E-Paper PDF 16th October (ISB)

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Wednesday, 16 October, 2019 I 16 Safar-ul-Muzaffar, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 106 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

information on Justice isa gathered via ‘illegal means’, sc told STORY ON BACK PAGE

PM leaves for Riyadh to facilitate Saudi-Iran talks

Royals win heaRts g

duKe and duchess oF cambridge meet president, premier beFore daZZling appearance at royal reception

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William and Kate interact With students at islamabad schools, go treKKing on margalla hills

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STORY ON PAGE 02

court turns down plea seeking Zardari’s transfer to hospital STORY ON PAGE 02

NAB quizzes Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case STORY ON PAGE 02

‘don’t look towards govt for jobs,’ Fawad tells nation in surprising u-turn STORY ON BACK PAGE

STAFF REPORT

rince William and Kate middleton, the duke and duchess of cambridge, spent a busy first day in pakistan, winning hearts along the way. this is the first visit of the duke and duchess of cambridge to pakistan, during which they aim to “meet as many pakistanis as possible and build a lasting friendship with the people of the country”. the couple kicked off their engagements on the second day of their five-day trip to pakistan with a visit to the islamabad model college for girls, university colony on tuesday morning, where they interacted with the staff and students and visited classrooms. the duke and duchess of cambridge, who are strong advocates of girls’ education, were greeted by teachers and children on their arrival at the school. clips shared by british media show one of the schoolgirls telling William that “they were fans” of his mother, diana, princess of Wales. “that’s very sweet of you. i was a big fan of my mother too,” he replied with a smile. after their visit to the school, they arrived at trail 5, margalla hills to attend an event regarding environmental protection. strict security arrangements were made prior to their arrival. “in the margalla hills, which sit in the foothills of the himalayas, the duke and duchess of cambridge joined children from four local schools, taking part in activities designed to educate young people on environmental protection and wildlife conservation,” said Kensington palace on twitter.

PM IMRAN HOSTS ROYAL GUESTS: later, prime minister imran Khan hosted the british royal couple at the prime minister’s house in islamabad. they were received

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Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, arrive at the National Monument for a grand reception.

by the premier, who also hosted a luncheon in their honour. prince William’s late mother, lady diana, was a friend of pm imran and his former spouse Jemima goldsmith and visited pakistan twice, 1996 and 1997, to help raise funds for the shaukat Khanum memorial cancer hospital. prior to their meeting with the prime minister, the visiting couple met president arif alvi at the president house, where the president and his wife samina arif welcomed the duke and duchess of cambridge. middleton, who earlier donned a royal blue kurta, changed into a green attire for the formal receptions. during their meeting with the president, the royal couple was accompanied by the british high commissioner to pakistan thomas drew;

simon case, the principal private secretary to the duke; and christian Jones, the communications secretary to the duke and duchess of cambridge.

RECEPTION AT PAKISTAN MONUMENT: the royal couple closed their day with a reception at the pakistan national monument in islamabad. the royal couple arrived at the venue in style in a rickshaw decked out in traditional truck art.

William was seen wearing traditional attire for the first time since his arrival — a teal sherwani by naushemian — while Kate wore a green Jenny packham gown, with o’nitaa earrings sourced from pakistan. the national monument provided a beautiful backdrop for the setting of the reception. many prominent personalities attended the event, including Wasim akram and his wife, and designer hsy.

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02 ISLAMABAD CoP kiLLEd iN QuEttA iEd BLASt, 10 iNjurEd At least one policeman was martyred and 10 people, including five policemen, injured in an attack on a police vehicle at Quetta’s Double Road area on Tuesday. Initial reports suggest that unknown assailants targetted the police van through an improvised explosive device (IED) fitted in a motorcycle that went off when the mobile passed the motorcycle. Liaquat Shahwani, the spokesperson for the Balochistan government, strongly condemned the incident. Without confirming the casualties, he said an emergency has been imposed at all hospitals of the provincial capital. He said the anti-state elements are targeting the innocent masses. NEWS DESK

NAB quizzes Nawaz in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case LAHORE: A combined investigation team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday interrogated incarcerated former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. Sharif is currently in Bureau’s custody on a 14-day physical, which started on Oct 11, remand over charges of massive money laundering. The team questioned Nawaz Sharif for the alleged money laundering of Rs410 million through a partnership between his nephew Yousuf Abbas Sharif and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz. In his response, Sharif said that they should table the questions to the concerned persons as “running a business is not illegal”.

When asked about the transfer of shares worth Rs11 million to a foreigner, Naseer Abdullah, by the accused, he said that the family had business connections with the person. Sources said that the anti-corruption watchdog officials have also sought reasons for returning the transferred shares by the foreigner in 2014, to which Sharif told them again to question his son, Hussain. The former premier also dodged a question regarding the sources of a loan worth $15.52 million that had been acquired for the Chaudhry Sugar Mills. Sharif refused to answer it too, saying that he is unaware of the details as the record of the loan is not present with him. STAFF REPORT

SECP official to turn approver against Zardari in Park Lane reference ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday informed an accountability court that a co-accused in the Park Lane properties reference against former president Asif Zardari has agreed to turn approver against him. The bureau produced Javed Hussain, a former executive of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and a coaccused in the reference, before the accountability court. A NAB prosecutor informed Judge Mohammad Bashir about the development in the case and said that the case of the accused has been sent to Bureau’s headquarters in Lahore. The corruption watchdog also requested the court for physical remand of the accused.

Upon inquiring, the prosecutor informed the court the accused remained on 49-day physical remand with the accountability bureau. To which, the judge rejected the plea for further extension in physical remand and sent Hussain to jail on judicial remand. STAFF REPORT

PM iMrAN LEAvES For riyAdh to FACiLitAtE SAudi-irAN tALkS ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

OLLOWINg his one-day trip to Iran two days ago, Prime Minister Imran Khan left for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as part of his initiative for peace and security in the region. According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister will confer with the Saudi leadership in light of his recent consultations with other leaders. Bilateral ties and other regional developments will also be part of the discussions.

This would be Prime Minister Imran’s third visit to Saudi Arabia this year. Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a state visit to Pakistan in February.

On Sunday, Imran met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali

Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on a oneday official trip. In the meetings, the leaders emphasised the need for peace in the region.

“In the past, Pakistan had hosted Saudi Arabia and Iran and is again willing to facilitate the brotherly countries to iron out their differences,” the premier had said in Tehran, adding that it was Pakistan’s own initiative to act as a “facilitator”. Tensions in the region have been high for months, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose crushing sanctions that target Iran’s crude oil sales and have crippled its economy. Those sanctions came after Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers last year. The tensions culminated in a September 14 attack on key Saudi oil

infrastructure that halved the kingdom’s oil production.

The US blames Iran for the attack, something Tehran denies.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, whom the kingdom has been fighting in a years-long war, claimed the attack.

Saudi Arabia also blamed the attack on Iran. However, in an interview with CBS programme “60 Minutes”, the crown prince stated that a war with Iran will be catastrophic for the global economy.

“We do not want a conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. We recognise that it’s a complex issue, we recognise that, but we feel that this can be resolved through dialogue,” Imran had said alongside Rouhani. “But what should never happen is war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.” There have been at least four major and minor initiatives by

Pakistan to mediate between the two countries since the 80s. Pakistan first tried its hand at mediation in the Middle East rivalry during the IranIraq war.

Later in 1997, a meeting of the leadership of Iran and Saudi Arabia was hosted in Islamabad on the sidelines of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit. Former president Pervez Musharraf also tried to make headway during 2003-2004.

However, his efforts did not make progress because he was seen as too close to the United States.

The most recent initiative was in 2016, when former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the army chief tried to mediate after tensions rose in the aftermath of the execution of top Saudi Shia cleric Baqir Al-Nimr. On that occasion, Saudi Arabia did not encourage the initiative.

Court turns down plea seeking Zardari's transfer to hospital ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

An accountability court on Tuesday rejected a plea seeking the transfer of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief and former president Asif Ali Zardari from jail to a hospital.

The former president is currently on judicial remand till October 22 in the fake accounts case. Zardari had moved the court on October 4 seeking it to declare a hospital a sub-jail for him. The court rejected the plea on the grounds that the matter does not fall in the court’s jurisdiction.

Judge Mohammad Bashir, while pronouncing the previously reserved decision, directed Zardari to approach the relevant forum.

The judge in its three-page verdict declared that the court cannot declare a hospital a sub-jail, as sought in the plea. According to the verdict, jail authorities can declare a hospital a sub-jail through an executive order. The court advised the petitioner to therefore approach the jail authorities with his request.

The court also ordered the jail superintendent to act upon the rec-

ommendations of the medical officers or a medical board.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Zardari on June 10 after cancellation of his prearrest bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the fake bank accounts case. On Aug 16, the court had sent the former president to Adiala jail on judicial remand.

The case pertains to a massive money laundering scam that was being probed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The suspects include Zardari, Talpur, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai, Omni group CEO Anwar Majeed and his sons and several other high profile persons. The case was later taken over by NAB on the Supreme Court’s orders.

Following the judgement, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his sister Bakhtawar Bhutto took to Twitter to criticise the decision.

Bilawal said, “The state continues to try and use my father’s ailing health to pressure my party. Despite being detained without being convicted of anything since August. he is still to receive medical care.”

“Despite multiple medical reports from the government’s own doctors that he should be provided with medical facilities in prison and shifted to hospital for investigation/ treatment he has been denied his fundamental rights,” he said, adding that Zardari has still not been provided with a fridge to keep his insulin and medicine.

The PPP chairman said that he will hold the PTI responsible if anythings happen to his father. He vowed that he will not compromise on democratic politics and his principles. “If anything was, god forbid,

to happen to my father, we will hold this government responsible. Despite these tactics we will not compromise on our principles or democratic politics.” Bakhtawar Bhutto tweeted, “Zardari was shifted overnight from jail to hospital in August. Now October! Right to life being denied for a cardiac patient.”

“How is this justified?” she questioned, asking if it was so because because he is a former civilian president.

“Criminal neglect with intent to harm under this fascist dictatorship,” she added.

Farooq Abdullah’s sister, daughter detained over ‘anti-India protest’ in Srinagar SRINAGAR AGENCIES

Police in India-occupied Kashmir detained at least 12 women, including the daughter and sister of former occupied Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, for holding an anti-India protest, officials said on Tuesday.

The women, carrying placards reading “Respect Fundamental Rights” and “Why downgrade Jammu and Kashmir,” assembled on Tuesday in a park in Srinagar, the main city in the region.

Police whisked them away to a nearby police station as they tried to march through the main busi-

ness area of Lal Chowk. They were likely to be released later in the day. The protest came a day after India said it has restored call facilities on post-paid cellphone connections in occupied Kashmir after more than two months of a communications blackout. However, the ban on more than 2 million prepaid mobile connections and internet services will continue, it said. According to NDTV, besides Abdullah’s sister Suraiya Abdullah and his daughter Safia Abdullah Khan, the wife of former occupied Jammu and Kashmir chief justice Bashir Ahmed Khan, Hawa Bashir, has also been detained.

Other protesters included prominent women activists and academicians. Abdullah, 81, had been

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under house arrest in Srinagar since early August when India stripped occupied Kashmir of its autonomy, imposed a security lockdown and detained dozens of politicians including those who back the region being part of India. But on September 16, he was formally arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and his home turned into a “judicial lockup”. His son, Omar Abdullah, is being held at a state guest house.

In addition to Farooq and Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti is another prominent leader put in detention by the occupied Jammu and Kashmir administration.

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

NEWS

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ROYAL SALUTE

When there’s a Will there’s a Way ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

RINCE William, the Duke of Cambridge, on Tuesday acknowledged Pakistan’s success in the war against terrorism, as he lauded all those who “endured sacrifice and helped build Pakistan to the country it is today”.

William’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s sacrifices came during his first official speech delivered during a reception at the Pakistan National Monument in Islamabad hosted by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew in honour of the royal couple.. “For a country so young, Pakistan has endured many hardships, with countless lives lost to terror and hatred. Tonight I want to pay tribute to all those who have endured such sacrifice and helped to build the country that we see today,” said William.

He recognised that for “Pakistan’s great potential” to be realised, difficulties will have to be faced and sacrifices made.

William also spoke of the “unique bonds” between the two countries and that Pakistan can “rely on UK to keep playing an important role as a key partner and [a] friend”.

“Whether it’s this generation or the next, I know that the UK and Pakistan will continue to exemplify the very best in international cooperation,” he added.

Laying emphasis on the importance of educating the youth, Prince William said that it “will be the key that turns the country’s growing population into an engine of growth and help unlock this country’s enormous potential”. He called for a concerted effort between both countries to surmount the challenge of climate change. “Whether in Pakistan or the UK or elsewhere on our planet — we face shared global challenges.

The effects of climate change threaten the present and the future,” he said.

William cautioned against the rising temperatures leading to “a loss of over a third of [Pakistan’s] vital glaciers in less than a century, with enormous impacts not only on the availability of water, but on agriculture and hydropower generation”. He said that on Wednesday (today) he, along with his wife, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, will “be seeing some of these impacts first hand and meeting some of the communities adjusting to the new realities and new challenges that climate change has brought to their towns and villages”. The Prince ex-

pressed hope “to learn what more we all can do to help prevent and mitigate this impending global catastrophe”.

Prince William, along with his wife Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, arrived at the venue in style in a rickshaw decked out in traditional truck art. William was seen wearing traditional attire for the first time since his arrival — a teal sherwani by Naushemian — while Kate wore a green embellished Jenny Packham gown, according to Daily Mail Royal Correspondent Rebecca English.

Kate’s earrings — gold plated with uncut crystal stones — belong to the popular London brand O’nitaa, and were sourced from Pakistan, said the correspondent. They were “bespoked specially for the Duchess of Cambridge”, she added. Many prominent personalities were in attendance at the event, including

Director general Inter-Services Public Relations Maj gen Asif ghafoor, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Wasim Akram and wife Shaniera Akram, designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin of the HSY clothing brand, cricketer Mohammad Hafeez, actresses Mahira Khan, Hareem Farooq and Mehwish Hayat, and singer Atif Aslam.

The National Monument was lit up for the reception.

MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT, PM: Earlier in the day, the royal couple met President Alvi and his wife Samina Arif at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

Following the meeting with the president, the couple called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister House where a lunch was hosted in their honour.

The PM commended the couple for “promoting positive activities in Pak-

istan” as he mentioned their efforts on raising worldwide awareness on education, climate change, and inequality.

He also appreciated the royal couple for holding interaction with young Pakistanis, including schoolchildren.

The prime minister recalled the love and affection Pakistanis have for Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, owing to her compassion and support for charitable causes. Part of the day’s activities also included a visit to Islamabad Model College for girls as well as a trip to Trail 5, Margalla Hills to attend an event regarding environmental protection. At the model college, Kate and William signalled their support for women’s education in Pakistan.

Both wearing blue, the couple visited the school in Islamabad where they hung out with students in a mathematics class.

FO condemns Indian defence minister’s ‘provocative’ statements ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Foreign Office on Tuesday condemned Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent statements made during election rallies in Haryana, calling them “provocative and highly irresponsible”.

A statement issued by the office of the FO Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said: “Statements from a senior Minister in the Indian government provide another insight into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

mindset — a mix of extremist ideology, hegemonic ambitions, and obsession with Pakistan.”

“It is highly irresponsible of the Indian defence minister to be threatening the splitting of a sovereign country. We are sure that the world community would take cognizance. For his part, Mr Rajnath Singh should have no doubt that the security forces and people of Pakistan remain ready to resolutely defend the country against any evil design.”

Singh, a BJP stalwart, on Sunday while addressing a public rally in Haryana’s Karnal said

India is “ready to assist Pakistan” to “combat terror on its soil”.

“You divided India into two pieces as part of the two-nation theory in 1947,” he was quoted as saying.

“But in 1971, your country was divided into two pieces again. And if the situation persists, then no power can stop Pakistan from being broken up further.”

The Foreign Office rejected Singh’s “gratuitous” comments on help in counter-terrorism. “India would help itself by ceasing forthwith the state-terrorism it has been perpetrating for decades against the Kashmiri people in

occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

India must also cease its sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan,” said the statement.

The statement then pointed to the “well-established pattern” of the BJP leadership whipping up anti-Pakistan sentiment whenever there are elections in India to rally support for its candidates. “As we have stressed before, the BJP should contest elections on the basis of its own performance, rather than dragging Pakistan into the domestic political foray for electoral gains,” the FO statement reiterated.

NAB approves assets inquiry against Ahsan Iqbal NEWS DESK The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday approved another inquiry against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) general Secretary Ahsan Iqbal on charges of accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income. According to a media report, the anti-corruption watchdog’s Rawalpindi bureau has been directed

to immediately launch an investigation into the matter. It may be noted that the former interior minister is already facing a NAB inquiry in connection with power abuse in the construction of Narowal Sports City. Iqbal is accused of starting the project worth Rs3 billion illegally. Pakistan Sports Board is also accused of illegally using its authority for the construction of this project. Last year, NAB had announced that it would initiate a

probe into alleged violation of rules in the construction of the National Sports City project – just a day after its inauguration by the then president of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain. The anti-graft watchdog in a statement said it had received a complaint that the Narowal Sports City was constructed at a cost of approximately Rs6 billion which was a violation of rules and had resulted in heavy losses to the national exchequer.

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The educational institute was a model school for girls where the royal duo witnessed how a British project was helping get teachers into the poorest schools.

While the Duke opted for a Western outfit, looking relaxed in a light buttondown shirt with no tie, the Duchess of Cambridge — who draped a long scarf over the shoulder of her royal blue shalwar kameez — sat down with some of the young students, whose blue uniforms matched the Duchess’s dress.

The royals shook hands and talked with the beaming kids at the entrance of the public sector entity, which was established in 1978 and caters to students between aged four to 18 under Teach for Pakistan programme — based on the UK’s Teach First Scheme.

William and Kate, on reaching the school, shared smiles with the kids and highlighted the importance of girls’ education, besides expressing satisfaction over the ‘Teach for Pakistan’ scheme that helps disadvantaged kids.

