” as tensions between Tehran and Riyadh continue to rise.

These tensions spiked last month after the attacks on Saudi oil facilities that initially halved the kingdom’s crude output and set oil markets alight. Yemen’s Huthi rebels claimed responsibility, but

US officials blamed Iran and said the rebels did not have the range or sophistication to target the facilities.

Tehran has denied involvement and warned of “total war” in the event of any attack on its territory.

Russia attempted to keep a foot in both camps — proposing missiles to Riyadh to defend itself, while at the same time warning against “hasty conclusions” regarding Iranian involvement.

Last week an Iranian tanker was hit by suspected missile strikes off the coast of Saudi Arabia, sparking fresh conflict fears.

“As far as Russia is concerned, we will do everything possible to create the necessary conditions for

a positive dynamic” aimed at easing tensions, Putin said in the interview broadcast Sunday. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said the Syria conflict would also feature in the leaders’ talks on Monday.

Russia and Iran are allied with the regime of Bashar al-Assad,

while the Saudis support the opposition. But “it is important for Russia that an Arab country participates in the political settlement in Syria,” said Lukyanov.

So far “only three non-Arab countries” — Turkey, Russia, and Iran — are hosting talks, he said.

Brexit on October 31 a ‘priority’ for British government: Queen

LONDON Agencies

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday set out his government’s priorities at a parliamentary ceremony full of pomp and pageantry attended by the queen, with Brexit top of the agenda.

But with time running out for an amicable divorce deal before EU leaders meet later this week, few of the proposals look likely to be enacted, with predictions of a snap election. Queen Elizabeth

II announced in a speech to lawmakers a list of 26 new bills ranging from implementing a yet-to-be finalised EU divorce agreement to criminal sentencing and the environment. “My government’s priority has always been to secure the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on October 31,” the 93-year-old monarch said from a gilded throne, delivering words written by government officials. “My government intends to work towards a new partnership with the European Union, based on free trade and

friendly cooperation.” The raft of policies outlined included plans for an EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill to enshrine in British law a deal that Johnson is still racing to agree with Brussels, before the scheduled end-of-month departure date.

The Conservative leader has repeatedly said Brexit must happen this month, more than three years after Britons voted narrowly in a 2016 referendum to leave the bloc after nearly five decades of membership. But if he fails to get the deal by an EU summit on Thursday and Friday, he risks having to ask Brussels to delay under a law intended to prevent a potentially damaging “no deal” exit.

The Queen’s Speech to formally reopen the new parliamentary session was the first since June 2017 and was delivered in the upper chamber before ermine and red-robed peers, and their counterparts from the lower chamber, the House of Commons. The monarch was taken to parliament at the Palace of Westminster from her Buckingham Palace residence in a horse-drawn carriage, escorted by the Household Cavalry, with other members of the armed forces lining the route.

She was accompanied by her eldest son, the heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles.

The speech — the queen’s 65th since she began her reign — comes after John-

son tried to suspend parliament for five weeks in September, a move subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court for trying to stop lawmakers debating Brexit. The government’s programme included plans for new regimes for fisheries, agriculture and trade after Brexit, and laws to protect Britain’s financial and legal services sectors.

It also set out legislation to end freedom of movement for EU citizens after Brexit, and outlined a new points-based immigration system that will come into effect in 2021. Addressing the estimated 3.4 million Europeans currently living in Britain, the monarch said the government was committed that they “have the right to remain”. She also announced bills to protect animal welfare, fight plastic pollution, support the state-run National Health Service, address domestic violence and introduce tougher sentences for criminals. But few are likely to come into effect, as Johnson has no majority in the House of Commons with which to push them through.

The political deadlock means that, once the October 31 deadline is passed — with or without a deal or a delay — most commentators expect an election within months. The winning government would then have to set out their legislative agenda again — with a new queen’s speech.

Japan searches for survivors as Typhoon Hagibis death toll hits 56 TOKYO Agencies

Tens of thousands of rescuers worked into the night Monday to find survivors of a powerful typhoon in Japan that killed at least 56 people, as fresh rain threatened to hamper their efforts.

Typhoon Hagibis crashed into the country on Saturday night, unleashing high winds and torrential rain across 36 of the country’s 47 prefectures, triggering landslides and catastrophic flooding.

The death toll from the disaster has risen steadily, with national broadcaster NHK saying Monday night that 56 people had been killed and 15 were still missing.

It cited its own tally based on local reporting. The government has given lower numbers but is still updating its information. “Even now, many people are still unaccounted for in the disaster-hit area,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told an emergency disaster meeting on Monday. “Units are trying their best to search for and rescue them, working day and night,” Abe said.

Later in the day, he pledged to “do whatever the country can” for victims and survivors, ordering the defence ministry to call up to 1,000 reserve troops to join 31,000 active forces in search operations.

But rescue work that was continuing into the night risked being hampered by additional rain falling in central and eastern Japan that officials warned could cause fresh flooding and landslides. “I would like to ask people to stay fully vigilant and continue watching for landslides and river flooding,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.

In Nagano, one of the worst-hit regions, officials said they were working cautiously. “We are concerned about the impact of the latest rain on rescue and recovery efforts,” local official Hiroki Yamaguchi told AFP. “We will continue operations while watching out for secondary disasters due to the current rain.” The death toll continued to rise into Monday evening, with

bodies pulled from flooded cars and homes, swollen rivers and landslides. The casualties included a municipal worker whose car was overcome by floodwaters and at least seven crew from a cargo ship that sank in Tokyo Bay on Saturday night, a coast guard spokesman said.

Four others, from China, Myanmar and Vietnam, were rescued when the boat sank and the coast guard was still searching for a last crew member. Hagibis packed wind gusts of up to 216 kilometres (134 miles) per hour, but it was the heavy rains that caused the most damage.

A total of 176 rivers flooded — mainly in eastern

and northern Japan — with their banks collapsing in two dozen places, local media said.

In central Nagano, a levee breach sent water from the Chikuma river gushing into residential neighbourhoods, flooding homes up to the second floor.

Television footage from the area showed patients being transferred by ambulance from a Nagano hospital where some 200 people had been cut off by flooding.

Elsewhere, rescuers used helicopters to winch survivors from roofs and balconies, or steered boats through muddy waters to reach those trapped.

New Zealand creates unit to ‘disrupt’ online extremism in aftermath of Christchurch massacre WELLINGTON: New Zealand will establish a team of investigators dedicated solely to tackling online extremism, as it moves to address failures exposed by the Christchurch mosques massacre, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday. Ardern has led global efforts to force technology firms to clamp down on extremist material since a lone gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in March, streaming part of the atrocity on Facebook. But she said the attack, which targeted two mosques in the South Island city, also showed her own government needed to improve resources to curb the spread of online hate. “We will have a dedicated team focused on targeting and disrupting violent extremist content across our digital channels,” she said. “This will work in a similar way to how we target child sexual exploitation material, by working with online content hosts to find and remove harmful content.”

Ardern said the Internal Affairs department would hire 17 specialists in investigative, forensic and intelligence work to focus on violent extremist content online. Within 24 hours of the Christchurch attack, allegedly carried out by a self-described white supremacist, Facebook had removed 1.5 million posts of the video streamed by the alleged killer. New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin said response times from authorities needed to be better so objectionable material was removed more quickly, denying extremists a platform. “The ease and speed with which the March 15 terrorist attack spread online showed we need to improve our systems to respond just as swiftly,” she said. Ardern said the latest move complements her push to make global tech giants more accountable for online extremism and more responsive to requests to remove it, which she has called the Christchurch Call.