The royal couple spent roughly half an hour at the government-run school — which has an estimated 1,000 students from first to 12th grade — before they were waved off by smiling students.

The next stop for Kate and William after visiting the girls’ model school was at the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), Trail 5, where they took part in activities with local school kids. There, they encouraged local school children to learn about conservation and pollution.

“In the Margalla Hills, which sit in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined children from four local schools, taking part in activities designed to educate young people on environmental protection and wildlife conservation,” said Kensington Palace on Twitter. They also visited conservationists in the Himalayan foothills outside Islamabad. In addition to Islamabad, they are set to visit Lahore as well as the mountainous north and the region near the border with Afghanistan in the west.

On Monday night, William and Kate arrived in Islamabad and were received

by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his wife Mehriene Qureshi at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew was also present on the occasion. The five-day visit, which will end on October 18, has been organised at the request of the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

two children among three family members martyred in loC firing Unprovoked shelling by Indian troops across the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday claimed lives of three members of a family, including two children, while inflicting injuries to seven others. Speaking to the media, Kahuta’s superintendent of police (SP) said a mortal shell fired by Indian Army across the LoC hit the house of the family in Naza Pir area of Rawalkot.

“The injured and bodies of the martyrs have been shifted to the hospital,” the official added. The deceased were identified as ghulam Muhammad, Haider, 10 and Maryam, 11, while Amna Bibi, Safeena Bibi, Naseeb Jan and others were injured. Earlier on August 16, another Pakistani soldier had been martyred in unprovoked firing by India in Buttal Sector along the LoC, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director general (Dg) Major general Asif ghafoor had said.

“Another brave son of soil laid his life in the line of duty. Sepoy Muhammad Sheeraz embraced shahadat due to Indian firing in Buttal Sector along LoC,” the military spokesperson had added. NEWS DESK

Court extends shah’s remand till oct 21 SUKKUR: An accountability court on Tuesday extended physical remand of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) senior politician and former opposition leader in the National assembly Khursheed Shah till October 21 in owning assets beyond means case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials produced Khursheed Shah before the court and sought an extension in his physical remand. INP

04 LAHORE

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

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‘ATM thief’ Salahuddin’s father pardons killer cops The father of Salahuddin, the suspected ATM thief who died in police custody, has pardoned the police officials accused of torturing his son to death.

Salahuddin’s father, Afzal, pardoned the police officers at a mosque in Gujranwala and explained that he was doing so for Allah. The additional deputy commissioner (ADC) for revenue, Zeeshan Hanif, was also present in the mosque when Afzal pardoned the police officers.

Salahuddin had gone viral a few days before his arrest after videos of him sticking out his tongue at closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at an automated teller machine (ATM) surfaced on social media. Salahuddin was taken into custody from Rahim Yar Khan district of south Punjab after he evaded arrest in Faisalabad where he had allegedly committed the crime. He was reportedly suffering from an illness and, according to police, was rushed to a hospital when his condition deteriorated and he died. NEWS DESK

Govt must protect rights of visually impaired workers: HRCP LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) supports the ongoing protest by visually impaired persons at Charing Cross in Lahore. The protestors, comprising provincial government employees, say they have been working on a daily wage basis for the last five years, which barely allows them to make ends meet. Moreover, many have complained that they received their wages for June to August three months late. This is an unacceptable situation: HRCP strongly urges the Punjab government to support the right of persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) to earn, at the very least, a living wage – especially when they are more likely than others to be affected by spiralling inflation. Protestors also claim that, in April this year, the Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare, Raja Basharat, promised on behalf of the provincial Chief Minister that the government would make their employment permanent. This pledge has evidently not been honoured and HRCP urges the government to take prompt action to resolve the protestors’ legitimate demands.

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250 restaurants, clubs in lahore issued alcohol warnings LAHORE

LAHORE: Abid Maqsood Hashmi, vice president of APCA Education Wing, Directorate of Colleges Lahore Division (Facilitator in PLT), has been awarded certificate of appreciation and shield by former secretary higher education and Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Dr Raheel Ahmed Siddiqui for the successful promotion linked training of lecturers that was held w.e.f 30.9.2019 to 12.10.2019 at nine training centres for 425 male and female lecturers simultaneously. STAFF PHOTO

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SHAHAB OMER

HE Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control (ETNC) Department has issued warnings to almost 250 restaurants, clubs, and cafes, including Lahore Gymkhana Club and Royal Palm Golf and Country Club, regarding the sale and service of liquor on their premises, Pakistan Today has learnt.

“The ETNC Department is responsible for the regulation of excise-related matters as well as control of narcotics substance… [and is] empower[ed] the department to check and take cognizance of manufacturing, transportation, possession, sale, and consumption of liquor and other excisable articles at any place,” the department warned in a letter.

The letter further states, “Section 2 (j) and (I) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979 defines the place/public place for the purpose of enforcement to the Law as under: “Place” includes a house, shed, enclosure, building, shop, tent, vehicle, vessel, and aircraft; “public place” means a street, road, thoroughfare, park, garden or other places to which the public have free access and in-

OFFICIAL BELIEVES LETTER DOESN’T HOLD MUCH VALUE AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RAID CLUBS LIKE GYMKHANA AND ROYAL PALM cludes a hotel, restaurant, motel, mess, and club, but does not include the residential room of a hotel in the occupation of some person.”

The letter also states, “In view of the above, any restaurant/café/club involved in the illegal sale, service or supply of liquor or any other intoxicating substance is punishable under the relevant provisions of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979.”

“Section 3 of Hadd Order is produced as ‘prohibition of manufacture, etc, of intoxicants: (1) subject to the provisions of clause (2) whoever (a) imports, exports, transports, manufactures or processes any intoxicant; or (b) bottles any intoxicant; or (c) sells or serves any intoxicant; or (d) allows any of the acts aforesaid upon premises owned by him or his immediate possession; shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years and with whipping not exceeding thirty stripes, and shall also be liable to fine.”

The letter states, “In view of the

foregoing, you are cautioned to ensure a strict vigilance and control on sale and purchase, storage, service or consumption of liquor within the premises of your business strictly in accordance with the provision of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979 and Rules and thereunder. If any person consumes liquor within your business premises, please immediately inform your concerned police station or the Excise and Taxation Officer Lahore.”

These restaurants came on the Excise Department’s radar for serving liquor to their guests, an excise official told Pakistan Today on the condition of anonymity. “Most of the time the guests bring their liquor with them otherwise these cafes, clubs, and restaurants serve them.”

According to the official, the letter banning alcohol in places, such as the Royal Palm and Gymkhana Club, doesn’t hold much value as these are “frequented by the Lahori elite and it is impossible to raid them”.

“They are too influential and the department is not powerful enough to

Punjab IGP orders for measures to enhance police performance LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Capt (r) Arif Nawaz Khan has directed for all check posts across Punjab other than interprovincial and inter-district ones to be removed in order to ensure strict implementation of new SOPs for the checking of vehicles and citizens.

"Instead of monitoring through police barriers and check posts, monitoring should be ensured through CCTV cameras and patrolling whereas police officials should take part in operational activities instead of standing at the police check posts and barriers," he said.

He expressed these views while issuing directions to the field officers during video link conference held at Central Police Office here on Tuesday.

The law and order situation, crime

graph and performance of police teams were reviewed during the meeting.

He further said that in case of any misbehaviour at interprovincial and inter-district check posts, the concerned DSP will be held directly responsible and strict action will be taken against all those responsible according to the discipline matrix. The IGP also said that citizens can launch a complaint on 8787 IGP Complaint Centre regarding the presence of police check post and barrier anywhere in Punjab so that action can be taken against officials who do not follow orders.

He directed that due to an increase in crime rate, police teams should perform actively and senior officers should form special teams to arrest criminals involved in the dacoity, murder abduction and other crimes.

He said that on chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) a four

layered security should be provided to the processions, snipers should be installed at roof tops and no one should be allowed to enter the processions without checking through metal detectors walk through gates and a thorough body search.

During a video link conference, all RPOs briefed the IGP about the crime situation and performance of police teams in their respective regions on which the IGP directed all DPOs to personally reach the scene in cases of violence and rapes against children and women. "To solve these cases as early as possible, geo fencing and forensic science must also be utilised," he added.

Further, he also directed all DPOs to share weekly progress reports of cases related to abuse of women and children with the Central Police Office (CPO).

PITB partially achieves goals of business project LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has failed to achieve some of the targets of the ‘Improvements to the Arrangements for Starting a Business’ project, Pakistan Today has learnt. The project was started in June 2016 to attract investments in Punjab and to improve the ease of doing business in Pakistan.

Ease of Doing Business is an index published by the World Bank and includes different parameters which define the ease of doing business in a country. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1–190. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

The project aimed to develop a system for online maintenance of HR record of businesses with Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) thus making it easy to make monthly payments whereas to achieve the above-mentioned objectives the PITB had to developed a software for business registration portal and to establish business registration unit.

The directorate general monitoring and evaluation (DGM&E) recently

evaluated the project and issued a report which revealed that the PC-I of the project, which was provided by the concerned department, states that Pakistan was ranked at 122nd in 2016, however, the World Bank report states that Pakistan was ranked at 144th in 2016.

The report while giving its observations states, “Business portal for industries department has been developed and live. There are about 17,000 requests received for business registration and about 16,500 certificates issued. However, when data was requested for survey information of only 8,917 business were provided.”

The report further states, “Although project has spent lot of money on advertisement of online business portal but as per results of survey 88% business get registered through law firms on behalf of actual business owners. 88% of respondent did not know about online business registration portal, while 12% people come know about the portal through newspaper advertisement. It raises questions on methods adopted for promotion of the business portal.”

“76% respondents of the survey responded that no extra money was charged from them for registration of business while 24% people have to pay extra money. The requirements of the system are not well documented.” Report

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stated, “PESSI portal is not secured as it is not using HTTPS protocol. For PESSI payments can be made through ATM but entering of challan number on ATM is not available. Data for PESSI contributions was not shared by PESSI department so analysis regarding different mode of payment was not performed.”

Report also reveals, “Integration with FBR is not done yet. It is pending due to procedural delays at departmental level”.

The DGM&E also ranked the project as partially successful.

Commenting on the issue, PITB Project Director Saima Sheikh told Pakistan Today that the scope of the project was limited to Lahore because the World Bank considered only Lahore and Karachi for this project. “All the objectives of the project have been achieved.

We cannot force citizens to use this system by themselves as most businessmen have ‘Seth Mentality’ and they prefer to hire a lawyer for registering their business on the portal,” she said, adding that integrating FBR into this system was not part of the project. However, once FBR gives clearance, this system will be integrated with the tax authority, she said.

“PESSI is automated in Lahore and soon it will be functional in other districts. For the security of PESSI we have asked them to purchase the SSL security layer.

stop the practice. Despite receiving the letters, there is no change in these highclass clubs,” the official added.

The abrupt order hints that someone influential was behind this move.

Excise Zone A ETO Faisal Shehzad said, “We will raid these places in case they fail to comply with the orders. The precautionary measure was taken because we do not want to defame anyone. We have served the letters to more than 250 restaurants, cafes and clubs.”

Excise B ETO Safeer Abbas Jappa said the warning was issued on the directions of the excise secretary and director general.

“Some of the restaurants [that serve alcohol] are on our radar, but most of them have already stopped such practice,” he said.

However, to raid such places is purely within the excise department’s mandate and the teams would also “raid such places without any permission”.

“The purposes behind these raids are to stop the business of liquor, not to harass anyone,” he added.

Commenting on the excise letter, Lahore Gymkhana Chairman Kamran Lashari said, “There are no such activities in the premises of Lahore Gymkhana and this letter is irrelevant.”

Man kills four family members MULTAN: A man killed four members of his family, including two sons, daughter and minor grandson, while two others suffered injuries over property issue here in tehsil Shujabad.

Rescue-1122 spokesperson on Tuesday said that accused Khuda Buksh was annoyed with his family over long standing property issue. On the day of incident, he had an altercation with his family over the issue and he shot dead his two sons-Muhammad Nawaz (30) and Imran (27), daughter Fozia (19) and minor 10-month old grandson Madni, while another son Rizwan (19) and maid Nasreen bibi suffered injuries.

Rescuers shifted the bodies and injured persons to THQ hospital.

Meanwhile, RPO Waseem Ahmad Khan, SSP Operations Muhammad Kashif Aslam, SSP Investigation Rab Nawaz Tala and SP Sadar Division Rana Muhammad Ashraf also reached the site of crime and police team arrested the accused. APP

Man dies of snakebite while in custody of Khushab police KHUSHAB: A man reportedly died of a snakebite in a lock-up at a police station in Khushab district, police said on Tuesday. Police said the suspect was detained in Mitha Tiwana Police Station of Khushab.

The deceased was identified as 25year-old Ashiq Ali. Police claimed that he was taken into custody on the allegations of theft. Earlier on September 17, a forensic report confirmed that deceased Salahuddin Ayubi suffered tortured before his death in the custody of Rahim Yar Khan police. Salahuddin had been arrested when he was recognised by security officials in Rahim Yar Khan last week after the video of him attempting to steal from the ATM and sticking his tongue out at the camera went viral. Similarly, on September 3, Six police officers, including a sub-inspector, were nominated in a criminal case for allegedly torturing a man, identified as Amir Masih, to death in Lahore. STAFF REPORT

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

NEWS

LEAs ARREst BALoCHIstAN UNIVERsIty’s stAFFER FoR ‘BLACKmAILINg’ stUdENts

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HE 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 video footage from these cameras were being used to blackmail the 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 Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) extended the scope of the investigation to 200 employees.

Earlier in the day, various student organisations staged demonstrations inside Balochistan University to protest against the harassment scandal unearthed by the FIA a day earlier. The students marched

inside the campus to mount pressure on the authorities to punish the culprits allegedly involved in the harassment of female and male students.

The case had come to light about a month ago when the Balochistan High Court (BHC) directed the FIA to investigate reports of students being harassed at the varsity.

In its probe spanning over several weeks, FIA discovered that male and female students were being harassed through “objectionable” videos of them.

These videos were recorded using at least six cameras that were secretly installed at various spots in the university’s Quetta campus, in addition to the already existing official CCTV cameras.

“This is not acceptable; we cannot

CII endorses fatwas in support of polio vaccination ISLAMABAD APP

Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Tuesday endorsed hundreds of fatwas in support of polio vaccination.

According to the Pakistan Polio Programme, the council’s apex body unanimously decided to ratify fatwas by ullema in support of polio eradication.

This is the first time that the government has sought CII’s help for controlling polio virus in the country.

According to the official document of the CII, the council was concerned that Pakistan would face increased travel restrictions due the country’s current polio caseload and could face further financial ramifications as a result of these restrictions.

CII Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz

said around 30 per cent of polio vaccination refusals are made on religious grounds while the remaining 70 per cent are for other reasons.

He said the council has supported Pakistan polio eradication

programme to make it a polio free country.

“Since 2014, refusals against the polio vaccine have been increasing on religious basis due to which the polio eradication programme has

compromise on our dignity,” Khalid Baloch, the central office-bearer of Baloch Students Organisation said. The protesters lamented that the harassment scandal has severely affected the atmosphere of education in the province in general and at Balochistan University in particular.

They carried placards inscribed with slogans such as “Punish the accused”, ” No to harassment”, “We want justice”, etc, during the protest demonstration.

“This harassment was going on for a long time in the university,” Kabeer

started getting Fatwas from religious scholars, madrassas and even the AlAzhar University in Cairo to verify that the polio vaccine is not against Islam,” Focal Person to Prime Minister on Polio Babar Bin Atta.

“This development is anticipated to help reduce the number of refusals and resistance to the polio vaccine during the upcoming polio vaccination campaign from November 4, 2019” he added.

He said polio is a highly infectious disease caused by the polio virus that mainly affects children under the age of five. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death.

He added while there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from the disease.

He said each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free.

PPP opposes deployment of troops in Larkana by-polls ISLAMABAD INP

Violators of constitution given plots in Islamabad: IHC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday maintained the September 19 ban on allotment of plots in sectors established on land acquired without payment of due compensation in the federal capital. A single-bench led by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah barred the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) from allotting plots until “every last of the affectees is compensated”.

The government bodies have been accused of acquiring land from locals by force and on the promise of compensation which was never paid. During the hearing, Justice Minallah was irked by the FGEHF counsel’s request to remove the ban. Noting that the affected people were still running from pillar to post, he questioned the measures taken by the government to ensure the payment of compensation. “Plots have even been allotted to people who violated the Constitution and were convicted of financial crimes,” he observed. CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed informed the high court that Rs1.5 billion had been deposited for payment of compensation but a further Rs8 billion was required. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarian Asad Umar appeared in court and requested for an early resolution of the long-pending matter. “The beneficiaries of this land acquisition are politicians, bureaucrats, judges, and generals,” he said, adding that Justice Minallah would be remembered forever if he resolved this 30-year-old issue. Maintaining the decision to bar plot allotments, the IHC adjourned the case hearing for three months.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has expressed grave concerns over Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to deploy troops inside the polling stations in the bye-elections in PS-II, Larkana II scheduled for October 17.

Secretary General Farhatullah Babar expressed this concern through a letter addressed to the chief election commissioner (CEC). The letter was delivered to ECP on

Oct 15. Farhatullah Babar in his letter said, “According to the ECP notification army officers and JCOs will not only have magisterial powers for the entire duration of deployment but also additional powers to override Presiding Officers on the presumption that the civilian Presiding Officer has failed to act on any complaint of unspecified irregularity/malpractice. Further the troops will be deployed under Article 245 of the constitution thus effectively ousting the jurisdiction of courts against any act of omission or commission by the troops.”

Pakistan asks UN to ban India-based 'IS terrorist' NEWS DESK Islamabad has moved United Nations Security Council under Resolution 1267 (the AlQaida Sanctions Committee) seeking action against Indian national Ajoy Mistry, an “Islamic State terrorist targeting Pakistan”.