Companies such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter and Microsoft have all signed up to the initiative. Ardern has also tightened New Zealand’s gun laws in the wake of the massacre and set up a judicial review into whether police and intelligence services missed warning signs about the threat posed by rightwing extremists. The alleged Christchurch gunman, Brenton Tarrant, has pleaded not guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder, and engaging in a terrorist act. His trial will begin on June 2 next year in Christchurch. Agencies

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

BUSINESS 11

FBR Asked tO exPlAIn ABOlIsHment OF InteRnAl AudIt dIRectORAtes

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD

KARACHI: J. Fragrances is spreading its splendour across Pakistan. With electrifying superstars and trend-setting bloggers on board, the exquisite fragrance of the Wear2Inspire campaign is taking over the fashion and lifestyle scene all at once. PrESS rElEASE

LAHORE: Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited (RBPL), makers of Dettol, arranged a cleaning drive in collaboration with the international blogger, Alyne Tamir, under their social vision ‘Hoga Saaf Pakistan’. PrESS rElEASE

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi exchanges views with Turkish Ambassador Ihsan Yurdakul at the Naval Headquarters. PrESS rElEASE

KARACHI: Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan (METRO) has been ranked as the ‘Best Place to Work for 2019 & Best in Retail’ by Engage Consulting. P r E S S r E l E A S E

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar cuts a cake to mark World Health Day. PrESS rElEASE

t

SHAHZAD PArACHA

HE Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Attorney General of Pakistan and Customs' (Operations) Member to explain the decision regarding abolishment of Lahore and Karachi directorates of Customs Internal Audit.

The petitioner, Directorate of Internal Audit (Customs) Director Dr Akhtar Hussain, on Monday requested the court to strike down the impugned SRO 1114(I)/2019 (dated September 20, 2019) issued by FBR as "illegal, unlawful, void and of no legal effect".

He maintained that the tax department had issued the above-mentioned SRO in a clandestine manner.

"Customs (Operations) is not a lawful authority to abolish a field formation, while the purpose of SRO is to serve corrupt customs officers' interests and to shield revenue losses caused by them from internal audit's detections," he

PetItIoner Alleges thAt fIeld formAtIons were AbolIshed 'only to sAfeguArd corruPt offIcers And to shIeld revenue losses cAused by them' added.

The petitioner revealed that he had detected a revenue loss of Rs7.3 billion in the first quarter of the current financial year, following which "performance audits of custom employees were initiated".

In addition, he added, the Lahore internal audit detected a revenue loss of more than Rs209 million in Al Shamsher Engineering case, wherein the responsible customs officer had to face a NAB trial.

Lahore-based amusement company invests over Rs1bn in Rawalpindi ISLAMABAD: At a time when the country is in desperate need of local and foreign investments, a Lahore-based amusement company, Joyland, under its expansion plan, has invested over Rs1 billion in a new amusement park set up adjacent to Ayub Park in Rawalpindi.

Joyland inaugurated the grand amusement park, consisting of a 10-acre outdoor facility and a 32,000sqft indoor amusement centre, in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in June this year. Since its inauguration, the newly-developed amusement park has been receiving an overwhelming re-

sponse, as around 4,000 visitors on an average throng to the facility on weekends.

"Joyland is a pioneer in the amusement industry in the country and has been in business for almost four decades, constructing different indoor and outdoor recreational parks with latest imported rides for the citizens of Pakistan to relish," said Joyland Executive Director Tafweezul Vakil while talking to media on Monday.

"Being the oldest amusement service company in Pakistan, Joyland has been playing its part to support the Pakistani economy. We strive and dedicate ourselves to help the govern-

ment construct and build new recreational and entertainment parks, create employment opportunities for the citizens, and generate further sources of revenue for our country," he added.

Vakil said the company has already established similar parks in Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, and Multan, adding that apart from the amusements facilities for all ages, the company was also setting up a "Food Street" along with the park to provide all attached facilities in one place.

He said 50pc of the location acquired for the park was used for parking to facilitate the visitors. STAFF rEPOrT

PIA to expand fleet with five new aircraft BUISNESS DESK Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to acquire five new aircraft in a bid to expand its fleet, a private media outlet reported on Monday.

As per details, two A-320 Airbuses will be inducted into the national flag-carrier by November while a tender to buy three new narrow-body aircraft will also be released next month.

The 323 narrow-body aircraft will help the PIA minimise its expenses, besides ensuring the expansion of its international and domestic flight operations.

It may be noted that the PIA had also started a facility for the overhauling of 777 Boeing in various cities of Pakistan.

PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Marshal Arshad Malik had said that the move would help the PIA control its aircraft overhauling expenses.

In June 2019, the PIA had temporarily added six narrow-body aircraft to its fleet in order to facilitate Hajj operations.

FLIGHTS TO MALAYSIA: Meanwhile, after an interval of eight months, the national flag-carrier has restored its flight operation to Malaysia.

A PIA flight carrying more than 300 passengers left for Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

According to a statement issued by the PIA, "The national airline will operate two direct flights between Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur (Monday and Friday) to facilitate the tourists and businessmen intending to visit Malaysia and Pakistan.

MaRKEt DaiLy

KSE-100 fails to sustain gains, loses 289 points KARACHI STAFF rEPOrT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), which opened positively on Monday, failed to sustain its gains in the second half and closed the session in the red zone.

Keeping up with their selling pattern, foreign investors offloaded shares worth $4.15 million in the preceding week (October 7-11).

On the economic front, a Pakistani delegation, headed by Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar, is currently in Paris to inform the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) about steps taken by Pakistan to counter money laundering and terrorism financing. In case the FATF is satisfied with the steps, the procedure to remove Pakistan from the grey list would commence. However, the body may consider steps to include Pakistan in its blacklist if the latter is found non-compliant.

Gaining 21.65 points, the KSE-100 Index benchmark recorded its intraday high of 34,697.34 in the

morning session. However, the index soon changed its trajectory and marked its day's low of 34,124.81 after losing 350.88 points. It settled lower by 289.43 points at 34,186.26. The KMI-30 Index fell short by 393.53 points at 54,933.33, while the KSE All Share Index dropped 125.37 points, ending at 24,669.22.

Sectors that pushed the KSE-100 Index lower included banking (-132.47 points), cement (-51.37 points) and fertiliser (-29.90 points). Among the companies, Habib Bank Limited (HBL -41.52 points), Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK -39.33 points) and MCB Bank Limited (MCB -26.00 points) remained the top negative contributors.

The overall market volumes were recorded at 137.93 million, of which 72pc came from the KSE-100 index scripts. Tech gaints Worldcall Telecom (WTL 4.50pc) and TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG -5.60pc) held the first two spots on the volume chart, followed by Lotte Chemical Pakistan Limited (LOTCHEM 0.37pc). The scripts had traded 14.25 million, 11.61 million and 9.70 million shares respectively.

The refinery sector (-3.31pc) turned out to be the top loser of the day. Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL -4.83pc), National Refinery Limited (NRL -4.01pc), Attock Refinery Limited (ATRL -3.63pc) and Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited (BYCO -2.85pc) all ended in the red zone.

Furthermore, he said, the directorate of FBR had also detected a revenue loss of more than Rs50 billion in gold cases wherein the Federal Tax Ombudsman recommended disciplinary and criminal proceedings against the responsible customs' officers on 21st May 2019.

In Sept 2019, the petitioner contested these gold cases against five collectors before the President of Pakistan on the FTO's findings/recommendations. "The above-stated actions have infuriated the customs' officers who had inflicted heavy revenue losses on the national exchequer in these cases."