Endorsed by China, Pakistan’s proposal to add Mistry in the ISIL and al Qaida Sanctions List has been circulated by the chair of the 1267 Committee to the other members this month, Hindustan Times reported.

The dossier describes Mistry as a “coordinator of [a] terror network in Afghanistan, who works with ISIL-Khorasan to undertake different terror activities in Pakistan”.

It also maintains that he was involved in “facilitating the movement of foreign terrorist fighters from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan and held a number of meetings with ISIL-Khorasan leaders in 2017 and 2018”.

According to the dossier, Mistry pro-

vided finances to the terrorist organisation’s leadership in August-September 2018 to carry out suicide attacks at Kalaya Bazaar, Orakzai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in which 31 persons lost their lives.

Last month, Islamabad and Beijing, together, had moved a proposal to designate another Indian, Venumadhav Dongara, an engineer who is currently working in Afghanistan, as a global terrorist by the 1267 committee. However, the proposal was blocked by the United Nations.

Pakistan government had filed an FIR against Dongara in Peshawar on March 11, 2019, on charges of supplying weapons, ammunition and explosives to a terrorist group, which allegedly attacked the Badaber air base of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Peshawar on Sept 18, 2015.

It merits a mention here that following the lodging of FIR against Dongara, Indian security agencies “evacuated” the engineer from Afghanistan on Sept 8.

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Afghan, the central office-bearer of Pashtoonkhwa Students Organisation said. The students, chanting slogans against the university administration, demanded a comprehensive probe into the matter. They also demanded the removal of the vice chancellor and other high-ups. Commenting on the issue, Balochistan University ViceChancellor Dr Javed Iqbal said: “We will cooperate with FIA in exposing the elements involved in the scandal.” He dispelled the impression that the FIA had made any arrest from the university.

Royal couple's visit reflects 'resolute' image of Pakistan: Firdous ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Tuesday that British royal couple’s visit to Pakistan “reflects a bright and resolute image of Pakistan”. In a series of tweets, Awan said: “Pakistan is home to a great cultural heritage and ancient civilization,” adding that the visit would strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, and impact Pakistan’s identity in true and positive terms. “Pakistan is emerging as a beautiful and attractive destination for tourists […] the fascinating beauty of Pakistan’s historic sites and northern areas are distinguishing features of the state.” “Pakistan and the nation welcome the royal guests […] [We] hope that Prince William and Kate Middleton will return with beautiful memories,” she said.

PPP wants reforms in NAB laws, says Kaira SUKKUR STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Tuesday said that his party doesn’t want to abolish NAB laws but it is really imperative now that new reforms are introduced in it. While talking to media outside the accountability court in Sukkur, he further said that the purpose of his visit today at the accountability court is to express solidarity with PPP senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah. He also said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) doesn’t have proper evidence against the former opposition leader and hence the case appears to lack any kind of basis. “These cases are for settling the score and to ruin the political standing but PPP is not new to such circumstances and will face every kind of trial,” he said. Kaira said that Shah has already provided his account details to NAB investigators. “Shah’s only fault is to establish hospitals and colleges after recovering land from the mafia. Petitions and cases against him will not deter us from serving people,” he told media.

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

06 WORLD VIEW

What to expect from putin's visit to saudi arabia RUSSIA HAS EMERGED AS A MAJOR OUTSIDE PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE EAST

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HE Russian president made his only trip to Riyadh way back in 2007, and the two leaders have refrained from top-level visits until Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud made a historic first visit to Russia in October 2017.

One must bear in mind that the Saudi monarch had never traveled to Moscow during the Soviet era. Formal bilateral ties were severed in 1938 following the execution by Stalin of Karim Khakimov, who was called “Red Pasha” — an outstanding Soviet diplomat, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a personal friend of King Ibn Saud.

It is not only the geopolitical landscape but also the gradually broadening agenda for bilateral talks that stir up interest in Putin’s trip. Both countries’ officials reported intense preparatory work ahead of the leaders’ meeting.

“I am convinced that the RussiaSaudi summit will give further strong impetus to our multifaceted partnership, contribute to its qualitative growth and strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey

Lavrov said on the eve of the visit.

The signing of the OPEC deal to cut the global oil supply has significantly bolstered bilateral relations in recent years.

Moscow and Riyadh as the key signatories have managed to stabilize oil prices by constantly interacting on a pragmatic note and monitoring the market. According to official estimates, Russia’s revenues from the collaboration have reached $100 billion.

“About 30 agreements and contracts will be signed during President Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia. We are working on it. These are investment projects, and the sum in question is billions of dollars,” Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in early October.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), also shared his vision, noting that Russia and Saudi Arabia are planning to sign agreements in the energy sector as well as in technology, culture and investment. The RDIF has become a major Russian negotiator as joint investments were discussed with Riyadh represented by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. The two organizations established a long-term strategic partnership in 2015 approving investments worth over $2.5 billion (out of the allocated $10 billion).

In October, the RDIF was reported to have opened its first foreign office — and not coincidentally, it was in Saudi Arabia.

Among the potential investment projects, the parties mention the acquisition of a large stake in Novomet, the Russian oil

Riyadh: Between Moscow and Washington WHAT ABOUT RUSSIA’S GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN? SAUDI ARABIA WANTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE TEHRAN CANNOT ANTAGONIZE BOTH RUSSIA AND THE US aRab News ABDULRAHMAN AL-RASHED

The high-level Saudi interest in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kingdom says many things, and worldwide interest in it is expected amid ongoing transformations in international relations. It may be going too far to say Saudi Arabia is shifting away from its historical and strategic relations with the West, but it is no secret that there is political change afoot.

Is there a new alliance in the making? Are there regional agreements between Riyadh and Moscow? So many important and rational questions are being asked amid the uncertain situation in the region, shifting alliances and the slow American withdrawal.

Putin’s visit was scheduled a while ago, so it is not a result of the confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia or of the Astana framework for the Syrian conflict. There are joint tasks that Riyadh and Moscow are far more capable of achieving than any other party, such as managing oil prices and production. The Russians and Saudis have the greatest influence in this regard and, with their agreement, it has been possible to avoid price wars.

Moscow has decided to play an active role in the Middle East, and Saudi-Russian understandings have prevented a policy misalignment against Riyadh. Even though Moscow stands against all of Washington’s positions, Russia finds common ground with the US on some issues such as Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Iraq.

Regarding Syria, Saudi Arabia will not take unrealistic decisions, and will not operate against the consensus.

Syria’s neighbors — Jordan, Iraq and Turkey — have all taken their respective positions based on new developments on the ground. Today, Turkey’s concern is focused on three things: Getting rid of 3 million Syrian refugees, preventing armed Kurds from assembling near its

border, and controlling Syrian territories that contain oil.

Saudi Arabia is happy to see Russia preventing Iran from occupying Syria.

So the policy has become to save Syria from Iranian dominance, limit Hezbollah’s presence, and prevent the Turks from occupying strategic parts of the country. In this context, we saw Russia playing an important role, especially in light of the American regression.

What about Russia’s good relationship with Iran? Saudi Arabia wants to take advantage of this relationship because Tehran cannot antagonize both Russia and the US at the same time.

Even though Moscow has a good relationship with Tehran, the two sides do not look at all issues in the same way.

Iran has feared Russian ambitions within its borders since the era of the tsars.

Moreover, there are maritime, oil and geographical disputes between the two countries. And Moscow does not totally agree with Tehran on the Syrian issue.

Iranian media and religious figures have often attacked Russia and accused it of conspiring with Israel against it, just because Moscow prevented Iranian expansion and disabled its radars during Israeli attacks on its forces and militias.

On Yemen, Russia has adopted a good position, broadly consistent with the Saudi Arabia’s.

Putin has proved to be excellent in dealing with regional crises and has been clear in his perception of the relationship with Saudi Arabia, which was considered the closest Arab ally of the US. Riyadh’s relationship with Washington is still strong, but is no longer exclusive.

When Putin chose Riyadh to open the first foreign office of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, he intended to deliver a message that the Saudi capital is more than just a destination for a single visit.

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general manager of Al Arabiya news channel and former editor in chief of Asharq Al-Awsat.

equipment manufacturer by the RDIF and Saudi Aramco, the Saudi oil giant. It is believed to be 30% of shares. Russian Gazprom is discussing projects in natural gas conversion. More specifically, officials promise to speak about new projects and contracts in greater detail during Putin’s visit to Riyadh.

Moscow and Riyadh will also have to address a wide range of regional security issues from the Gulf to Syria to Yemen.

Putin's visit coincides with the Saudi authorities’ efforts to ease tensions in the Gulf region. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is reported to have consented to the leaders of Pakistan and Iraq acting as intermediaries in talks between Riyadh and Tehran. Moscow could join this process.

Riyadh’s steps and its stated readiness to de-escalate with Iran is fully compatible with the collective security framework for the Gulf region presented by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Yemen issue particularly stands out as a grave security concern. Lavrov voiced Moscow’s official position on the matter by noting that inclusive talks are “the only way to resolve the difficult situation in Yemen, which, according to the United Nations, is facing a humanitarian disaster.” Although Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates declare efforts to seek alignment on Yemen, they have been largely fruitless so far. Given the on-theground situation, Russia is leaning toward the UAE and the Southern Transitional Council, which seized power from the Aden-based government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Neverthe-

less, Moscow has maintained contact with all the players, including the Sanaabased alliance led by Houthis. The policy of equidistance contributes to Moscow’s working contacts both on a local and regional scale, and Russia expects to work this position during Putin’s visit.

The Syria peace process will be a key item on the Moscow-Riyadh agenda. The launch of a Syrian constitutional committee was announced earlier in September, thereby marking the start of a political process. Turkey is gaining more leverage over the Syrian opposition, yet Putin recently signaled Moscow expects the Saudis to play their role.

Moscow could suggest that Riyadh take a more active role. With the ascendancy of two regional players, Iran and Turkey, Russia deems it important to the balance of power in Syria. Moreover, Moscow will work toward convincing Riyadh to facilitate Damascus’ return to the Arab League.

Foreign Minister Lavrov has been pushing forward with the idea of Syria’s return to the Arab League since early 2018. As of now, Moscow’s main task is to persuade the Saudis to embrace the idea, which Russia expects would be followed by regional recognition of the Syrian government.

In turn, this would not only impact the regional diplomatic landscape but also bring about partial international recognition. Riyadh’s willingness to meet Moscow and Damascus halfway could make it possible for Saudi Arabia and Syria to re-establish ties and, more

importantly, strengthen the regional standing of both nations.

The Saudis once showed themselves capable of pragmatism, and Bahrain, which resumed diplomatic work with Syria, can be regarded as a litmus test of the necessity to follow suit. Otherwise, the thinking in Moscow is that Saudi Arabia can find itself among those trying to catch up with the rest. As not only are other players, the UAE in particular, reopening their embassies in Damascus, but they are also taking part in international fairs held in the capital. Emirati and Omani businessmen were not alarmed at the US decision against dealing with Assad’s regime.

Should the Saudis agree to facilitate Syria’s comeback in the Arab League, Qatar will remain the only player to resist it. Yet the Doha-Damascus relationship is getting stronger, and should Russia be properly engaged in the process, the problem can be settled.

Russia has emerged as a major outside player claiming to preserve its presence in the Middle East. This new environment could not but render the existing trend in Russia-Saudi Arabia relations irrelevant.

Under new circumstances, Moscow and Riyadh have more capability for productive cooperation and compromise on those issues that the parties still diverge on.

Until recently, the Saudis used their relationship with Russia to tease Washington.

As for the current situation, it testifies to the two countries’ trying to find common ground for bilateral cooperation free from third parties.

Ruslan Mamedov is a Program Coordinator at the Russian International Affairs Council.

Ecuadorian government withdraws IMF decree after 11 days of protests and state repression Real News NetwoRk After 11 days of massive protests, brutal repression and a general upheaval in Ecuador, the government of President Moreno and the most important indigenous organizations agreed to engage in negotiations to discuss the cancellation of austerity measures that President Moreno had imposed about two weeks ago, following the IMF’s prescriptions.

The economic policies included a near doubling of fuel prices, about 23,000 layoffs in the public sector, and the deregulation of labor laws, following a neoliberal model.

As soon as the measures were announced, protesters came walking and in caravans from different regions of Ecuador. They started to arrive at Quito on Saturday, October 5th, and continued arriving for over eleven days. They marched to demand the cancellation of the IMF decree, that would directly affect the poorest. One of the main organizations behind the protests and the strike was CONAIE, the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of Ecuador: Sonido Luisa Lozano – Conaie Leader: “We are calling on all the Ecuadorian people, different organizations such as CONAIE are here demanding Decree 883 to be repealed. We reject the decrees that go against the interest of Indigenous peoples and farmers. We as Indigenous peoples remained in resistance for more than 530 years and we are not saboteurs as the mainstream media are portraying us. We are a people who fight with dignity, demanding our rights. And we will stand for this as long as decree 883 is not repealed, we will not move from this space that we have made our own.”

Ever since the Indigenous movements announced that they would be marching to the cities the government began militarizing the capital. The indigenous rally managed to enter Quito nonetheless, but security forces systematically attacked and repressed them.

Their massive presence in the city, aroused racist reactions from right wing and xenophobic urban groups, something that Ecuador’s indigenous peoples clearly reject: Indigenous protester: “Why don’t they go to the field and work? Let’s see if they can stand a long labor day as farmers do, plowing the land, sowing the

THE GOVERNMENT WITHDREW THE NEOLIBERAL PROGRAMME WHICH HAD SPARKED THE MASSIVE PROTESTS. INDIGENOUS GROUPS REMAIN WARY, THOUGH, IN CASE THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS NEW AUSTERITY MEASURES farms, reaping the fruits, they can only go to the supermarket to buy with money, that are the result of our work. Without the rural areas, the city is nothing” “We are used to the struggle and we will not give up. Despite people saying that we are lazy, they tell us to go to work, we are used to that too. We have come here and we continue to preserve our language, our customs, and we will continue to reject the ‘paquetazo’ that affects us all as Ecuadorian citizens.”

Although race conflicts are structural in Ecuadorian society, not everyone rejects the indigenous population. Hundreds of volunteers in the capital organized an enormous solidarity operation, collecting supplies, such as medicines, blankets, and food for the thousands of Indigenous people who came to spend several nights in the city. For over eleven days they have been cooking, serving and helping the Indigenous communities in a struggle that they also share.

Volunteer: “I’m a volunteer and a student at the Catholic University. I’m here because I think the best we can do now is to help our brothers and sisters out. To help them and show solidarity and empathy regarding what’s going on. I’m not going to stay at home watching how people are dying here. I won’t do that. So that’s why I came and why we are here.”

Over the weekend the Indigenous people marched against austerity measures and again faced state violence and repression. As night fell, a ceasefire was supposed to take effect, but security forces continued to try to expel protesters from the city and to neutralize them with little respect for the shelters that had been declared peace zones.

Volunteer: “In the Catholic and Salesiana universities shelters, we were victims of repression and saw how they threw tear gas bombs in areas that were declared peace zones, and we were precisely organizing a shelter with over 1000 people from different Indigenous communities all over the country . We felt the tear gas, so of course there was unrest and we started an emergency plan to exit, because as you know, the place has limited exit doors. This is a call for

the government to respect human rights and peace zones, and for everyone to support the Ecuadorian people and their struggle for the rights of everyone.”

As of October 13, CONAIE denounces there has been 10 deaths, over 2,000 injured, over 1,000 people arrested and 100 people missing. They also denounced cases of torture performed by police and army officials.

Among the arrested there are at least 13 journalists and 26 politicians. Also, at least 57 journalists were reportedly attacked by police and 9 media outlets closed. The leftist Latin American outlet teleSUR was taken off the cable companies’ programming without any explanation.

After 11 days of conflict the main Indigenous organizations and President Lenin Moreno agreed to participate in a dialogue with the mediation of the United Nations mission in Ecuador.

Miriam Cisneros: “I’ve been in the streets starving for 13 days, our brothers have been killed, and that means our president ordered the security forces to attack us when our march was a peaceful one. It hurts my soul to see how our little kids were struggling to survive in the midst of tear gas. Let it weigh on your conscience what happened to all the brothers and sisters who have died in this struggle.”

In his speech, Lenin Moreno again blamed former Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa, for the crisis in the country, while Indigenous representatives confronted him, demanding the resignation of his ministers of interior and defense, as well as the immediate drop of the IMF measures.

After hours of negotiation, Moreno agreed to withdraw the neoliberal measures, known as “decree 883,” but insisted on a joint commission to issue a new one on how to reduce the fuel subsidies.

Some of the Indigenous leaders were opposed to a new decree, and there is uncertainty how much the IMF’s prescriptions will actually be dropped. The popular and Indigenous movement is divided between those who are already celebrating a victory and those who plan to remain alert and ready to go back to the protest, until they see the new decree.

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

MonEy, hATrEd for ThE Kurds drivEs TurKEy’s syriAn fighTErs

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HE Syrian fighters vowed to kill “pigs” and “infidels,” paraded their Kurdish captives in front of cameras and, in one graphic video, fired several rounds into a man lying on the side of a highway with his hands bound behind his back.

They are part of the self-styled Syrian National Army, the shock troops in Turkey’s offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces who were abandoned last week after President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of American troops from northern Syria.

The Syrian fighters, trained and funded by Turkey, present themselves as heirs to the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad. But while they include some Islamic extremists and past members of some Syrian rebel factions, many are Arab and Turkmen fighters from northern and eastern Syria who have an ax to grind against the Kurds and a reputation for violence

and looting.

“The main problem with these forces is their criminality,” said Elizabeth Tsurkov, a fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute who has interviewed dozens of the fighters and said they appear to be driven by a desire for power and money rather than by any specific ideology. “Hatred of Kurds, a sense of Arab chauvinism, complete intolerance for any dissent, and just a desire to make a profit is what’s driving most of the abuses,” she said.

Since Turkey began funding the force in 2016, its fighters have yet to battle Assad’s troops. Instead, they have mostly fought in Turkey’s cross-border offensives against the Islamic State group and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia that had partnered with the United States and battled IS extremists with far greater success.

In the latest offensive, the Turkish-led Syrian forces have pushed deep into northeastern Syria, an ethnically and religiously mixed region, raising fears of ethnic conflict and human rights

FOREIGN NEWS 07

abuses. Some of the factions allied with Turkey have been accused of banditry, and others include hard-line Islamic militants in their ranks.

Turkey views the Kurdish militia that forms the core of the SDF as a terrorist group because of its links to Kurdish fighters who have waged a decades-long insurgency inside Turkey. After threatening for months to invade northeastern Syria and carve out a “safe zone” along the border, Turkey launched an offensive last week after Trump cleared the way for it by moving U.S. troops out of the way. As the situation on the ground descends into chaos and Syrian government troops move north to lend support to their former foes, the Kurds, Turkey’s Syrian fighters are pouring across the border from Turkey, posting videos in which they threaten Kurdish “pigs” and “atheists.”

Backed by Turkish airstrikes and artillery, the fighters have provided the bulk of the ground forces and taken the most casualties. At least 16 Syrian fighters have been killed compared to four Turkish soldiers since the operation began last week. Over the weekend they captured a major highway that runs across northern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britainbased war monitor, said the Turkey-backed fighters shot and killed six civilians along the road, including Hevreen Khalaf, a woman who led a Kurdish political party.

In a video circulated online, fighters can be seen rushing toward a bullet-ridden armored vehicle, saying they have captured a “pig.” A woman’s faint voice can be heard from within, saying she is the head of a political party. The video indicates Khalaf was captured alive and later died or was killed. A U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details, said “extremist Turkish proxies” had advanced along the highway, setting up checkpoints where they posed as Kurdish fighters and killed civilians. In a series of tweets, one of the Turkey-backed groups, known as Ahrar alSharqiya, posted pictures of two supposed Kurdish fighters it said it had captured.

More victims, more damage found in Japan typhoon aftermath NAGANO: The toll of death and destruction from a typhoon that tore through central and northern Japan climbed Tuesday, as the government said it was considering approving a special budget for the disaster response and eventual reconstruction. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a parliamentary session that the number of deaths tied to Typhoon Hagibis had climbed to 53 and was expected to rise, as at least another nine people are presumed dead.

Japan’s Kyodo News agency, citing its own tally, put the death toll at 69. Abe pledged to do the utmost for the safety and rescue of those missing or those who had to evacuate.

“We put the people’s lives first,” he said. Hagibis hit Japan’s main island on Saturday with strong winds and historic rainfall that caused more than 200 rivers to overflow, leaving thousands of homes flooded, damaged or without power. Rescue crews on Tuesday were still searching for those missing, thought to number about 20. Some 34,000 homes were without power and 110,000 lacked running water. More than 30,000 people were still at shelters as of late Monday, according to the Cabinet Office’s latest tally.

Business appeared nearly back to normal in central Tokyo, and residents in areas where floodwater subsided started cleaning up. Lives, however, remained paralyzed in Nagano, Fukushima and other hard-hit areas that were still inundated.

Some residents in Nagano returned to their homes, only to find they not be habitable. Retired carpenter Toshitaka Yoshimura, who grew up in the Tsuno district of Nagano, was stunned when he returned to his home after staying at an evacuation center during the storm. His house was a mess. Doors were knocked out, his handmade furniture was tossed around and damaged, and everything from a futon to electronics were broken and covered with mud. AGENCIES

Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo joint winners of Booker Prize

Clashes over Catalan separatists’ convictions injure 170 MADRID AGENCIES

New disruptions to Catalonia’s transportation network on Tuesday followed a night of clashes between activists and police over the conviction of separatist leaders, as Spanish authorities announced an investigation into the group organizing the protests.

Authorities said that three people were arrested and more than 170 others injured, including about 40 police officers, during the clashes well into the early hours of Tuesday between angry protesters and riot police at Barcelona’s international airport and elsewhere across the northeastern Spanish region.

Thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport, with many were forced to walk with their luggage on highways and across fields.

The protesters were responding to an online campaign by Tsunami Democratic, a loose, leaderless grassroots group that uses encrypted messaging apps to call for peaceful disobedience.

Spain’s caretaker interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said that authorities were investigating the group. In a landmark ruling Monday, Spain’s Supreme Court acquitted the Catalan politicians and activists from the more serious crime of rebellion for pushing ahead with a banned referendum on Oct. 1, 2017, and declaring independence based on its results. But judges found nine of them guilty of sedition and handed down prison terms of nine to 13 years. Four of them were additionally convicted of misuse of public funds and three were fined for disobedience.

The court also barred all of them from holding public office. That has an immediate impact in the upcoming Nov. 10 election because six of them were planning to run as candidates to Spain’s parliament.

The verdict is likely to be a central issue before the vote and politics for years to come, with very different views in Madrid and Catalonia already emerging hours after it was issued.

While Spain’s caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called for beginning a “new

phase” and urged Catalan separatists to abide by the law, the ruling invigorated the Catalan independence movement, with many of its leaders making new calls to work toward effective secession or repeating the slogan “we will do it again.”

“We have to continue defending the right of Catalonia to self-determination,” the regional president, Quim Torra, told foreign reporters in Barcelona on Tuesday. “A referendum is the most positive solution for solving this situation.”

His regional minister for foreign action, Alfred Bosch, urged the Spanish prime minister to change his attitude. “We don’t see any proposal, we only see 100 years of prison, exile and repression,” Bosch said.

The caretaker Spanish foreign minister, Josep Borrell, soon due to become the European Union’s top diplomat, said the sentence wasn’t resolving the underlying political problems that only dialogue “in the framework of the Constitution” could.

Spain’s constitutional law says that the country is indivisible.

LONDON: Judges tore up the rule book on Monday, awarding the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction jointly to Canadian author Margaret Atwood for “The Testaments” and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo for “Girl, Woman, Other”. Atwood becomes only the second female author to win the award twice, sharing the £50,000 ($62,800, 60,000 euros) prize at the 50th anniversary ceremony at London’s Guildhall. The award has been shared twice before, in 1974 and 1997, when the rules were changed to supposedly prevent it from happening again. The 79-year-old Atwood, who wore a badge of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion, held aloft the arm of her fellow winner as they walked to the podium together. “I’m very surprised, I would have thought I would have been too elderly,” said Atwood, who was honoured for her best-selling sequel to her 1985 dystopian classic “The Handmaid’s Tale”. “I don’t need the attention, so I’m very glad that you’re getting some,” she said to Evaristo, joking that as “a good Canadian, we don’t do famous, we think it is in bad taste, so it would have been embarrassing if I’d been alone here”. AGENCIES

France warns US over threat of IS resurgence CEYLANPINAR AGENCIES

French diplomatic officials say talks between France and the U.S. are focusing on the need to prevent a re-emergence of the Islamic State group amid the violence in Syria.

According to two officials with his office, President Emmanuel Macron spoke with President Donald Trump in a phone call Monday, insisting on the threat posed by Turkey’s offensive in northeast Syria to the whole region and Europe.

The officials say France’s priority is to issue a strong, coordinated diplomatic response in order to put pressure on Turkey so that the country ends its offensive in northern Syria. The officials spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

Macron also spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday in a discussion that “underlined the deep divergence of views”, Macron’s office said.

He also called Iraqi President Barham Saleh. A Russian envoy for Syria says that

Moscow will not allow Turkish and Syrian government forces to clash, underscoring his country’s role as de facto power broker in the conflict amid a U.S. pullout.

Alexander Lavrentyev, presidential envoy for Syria, told Russian state news agencies on Tuesday that “no one is interested” in potential fighting between Syrian government troops and Turkish forces that entered Syria last week. Lavrentyev said Russia “is not going to allow it.”

Lavrentyev also denied reports saying that Moscow has given the green light to Turkey’s operation in Syria and insisted that Russia “has always thought that any military operation in Syria is unacceptable.” Lavrentyev confirmed that Kurdish leaders and representatives of the Syrian government held talks at a Russian military base last week but said that he was not aware of any results.

The main Kurdish-led force in Syria says it has lost 23 fighters in clashes with advancing Turkish-led forces over the past day. The Syrian Democratic Forces says Tuesday that the casualties were in-

flicted over the past 24 hours in fighting concentrated around Syria’s northern border. The group’s statement said that the deaths occurred at several flashpoints including Ras al-Ayn where 11 SDF fighters were killed, and seven in Tal Abyad.

The SDF said that 39 of its fighters were also wounded in the fighting.

On Sunday, the group said at least 45 fighters had been killed since the start of Turkey’s invasion into northern Syria, now in its seventh day.

Britain’s foreign secretary says it has suspended arms sales to Turkey for items that could be used for its ongoing military incursion into Syria.

Dominic Raab told Parliament Tuesday no export licenses for those items will be granted while a “very careful” review of arms sales is conducted. He says the British government calls on Turkey to “exercise maximum restraint and to bring an end to this unilateral military action.”

Raab criticized Turkey for a “reckless” action that “plays straight into the hands of Russia” and the Syrian govern-

ment. Britain’s decision follows similar action taken by other European Union countries. Turkey’s defense ministry says a Turkish soldier was killed in a mortar attack on its forces carried out from the Kurdish-held town of Manbij.

The ministry said eight other soldiers were wounded in Tuesday’s attack, which came on the seventh day of a Turkish incursion into northeastern Syria that aims to drive Syrian Kurdish militias away

from a border area. The Turkish military retaliated with an assault that “neutralized” an estimated 15 Syrian Kurdish fighters, the ministry said.

Separately, two people were killed in a new mortar and rocket attack by Syrian Kurdish fighters on a Turkish town bordering Syria, local officials said. The attack on the town of Kiziltepe, Mardin province, also wounded 12 other civilians, the governor’s office said.

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

08 COMMENT

Difficult but not impossible

Demanding fresh elections Without removing flaws in the election process

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AuLAnA Fazlur Rahman had announced the date for what he calls the Azadi March without consultations with the two major opposition parties, the PML-n and PPP, which were not mentally prepared for the agitation. After former PML-n chief nawaz Sharif put his weight behind the march, is party is left with no option other than joining the move.

The JuI-F chief had called into question the credibility of the 2018 elections and demanded fresh polls. While there can be two opinions about the need for fresh elections a year after a government is sworn in, the demand violates no democratic norms. As the PTI had itself agitated on the basis of a similar demand in 2014, it has no moral justification to dismiss it as undemocratic.

It is still unclear what precise means Maulana Fazlur Rehman wants to adopt for getting the resignation of an elected government which is adamant on completing its tenure and is not tired of reiterating that the Army is on the same page with it. In April the Maulana warned his party would lock down the federal capital if the PTI government did not step down. In August he promised to oust the present “fake government” through a decisive march.

The Maulana’s agenda too remains unclear. earlier the emphasis was on protection of religious seminaries, the belief in the finality of the Holy Prophet and the Islamic and democratic status of the Constitution. Later the JuI-F chief highlighted more mundane issues like rising poverty, bad governance and violation of basic rights.

While the opposition has called into question the fairness of the last elections it has done pretty little in Parliament to remove the lacunae that made the exercise questionable. The government is largely to blame for manipulating the appointment of two members of the eCP. The court has now sent the matter back to Parliament. unless the Prime Minister is willing to hold meaningful talks with the leader of the opposition the eCP might become non-functional after the retirement of the CeC in December.

The government should not put hurdles in the way of the march. The JuI-F should do nothing that violates law and order, restricts free traffic or causes damage to property.

Dengue crisis Highest figures to date

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engue virus has claimed 47 lives this year across Pakistan and with new cases still being reported it seems this figure will increase in the coming days. In total more than 30,000 cases have been reported so far from major cities, which is the highest number ever recorded in the country’s history. Islamabad has been hit the worst, followed by Punjab and Sindh, and perhaps the only reason casualties are relatively minimal are the lessons learned from the 2011 epidemic when 370 died. One reason being cited for the higher number of cases is better surveillance and reporting than before, which is welcome as it will enable the relevant authorities to identify areas that are particularly problematic and shift more of their focus and resources there in the future. This is being claimed by the Chief of Disease Surveillance Division at the national Institute of Health; hopefully this plethora of data is not wasted and is rather organized in a way that it is useful at a later date.

A detailed report on this year’s outbreak should be prepared and made public as well. Regionally speaking, 2019 was one of the worst years for countries that are most vulnerable. Philippines for example saw 98 percent more cases than last year, that has resulted in 622 deaths, mostly children under the age of 10, and there has been a similar doubling in number of cases in Malaysia, Vietnam and Bangladesh. The government is now claiming success over how Pakistan has been relatively less affected. In a country where success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, such comparisons can become a source of complacency.

Lack of environmental cleanliness, climate change (increased humidity and rainfall) and a new strain of the virus are major reasons for the severe reemergence of dengue this year in various countries, even in countries like Cuba that had completely eradicated the virus. It is therefore imperative that the government, before declaring any sort of comparative victory, understand that not every year will be as forgiving. A concerted effort to clean urban areas in all provinces, a wide-ranging easily accessible early detection apparatus and regular fumigation exercises are the only methods to remain one step ahead of this deadly virus.

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

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Problems of Balochistan dr rajkumar Singh

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FTeR accession to Pakistan, Balochistan witnessed the implementation of the One-unit scheme in 1955 which amalgamated the four western provinces into one. The new scheme was more vehemently opposed in Balochistan than anywhere else, and it was the first defiance of central government’s authority. This is why the army moved first in Balochistan, in 1958, just before the imposition of martial law. It was the beginning of an anti-people regime in Balochistan. The unrest further increased when the army demanded that weapons should be handed in at police stations and the tribesmen refused to comply. 23 years after the creation of Pakistan, in 1970, Balochistan was granted the status of a province. This was followed by the formation of a pro-Baloch government of the national Awami Party (nAP), in alliance with Jamiat ulema Islam (JuI), a religious party. However, it found no relief under the new regime and as earlier, centralist tendencies continued.

The Baloch people had become part of the independent state of Pakistan yet colonial policies for controlling these tribes continued. The policy of offering incentives to tribal chiefs at the cost of the common man alienated Balochistan from the rest of the federation. The political leadership of Balochistan argued that the British government always treated them differently and they enjoyed special status and relationship with the British Indian government. They had accepted amalgamation with the state of Pakistan, but got apprehensive about the fact that the Baloch were only a small fraction of the total population and hence in a serious danger of loss of identity.

Their apprehension was strengthened by the imposition of the “One-unit” system, and later on, political arrangements under long military rules existed in the country. This forced them to rally under the banner of nationalism. The Baloch had voiced strong grievances about their lack of representation in the Pakistani bureaucracy, and armed forces, or even in the provincial adminis-

tration of Balochistan. Relations between Baloch nationalists and the central government have been confrontational since the creation of Pakistan, periodically turning violent.

In last two decades, the understanding between Baloch people and the central government has worsened, especially during the Musharraf era. In 2004, the long-simmering tensions broke out into renewed insurgency. The conflict stems in part from the central government’s imposition of a historical narrative of the creation of Pakistan as a religiously homogeneous country on the ethnically distinct Baloch.

The 1999 military coup increased general alienation among the Baloch. This is because Baloch see the Army as lacking Baloch representation due to its domination by the interests of the Punjabi and the Pakhtuns. The transition from the military government of Musharraf to the civilian government of Asif Zardari in 2008 till today under the premiership of nawaz Sharif and now Imran Khan, almost nothing has been done to assuage Baloch discontent.

Concerns of the Baloch are one of the most serious threats to the country’s federal structure.

The history of the relationship between the Centre and Balochistan shows a long story of political ineptitude, economic exploitation and unfulfilled promises. The Centre, in its successive policies and measures, has overlooked the sociological and anthropological peculiarities of Balochistan’s people and the harsh economic realities under which they pass their lives, and which over 70 years, have given birth to deprivation. This deprivation has caused a number of uprisings. unfortunately, being kept away from mainstream politics, the Baloch have developed serious grievances, which over time; have developed into nationalistic feelings, threatening the federation. The situation in Balochistan in recent years evoked concern, with deteriorating law and order and strident political demands that threatened destabilization with a growing sense of deprivation.

At the moment, Baloch nationalism which to a large extent, is within constitutional limits, is trying to retain the Baloch identity while safeguarding the rights of common man in the developmental efforts of the provinces and the country. It is perhaps the most suitable time to address this issue seriously which otherwise may turn into separation, given the increasing pres-

sure from the sentimental youth of Balochistan. nationalist terrorism has mainly been witnessed in province of Balochistan at regular intervals and mainly revolves around the issue of exploitation of resources and threat to the political identity and culture of minorities, sub-nationalities.

Possible solutions: under the circumstances what needs to be done is a wholesome response.

The most fundamental and urgent requirement is for trust-building and the only way this can even begin is, by governance measures from the Centre that are urgent, transparent and reach the doorstep of the ordinary masses. For its part, Pakistan needs to learn that the problem of Balochistan must be given urgent attention and top priority in good faith and measure. The governing elite in Pakistan has to be sensitive to the genuine demands placed on the federal government by the Baloch.

The government has to adopt a multi-pronged anti-insurgency strategy to placate the Baloch people. The use of force will not lead to a peaceful solution. History is witness to the fact that suppression further ignites such movements. By taking serious and urgent socio-economic measures and by providing justice and fair play as the basis of governance, the back of the insurgency can be broken. This can be achieved if the federal government in conjunction with the provincial government, applies the will to ensure that the legitimate rights of the people of Balochistan are granted and delivered immediately.

To solve the various problems of national interest through wide consensus, the government should work on creating and implementing concrete policies that will lead to socio-economic development and problem resolution. Provincial and ethnic autonomy could enhance the participatory approach which will help to develop a wide consensus over national affairs. The legitimate grievances of the Baloch must be addressedm as of all other deprived areas. For the broader peace and security programme in the region, the government must invest in human development, and politically empower the people to take part in economic development through a modern but decentralized governance mechanism.