He alleged that the customs' officers, adversely affected by the internal audit's actions and detections, colluded with Customs Member who issued an SRO on Sept 20, whereby he abolished the Directorate of Internal Audit in Lahore and transferred the petitioner to another place, thus rescuing the corrupt custom officers from the petitioner’s ongoing heavy revenue loss detections, performance audits and his pursuance of big revenue loss cases against the officers involved in those cases.

Aramco to announce IPO ‘very soon’: chairman RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s energy giant Aramco will announce its long-awaited stock market debut “very, very soon,” its chairman said on Monday. Aramco has said it plans to float around five per cent of the state-owned company in 2020 or 2021 in what could potentially be the world’s biggest stock sale. “Aramco’s IPO will take place sooner than you think,” said Aramco chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan at a SaudiRussian forum in Riyadh. “I think that the announcement will be very, very soon.” According to Bloomberg, Aramco’s board is expected to give final approval by the end of this week to proceed with the sale. The mammoth initial public offering (IPO) forms the cornerstone of a reform programme envisaged by the kingdom’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wean the Saudi economy off its reliance on oil. It aims to raise up to $100 billion based on a $2 trillion valuation of the company, but investors have debated whether Aramco is worth that much and there have been repeated delays in the launch originally envisaged for 2018. The Saudi government has not given any explanation for the delays, but apart from holding out for the big-ticket valuation, they are also said to be concerned the IPO could bring intense legal scrutiny of the secretive company’s finances and inner workings. The prospect of falling short of the $2 trillion valuation desired by Saudi rulers is widely considered the reason the IPO has been delayed. In September, Aramco said its first half net income for 2019 slipped nearly 12pc to $46.9 billion on lower crude prices.

It was the first time the company has published interim financial results and comes after Aramco opened its accounts for the first time in April, revealing itself to be the world’s most profitable company. AGENCIES

‘Harassment on account of revenue collection must stop’ RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Saboor Malik on Monday urged the government must realise the ground realities of common businessmen and come up with an amicable solution for the documentation of economy after consultations with stakeholders. "The business community is not against the documentation of economy, however, the harassment on the account of revenue collection and documentation must be stopped," he said while addressing a traders' meeting at the chamber house. He said the traders were approaching the chamber with complaints of notices from the Inland Revenue (IR) Department. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials must facilitate the taxpayers and that their focus should be on potential taxpayers, he added. APP

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

12 BUSINESS Psx prescribes standard range of brokerage commission BUSINESS DESK The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) recently issued a notification regarding the implementation of a standard range/scale of brokerage commission with effect from 14th October (Monday). According to the notice, the commission range of 3 paisa per share or 0.15pc of the transaction value (whichever is higher) up to 2.5pc of the transaction value is prescribed. The said notice also prescribes certain flexibilities and exemptions on nature of trades and executors (notice is available on PSX website).PSX and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had observed that many brokerage houses were charging nominal or zero commission rates, which was adversely affecting true competition and creating a disadvantage for market participants in the form of disparity in service standards.

This implementation of a standard range of commission would be helpful in enhancing quality standard of brokerage services including research, encouraging expansion of distribution network for brokerage services, improving proficiency and technical infrastructure of brokers and maintaining minimum level of governance and regulatory requirements. All these ensuing reasons will contribute to the economic progression and benefit investors at large in the long run. As such, PSX, in exercise of its statutory power to make regulations relating to brokerage and other charges and after following the due process including extensive consultations with all the stakeholders and with the approval of its Board and SECP introduced the standard range/scale of brokerage commission.

Govt urged to rationalise taxes on real estate sector

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed on Monday urged the government to take appropriate measures that could create a conducive business environment for the real estate sector. During a meeting with a delegation of the Islamabad Estate Agents Association (IEAA), led by its President Sardar Tahir, the ICCI president maintained that the real estate sector has the potential to drive the national economy towards growth. "The real estate sector plays a vital role in promoting business activities, creating employment opportunities and ensuring poverty reduction," he stated, urging the government to rationalise taxes on this important sector. He said that over 50 ancillary industries, including cement, steel, brick, timber and building material, were associated with the real estate sector and an enabling environment would ensure the growth of all allied industries. He informed the delegation that ICCI has managed to get a stay order from Islamabad High Court against the 300pc hike in property tax by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), adding that the business community could now deposit property tax on old rates until the court's decision on this case. He assured the delegation that ICCI would fully cooperate with IEAA in its efforts towards the resolution of real estate issues. Speaking on the occasion, IEAA President Sardar Tahir said that the government should focus on promoting the real estate sector so that it could make useful contributions to the economy.

He thanked ICCI for getting a stay order from IHC against the increase in property tax, as it provided relief to the propertyholders. ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Abbasi and Vice President Saifur Rahman Khan on the occasion also urged the government to finalise a fixed tax scheme for real estate sector in consultation with all stakeholders. APP

FAtF ‘sAtIsFIed’ WItH PAkIstAn OveR ActIOn PlAn cOmPlIAnce

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BUSINESS DESK

HE Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Monday expressed satisfaction over steps taken by Pakistan in line with its action plan to control terror financing and money laundering.

The Pakistani delegation headed by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar presented its case before the financial watchdog on the measures taken by Islamabad.

Meanwhile, a report quoting sources claimed that FATF expressed satisfaction over the risk assessment study of Pakistan and that China, Turkey, and Malaysia reportedly supported Pakistan’s stance.

Pakistani delegation gave satisfactory answers to all questions of FATF, the reports claimed, adding that the delegation also satisfied

Indian members on questions about alleged terrorist outfits operating in the country.

Pakistan was placed on the grey list by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force in June last year and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the black list.

The Paris-based body is reviewing the progress made by Pakistan until April this year, during the FATF Week, which began on October 13 and will conclude on October 16. The review will determine if Pakistan stays on the grey list or moved on the black list or given a clean chit.

The FATF Week will focus on “disrupting financial flows linked to crime and terrorism and discuss ways to contribute to global safety and security”.

The round of meetings will be attended by representatives from 205 countries as well as ju-

risdictions around the world, including the International Monetary Fund, United Nations, World Bank and other organisations, the report said.

Earlier this month, the Asia Pacific Group (APG) said that Pakistan “largely but partially” complied with 36 parameters, while missing out on the remaining four, out of the total 40.

The APG is a regional body of the FATF, which requires its members to undergo mutual evaluation of the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism frameworks.

In its 228-page ‘Mutual Evaluation Report’ released on October 2, the APG said out of the FATF’s 40 recommendations on curbing money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, Pakistan was fully compliant only on one.

It was largely compliant on nine, partially compliant on 26 and non-compliant on four recommendations.

Oil falls due to caution over first phase of US-China trade deal NEW YORK AGENCIES

Oil prices fell nearly 3pc on Monday as a lack of details about the first phase of a trade deal between the United States and China undercut optimism over a trade relations thaw that had helped lift crude markets at the end of last week.

Brent crude LCOc1 dropped $1.64, or 2.7pc, to $58.87 a barrel by 12:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 lost $1.52, or 2.8pc, to $53.18 a barrel.

“The excitement about the US-China trade deal went away,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

Late on Friday, the United States and China outlined the first stage of a trade deal and suspended this week’s scheduled US tariff hikes. Brent and WTI rose more than 3pc last week, their first weekly increase in three, on the signs of progress toward a trade deal that would boost crude oil demand.

But existing tariffs remain in place and officials on both sides said much more work was needed before an accord could be agreed.

“The oil market is taking a cautious stance as to what comes next given that the thorny issues of industrial policy, intellectual property rights, technology transfer among others were not addressed,” BNP Paribas oil strategist Harry Tchilinguirian said.

A good portion of the gains last week came after the United States announced on Friday it was deploying more troops to Saudi Arabia, and after an Iranian oil tanker was attacked in the Red Sea. “While the market waits for potential responses from the Iranians, the continued inability of geopolitics to sustain price gains is a testament to the state of concerns over demand,” JBC analysts said in a note.

There are also worries that further escalation along the Syrian and Turkish border could affect output or exports from Iraq,

providing more support for oil prices. Syrian troops entered a northeastern town on Monday.

The Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said oil exporters taking part in a global output deal between OPEC and its allies, a grouping known as OPEC+, were showing serious commitment to the cuts.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said there were no talks underway to change the OPEC+ deal.

Kuwait’s oil minister said it was too early to discuss a possible buildup in oil inventories in 2020. Khaled al-Fadhel said a price range of $50-70 per barrel would be acceptable.

The compliance of OPEC+ producers with the supply-reduction agreement was seen at above 200pc in September, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.

China showed strong demand for oil, with its September imports rising 10.8pc from a year earlier as refiners ramped up output amid stable profit margins and solid demand for fuel.

KARACHI: Workers prepare a boat at the Fish Harbour. ONLINE

Hafeez shaikh departs for us to attend ImF, WB meetings BUSINESS DESK Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has left for the United States to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, a private media outlet reported on Monday.

According to sources, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will also hold important discussions with the IMF and WB officials on the sidelines of the annual meetings. The finance adviser is likely to return to Pakistan on Sunday. Earlier on September 24, Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar shared on Twitter the status of his “high profile meetings” with an IMF delegation as well as a US trade delegation led by the US envoy. About his meeting with the ambassador, Azhar had said that means to enhance economic cooperation between the US and Pakistan were discussed on the occasion. "Had a productive meeting with US Ambassador Mr Paul W Jones and his team. We discussed means of enhancing economic cooperation between the US and Pak and also increasing the grants effectiveness on ground," he had tweeted.

Huawei says open to 'no backdoor' agreement with India NEW DELHI AGENCIES

China’s Huawei Technologies is ready to enter into a “no backdoor” agreement with India to allay security concerns, the telecom group’s local head said on Monday, as the giant South Asian country prepares to launch next generation 5G networks.

India, the world’s second-biggest wireless market by users, will hold an airwaves auction for 5G services before March, according to the country’s Telecoms Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

It has yet to begin 5G trials and has

not taken a decision on allowing or banning Huawei from the test runs amid a US-led push to shut out the Chinese tech and telecoms group, saying its gear contained “back doors” that would enable China to spy on other countries. Beijing denies such a plan.

Huawei, which has a 28pc global share of the telecoms equipment market, is closely engaging with India to clarify its stand on 5G solutions, network security and Chinese intelligence laws, Jay Chen, the CEO of its India unit, told Reuters in an interview on Monday on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress.

“From the very beginning, I have

confidence that Indian industry, the India market will welcome Huawei because I have contributed a lot with my unique value,” Chen said. “I am ready to sign (a no-backdoor agreement).”

Shenzhen-headquartered Huawei has been blacklisted by countries including the United States, Australia and New Zealand while others are still evaluating their position.

Indian telecom carriers Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have used Huawei, as well as its European rivals Nokia and Ericsson, to build their 2G, 3G and 4G networks and have previously underscored the importance of having all three players

in India to maintain competition, price and service quality.

“If (the Indian) government wants, we are open to having the source codes in an escrow account,” Chen said, adding that the company was also willing to manufacture more of its telecoms gear locally.

China has asked India not to block Huawei from doing business in the country, warning there could be consequences for Indian firms operating in China, Reuters reported previously.

A potential row over Huawei’s participation in India’s 5G push could revive tensions between Beijing and New Delhi

at a time the two countries have been making high-level efforts to ensure their long standing territorial disputes do not escalate.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met last week in an Indian beach town in a bid to resolve border disputes, trade rows and ease concerns about China’s close military ties with India’s arch rival, Pakistan.

“India cannot afford to wait longer for 5G,” Chen said, highlighting the importance of Huawei’s participation in the country’s 5G launch. “I always suggest move forward for 5G trial, move forward with 5G auction.”

Ali Zafar releases duet with MORINGA: THE MAGICAL TREE 12-year-old Urooj Fatima

By SaBa Ijaz

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A

CTOR, singer and producer Ali Zafar, whose debut Pakistani film Teefa In Trouble released to critical and commercial acclaim last year, recently released a new song, called ‘Laila O Laila’. Featuring 12-yearold Urooj Fatima from Balochistan alongside him, the duet follows the former’s journey and highlights the beauty of her province.

The song is a Balochi melody and the music video, shot in Balochistan, features glimpses of Urooj’s early childhood as she learned singing. The scenic beauty of the province is highlighted in the video while the song is upbeat and pleasant.

Urooj, who is also UNICEF’s adolescent champion, makes her debut with the song that was released last weekend. Ali Zafar took Twitter to share the songs and stated, “Today marks the debut of a very talented

young singer, the 12 year old Urooj Fatima from the beautiful Balochistan. Watch this to understand that boy or girl, why you should always follow your heart and dreams.”

Urooj also shared her gratitude

prior to the release of ‘Laila O Laila’ and tweeted, “Can’t wait more! Be ready on Friday ‘Laila o Laila’ song with Ali Zafar. I am very happy. Thank you Ali bhai for your support and love.

You are an inspiration for me.”

Olga Tokarczuk, Peter Handke win Literature Nobels

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

STOCKHOLM: Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk on Thursday won the 2018 Nobel Literature Prize, which was delayed over a sexual harassment scandal, while Austrian novelist and playwright Peter Handke took the 2019 award, the Swedish Academy said.

Tokarczuk, 57, considered the most talented Polish novelist of her generation, was honoured “for a narrative imagination that with encyclopaedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of

life”. Her books portray a polychromatic world perpetually in motion, with characters’ traits intermingled and language that is both precise and poetic.

Tokarczuk’s first novel, “The Journey of the People of the Book,” released in 1993, chronicles a failed expedition to find a mysterious book.

The daughter of a school librarian, she won the Booker International Prize along with her translator Jennifer Croft for her 2007 novel “Flights”, whose English version

came out in 2017. Her 900-page “The Books of Jacob”, which the Swedish Academy hailed as her “magnum opus”, spans seven countries, three religions and five languages, tracing the little-known history of Frankism, a Jewish messianic sect that sprang up in Poland in the 18th century.

Released in 2014, its pages are numbered in reverse in the style of Hebrew books. The Academy called it a “remarkably rich panorama of an almost neglected chapter in European history.” Handke, 76, was meanwhile honoured “for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience,” the Academy said.

Ironically, in 2014 Handke called for the Nobel Literature Prize to be abolished, saying it brought its winner “false canonisation”.

The son of a German soldier he only met in adulthood, Handke “has established himself as one of the most influential writers in Europe after the Second World War,” the Academy said. agencies

Superman Christopher Reeve Likely For Crisis On Infinite Earths With the Michael Keaton Batman confirmed for Crisis On Infinite Earths, it's highly likely the mega-event crossover will feature some sort of appearance by the Christopher Reeve Superman.

Call it a hunch, as I don't have confirmation, but there is evidence to support the inclusion of Christopher Reeve as Superman who starred in the Richard Donner movies.

Back in October of last year saw Jack O'Halloran, who played Non, confirm that there is a plan to bring back Christopher Reeve as Superman in hologram form.

As I noted back then, I speculated it was for Crisis On Infinite Earths, which hadn't yet been announced.

Another potential piece of evidence is that Brandon Routh is playing a different version of Superman in Crisis On Infinite Earths, with the Kingdom Come Superman. Routh took over for Reeves in the 2006 Superman Returns movie.