Dr Rajkumar Singh isHead of the Department of Political Science, BNMU, Saharsa, Bihar, India, and can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

Turkey’s operation against Kurds and fate of Syria The operation has wider implications for the whole region Talha ahmad

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ARS are not meant to be won but they are meant to be prolonged”. This is what is happening in Middle-east for the last few decades. In the case of Syria alone, it has almost been eight years since the civil war started, leaving millions of people dead. The fate of the war is still unknowm, not because the parties don’t want to end the war but because the parties want to end. All the major regional and international powers want to end the war by bowling out all the other players from the game, but none of them is in a position to do so.

For years all these powers used different religious and ethnic groups inside Syria in the name of freedom, liberty and fighting against injustice and terrorism, for securing their own national interests in the region. Some of the local players are offered money, some are offered international recognition, and some are offered independent states. Kurds are one of the major players in this game who have been used by different powers over the years. “Independent Kurdistan” a dream which was sold to them, without considering the regional and international realities .Kurds kept buying this and now are standing in the middle of nowhere.

A few days back Turkey launched an operation in eastern Syria against the Kurds which was greatly criticized by all the other players in Syria. But this move by Turkey is one of the most significant, critical and defining ones, which would throw many players out the game.

One of them is the uSA. The uSA has been backing the Kurds not only in Syria but in Iraq from the early 2000s. Whatever the reasons be but uS President Donald Trump managed to cope with the pressure of the media and the opposition on the decision to pull out of Syria prior to the operation. Trump had a similar anti-war approach in the case of Iraq, Iran and to some extant even in case of Afghanistan. Trump doesn’t want to get into a direct war with anyone before the elections. The case of Syria was very com-

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In fact Turkey is working on sending back plex one as Trump said “We will fight to win....” and that’s why Trump would never prefer direct millions of Syrian refugees, which in the last few conflict with Turkey for the sake of Kurds who months has become a hot topic in the domestic politics of Turkey. Iranian proxies and the Assad no longer fit in the post-war scenario.

The uSA can push other countries against regime will sit back, letting Turkey clean up the Turkey including France, the uK and germany. “mess”, but this would give Turkey great space Moreover, the men in office know that the re- in Syria which is a problem for both Iran and Assad. Iran would not like gional interests of Iran are any Pro-Turkish force, or now merging against that anything that is an obstacle of Turkey. The uSA does to Iranian hegemony in the not have many options left, Interestingly this is region. Iran is conducting which is why pulling out of military drills along the Syria seems to be the most nothing less than a Syrian-Turkey border. suitable option under the at the moment will circumstances. The uSA miracle that Iran, Saudi avoidIrandirect conflict with would like to leave the fight for others, including Arabia, the USA, Russia Turkey, but on the operational grounds the proxies Iran and Turkey, or leave and Israel all are on the of both the countries are them to do ‘the dirty towards major batwork’. Similarly, even Syrsame page, opposing this heading tle in coming months. Iran ian President Bashar Alwants Turkey to contain Assad would like to let move by Turkey. No Kurds but meanwhile don’t Turkey settle the dispute country wants Turkey to want Turkey to expand its which he was unable to do influence that can chalthroughout his reign. rise up as another lenge the Iranian influence Turkey is moving into in the region in the future.

Syria against the Kurds, contender for the If Turkey manages yhis but what people are missregional hegemony in safely and successfully ing the point that Turkey is then this will not remain not alone but is moving Middle-East. But limited just to Syria. along with 14,000 Fighters Turkey will try to expand of the Syrian national regardless of what will be its influence in other parts army.

Turkey has all the cards the fate of region, the fate of the region, including Iraq, that can pose threat to in hand against all the playof Syria is getting clearer the Iranian as well as the ers, millions of refugees, Saudi influence in the repopular support of the Syrwith each day passing gion. This is the very reaian opposition, thousands of son both Iran and Saudi armed trained fighters who Arabia are opposing are willingly to fight anyone Turkey. Interestingly this is be it Kurds, sectarian Iranian proxies or the Assad regime. Turkey is working nothing less than a miracle that Iran, Saudi Araon a plan to create buffer zone along the Turkey- bia, the uSA, Russia and Israel all are on the Syrian border. This is how it’s going to work, ter- same page, opposing this move by Turkey. no ritorial gain by eliminating any potential threat to country wants Turkey to rise up as another conthe Turkish state, specifically the PKK, YPg and tender for the regional hegemony in Middleother Kurd militias, establishing Pro-Turkey (Syria east. But regardless of what will be the fate of government in east of Turkey) through political region, the fate of Syria is getting clearer with each day passing. settlement with Russia and Assad.

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Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail

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Who let the dogs out?

Gains of China visit Unanimity on CPEC, IOK and Afghanistan

malik muhammad aShraf

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He perennially ascendant strategic, economic, political and defence ties between China and Pakistan, which have withstood the vicissitudes of times, have attained eternity with both countries becoming partners in the implementation of the China-Pakistan economic Corridor, a flagship component of the visionary Belt and Road Initiative. The interaction between the leaders of the two countries has invariably led to taking the relations to a still higher level setting futuristic directions in all the domains of their bonhomie.

The recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China was no exception in that regard.

China expressed its willingness to expand the scope of CPeC. The joint statement at the end of the visit says “They underlined that Chinese investment in special economic zones and collaboration in small and medium enterprise sector would further expand Pakistan’s industrial base and diversify its export base.

Both sides agreed to jointly study identified projects by the Pakistan side in power, petroleum, gas, agriculture, industrial and infrastructure sectors in the next meeting of the Joint Working Committee meeting to be held in Islamabad next month.”

The Prime Minister also had the opportunity of addressing the China Council for Promotion of International Trade. He invited Chinese companies to invest in diverse sectors of the Pakistan economy including housing, textile, manufacturing, IT, financial services, physical and technological logistics, agriculture, oil and gas and tourism and hospitality. He premised his invitation on the steps taken by his government to create a congenial atmosphere for foreign investment, including tackling corruption, ensuring ease of doing business, easing visa restrictions, highlighting that the labour cost in Pakistan was about 20 percent that of China, reiteration of the importance of geostrategic location of Pakistan and the population of the country being young and vibrant which made it an attractive destination for investment.

Pakistan is now entering the second phase of CPeC and is looking forward to investments

in the special economic zones and the projects meeting with the Indian President, both leaders related to socio-economic development with mostly spoke on issues of trade, investment and greater emphasis on alleviation of poverty. Be- on enhancing trade volume in order to bridge fore the Prime Minister embarked on a visit to the trade deficit between the two countries. AcChina, the CPeC Authority was established to cording to Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay ensure speedy implementation of the envisaged gokhale, apart from trade, the two leaders projects as the programme would be directly noted, “We are large countries and that radicaldealt by the Prime Minister Office. The purpose ization is a matter of concern to both, and that of this step is to encourage the businesses to both would work together to see that radicalizamake big profits as the wealth creation would tion and terrorism do not affect the fabric of enable the government to lift people out of their multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious societies.” It is noteworthy that there was no poverty on the pattern of China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping appreciated mention of cross-border terrorism which India the government’s agenda for socio-economic so fondly has been blaming on Pakistan in her development and people-centered progress. He aggressive posturing against it recently.

Pakistan COAS gen Qamar Javed Bajwa underscored that China’s relationship with Pakistan was rock-solid and unbreakable and that also visited China along with the Prime Minisstrong vibrancy between the two countries ter and was present in all the meeting that the would deepen and broaden in future. President latter had with the Chinese leaders which also Xi lauded Pakistan’s efforts to expeditiously ex- signify the importance of the visit in the backecute CPeC projects and stressed that it would drop of the emerging security situation in the help the national and regional economic devel- region. general Bajwa also met military leaders of China who endorsed opment process. These rePakistan’s position in IOK marks were not only and agreed to enhance exreassuring for future coisting defence cooperation operation but also reThe visit of the Prime between the two countries moved the doubts created in line with the history of by certain quarters about Minister to China has the mutually time-tested the slowing down of the CPeC projects. been very successful in relationship.

The regional situation According to the joint further strengthening also engaged the attention statement “Chinese leadof the two leaders. Both ers reiterated solidarity relations between reaffirmed that there was with Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial the two countries as well no military solution to the Afghanistan problem, and sovereignty, independas in reiterating their that a peaceful and stable ence and security. PakAfghanistan would proistan reaffirmed its unanimity of views mote economic developcommitment to the One ment and connectivity in China Policy also reiteraton the regional issues the region. They exing that affairs of Hong pressed the resolve to conKong were China’s intertinue to support the peace nal matter and all counand reconciliation process tries should uphold international law and basic norms of non-inter- in Afghanistan. The Chinese side appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in promoting peace and recference in internal affairs of other countries.

Pakistan briefed the Chinese side on the sit- onciliation in Afghanistan.

The fact is that both China and Pakistan have uation in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, including its concerns, position, and current urgent issues. been making relentless efforts on bilateral as well The Chinese side responded that it is paying as multilateral planks to promote reconciliation close attention to the current situation in IOK in Afghanistan and end the decades-old conflict and reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute in that country. Peace in Afghanistan is vital to left from history, and should be properly and regional connectivity and shared economic prospeacefully resolved based on the un Charter, perity. Pakistan has been adversely affected by relevant un Security Council resolutions and the volatile situation in Afghanistan and its colbilateral agreements. China opposes any unilat- lateral outfall in the form of terrorism. Other countries of the region, including China, Russia eral actions that complicate the situation.”

The joint statement indeed reflected the and Central Asian nations, have also been afdepth and strength of the bonds between the two fected by it in varying degrees. So it is important countries. The reaffirmation of Chinese support for all of them to ensure peace in Afghanistan.

In the light of the above developments, it for Pakistan’s stance on IOK before the visit of Chinese President to India was of great signifi- can be safely inferred that the visit of the Prime cance as it sent a loud and clear message to the Minister to China has been very successful in latter that while China was engaged in improv- further strengthening relations between the two ing relations with her it firmly stuck to its posi- countries as well as in reiterating their unanimtion on the situation in IOK, the status of the ity of views on the regional issues.

Kashmir dispute and how it could be resolved.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

It is pertinent to mention that during the visit of the Chinese President to India and his He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

On Friday, Imran Khan gave a historical yet thought-provoking speech in 74th session of the united nations general Assembly. Millions of people are appreciating his words as they create an impact on the audience. His speech comprised of several social and international relation issues that need immediate attention from various countries across the world.

Mr. Khan started his speech with the immediate threat of climate change which affects the entire world. However, a critical aspect that he pointed out was how the rich countries need to be more active in terms of minimizing their carbon emissions. As per Mr. Khan, the poor countries suffer the most, including Pakistan being an agricultural country that relies on glaciers which are melting too fast. I believe Mr. Khan’s attempt to focus on this issue was indeed important given the recent Climate March. It reflects on the fact that Pakistan and its people are aware of how climate change is affecting everyone.

The second point in consideration of the speech by Mr. Khan was global corruption and money laundering being critical issues that make a poor country poorer. As per the speech, rich countries in Western part of the world are acting as a tax haven for most of the corrupt corruption. Mr. Khan highlighted that Pakistan has significant debt to pay due to money laundering and lack of access to the plundered money.

In my opinion, this part of the speech was an indirect attack to other political parties in Pakistan which have formerly ruled the country. While it was vital to let the people know about the graveness of money laundering, it just added to the extra time Mr. Khan took for his speech.

The third part of the speech revolved around Islamophobia, an issue being faced by Muslims, especially in the Western countries. Time and time again we hear how people in other countries treat Muslims with hatred. Mr. Khan was vocal about the fact that there is no such thing as radical Islam. He also highlighted how Islam teaches everyone to treat minorities and women with respect. nonetheless, I feel this is a controversial aspect since minorities in Pakistan are treated poorly. From stopping minorities to enter the shops to burning down their religious places, Pakistan has failed to protect them. And let us not forget, Pakistan is one of the few countries who voted no against un’s willingness to investigate the situation in Yemen.

The last point of Mr. Khan’s speech focused on India’s treatment towards Kashmir and Pakistan. He talked about how he, as the Prime Minister showed his intent to work things out with Mr. Modi, India’s Prime Minister but was only met with hostility. Mr. Khan encouraged the un to let Kashmir decide about what it wants rather than letting India set a curfew there.

This was not a threat but a warning.

SyEDA ALINA ZAIDI Karachi

PM’s speech PM imran Khan delivered a passionate long speech while addressing Annual un general Assembly. He poured his heart out and touched upon benign role of Muslim majority countries, who instead of standing up to expose tyranny and conspiracy behind proponents of Islamophobia, chose to go along, trying to adopt a convoluted version of enlightened Moderation, with likes of Musharraf aping to tunes of Zionist lobby.

Imran Khan exposed tortuous treatment meted to Kashmiri population, who have faced collective punishment, being confined to their homes for almost 55 long days. He also spoke against extensive money laundering being indulged by corrupt civil, uniformed and political elite who have been involved in institutionalized corruption plundering their countries and transferring black money to foreign safe havens. However he must understand that Western economic system encourages such money transfers, because instead of physical colonial occupation, like over 200 year British Raj, the new mode is economic colonization.

IK should focus on taking concrete steps, through legislation and implementation of laws, to stop flight of capital by corrupt elite from Pakistan. PM Khan should ensure that likes of Admiral Mansoor ul Haq, Musharraf, Kayani clan, Iqbal Saeed, nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, Shujaat, Altaf Hussain etc and super bureaucrats like Shahid Rafi, Capt naseer, Qamar Chaudhry, Lashari, Salman Siddiqui etc who were involved in daylight robberies, are prevented from robbing this country and face sever prosecution and punishments.

GUL ZAMAN Peshawar

Manufacture of solar panels We missed a golden opportunity of setting up manufacturing plants for solar panels in the country for harnessing abundant solar energy potential in the country about two decades ago when a Pakistan born uS scientist and owner of solar panels manufacturing plants in the united States , Dr. Lubna , offered the government of Pakistan to set up solar panels manufacturing plants across Pakistan. Looking into the future , she made the offer for exploiting the solar energy for its maximum utilization in order to provide clean reliable and affordable power to its citizens and for the national power grid. Dr. Lubna ( an old Ravian ) holding many prestigious awards , including einstein award , wanted to do some service to her motherland without any financial gains in her mind , as she was quite rich already by the grace of god , having a happy family living very comfortably in the uS. Alas, her passionate and appropriate offer was not entertained by our greedy , incompetent and corrupt people who mattered! Instead of accepting her meaningful offer , they were interested in uS visas & personal benefits for their children and families !

ENGR RIAZ BHUttA Lahore

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

10 FOREIGN NEWS

EU kEEPS hoPES of brExiT dEAl AlivE, for now LONDON

A

AGENCIES

Brexit deal could yet be reached this week, the chief EU negotiator said Tuesday, but member states warned they will not allow Britain to open a back door to their single market.

British and EU officials are scrambling to draft a deal on Britain’s exit terms before the European summit on Thursday, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks to fulfil his vow to take Britain out on October 31.

European diplomats said Britain has already given ground on customs rules for Northern Ireland, but must go further quickly if a deal is to be done this month. As he arrived in Luxembourg to brief the other 27 EU states on the progress of the closed-door talks, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier struck a cautiously upbeat note.

“This work has been intense all along the weekend and yesterday because even if the agreement will be difficult — more and more difficult to be frank — it’s still

possible this week,” Barnier told reporters. “Obviously any agreement must work for everyone — the whole of the United Kingdom and the whole of the European Union. Let me add also that it is high time to turn good intentions into legal text.”

A European diplomat told AFP that the “goal” was to get a draft text of a deal ready later in the evening Tuesday, but warned: “Time is running out, but the window for agreement is still narrowly open.” Another diplomat explained that if Britain wants a deal agreed at the summit this week, then a text would need to be ready “today or tomorrow morning” to allow EU and member state parliamentary procedures to be completed.

British Brexit Minister Stephen Barclay joined Barnier in Luxembourg in what was seen as a positive sign for progress in the talks — which have been shrouded in secrecy since the weekend as the two sides seek to avoid potentially damaging leaks. “The talks are ongoing.

We need to give them space to proceed but detailed conversations are under way and a deal is still very possible,” Barclay

said as he arrived.

After weeks of gloom and growing fears Britain would crash out of the bloc with no divorce arrangements in place, the last few days have given a glimmer of hope that an agreement can be reached — though there has so far been no decisive breakthrough. More than three years after Britain’s 2016 referendum vote to leave, talks remain stuck on how to avoid customs checks on the border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU-

Poland’s right-wing wins but leader Kaczynski wants more

WARSAW AGENCIES

Jaroslaw Kaczynski has guided Poland’s conservative ruling party to capture the biggest electoral share for any party in 30 years of democracy in Poland — yet the man who has dreamed of power since childhood is still a bit disappointed.

Kaczynski’s focus on social benefits and his stress on patriotic values won Law and Justice party a historic 44% of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary election, giving it 235 of 460 seats in the lower house of parliament. The seats did not increase from the 2015 election despite an improvement over the party’s 38% outcome then.

The party will keep its working majority to pass laws, but falls far short of the large majority that Kaczynski had wanted to enable him to change the constitution and reshape Poland to fit his vision of a strong modern state rooted in conservative Catholic traditions.

On election night he could barely hide his disappointment, saying the party “deserved more.” Furthermore, his ruling party lost its majority in the Senate, giving the opposition the power to slow down Law and Justice’s passage of laws and to influence appointments to important state bodies. It is a bittersweet victory for a man who is widely considered the most powerful

politician in the country — “almost absolute monarch” as one commentator called him Monday on news portal Onet.

That is also because it was probably his last. The 70-year-old has recently said he plans to retire from politics before the next parliamentary election in 2023. While he campaigned tirelessly, traveling the country and meeting with voters, his age and bad knees mean he doesn’t have forever to put his mark on Poland. He faces surgery on both his knees soon.

Yet for now, there is no question that he remains the most influential powerbroker in the nation, even though he has no formal position in government and is just a lawmaker in the lower house of parliament, a seat he was reelected to Sunday.

During the campaign, he was the party’s driving force, far overshadowing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at rallies. Over the past four years, he handpicked the Cabinet and is the architect of government policies, though he clearly has to negotiate with different factions in his conservative group behind closed doors.

To his supporters, the lifelong bachelor looms as a benevolent father figure who has helped them in their daily struggles with generous social benefits.

Critics, however, blame Kaczynski for eroding democratic norms, an ironic twist for a man who was active in Poland’s prodemocracy Solidarity movement in the 1980s. Since taking power in 2015, Law and Justice has overhauled Poland’s justice system in a way that has eroded judicial independence. It has seized control of state media and turned it into a party propaganda tool with little regard for the standards of objective journalism. The party ran this time on promises to complete its judicial reforms and to establish a body to regulate journalists, policies that could prolong the country’s standoff with the European Union. Kaczynski served as aide to thenPresident Lech Walesa in the early 1990s but soon fell out with him.

SwiSS glAciErS Shrink 10Pc in fivE yEArS BERN: Switzerland’s glaciers have lost a tenth of their volume in the past five years alone — a melting rate unmatched during observations stretching back more than a century, a study showed Tuesday. Measurements on 20 Swiss glaciers have shown that melt rates this year have reached “record levels”, according to the annual study on the state of the glaciers, published by the Cryospheric Commission at the Swiss Academy of Sciences. The study, released amid growing global alarm over climate change, found that intense heatwaves over the summer in Switzerland had dashed hopes that an exceptionally snow-filled winter would limit the glacier melt this year. The commission said that in April and May, snow cover on the glaciers was between 20 and 40 per cent higher than usual, with depths of up to six metres measured in some places as late as June. But during two weeks of intense heat at the end of June and again in late July, “the volume of snow and ice melting on Swiss glaciers … was equivalent to the country’s total annual consumption of drinking water,” it said in a statement. The result, it said, was that the thick snow layer quickly disappeared and the strong melt continued until early September. AGENCIES

member Ireland.

The EU has reservations about London’s proposed customs arrangements and the role for Northern Ireland’s Stormont assembly in giving consent to the plans. “It’s not done yet but we’re trying.

The British want a deal and they have moved on customs and Stormont,” a senior European diplomat told AFP, referring to the role of the Northern Irish provincial assembly. “We’ll have to see if it’s enough to be turned into a legal text. We must be cautious.” Talks on Monday went on to 11pm, according to a British spokesman, who said there had been “back and forth and new texts… shared by both sides”. With no majority in parliament, Johnson is reliant on support from other parties, particularly his coalition partner, the small Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The prime minister held talks with the DUP leadership on Monday in a bid to win them round.

Johnson on Monday repeated that Britain would come out on October 31 and not seek another delay to Brexit, but this hangs on the outcome of the ongoing

talks. If he cannot get reach a deal by Saturday, Johnson will fall foul of a British law demanding he ask the EU to postpone Brexit for a third time rather than risk a potentially disastrous “no deal” departure. European ministers arriving to hear from Barnier insisted Britain still had to give more ground on its customs plans to protect the integrity of the EU single market from potential smuggling.

“For the Netherlands it is extremely important that there is no unfair competition from outside the EU using the IrishNorthern Irish border,” Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said.

“The UK proposal contained some steps forward, but not enough that the internal market will be protected.”

Germany’s junior Europe minister Michael Roth echoed this, saying any deal must protect the single market and honour the Good Friday peace agreement that ended decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. While London insists it will brook no more delays to Brexit, Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne suggested late on Monday that talks could continue after this week’s EU summit.

1-in-3 young children undernourished or overweight: UNICEF NEW YORK AGENCIES

A third of the world’s nearly 700 million children under five years old are undernourished or overweight and face lifelong health problems as a consequence, according to a grim UN assessment of childhood nutrition released Tuesday.

“If children eat poorly, they live poorly,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, unveiling the Fund’s first State of the World’s Children report since 1999. “We are losing ground in the fight for healthy diets.”

Problems that once existed at opposite ends of the wealth spectrum have today converged in poor and middle-income countries, the report showed.

Despite a nearly 40 percent drop from 1990 to 2015 of stunting in poor countries, 149 million children four or younger are today still too short for their age, a clinical condition that impairs both brain and body development.

Another 50 million are afflicted by wasting, a chronic and debilitating thinness also born of poverty.

At the same time, half of youngsters across the globe under five are not getting essential vitamins and minerals, a long-standing problem UNICEF has dubbed “hidden hunger.” Over the last three decades, however, another form of child malnutrition has surged across the developing world: excess weight.

“This triple burden — undernutrition, a lack of crucial micronutrients, obesity — is increasingly found in the same country, sometimes in the same

Putin arrives in UAE on first visit since DUBAI: Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the United Arab Emirates on his first visit to the oilrich nation in over a decade. Putin landed on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi after earlier visiting Saudi Arabia.

He was met at the airport by Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. While in Saudi Arabia, one topic of discussion was oil production. Russia is now working with OPEC, as are other nations not part of the cartel, to control production to help raise energy prices. Meanwhile, tensions remain high in the region, amid a standoff between the US and Iran over President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrawing America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers over a year ago. AGENCIES

CMYK

neighbourhood, and often in the same household,” Victor Aguayo, head of UNICEF’s nutrition programme, told AFP. “A mother who is overweight or obese can have children who are stunted or wasted.” Across all age groups, more than 800 million people in the world are constantly hungry and another two billion are eating too much of the wrong foods, driving epidemics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Among children under five, diet during first 1,000 days after conception is the foundation for physical health and mental development.

And yet, only two-in-five infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, as recommended. Sales of milk-based formula have risen worldwide by 40 percent, and in upper middle-income countries such as Brazil, China and Turkey by nearly three-quar-

ters. Missing vitamins and minerals, meanwhile, can lead to compromised immune systems, poor sight and hearing defects. A lack of iron can cause anaemia and reduced IQ. “It’s ‘hidden’ because you don’t notice the impact until it is too late,” Brian Keeley, editor-in-chief of report, told AFP. “You don’t notice that the child is running a little slower than everyone else, struggling a bit in school.”

The rise of obesity, however, is plain to see. The problem was virtually nonexistent in poor countries 30 years ago, but today at least 10 percent of under five year olds are overweight or obese in three-quarters of low-income nations.

“There needs to be a focus on obesity before it is too late,” said Keeley.

“Unless you deal with it in a preventative way, you’re going to struggle to fix it later on.”

TExAS PolicEmAn fAcES mUrdEr chArgES AfTEr killing blAck womAn in hEr homE DALLAS: A white police officer from Fort Worth, Texas, was jailed on murder charges on Monday in the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old black woman who was babysitting inside her home, the police department said. Atatiana Jefferson was killed on Saturday at about 2:30am when officer Aaron Dean fired a single shot through a window into her home as she cared for her 8-year-old nephew. Dean was responding to a call from a concerned neighbor who said Jefferson’s door was open. The officer resigned from the police department earlier on Monday.

“Aaron Dean was arrested by Fort Worth Police on October 14. Dean has been charged with murder of Atatiana Jefferson. Dean is in the Tarrant County Jail,” the Fort Worth Police said on Twitter. The department said interim Chief Edwin Kraus would hold a press conference on Monday to discuss the arrest. Dean was being held on $200,000 bond. Earlier in the day, Kraus told reporters that he was unable to “make sense” of the incident, saying the only time police should fire into an occupied home was if they were fired upon from within. “Had the officer not resigned, I would have fired him for violations of several policies,” Kraus told reporters. “Despite his resignation, the officer still faces criminal charges.”

Jefferson’s family on Monday called for a federal investigation and Dean’s swift prosecution. Kraus said police had presented the case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to review Dean’s actions for possible civil rights violations. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said the city would bring in a panel of national experts to review police actions. “There is nothing that can justify what happened on Saturday morning, nothing,” Price said. Jefferson was shot dead the same month former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was convicted of shooting and killing unarmed black man Botham Jean inside his own apartment. AGENCIES

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

HutcHison Port Holdings announces $240m investment in Pakistan 'inveStment will be uSed to build greater terminal caPacitY at karacHi Port' ISLAMABAD

P

INP

RIME Minister Imran Khan has welcomed $240 million foreign investment from Hutchison Port Holdings, a Hong Kongbased port operator.

A delegation of Hutchison Port Holdings, led by its Group Managing Director Eric Ip, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday. Other delegation members included HPH Middle East & Africa Managing Director Andy Tsoi and Middle East & Africa Business Director Eric Ng.

Maritime Affairs Minister Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Ambassador-at-Large for Foreign Investment Ali Jehangir Siddiqui and Board of Investment Chairman Zubair Haider Gilani were also present on the occasion.

Group Managing Director Eric Ip apprised the prime minister of Hutchison's fresh investment into Pakistan approximating $240 million which will enhance the new container terminal capacity at the Karachi Port, and increase Hutchison Ports' total investment in Pak-

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) said on Tuesday that it has found oil and gas at its condensate at Togh well-1 in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The well was drilled and tested using the OGDC's in house expertise in consultation with joint venture partners Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) and Saif Energy Limited (SEL), an OGDCL press release stated. The well was drilled down to the depth of 3,200 metres. According to a preliminary test, the well could produce 50 barrels per day (BPD) of condensate through 32/64 choke at wellhead flowing press of 760-823 pounds per square inch (psi), and 4.1 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) gas. OGDC said the discovery of the well is the result of aggressive exploration strategy adopted by the company which opened a new avenue in KP areas and would add to the hydrocarbon reserves base of the company as well as the joint venture partners. APP

weekly inflation drops 0.44pc ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation (as on Oct 10th) decreased by 0.44pc for the combined consumption group. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 126.47 points as against 127.03 points registered in the previous week, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, also witnessed a 0.31pc decrease, from 130.08 points in the last week to 129.68 points during the week under review. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 13.97pc, while for the lowest income group, it increased by 12.62pc. APP

AGENCIES

The US-China trade war will cut 2019 global growth to its slowest pace since the 2008-2009 financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Tuesday, adding that the outlook could darken considerably if trade tensions remain unresolved.

The IMF said its latest World Economic Outlook projections show 2019 GDP growth at 3pc, down from 3.2pc in a July forecast, largely due to increasing fallout from global trade friction.

The forecasts set a gloomy backdrop for the IMF and World Bank annual meetings this week in Washington, where the

istan to $1 billion.

The PM was briefed about the development of Hutchison Port Holdings, its parent company CK Hutchison Holdings, and the group's commitment to playing a pivotal role in facilitating the economic growth of Pakistan, as well as supporting the development of Karachi Port into a major hub for trade in Asia.

PM Imran reiterated his government's commitment and focus towards investor facilitation, saying that 'ease of doing business' in the country would ultimately result in economic growth and employment generation.

Ambassador Ali Jehangir Siddiqui on the occasion stated that as a result of a fairly priced currency, unit volumes of exports were increasing and there was a great need for additional container terminal capacity.

"As a result, this investment will support our export competitiveness and will also ensure greater revenue for both the federal exchequer and the Karachi Port Trust," he stated.

"This multimillion-dollar investment will be used to build greater terminal capacity at the Karachi Port, a much-needed initiative to help Karachi take its due place as a major trade hub internationally."

ISLAMABAD APP

The sales of motorcycles and three-wheelers dipped by 19.48pc during the first quarter of the current financial year 2019-20, compared to the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Automobile Manufacturing Association (PAMA) reported on Tuesday. During the period under review, as many as 367,656 motorbikes and three-wheelers were sold, as against the sale of 456,626 units during the same months of last year. The sale of Honda motorcycles in the country decreased 11.62pc to 235,116 units this year, as against 266,029 units last year. Suzuki motorcycles’ sales dipped by 11.34pc to 5,018 units as compared to 5,660 units last year, whereas the sale of Yamaha motorbikes witnessed a decrease of 1.16pc, from 6,285 units last year to 6,212 units. The sale of united auto motorcycles went down from 109,512 units to 81,012 units, showing a decrease of 26.02pc, while sales of Road Prince motorcycles decreased by 35.02pc, from 45,247 units to 29,399 units. Meanwhile, the sale of Road Prince three-wheelers witnessed a nominal increase of 2.51pc, from 1,588 units last year to 1,628 units. The sale of Qingqi three-wheelers decreased of 69.43pc, from 5,566 units to 1,701 units, whereas the sale of United Auto threewheelers dropped by 55.88pc, from 3,176 units to 1,401 units.

Market DaIly

Joint venture strikes oil, gas in kohat

WASHINGTON

'HutcHiSon PortS' total inveStment in PakiStan HaS now reacHed $1bn'

BUSINESS 11 Sales of motorbikes, three-wheelers decline 19pc in 1QFY20

No layoffs despite kSe-100 down 102 points as slowdown, says IMC investors await FatF outcome KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Bearish trend prevailed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday, as the investors remained anxious ahead of the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) review. Foreign investors were net buyers on Monday, with a net inflow of $0.856 million.

As per media reports, the FATF on Monday had expressed satisfaction over steps taken by Pakistan to control terror financing and money laundering.

The Pakistani delegation, headed

by Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar, had presented its case before the financial watchdog on the measures taken by Islamabad.

The Paris-based body is reviewing the progress made by Pakistan until April this year. The meeting, which began on October 13, will conclude on October 16.

The review will determine if Pakistan stays on the grey list or moved on the blacklist or given a clean chit.

Meanwhile, a technical team of the International Monetary Fund is currently on a visit to Pakistan in order to review the measures taken by the government. Both sides will discuss ways to increase overall tax collection by Rs700 billion, particularly through income tax and sales tax.

The KSE-100 Index traded within a range on Tuesday, touching its intraday high at 34,259.23 (+72 points) and low at 33,929.19 (-257.07 points). It settled lower by 102.73 points at 34,083.53. The KMI-30 Index declined by 323.78 points to end at 54,609.55, while the KSE All Share Index was

down by 44.51 points, closing at 24,624.71. Out of total traded shares, 165 advanced, 149 declined while the value of 26 remained unchanged.

The overall volumes improved slightly from the previous session and were recorded at 156.40 million.

Worldcall Telecom (WTL +0.94pc), Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL +3.57pc) and Lotte Chemical Pakistan Limited (LOTCHEM +0.19pc) led the volume chart. The scripts had exchanged 18.28 million shares, 14.26 million shares and 8.67 million shares respectively.

Sectors that pulled the KSE-100 Index down included oil and gas exploration (-58.95 points), power generation and distribution (-45.41 points), fertiliser (-18.35 points) and oil and gas marketing sector (-11.95 points).

National Refinery Limited (NRL 1.82pc) announced an earnings per share of Rs-8.49 for the first quarter of FY20 (Rs13.33 in 1QFY19), Attock Cement (Pakistan) Limited (ACPL +0.66pc) declared an EPS of Rs2.60 for 1QFY20 (Rs3.69 in 1QFY19), while Attock Refinery Limited (ATRL +4.56pc) posted an EPS of Rs3.47 (Rs0.61 in 1QFY19). Moreover, Habib Bank Limited (HBL +0.44pc) declared earnings per share of Rs3.19 for the third quarter of FY19, as compared to Rs0.99 in the same period last year. The company also announced an interim cash dividend of Rs1.25.

Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited (+0.46pc) published an EPS of Rs1.43 for 3QFY19 (up by 14.40pc) and announced an interim cash dividend of Rs0.60.

‘oF tHe total coSt oF a veHicle, 40Pc comPriSeS oF taxeS and levieS imPoSed bY govt’ BUSINESS DESK Indus Motor Company (IMC) has announced that there will be no layoff of employees despite a slowdown in production.

IMC has resumed production to 50pc capacity from October 1 after a closure of 15 days in September.

"The country is going through an economic slowdown and the overall market has remained volatile. This has indeed been a great struggle. The factors largely contributing to this include rupee depreciation, reduction in car financing, increase in federal excise duties (FED) and higher input costs," said a spokesman of IMC. He noted that over the year, the rupee depreciated over 31.6pc. Additionally, he added, the government imposed 7pc additional conveyance duties, 3pc additional sales tax on all imports and 7.5pc FED for vehicles of 2000cc and above.

"There is also a fresh FED of 2.5pc and 5pc FED on locally-manufactured vehicles. All this is having an adverse impact on the auto sector and has resulted in a major decline in sales. Of the total cost of a vehicle, 40pc comprises the taxes and levies imposed by the government.

It is a misconception that the rising rate of tax collection will not affect vehicle sales and total tax collection; in fact, the decline in sales will

imF forecasts global growth at decade low Fund’s new Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, is inheriting a range of problems, from stagnating trade to political backlash in some emerging market countries struggling with IMF-mandated austerity programmes. The World Economic Outlook report spells out in sharp detail the economic difficulties caused by the USChina tariffs, including direct costs, market turmoil, reduced investment and lower productivity due to supply chain disruptions.

The global crisis lender said that by 2020 announced tariffs would reduce global economic output by 0.8pc. Georgieva said

last week that this translates into a loss of $700 billion, or the equivalent of making Switzerland’s economy disappear.

“The weakness in growth is driven by a sharp deterioration in manufacturing activity and global trade, with higher tariffs and prolonged trade policy uncertainty damaging investment and demand for capital goods,” IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath said in a statement.

Services were still strong across much of the world, but there were some signs of softening in services in the United States and Europe, Gopinath said.

For 2020, the Fund said global growth was set to pick up to 3.4pc due to expectations of better performances in Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

But this forecast was a tenth of a point lower than in July and was vulnerable to downside risks, including worse trade tensions, Brexit-related disruptions and an abrupt aversion to risk in financial markets.

INVESTMENT, TRADE STALL: The IMF said foreign direct investment abroad by advanced economies came to “a virtual standstill” in 2018 after increasing in earlier years to average more than

result in a decline in tax collection from the auto sector.

"Yet, we have decided not to go for layoffs despite the hard times. We are absorbing this financial crunch," he stated.

The IMC official pointed out that a general perception exists in Pakistan that cars assembled locally have gradually become expensive without any value addition. The prices of cars have not increased but have been adjusted according to the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the dollar. Prices have, in fact, been reduced by the manufacturers but it seems as if they have increased since the PKR is depreciating in relation to the US dollar and the customer is paying more in rupee terms, he added.

The spokesperson pointed out that with every model change, IMC has successfully incorporated more localization, increased specifications and reduced the dollarized cost by procuring local parts worth over Rs200+ million every working day.