So we see if the Christopher Reeve Superman is returning for Crisis On Infinite Earths, obviously Brandon Routh wouldn't be playing the character.

www.scaryammi.com

AVE you ever heard of Moringa Tree? Or are you tired already of your doctor or homeopathic of recommending you Moringa Powder over and over again? Well if you haven’t already listened to him then you are depriving yourself from the 8th wonder of the world. If we haven’t convinced you yet with our fancy words then let us state some well researched and proven facts that will convince you. Moringa has many proven health benefits for both children and adults. Before we begin with the benefits we’ll first state some nutrition statistics of Moringa. Moringa contains many healthful compounds including: ViTaMin a n Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B-6 n Folate and Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) n Calcium n Potassium n Iron n Magnesium n Phosphorus n Zinc Now that we’ve listen the general beneficial insights of moringa’s composition we’ll move on to the exact benefits of what moringa has to offer to children and adults.

Hidden Hunger in Children If your child is mostly low on energy then please don’t push it aside as a mood swing. It is a very well researched fact that children often suffer from hidden hunger. Hidden hunger is basically the deficiency of micronutrients in children. Giving moringa powder to your children can serve as an energy booster as well as tackle the micro nutrition deficit. nourishing Skin and Hair Now who wouldn’t want to rejouvenish their skin and hair without it costing them a fortune. Well moringa is the perfect solution for revitalizing and uplifting your skin and hair

Robert Downey Jr. Stars In 'Dolittle' Check out the new trailer for Universal Pictures' Dolittle which stars Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character.

"I've been talking to animals for years now... And they finally started talking back. Does this mean I was getting the silent treatment? Watch the trailer for #DolittleMovie in theaters January 2020 and this Tweet to get updates from @DolittleMovie every month until opening day," Robert Downey Jr. tweeted.

Dolittle is in theaters on January 17, 2020.

Robert Downey Jr. electrifies one of literature’s most enduring characters in a vivid reimagining of the classic tale of the man who could talk to animals: Dolittle.

After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle (Downey), famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company. But when the young queen (Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose) falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and discovers wondrous creatures.

CMYK

because it contains a lot of hydrating and detoxifying elements.

Stomach problems Moringa Powder is also very useful in treating problems with digestion. Gastritis, constipation etc. Its antibacterial and antibiotic properties help to restrict the growth of many pathogens and maintain a healthy stomach.

Health issues Moringa is beneficial and recommended for almost a dozen illnesses because it is so therapeutic. Some of the major illnesses moringa is found to have a curing effect on are: Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Asthma, Diarrhea, Ulcerative Colitis, Anaemia and Arthritis.

Mood Swings Moringa is also thought to have an effect on controlling and reducing depression, anxiety and fatigue.

After reading all these facts if you are wondering from where you can get moringa powder and products from them worry not ammi’s.

As always we’ve got you covered and have included moringa products on the Scaryammi eshop. Head over there and get the most out of what this magical tree has to offer.

Octopuses lay 56,000 eggs at a time The mother spends six months so devoted to protecting the eggs that she doesn’t eat.

The babies are the size of a grain of rice when they’re born.

Ranbir Kapoor celebrates young fan’s birthday, sings Happy Birthday song and shares cake Actor Ranbir Kapoor may have been caught on camera in a foul mood once in a while, but when it comes to indulging his fans, he is always willing. In a new viral video, Ranbir can be seen celebrating the birthday of one of his young fans.

In the video, we see a little girl in a pretty yellow dress, standing in front of a cake with Ranbir seated behind her. He has his arms around her. Soon, as Ranbir and others sing ‘Happy Birthday’ song, as she cuts the cake and feeds a piece of the cake to Ranbir. He then takes the piece from her hands and feeds her a piece of it.

Ranbir will be seen next in Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra where he will paired with his girlfriend Alia Bhatt. The film, which is the first of the three-part thriller, also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Telugu actor Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy. The film’s logo was unveiled on the occasion of Mahashivratri at Prayagraj’s Kumbh Mela, earlier this year.

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

14 SPORTS

Poland, russia reach euro 2020 as Germany, netherlands close in Paris

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Agencies

OLAND and Russia secured their places at Euro 2020 on Sunday with victories over North Macedonia and Cyprus respectively, while Germany and the Netherlands boosted their hopes of reaching the finals.

Russia eased to a 5-0 thrashing of 10-man Cyprus, with Poland joining them, Belgium and Italy in qualifying this week by seeing off North Macedonia 2-0.Stanislav Cherchesov's Russia, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals on home soil last year, only had to avoid defeat in Nicosia to follow Belgium in qualifying from Group I. Valencia winger Denis Cheryshev fired in a ninth-minute opener for the visitors, before Magomed Ozdoev, who scored a fabulous long-range strike on Thursday against Scotland, made it two midway through the first half.

Any thoughts of a Cyprus comeback were ended in just the 28th minute when Kostas Laifis was dismissed for a nasty lunge on Russian full-back Sergei Petrov.Striker Artem Dzyuba scored his third goal in two games in the 79th minute, before Aleksandr Golovin and Cheryshev's second completed the rout

late on. Russia will attempt to overtake Belgium, who beat Kazakhstan 2-0 earlier on Sunday, at the summit when they host the world's number one side on November 16.

The European Championship finals, which start on June 12 next year, are being held at 12 different venues across the continent, including Saint

Petersburg in Russia. Poland went into their game against North Macedonia knowing victory would punch their ticket for the Euros. They were forced to be patient by the visitors, who could qualify through the playoffs after winning their Nations League group if they fail to do so automatically.

But Przemyslaw Frankowski prod-

ded home less than 60 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute, before Akardiusz Milik made the points safe.

Poland remain three points clear of Austria, who won 1-0 in Slovenia, at the top of Group G, with North Macedonia and Slovenia five points further adrift.

Ronald Koeman's Netherlands remained at the top of Group C ahead of Germany on head-to-head record with a nervy 21 win over Belarus in Minsk.

The Dutch lead third-placed Northern Ireland by three points after beating Michael O'Neill's side 3-1 on Thursday.

Georginio Wijnaldum headed the away team in front in the 32nd minute, shortly after Denis Laptev had spurned a golden chance to give Belarus a shock lead.

The Liverpool midfielder doubled the advantage before the break with a wonderful 25-yard strike into the top corner, and although Stanislav Dragun gave Belarus hope early in the second half, the Netherlands held on with relative comfort. "We have to do better than we did in the second half, although in the end we had things under control," Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk told television channel NOS. "We are now very close to qualifying for the finals, and ultimately that's what counts."

french minister scraps plan to attend tense turkey football clash PAris: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has scrapped plans to attend a football match between France and Turkey Monday in what is expected to be a tense game as Ankara presses its military operation in Syria. Coaches on both sides have urged the focus to be on football and not politics in the Euro 2020 qualifying clash to be played at the Stade de France in Paris. The match comes as the offensive by Turkey and its Syrian allies against Kurdish forces in northern Syria exacerbates strains with Europe and prompts large protests by Kurds, including in France. "The minister had been due to attend but he decided not to go," said a source close to Le Drian, without giving further details. Police are planning a reinforced security presence at the game, which is expected to be attended by some 78,000 spectators including 3,800 Turkish fans. As well as the risk of possible protests inside and outside the stadium, the conduct of the players will also be under close scrutiny. UEFA, which prohibits references to politics on the pitch, has said it will examine reports that Turkish players performed a military salute in their Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania earlier this month. Sporting tensions between Turkey and France were already fuelled in June when some Turkish supporters whistled over the French national anthem during the clash in the Turkish city of Konya, which ended in a 2-0 win for Turkey against the World Cup holders.