He said that in 1993, the price of Corolla was $19,630 with 15pc GST and the PKR value was Rs27 against the dollar. “Now, in 2019, the same Corolla is available for $15,618 despite 17pc sales tax and 5pc FED while the PKR value against the dollar is Rs160. This means better specifications at a low price.”

He said this clearly showed that over the years, IMC had localised more and sustained the burden of heavy taxation and PKR devaluation to keep providing quality vehicles at low prices to its valued customers.

3pc of global gross domestic product annually – or more than $1.8 trillion. The institution said the decline of some $1.5 trillion between 2017 and 2018 reflected purely financial operations by large multinational corporations, including in response to changes in the US tax law.

Global vehicle purchases fell by 3pc in 2018, reflecting a drop in demand in China after expiration of tax incentives and production adjustments after adoption of new emissions standards in Germany and other eurozone countries. Global trade growth reached just 1pc in the first half of 2019, the weakest level since 2012, weighed down by higher tariffs and prolonged uncertainty about trade policies, as well as a slump in the automobile industry.

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

12 BUSINESS CORPORATE CORNER

govt to reconcile exPort figures amid discrePancies ISLAMABAD

LAHORE: Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited (HACPL) launched its new Honda BR-V with striking looks at the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club. PRESS RELEASE

LAHORE: TPL Insurance, Pakistan’s first direct insurance company, has announced its strategic partnership with Pakistan’s leading commercial and retail banking institution, Askari Bank Ltd. PRESS RELEASE

t

GHULAM ABBAS

he Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is all set to reconcile exports figures as it sees discrepancies in the calculation of various government bodies. The Ministry of Commerce, which is apparently not able to show considerable progress in exports, has decided to include the exports of special economic zones/export processing zones in the final figures of monthly exports, an attempt which may help the ministry show more increases in foreign trade.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Prime Minister's Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood confirmed that there were discrepancies in the exports data.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan and WeBoc, exports posted a growth of 11.5pc during the first quarter of the current fiscal year but the provisional figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed an increase of

only 2.75pc during the same period.

Referring to earlier meetings held with FBR, SBP and PBS, Dawood said it was observed that the export figures of SEZs were not included in the total figures compiled and released by the PBS. According to officials, he added, there was a discrepancy of $300 million in the export figures of September 2019.

"From next month onwards, the overall export figures will include those of export processing zones," Dawood said, adding that there was difference of $1.20 billion in total figures of SBP and PBS with regard to the last financial year.

According to the commerce ministry officials, the ministry has successfully reduced the trade deficit by 35pc, from $8.79 billion to $5.72 billion, in the first quarter of 2019-20. Only in September 2019, the trade deficit improved 24pc as compared to the corresponding month of last year.

They said the import compression measures were deployed successfully, owing to which the imports were brought down to $11.24 billion in July-September 2019-20, from $14.16 billion in

July-September 2018-19.

According to the provisional data, the main export commodities during the first quarter included rice ($471.1 million, 50.1pc growth), men’s garments ($886.1 million, 7.3pc growth), cotton t-shirts ($123 million, 57.6pc growth), copper and copper products ($91.8 million, 144.7pc growth), meat ($71.6 million, 53.8pc growth), medical instruments ($108.1 million, 20.3pc growth), leather apparel ($159.7million, 8.8pc growth), fruits and vegetables ($143.2 million, 17.7pc growth), fish and fish products ($79.2 million, 8.7pc).

Pakistan has witnessed export growth in traditional and nontraditional markets. The country’s exports went up in Saudi Arabia (51pc), UAE (23pc), Netherlands (17pc), and China (14pc). Pakistan’s exports to Africa also went up in terms of value and quantity.

The main import commodities that have declined include Iron and steel (-23.5pc), fertilizers (-62.5pc), palm oil (-25.9pc), plastics and articles of plastic (-16.8pc) and soya beans (-55.8pc).

ecnec approves revised land acquisition cost for dasu Hydropower Project LAHORE: As part of a joint initiative on tackling plastic waste pollution in Pakistan, Coca-Cola and WWF-Pakistan introduced their first ever plastic recovery facility to collect used empty PET bottles for recycling. PRESS RELEASE

MCB to sell off its financial services arm MCB Bank Limited has decided to ‘dispose’ off its wholly owned subsidiary MCB Financial Services Limited (MCBFSL) to ISE Towers REIT Management Company Limited, the bank said in a notice sent to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday. The sale has been done through a ‘Share Purchase Agreement’ for a total consideration of Rs89,459,258 at a value of Rs32.53 per share, the notice to the PSX read. MCBFSL is the second largest collective investment scheme trustee in the country with a total of 31 funds under their trusteeship & and having custody of 31 custody clients, the company claims on its website. NEWS DESK

Hbl profit climbs to rs8.4bn in Q319 HBL on Tuesday declared a profit before tax of Rs8.4 billion in the third quarter of 2019, more than double over the corresponding period last year. The bank’s core domestic business continued on a positive trajectory with all drivers showing strong growth. Consolidated profit before tax of Rs18.3 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, was 3pc higher than for the corresponding period last year. The bank’s international business has also started showing positive trends.HBL’s earnings per share for 9M’19 were recorded at Rs5.89. Along with the results, the board declared a dividend of Rs1.25 per share (12.5pc). HBL’s total domestic deposits increased by Rs118 billion, staying above the Rs2 trillion mark. Most of this growth came from CASA deposits, improving the CASA ratio to nearly 86pc. HBL’s total advances increased by more than 8pc in the year to Rs1.2 trillion. This strong commitment, in the face of strong headwinds, to customers and to lending in the real economy resulted in ADR increasing to 54.4pc. HBL’s total interest income increased by 23pc to Rs74.1 billion. Fees and commission continued its impressive growth, increasing by 21pc to Rs15.5 billion, with investment banking, cards and trade delivering excellent sustained revenues. NEWS DESK

ISLAMABAD APP

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Water Resources on Tuesday was informed that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the revised land acquisition cost for Dasu Hydropower Project worth Rs37 billion.

The committee, which met with Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur in the chair, reviewed land acquisition issues of Dasu Hydropower Project, implementation status of earlier recommendations of the committee, water distribution and its shortages to the provinces.

Briefing the NA panel, WAPDA member Zahid Khan Durrani said that the authority would arrange additional cost of Rs18 billion from its

own equity and local commercial financing.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) had already committed that the district administration would complete the land acquisition for priority areas (1,247 acres) within six months and remaining land within one year after the approval of revised land cost by ECNEC. Water Resources Secretary Muhammad Ashraf told the committee that the Council of Common Interest (CCI) had already approved Water Policy in April 2018. Under the policy, water storage capacity in the country would be enhanced to store an additional 10 million acrefeet (MAF) by 2030, he added. Out of the total, he said, around 7.1 MAF water would be stored through the construction of Diamer-Basha and Mohmand dams while the remaining by small

storages dams in all provinces.

Regarding Naulong dam, the committee was told that the revised PC-1 of the project has been submitted to the Planning Commission for approval. Regarding the provision of water to Bahawalpur, the Punjab irrigation secretary informed the committee that additional water was not available in the system and that water was being provided to Bahawalpur as per its share. Additional water could only be provided in case of more storage capacity, he added.

Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Chairman Sher Zaman briefed the committee about the anticipated water availability for Rabi crop 201920 and rim stations inflows during Kharif season 2019. He said that currently, additional 4MAF water was available in the reservoirs as compared to last year.

‘Implementation of Pak-China Fta-II from Dec’ cabinet advised against reopening ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razzaq Dawood has said the implementation on the much-awaited revised China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement Phase 2 (FTA-II) would start from December 2019, under which China will immediately eliminate tariffs on 313 most priority tariff lines of Pakistan’s export interest.

He was talking about the early operationalisation of the revised agreement during a press conference on Tuesday.

The minister said various provisions of the revised FTA would be implemented according to the agreed timeline i.e. 5 years, 10 years and 15 years. The implementation phases have already been agreed on by the two countries.

Talking about the benefits of the revised FTA, especially for Pakistan, he said that implementation of the second phase shall significantly increase Pakistan’s exports to China and help reduce the trade deficit between the two countries.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan was already availing the $1 billion export facility from China (announced earlier to increase the existing trade volume between the two countries).

“Although the trade gap is still high, the duty-free export of selected items under the $1 billion facility helped Pakistan a great deal,” he said.

In reply to a query, Dawood said that China had concerns about delay in operationalization of Gwadar Port. However, he added, all reservations of China regarding Gwadar have been addressed.

previous lng agreements ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Ministry of Law has advised the federal cabinet against the reopening of previous Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) agreements.

According to sources privy to this development, the law ministry has suggested the government not to reopen the LNG agreements of the past as it would create hurdles in the way of new investments.

"The new investors will shy away if the contracts of the past are reopened," the

ministry stated. "The terminals are being fully utilised and there is no need for negotiations with terminal operators at this stage, as this is not feasible."

Presently, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance adviser Miftah Ismail and some other prominent personalities in an alleged LNG scam.

The former PM had allegedly handed over a tender worth Rs220 billion to a company of which he himself was a shareholder.

Siemens Healthineers drives breast cancer awareness campaign in Pakistan With October recognized as the breast cancer awareness month globally, Siemens Healthineers in Pakistan collaborated with several hospitals and training centers across the country to raise awareness of the disease through a series of workshops.

The workshops, open to the public, were conducted by well-known doctors with the aim to raise awareness of how yearly mammograms and early diagnosis can save lives.

Addressing one of the workshops, Siemens Healthineers Pakistan Managing Director and CEO Khurram Jameel said, “We are working together with leading hospitals and clinicians to help raise awareness of breast cancer in Pakistan.

With the technologies present today, we can drastically reduce the progression of

the disease, given women take the responsibility of getting themselves checked annually. These workshops demonstrate our commitment to society and our resolve to help the women in Pakistan fight this deadly disease through early detection and timely treatment.”

In Asia, Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer incidence, with 1 in every 9 Pakistani women developing the disease at some stage of life. It is the second leading cause of death amongst women. An estimated 83,000 cases are being annually reported in the country, and over 40,000 deaths are caused by it.

The workshops and awareness sessions led by JPMC Hospital Consultant Radiologist Dr Raima Kaleemi and Service Hospital Senior General Physician Dr Fauzia Qureshi presented an

overview on facts and figures, risks and causes for the prevalence of the disease.

Other workshops took place at the female Police Training Center in Karachi and Service Hospital in Lahore, where doctors from the radiology department were further updated of the latest equip-

ment and practices available in the field.

Dr Raima Kaleemi commented, “Health needs attention and general awareness can go a long way. As a doctor we encourage people to be more self-aware, to learn and understand possible avenues and potential risks. With

breast cancer, regular checkups for early detection is key.”

Siemens Healthineers empowers healthcare providers on their journey towards expanding precision medicine, transforming care delivery, improving patient experience and digitalizing healthcare. Helping oncologists to make informed decisions, Siemens Healthineers offers a range of medical imaging and laboratory diagnostics equipment for women’s health needs, covering areas of Mammography, Ultrasound, MRI and CT scanners. Siemens Healthineers enables healthcare providers worldwide to increase value by empowering them on their journey towards expanding precision medicine, transforming care delivery, improving patient experience and digitalizing healthcare. PRESS RELEASE

Kate Middleton wears earring froM PaKistani brand Zeen

Z

EEN tipped by international media and fashion experts to be worn again by the Duchess of Cambridge on the Royal Tour. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in Pakistan for a 5 day Royal Tour of Pakistan. The Duchess of Cambridge, a global fashion icon, who has been known to combine high-end fashion with affordable luxury brands, created a stir in global fashion circles recently when she wore earrings from Pakistani brand Zeen, priced at Rs. 835, to accessorize her look with a $700 US dollar dress, to an event with the Aga Khan in London. This was the first occasion that the Duchess has been known to have worn a Pakistani fashion brand, and this news gained major headlines in top international fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle. As the Royal Tour of Pakistan starts, international fashion experts are now predicting that the Duchess of Cambridge will wear Zeen again during the Tour. Tamara Abraham, fashion editor of the highly respected Daily Telegraph newspaper of London wrote, "Kate has already worn one pair of earrings by affordable Pakistani label Zeen, for her meeting with the Aga Khan in London last week, and she may have picked up a couple more pieces from the brand, which sells shalwar kameez and scarves as well as jewellery." Zeen was one of the only affordable brands mentioned in this article, alongside high fashion brands such as Alexander McQueen. People Magazine reported a similar view. They interviewed an expert on the Duchess' fashion choices, Susan Kelly, editor and founder of well-known fashion blog "WhatKateWore.com" who said "I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw something else from Zeen" during the Royal trip to Pakistan. If these experts are to be believed, Zeen will likely again experience the "Kate Effect." This is when the many fans of the Duchess follow her fashion choices and purchase the same products, leading to them running out of stock. The Zeen earrings worn by the Duchess in London sold out completely within hours of the news hitting global media, with fans from around the world purchasing the product online. The company has said it is restocking those particular earrings and will have them available again in the near future.

Piloxing SSP Pakistan: Your Guide To Being Sleek, Sexy and Powerful

By SaBa Ijaz www.scaryammi.com

Piloxing Sleek Sexy and Powerful. Read these last three words again now. Sleek. Sexy.

Powerful. Wouldn’t we all want to achieve that? Well if you do and I am sure you do then we’ve got just the right option for you.

Piloxing SSP Pakistan is run by Fatima Sarmad. She’s a newyork born ICF(International Coach Federation) certified life coach. American Board Neuro Linguistic Practitioner (AMNLP) UK certified counselor & in training Psychotherapist. Internationally certified pilates trainer. Member of Pilates Instructor Association (PIA) and last but most definitely not least internationally certified Piloxing ssp trainer, trained by celebrity trainer and creator of piloxing ssp Vivecan Jensen and Courtney Gornall.

Fatima‘s motto in life is that “Empowered women Empower Women” and she plans on empowering through 3 main ways.

Physical, Mental and through Soul Work.

Moving on to what piloxing is all about.

We’ll make is brief and interesting for you.

What is piloxing?

Piloxing is an interdisciplinary system of two extremes. Boxing and Pilates. It makes the body go through the feeling of strong powerful punches of boxing and then the body movements of pilates. It is boxing,

dancing and pilates all merged together. If we talk more precisely and figuratively it is an interval and barefoot training to burn maximum calories and increase stamina. It utilizes weighted gloves which tone the arms and improve cardiovascular health. In short Piloxing uniquely blends the power, speed and agility of boxing with the targeted sculpting and flexibility of pilates.

Piloxing is designed to empower women by incorporating elements of their true essence: femininity, control, sensuality and power.

I know that you are already admitting what a beautiful training this is but just to get you a little bit more excited let’s go through a few advantages of piloxing. n Improves immune function n Improves stress management n Improves joint mobility and range of motion n Improves dynamic flexibility n Improves posture balance and stabilization

FRIEHA ALTAF WON 'WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD'

P

R Mogul and CEO of Catwalk Events Frieha Altaf bagged ‘Woman of the Year Award’ at LADIESFUND (R) Women’s Awards 2019 PR Maven and Founder of Catwalk Events Management and Production company, Frieha Altaf, has recently bagged the ‘Woman of the Year Award’ at the coveted 11th LADIESFUND (R) Women’s Awards 2019 for her services as a child abuse activist.

Model and actor-turned-entrepreneur Frieha Altaf has been honored to receive the award as it is for a genuine cause.

“Winning for a cause is more gratifying because it helps further the cause. As an empowered and influential member of the society, I have a responsibility to give back to the community – this award will help me give back more and create more awareness about child sexual abuse which is still considered as a taboo subject in our country,” Altaf said.

Frieha Altaf, the mastermind behind the Mein Bhi movement, has always raised her voice in creating awareness in the society about several important topics including sexual abuse, women empowerment, and domestic abuse, etc.

As an initiative of Catwalk Cares, which is the CSR division of Catwalk, she has always aimed to lend support to various NGOs and charitable organizations which have been working in different sectors for societal improvement.

She has been working in close liaison with an internationally trusted organization, Pink Ribbon Foundation, to create breast cancer awareness in Pakistan.

Frieha Altaf has also been nominated as a Leader of Industry in Event Management at Focus PK 2019 which is slated to take place on Oct 26 at Governor House.

As a goodwill ambassador, Altaf has often been invited to familiarity trips all across the globe where she proudly represents Pakistan. She has recently been to Georgia, Tuscany and Turkey where she attended important conferences as a key speaker.

The PR Guru has also been invited as a key speaker at the Oxfam conference in Karachi on International Girl Child Day to talk about child abuse and its impacts on society.

With an extensive experience of over 30 years of successfully executing over 3,000 fashion events, Frieha Altaf is a force to be reckoned with. The renowned choreographer and event manager has been an active participant at various international events including Destination Wedding Planner Congress, Events Extraordinaire and APPNA foundation in Dallas.

Altaf is now all set to work on her next project, ‘Beyond Beautiful’. It’s one-of-its-own-kind beauty expo that Catwalk Events organizes annually. The event is slated to take place in the first quarter of 2020.

Aries: Soliciting a mentor or elder for sound advice about your career and finances saves you time and money.

Taurus: Honesty is a double-edged sword. Simmering tensions between you and a loved one likely boil over now.

Gemini: A caring yet inspiring tone convinces people to listen to your ideas. Others are likely receptive because they see that you value and appreciate their contributions toward a common purpose.

Cancer: Discussing controversial topics might require extra caution and thoughtfulness today.

Leo: Your emotional bias might skew your judgment about an important decision.

Virgo: People may feel quite enchanted and heartened by your words today.

Libra: A beloved soul reminds you that money can’t buy the most precious facets of life. Perhaps you’re really seeking connection as you shop for sales and special discounts.

Scorpio: Striking a moderate tone on a sensitive matter with a person close to you could be a source of struggle today.

Sagittarius: Ironically, recalling the past is often an effective way to process your present and future.

Capricorn: Engaging in conversations with loved ones of all ages brings a smile to your face today.

Aquarius: Try as you might, life probably won’t let you remain in a comfy bubble now.