Some French conservative politicians have even called for the game to be called off. Agencies

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, Captain of Pakistan Cricket Team Sarfraz Ahmed, President Dr Arif Alvi and Sri Lanka Cricket Captain Dasun Shanaka pose for a picture at the launch of Pakistan’s first ever cancer insurance product in correlation with the first-ever Pink Day T20 match in Pakistan organized

by Jubilee Life Insurance.

Gauff salutes federer's words of wisdom AtlAntA: Coco Gauff hailed Roger Federer for his words of wisdom as the 15year-old US prodigy on Sunday became the youngest champion on the WTA Tour since 2004. Gauff defeated 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in the Linz final for her maiden title. The teenager is managed by Federer's Team8 and even shares an Italian pasta sponsor with the 20time major winner. On Sunday, she revealed that a pep-talk by the Swiss superstar, after she suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first round of the 2018 Australian Open junior event, has helped her on a path which this year saw her reach the last 16 at Wimbledon and US Open third round. "He did give me some advice at the Australian Open in 2018 when I lost in the first round (after being amongst the favourites)," Gauff recalled. "He told me not to focus too much on the pressure or the outside drama. He gave me some perspective. "Now, I try to enjoy the tennis and I barely think of that fist-round loss two years later." Gauff, meanwhile, confirmed she is "100 percent" ready to play at this week's Luxembourg WTA event where she will enjoy a careerhigh ranking inside the top 70. She started the week in Linz at 110 in the world and was originally set for an early departure from Austria after losing in the qualifying rounds before grabbing a lifeline as a lucky loser. "For sure, I'm 100 percent playing in Luxembourg," said Gauff whose rise has been meteoric -- at the end of 2018, she was 686 in the world. "I'm excited, it will be my last event for the year. I'm playing doubles there also (with regular partner Caty McNally). "This is the opportunity to see how I perform at back-to-back tournaments." Gauff's career timetable has suddenly shifted into overdrive, with her breakthrough WTA trophy coming much more quickly than might have been expected. "My goal was the top 100 and to get into the main draw of at least one Grand Slam," said the player, who has now earned a main draw spot for January's Australian Open. "I've accomplished all of those goals this year, now I need to work on improving my game. "I've gone through what was supposed to be my timeline for the next two years. It's been crazy." "I didn't expect to be on the Tour in general right now," the 2018 French Open junior champion said. Gauff, coached by her father, said she expects to start gaining confidence as she gets more accustomed to the WTA circuit. Agencies

Hamilton in no hurry to win Formula One title in Mexico Tokyo Agencies

Lewis Hamilton said he was in no hurry to win a sixth world championship after the title battle was reduced to a two-horse Mercedes race at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Formula One circus moves on to Mexico in two weeks' time where Hamilton, enjoying a 64-point lead over Valtteri Bottas, can wrap up a third consecutive drivers' crown if he outscores his teammate by 14 points or more. More likely is that the battle will be concluded at the subsequent race at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Bottas's victory at Suzuka and Hamilton's third place clinched a sixth consecutive constructors' championship for Mercedes and left the Finn as the only driver who can catch Hamilton over the final four races of the campaign.

"I think for me it's never been a case of always wanting to rush things," Hamilton told reporters Sunday adding that he expected a tough battle from his team-

mate over the final few races.

"Valtteri's driven well all year long, he's done a great job today and he will most likely do a very, very solid job these next races, so we still have a battle, the fight continues," he added.

Hamilton is not expecting an easy time in the rarefied high-altitude air of Mexico which should suit Ferrari, who hold an obvious advantage in straight-line speed.

"I think Mexico is generally our worst race of the year because of the way our car is set up and it's going to be a tough one for us," said a downbeat Hamilton, who was quicker on fresher tyres than second-placed Sebastian Vettel in the closing stages at Suzuka but was unable to barge past.

"The last few (races) have been pretty shocking, even though we've won the title," he said, after resurgent Ferrari won in three races out of four up to Japan and outqualified Mercedes comfortably at Suzuka. "I'm hoping for a better weekend but I think it's going to be very hard to beat the Ferraris with those long straights.

"We have no hope of getting by on those straights, that's for sure but even if you look at the others, the McLarens are picking up some serious speeds on the straights, so are the Red Bulls so I think it will be a tricky one.

"I don't anticipate (the title win) will be Mexico. I think we will be battling for a good few races."

Bottas jumped from third to first with an electric start to win in Japan ahead of Vettel and Hamilton.

With only Bottas now able to overtake Hamilton in the standings, Mercedes clinched an unprecedented sixth successive world championship double of drivers and constructors titles.

Hamilton dedicated the achievement to the team's former non-executive director Niki Lauda, who died in May. "It definitely feels a little bit different," Hamilton said of the three-time Formula One world champion.

"I wouldn't say as happy as previously because naturally we lost Niki this year and it doesn't feel the same without

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him. "Every time I walk into the garage I see Niki's headphones and his cap. I sat and I looked at it today.

"I think the whole team and the whole of Mercedes will probably dedicate this to Niki. I definitely do."

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

SPORTS 15

cricKet south africa urGes suPPorters to be Patient CaPe Town

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Agencies

OUTH African cricket officials on Monday urged the country's supporters to be patient with their struggling Test side after two heavy defeats in India.

The Proteas, rebuilding after the retirement of several senior players, were outplayed in every aspect of both Tests so far. India clinched the three-match series when they won the second Test in Pune by an innings and 137 runs on Sunday. It followed an equally punishing 203-run win in the first Test in Visakhapatnam.

"It was always going to be a difficult challenge taking on the top team in the world –- certainly under their own conditions –- at a time when we have introduced a new team structure," said Cricket South Africa chief executive Thabang Moroe.

CSA fired previous coach Ottis Gibson and the selection panel following a poor World Cup campaign earlier this year and introduced a new structure, to be headed by a team director who would be responsible for all team matters who would report to a director of cricket.

Enoch Nkwe, a former player with a modest first-class career and a single, successful season as a franchise coach, was appointed to the team director role in an interim capacity, while former international player Corrie van Zyl was appointed acting director of cricket and interim convener of selectors.

Moroe also pointed to the number of top players who played a big role in making South Africa one of the top sides in the world. "In the past two years we have had to bid farewell to some of the great names of international cricket such as AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn who between them played

nearly 450 Test matches for the Proteas," said Moroe. "You don't replace that kind of experience overnight and we need to give a new generation time to settle."

Moroe said he was confident that a young South African team would reward their supporters with improved performances during a home series against England in December and January.

"These are exciting times for South African cricket with new names and faces coming to the fore.

"Our talent pipeline has produced the likes of Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Zubayr Hamza over the last few years and our development systems are clearly in good shape," he said.

Van Zyl said supporters needed to appreciate the quality of an Indian team which has won 11 consecutive home series.

"This is an Indian team that has been together for some time now and is well accustomed to playing in their home con-

ditions," said Van Zyl. "I strongly believe we have the players to win games and the youngsters will come right." Former Test batsman and current Cape Cobras franchise coach Ashwell Prince responded to widespread criticism of the team on Twitter by pointing out the difficulties of coping with conditions away from home.

"I know we didn’t play well and it seems all doom and gloom," Prince said on Twitter. "However, I do feel that people don't really appreciate how tough it is to win away series especially in condi-

tions that's foreign to your own.

"India for example, despite touring SA with batting line-ups that included the likes of (Virender)Sehwag, (Rahul) Dravid, (Sachin)Tendulkar, (VVS) Laxman, (Sourav) Ganguly, (MS) Dhoni, have never won a series in SA." But Prince added cryptically that there were "serious issues" in South African cricket that needed to be resolved.

"Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats on da bus," tweeted Prince.

Ex-India skipper Ganguly poised to become cricket board chief MuMbai Agencies

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is poised to take over as the president of the country's cricket board as nominations closed Monday for elections to the sport's wealthiest and most powerful body.

Ganguly, 47, was the only candidate to file his nomination for the top post after being unanimously chosen as the presidential candidate at a meeting of

the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) members in Mumbai on Sunday.

One of the most successful national captains in the sport, Ganguly is set to be elected unopposed when BCCI elections are held on October 23. Monday was the last day for filing nominations.

The left-handed opener retired from Test cricket in 2008 having accumulated 7,212 runs.

Last month, he was re-elected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal.

Brijesh Patel, a former India batsman and experienced administrator, is set to become chairman of the Indian Premier League, the board's lucrative Twenty20 competition. Jay Shah, son of India's home minister Amit Shah, is tipped for the secretary's post.

Cricket's massive popularity in India has helped

the BCCI become the wealthiest of all of the sport's national boards, raking in large sums of money from sponsorship and TV deals.

But it has also been embroiled in legal battles and a series of scandals, including accusations of corruption and match-fixing in the IPL. Ganguly said his priority as president would be to polish BCCI's image. "I'm happy... as it's a very important time in Indian cricket administration because of what has happened in the last three years," Ganguly told reporters after filing his nomination.

"To be in a position where I can make a difference is extremely satisfying... We have a lot of things to do, hope we can put the house in order." India, the world's top-ranked Test team, is currently playing a home Test series against South Africa.

Daniil Medvedev: rise and rise of a 'smart' tennis star MosCow Agencies

Novak Djokovic calls him a "very complete" player and Alexander Zverev says he has a unique style that makes him the best in men's tennis on current, breathtaking form.

Now Daniil Medvedev is homing in on Roger Federer's third place in the world rankings before the year is out and chasing a first Grand Slam title next year. The 23-year-old Russian said he had been "invincible" as he won the Shanghai Masters with a ruthless 6-4, 6-1 demolition of Zverev on Sunday.

After Medvedev defeated another young talent in Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals, the 21-year-old Greek described Medvedev's way of winning as "boring". "So he has a huge serve and if you manage to get it back, it's just countless balls inside the court... (all) you can do is hit as hard as you can side to side, be accurate, and make him move.

"Otherwise you can just play it back to him and play it again and play it again. "It just keeps coming back, keeps coming back."

Sour grapes? Perhaps. Medvedev and Tsitsipas have what Zverev called "a weird relationship". But effective?

Certainly, because Shanghai was Medvedev's sixth final in a row.

Even before losing to him for the first time in five meetings on Sunday, the 22-year-old Zverev said that Medvedev was the best player in the world right now.

And after losing the final to him in straight sets, the sixth-ranked German gave an insight into what makes the fourth-ranked Russian so hard to beat.

Zverev took issue with the "boring"

tag. "I actually think the opposite. Daniil is somebody that plays a way that we have never seen before," said Zverev.

"That is not boring to me."

Zverev said the 2019 Medvedev is a wholly different proposition to the one he has repeatedly defeated before.

Elaborating on what he meant about Medvedev's style, Zverev added: "Maybe he doesn't do huge winners or jumping forehands or anything like that. "He plays very flat, he plays with shots that you can't really do anything with the ball, and that is difficult to play against him in an aggressive way.

"Sometimes that's maybe why it looks on TV or from the outside that

players are not playing as aggressive against him as against others, but I feel like he doesn't let you."

Medvedev has been a known quantity to tennis fans for a while and he won three titles last year. But since this summer the Russian has stepped up to a whole new level. He announced himself to the broader sporting public with an agonising five-set defeat to Rafael Nadal in the US Open final in September. Speaking on Sunday in Shanghai, Medvedev said that "something clicked" in the United States, where his run of six finals on the bounce began in July-August.

But if he knows what it is, he is not

saying. "I maybe started to understand something more about myself, and I'm not really sure what," he said.

But the Russian freely admits that his gangly frame does not give him the raw power that many of his rivals possess -- so he tries to play what he called "smart" instead.

"Like even talking about the serve, I improved it a lot. But, for example, I cannot serve 230 (kmh).

"I don't know why, but I cannot do it, so I have to play with my game.

"And as I say, I started to understand my game much more and trying to mix things up, trying to choose the best shot possible in every situation."

mitchell marsh injures hand after hitting dressing room wall Perth: Western Australia captain Mitchell Marsh has injured his right hand after hitting the dressing room wall at the WACA following his dismissal on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania. Marsh drove a return catch to Jackson Bird in the opening over of the last day to fall for 53. A WACA statement said: "Marsh sustained the injury when he struck the wall in the change rooms following his dismissal earlier in the day. The extent of the injury and a timeframe on his return will be determined later this week after further investigation." Western Australia's next match is against Victoria starting on Friday and it appears unlikely that Marsh would be available for that. Marsh was recalled to Australia's Test side for the final match of the Ashes series where he impressed with his bowling, claiming a maiden five-wicket haul, but did not grab his chance with the bat with scores of 17 and 24. This injury could now significantly cut into the time he has available to impress the selectors ahead of the start of the Pakistan series next month. Agencies

Virat Kohli moves to within a point of no. 1ranked steven smith MuMbAi: Virat Kohli's career-best 254 not out in India's second Test win over South Africa in Pune has vaulted him back above the 900-point mark in the ICC rankings for Test batsmen, and has put him within touching distance of top-ranked Steven Smith. Kohli's tally stands at 936 points, while Smith sits on 937. The India captain will have the opportunity to regain the top spot, which Smith wrested from him on his return to Test cricket in the 2019 Ashes, when India face South Africa in the third Test in Ranchi, starting October 19.

Among the bowlers in action in Pune, R Ashwin moved from tenth to seventh, having picked up six wickets in the inningsand-137-run win inside four days, which helped India get a winning 2-0 lead in the series. Kohli overcame a mini-slump on the way to his first triple-figure score in Test cricket in 2019. After the first Test - which India had won by 203 runs - Kohli had fallen below 900 rating points for the first time since January 2018. Agencies

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Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

NEWS

IndIA SAyS PoSt-PAId cellPhone connectIonS reStored In IhK JAMMU

I

Agencies

nDIA said it has restored call facilities on post-paid cellphone connections in occupied Kashmir on Monday more than two months after it stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status and imposed a curfew and a communications blackout. However, the ban on more than 2 million prepaid mobile connections and internet services will continue. Since the Indian government on August 5 repealed Article 370 of its constitution — stripping occupied Kashmir of its special status — a strict lockdown and communications blackout has suffocated the region into silence.

It has now been in place for 73 days. On Saturday, government spokesman Rohit Kansal told a press conference that all phones linked to a monthly subscription “will stand restored and be functional from noon on Monday”, adding that the measure would apply to all districts of occupied Kashmir.

He said the decision was taken after a security review in the disputed region. At the time, Kansal had not given any indication on whether internet services would also be restored. Residents appeared relieved on Monday after facing difficulties during the long communications embargo. But the disputed region continues to simmer with anger.

“It is a relief,” said Mohammad Akram, a trader.

He was, however, quick to add how Kashmiris are expected “to thank the government for giving them basic amenities”. Many also expressed their angst at the situation, with some saying that the past two months were akin to living in the Stone Age without

lines of communication. “Thank you, India. You have finally decided to partially restore our digital rights,” said Sameer Ahmad, a college student.

“When will you restore our political rights?”

Facing international pressure to ease people’s suffering and restore normal life, Indian authorities announced last week that they would allow tourists back into the region after ordering them to leave in August because of security concerns. The government has said that internet facilities are being

opened at tourist spots in the region. “Whatever India does in Kashmir, it is driven to consolidate its position,” said Ali Mohammad, a schoolteacher.

“They stopped phones and internet services to stop us from registering protests. now they are restoring these services to cater to tourists and declare normalcy in Kashmir.” Authorities also released three low-ranking politicians in occupied Kashmir last week. However, prominent Kashmiri politicians remain detained in their homes or in jails.

Prince William and Kate to begin ‘complex’ tour of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD Agencies

Prince William and his wife Kate will arrive in Pakistan late Monday for their “most complex” tour to date, British officials said, with Islamabad eager to tout improved security after years of violent militancy.

Details of the five-day visit are

being kept under wraps, with security expected to be tight for the couple’s first official trip to Pakistan, and the first visit by a British royal since William’s father Charles and his wife Camilla came in 2006. In addition to Islamabad they are set to visit the ancient Mughal capital of Lahore, as well as the mountainous north and the region near the border with Afghanistan

in the west, according to British High Commissioner Thomas Drew. “I’ve always been struck by the warmth in Pakistan towards the Royal Family,” he said in a video published to Twitter late Sunday. The couple’s programme will pay respect to Britain’s historic relationship with Pakistan, once part of colonial India, he said. “But it will focus largely on showcasing Pakistan as it is today, a dynamic, aspirational, and forward-looking nation,” Drew continued. They are expected to see Pakistan’s efforts to combat climate change and learn about the “complex security” of the region, among other issues, a statement from Kensington Palace said earlier this month.

Pakistan has waged a long, bloody battle with militancy which has seen tens of thousands of people killed in the past 15 or so years.

Charles’ and Camilla’s 2006 trip was tainted when they were forced to pull out of a visit to Peshawar over safety concerns after the military launched an airstrike on a religious school that killed 80 people. But security has improved dramatically since the army intensified a crackdown on militant groups in 2015, with several countries changing their travel warnings for Pakistan as a result, and Islam-

abad eager to promote both tourism and foreign investment. There are promising signs, such as British Airways return earlier this year after more than a decade, and the slow but steady revival of international cricket.

Analysts have long warned that Pakistan is not yet getting to the root causes of extremism, however, and militants retain the ability to carry out attacks, including in urban areas.

Kensington Palace has called the trip “the most complex tour undertaken

by The Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations”. The couple are also expected to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was close friends with William’s mother, the late Princess Diana. Last week, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi invoked the memory of Diana, who charmed Pakistanis when she visited in her official capacity in 1991. She also made several private visits in later years to help Khan — then a cricketer-turned-opposition politician married to her friend Jemima — raise money for a cancer hospital in Lahore. “We will always remember late Princess Diana’s visit and her selfless service to humanity, not only in Pakistan but all over world,” Qureshi said.

PM Imran to visit Saudi Arabia today ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will reach Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in a bid to mitigate tensions between regional rivals Iran and the Kingdom. In Iran, the premier, while referring to the two crude-oil rich economies which came close to blows following the Sept 14 attack on Saudi oil facilities, warned that “any conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia would cause poverty in the world”.

“Pakistan suffered 70,000 casualties in the last 15 years in the war against terror,” he had said, noting that Afghanistan is still suffering. “We don’t want another conflict in this part [Middle East] of the world,” he asserted. During the visit, Prime Minister Imran held meetings with the top Iranian leadership, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

Addressing a joint press conference with Iran President Hassan Rouhani after a meeting on Sunday, the prime minister had reiterated that his visit was aimed at reducing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. He had said that Saudi Arabia is one of the closest friends of Pakistan and Riyadh has “always helped Pakistan” in “all times of need”. The prime minister emphasised that Pakistan does not want any conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia, recognising that it was a “complex and complicated issue”. He said that he strongly believed that any issue could be resolved through dialogue and talks.

In its response, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi had said: “Iran has announced that, with or without a mediator, it is always ready to hold talk with its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, to get rid of any misunderstandings.” The Kingdom, which is locked in several proxy wars in the region, is also inclined to a political solution. The premier, who will reach the Kingdom today, will convey the developments regarding his meetings with the Iranian leadership. It merits a mention here that last month the US President Donald Trump had asked Prime Minister Imran to “play a role in reducing tension between the two countries”. stAff RepoRt

India bars public gatherings in temple town Ayodhya as court verdict nears AYODHYA: India has barred public gatherings in the town of Ayodhya as the Supreme Court started hearing final arguments on Monday to decide whether a Hindu temple should be built on the ruins of a mosque in a long-running dispute. The razing of the 16th century Babri mosque by Hindu mobs in 1992 led to one of officially secular India’s deadliest bouts of communal riots, in which at least 2,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed across the country. Hindu groups believe the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and have intensified calls for a temple to be built there under Prime Minister narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government came to power in 2014 on a promise of building a temple on the site in the northern town and calls demanding it have gathered steam under his rule.

Authorities have imposed an emergency law in Ayodhya under which public assembly of more than four people is banned, saying “hearings of the case are ongoing and a verdict is likely soon”, the district government said in an order. The ban will be in effect until December 10, the government said. The dispute in Ayodhya is one of the most polarising issues in a nation where Muslims make up 14 per cent of the 1.3 billion population. Agencies

Trio win Nobel Economics Prize for work on poverty STOCKHOLM Agencies

A trio of American economists on Monday won the nobel Economics Prize for their work in the fight against poverty, including with new approaches in education and healthcare, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

Indian-born Abhijit Banerjee of the US, his French-American wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer of the US were honoured “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty,” the jury said. “This year’s laureates have introduced a new approach to obtaining reliable answers about the best ways to fight global poverty,” the jury said.

The three found efficient ways of combatting poverty by breaking down difficult issues into smaller, more manageable questions, which can then be answered through field experiments, the jury said. “They have shown that these smaller, more precise, questions are often

best answered via carefully designed experiments among the people who are most affected,” it said. “As a direct result of one of their studies, more than five million Indian children have benefitted from effective programmes of remedial tutoring in schools. Another example is the heavy subsidies for preventive healthcare that have been introduced in many countries,” the jury said. Duflo is only the second woman to win the nobel Economics Prize in its 50-year existence, following Elinor Ostrom in 2009. Duflo, 46, told the nobel committee by video link the honour was “incredibly humbling”.

“I didn’t think it was possible to win the nobel Prize in Economics before being significantly older than any of the three of us,” she added. Banerjee, born in 1961, and Duflo are both professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, while Kremer, 54, is a professor at Harvard University.

Unlike the other nobels awarded since 1901, the Economics Prize was not

created by the prizes’ founder, philanthropist and dynamite inventor Alfred nobel, in his 1895 will. It was devised in 1968 to mark the 300th anniversary of Sweden’s central bank, and first awarded in 1969. Each of the nobels comes with a

prize sum of nine million Swedish kronor ($914,000, 833,000 euros), to be shared if there is more than one winner in the discipline. But unluckily for recent winners, the prize’s value has lost around $185,000 in the past two years, due to the

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

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depreciation of the Swedish krona. The trio will receive the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of Alfred nobel.

Last year, the prize went to William nordhaus and Paul Romer of the US for constructing “green growth” models that show how innovation and climate policies can be integrated with economic growth. The Economics Prize wraps up a nobel season that stands out for its crowning of two literature laureates, Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk for 2018 — delayed by a year due to a sexual harassment scandal — and Austrian novelist Peter Handke for 2019, whose selection sparked controversy because of his pro-Serb support during the Balkan wars.

Prior to that, the laureates in the fields of medicine, physics and chemistry were announced. On Friday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the long-running conflict with neighbouring foe Eritrea.