Pisces: Your powers of perception are heightened today. Perhaps you’re not inclined to enjoy reading the fine print of anything, but you can read between the lines fantastically well.

CMYK

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

14 SPORTS

Ukraine reach eUro 2020 as racism blights england win in bUlgaria SOFIA

U

AGENCIES

KRAINE booked their place in Euro 2020 after squeezing past Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 700th career goal on a night stained by Bulgaria fans racially abusing England players while their side were hit for six in Sofia.

Andriy Shevchenko’s unbeaten team are through to next summer’s finals with a match to spare as Group B winners thanks to first-half goals from Roman Yaremchuk and AndriyYarmolenko, which meant that Ronaldo’s 72nd-minute penalty wasn’t enough for Portugal. Ukraine join Poland, Russia, Italy and Belgium in the multi-host tournament which kicks off in Rome on June 12, with Shevchenko — who scored 48 times for Ukraine in 111 matches — proving a similar success on the bench as he was on the pitch.

Second-placed Portugal’s fate is

still in the balance, with Serbia just a point behind them with two matches remaining after they beat Lithuania 21. Portugal dominated the second half and pulled one back when Ronaldo blasted home the spot-kick to make it 700 goals for club and country, but they couldn’t find an equaliser despite some good chances. “There are days like these, when the ball just doesn’t want to go in,” said Portuguese midfielder Danilo. “No need to do the maths now: we just need to win the next two games to reach Euro 2020.”

Group A leaders England still have to wait for their place at the Euros despite hammering hapless Bulgaria 6-0, but the focus of attention was again on the stands as the home fans caused mayhem with racist chanting that twice caused the match to be halted. It was another England match blighted by racism from opposition fans after England’s black players were targeted with monkey chants during their 5-1 win at Montenegro in March.

RACISM MARS ENGLAND WIN: The level of abuse from a section of the Bulgarian support led the English Football Association to demand an investigation from UEFA, asking European football’s governing body to open a probe “as a matter of urgency”. Tyrone Mings was one of those targeted on his England debut,

and he said that stopping the game did have the desired effect of reducing racist abuse in the second half.

“We made the decision at halftime to come out and play the game which we thought was the right decision,” said Mings. “If anything else happened, we would have taken appropriate action.”

Ayhan equaliser forces France to wait for Euro 2020 spot

PARIS AGENCIES

France drew 1-1 with Turkey in Euro

2020 qualifying on Monday in a match played against a backdrop of diplomatic and security tensions after Paris condemned Ankara for its mili-

tary offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria. Substitute Olivier Giroud headed in from a corner to put France ahead on 76 minutes at the Stade de France but Kaan Ayhan nodded in an equaliser six minutes later — a goal celebrated by a military salute in front of the Turkish supporters.

Turkey remain top of Group H above the world champions on the head-to-head rule, although France can qualify for the finals with a win at home to Moldova next month.

Turkey would clinch their place by avoiding defeat against third-placed Iceland, who are four points back after beating Andorra 2-0. “They scored a goal from a set-piece in the first match. We could have avoided it,” said France coach Didier Deschamps, whose side were beaten 20 by Turkey in Konya in June.

“We did what we needed to win

the match based on the play and number of chances. They didn’t have many but put away a set-piece. “We should have been more clinical even if it’s still a good point,” he added. “We’re still on track and need to finish to job in November.” Wissam Ben Yedder replaced Giroud, Friday’s goalscorer in the 1-0 win away to Iceland, while Lucas Hernandez returned at left-back at the expense of Lucas Digne.

Turkey were without injured veteran captain Emre Belozoglu, who damaged ribs during a last-gasp 1-0 victory at home to Albania last week, with Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu starting in place of Ayhan.

Police ramped up security at the Stade de France amid fears of violence, with around 3,800 Turkish fans in the designated away section but many more seated elsewhere in the ground among the 78,000 spectators.

Inam claims gold medal at World Beach Games ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan’s top grappler Muhammad Inam Butt claimed gold medal at ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, defeating Georgia’s DatoMarsagishvili in the 90kg weight final at Katara Beach on late Monday.

The 30-year-old was Pakistan’s lone participant among 1237 athletes from 97 countries, who are competing in 14 different disciplines. A total of 350 medals are up for grab in the event that would conclude on Thursday. Inam, who was also Pakistan’s sole gold medallist in last year’s Commonwealth Games lived up to expectations as he defeated DatoMarsagishvili 3-2 in the final after a thrilling contest. He was dominant right from the outset as

he recorded emphatic wins in all his bouts on the day to finish at the top in Group A. He got a smooth sailing in the semifinal, defeating Pedro Jacinto Garcia Perez of Spain 3-0. But his final battle was

really tough as his opponent looked to pull off a shock, taking a 2-0 lead. But Inam bounced back and made it 2-2 with two throws. With only a couple of seconds remaining in the first period, he produced a three-point takedown to emerge victorious.

In a video message received here, Inam devoted his World Beach Games win to the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and Pakistani nation. “I am grateful to the government of Pakistan, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Punjab Sports Board and Pakistan Wapda for supporting always supporting me,” he said.

He also lauded cricketers Shoaib Malik and WahabRaiz for congratulating him for winning the gold medal. “When players support each other it sends a very good message and encourages players,” he said.

epic mountain slog unveiled for 2020 tour de France PARIS: The 2020 Tour de France promises to be one for the climbers after organisers revealed a route on Tuesday which includes 29 mountains across eight mountain stages with five summit finishes including the individual time trial. The race, which starts a week earlier than usual on June 27 to accomodate the Tokyo Olympics, also has three hilly stages and should suit the 2019 champion Egan Bernal and his Ineos teammate Chris Froome as well as the French duo of Thibaut Pinot and RomainBardet. The 3,470km race rarely strays from the mountains even though there are nine flat stages. “There are 29 mountains, it will be physically challenging throughout,” said Tour chief Christian Prudhomme. “Even the so called flat stages will be very tough for the pure sprinters. There are traps everywhere along the route.” The race crosses the sub-Alpine Jura Mountains, the Massif Central, the Vosges, a low range of mountains close to the German border, as well as the tradition giants — the Pyrenees and the Alps. The Alpe de Huez, the Galibier and other classic climbs are off the menu in 2020, but the Col de la Madeleine and the Grand Colombier are all on the itinerary. AGENCIES

british Pm condemns ‘vile’ racism during euro 2020 qualifier in bulgaria LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday condemned the “vile” racist chanting during England’s Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia as his Bulgarian counterpart urged the country’s football chief to resign. England eased to a 6-0 victory over their hosts on Monday but the game was overshadowed by offensive chanting from the stands, forcing the match to be halted twice in the first half.

“The racism we saw and heard last night was vile and has no place in football or anywhere else,” said Johnson’s spokesman, referring to monkey noises and apparent Nazi salutes that marred the match.

“The England players and management showed tremendous dignity and the prime minister commends the players who were targeted with this despicable abuse for their response.” The spokesman called for tough action from European football governing body UEFA, backing the Football Association’s call for an urgent investigation with tough penalties. AGENCIES

no goals, no fans, no tV: koreas draw 0-0 in blacked-out world cup qualifier SEOUL: North and South Korea drew 0-0 in a historic but surreal World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, played in front of an empty stadium and almost completely blocked off from the outside world. The showdown between the two sides — whose countries are still technically at war — took place at Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Stadium with no live broadcast, no supporters and no foreign media in attendance. Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min captained South Korea in the first competitive men’s match to be played in Pyongyang but frustrated South Korean fans, who were not allowed to travel to the game, will have to wait days to see it on television — after officials bring back a recording on DVD. “North Korea promised to provide a DVD containing full footage of the match before our delegation departs,” the South’s unification ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, said. AGENCIES

Rocketing star Medvedev revives Russia’s tennis hopes MOSCOW AGENCIES

Daniil Medvedev, Russia’s number one tennis player, on Tuesday signed caps and tennis balls for fans in his native city of Moscow, hours after landing from China, where he won the Shanghai Masters Sunday. After a period in the doldrums, Russian tennis is now infused with a new generation of young male players and Medvedev, 23, is leading the pack, now at a career-best of fourth in the world.

Tired after a long flight and admitting he was surviving on coffee, Medvedev posed for selfies with fans. “I do feel there’s a lot of support coming from Russia. it’s huge and it’s great,” he told AFP. “A lot of support coming from social media (and) support from my friends, because most of

my friends are still Russian guys.” Fans hailed his influence. “The main thing is that tennis is becoming more popular in Russia thanks to him,” said one fan, 19-year-old student Daniil Trefilov. Trefilov hopes to watch Medvedev play in the city’s Kremlin Cup this week — Medvedev said he will decide on Tuesday if he will participate.

Another fan, David Umarkhadzhiyev who leads an online group of Russian supporters, said he “fell in love with the game” from watching Medvedev play.

“After (Marat) Safin and (Yevgeny) Kafelnikov there was a kind of stagnation,” Umarkhadzhiyev said, referring to top players of past decades. “There were no men and suddenly one or two years ago, Medvedev, (Karen) Khachanov and (Andrei) Rublev appeared.”

The trio are Russia’s top-ranking

men’s players and Medvedev says they share a healthy rivalry. “We have a great competition between us three guys and we really push each other.” Speaking fluent English and French as well as Russian, he looks tanned and relaxed but his eyes sometimes half-close from fatigue.

Beyond rivalry with fellow Russian players, Medvedev is now challenging the dominance of tennis’s big three much older players: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. “These guys are just from another planet, we have to admit it, they are really strong and we are trying our best to beat them,” he said.

He did not attach much significance to claims by commentators such as Boris Becker that the younger generation of players may not be strong enough mentally to seize the crown from the old guard.

CMYK

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

Three yearS afTer COnTrOverSIal exIT, PhIl SImmOnS reTurnS TO COaCh WeST IndIeS TRINIDAD AGENCIES

C

ONTROvERSIALLy sacked after winning the 2016 T20 World Cup with West Indies, Phil Simmons will make a return as head coach of the team. His appointment was confirmed for a fouryear spell by the Cricket West Indies board of directors on Monday. CWI also announced three new selection panels, for the men’s, women’s and girls’, and the boys’ teams.

Simmons had sued the board, under Dave Cameron at the time, for unfair dismissal and earlier this year accepted an apology and an undisclosed amount that brought the case to an end. The former West Indies opening batsman last served as the

coach of Afghanistan until the recent World Cup, and on Sunday won the 2019 CPL coaching the Barbados Tridents. Before that, Simmons coached Ireland between 2007 and 2015, helping them qualify for three straight World Cups. “Bringing Phil Simmons back is not just righting a past wrong, but I am confident that CWI has chosen the right man for the job at the right time,” CWI president Ricky Skerritt said. “I want to also thank the very talented Floyd Reifer for the hard work he put in while he was the interim coach.” Reifer was one of three men shortlisted two weeks ago for the role alongside Simmons and Desmond Haynes. West Indies had been without a full-time coach since the CWI management led by Skerritt ended Richard Pybus’ stint in April this year - just weeks before the World Cup following a review of the team’s coaching and selection policies. Reifer had been at the helm since.

CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams, who was also one of the members on the interview panel, said: “I am happy, after a very robust recruitment process at the appointment of Phil to the role

of Head Coach. I have no doubt that Phil brings the requisite leadership skills and experience needed to drive improvement across our international squads and I look forward to supporting him in the role.”

That the position would go to a West Indian was made clear by the board before the selection process even began. They had said in September that “persons without West Indian heritage need not apply” for the role. A CWI panel interviewed six candidates which were later shortlisted to three.

The new selection panel for the men’s team includes Roger Harper (lead selector) and Miles Bascombe; the women’s and girl’s panel includes Ann Browne-John (lead selector) and Travis Dowlin, and the boys’ panel comprises Haynes. The selection panels will get to work immediately with the men’s team scheduled to play Afghanistan in India in November and the women’s team set to host India for three ODIs and five T20Is starting November 1. The Under-19 team will host a tri-series with Sri Lanka and England in December in the lead up to the Under-19 World Cup in January in South Africa.

Zimbabwe and Nepal readmitted as ICC members HARARE AGENCIES

Zimbabwe have been reinstated as a member of the ICC, three months after being suspended for government interference in its board. The sanction on Zimbabwe was lifted at the ICC’s October board meeting on Monday, between the governing body’s chairman Shashank Manohar, chief executive Manu Sawhney, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman TavengwaMukuhlani, Zimbabwe Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry and Gerald Mlotshwa, the Chairman of the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).

Following the meeting, it was decided that ZC had “unconditionally complied” with the conditions laid down by the ICC in July. Nepal have also been reinstated as ICC members, although on a conditional basis. They were suspended in 2016 for breach of ICC regulations that prohibit government interference while also requiring ‘free and fair elections’. Following the election of a 17-member Central Working Committee for the Cricket Association of Nepal earlier this month, the ICC readmitted the Nepalese board. A transition plan for Nepal’s full reinstatement will now be developed.

“Given the progress made in Nepal,” Manohar said, “a transition plan will now be developed for the

Cricket Association of Nepal to support full compliance with Associate Membership criteria, which will also involve controlled funding.” ZC will be breathing a sigh of relief that their own period out in the cold was not as protracted as Nepal’s. Both countries’ suspensions meant they were cut off from ICC funding, and Zimbabwe’s case threatened to cripple the game as it battles to operate in a country in the midst of steep economic decline. Funds will now be drip-fed to ZC as per the agreement reached in July 2018.

From a playing perspective, Zimbabwe’s men’s and women’s teams will be able to compete in ICC events again, though the lifting of the suspension has come too late for them to feature in the T20 World Cup qualifiers. The women’s qualifying tournament was held in August, while the men’s equivalent begins on October 18. However, Zimbabwe’s Under-19 team will be able to participate in the men’s age-group World Cup in January next year and the men’s ODI team will join the Super League from 2020, in order to challenge for a place at the 2023 World Cup. They will be without Hamilton Masakadza and Solomon Mire, who both retired while the team was suspended.

During that period, it seemed likely that cricket in Zimbabwe would stay on its knees, following

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Women’s ICC events receive prize money boost DUBAI: An extra USD 2.6 million will be up for grabs at women’s tournaments after the ICC announced a major boost in the prize money pool.

Winners of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia next year will receive USD 1 million and the runners-up USD 500,000, five times the amounts on offer at the 2018 edition. The overall prize money will increase by 320% for 2020, compared to 2018, meaning a windfall for each of the 10 teams competing. The prize pot for the Women’s World Cup in 2021 will rise to USD 3.5 million from $2 million in 2017 under changes announced by the ICC on Monday in the wake of increased revenue. The ICC Board also confirmed the introduction of an Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played in Bangladesh in 2021 and staged every two years after that. ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said the moves were part of a “commitment to reach parity across men’s and women’s cricket as part of a broader plan to grow and develop the women’s game”. The Board decided that the eight-year cycle starting in 2023 will comprise eight men’s events, eight women’s events, four men’s Under-19 events and four women’s Under-19 events.

The ICC will call for expressions of interest from all member nations wanting to host events, with the bidding process to start early next year for women’s and Under-19 events. Meanwhile, IndraNooyi was unanimously reappointed as the ICC’s independent director for a second two-year term from 2020-22.

Former PepsiCo chairperson and CEO Nooyi became the ICC Board’s first independent female director in 2018. She sits on the board of directors at Amazon and Schlumberger. AGENCIES

Boundary countback scrapped as Super Over rules changed several years of crises, both financial and administrative. The straw that broke the ICC’s back came when the SRC, a government parastatal, suspended the ZC board chaired by Mukuhlani, and replaced it with an interim committee. The ICC asked ZC to reinstate the Mukuhlani board and provide evidence that there was no government interference in the running of the board if they wanted the suspension reconsidered. Mukuhlani’s board was reinstated on August 8 and members from ZC have been in communication with the ICC since.

In particular, Zimbabwe’s sports minister, the Olympic swimming champion Coventry, was instrumental in assuring the ICC that ZC was ready

to be reinstated. “I would like to thank the Zimbabwe Sports Minister for her commitment to the reinstatement of Zimbabwe Cricket. Her desire to work in support of Zimbabwe Cricket was clear and she has unconditionally complied with the conditions set down by the ICC Board,” Manohar said. “Funding to Zimbabwe Cricket will continue to be on a controlled basis as part of a collective effort behind getting the game in Zimbabwe back on an even keel.” Zimbabwe’s next fixtures are yet to be confirmed. They were due to host West Indies later this month but the tour was postponed because Zimbabwe were expected to be playing at the T20 World Cup qualifiers. New dates have yet to be agreed.

LONDON: Cricket chiefs have announced changes to the Super Over regulations, ending the use of boundary countback to decide knockout games following England’s victory over New Zealand in the men’s World Cup final. England won the World Cup for the first time in July after an unprecedented finish to the final at Lord’s. The hosts triumphed by virtue of hitting more boundaries after the scores were level following the Super Over. Under the new rules, if teams are tied on the same number of runs in the semi-final or final of a global tournament, the Super Over will be repeated until one team wins. An ICC statement said the change was “in keeping with the basic principle of scoring more runs than the opponent to win.” The Super Over, endorsed by cricket chiefs as an “exciting and engaging conclusion” to matches, will also be applied to every game in both the 20-over and 50-over World Cups.

It was previously only used during the knockout stages. Group stage matches that are tied after a Super Over will be recorded as a tie. The new rules will be in place in time for the men’s and women’s T20 World Cups held in Australia next year. AGENCIES

Ireland, Scotland attempting to deny minnows ‘dream’ World T20 qualification DUBLIN AGENCIES

Ireland captain Gary Wilson wants his side to ensure they finish “right at the top again” in the upcoming 2020 T20 World Cup qualifying tournament, but Nigeria and Jersey are among those chasing a “dream” appearance on the global stage.

Scotland are the highestranked team in the competition, with 14 nations vying for six places in the opening round of next year’s World T20 in Australia, where they would join Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in attempting to reach the ‘Super 12s’.

Ireland are the only Test team having to go through qualifying, which starts on Friday in the United Arab Emirates, and will be expected to book a sixth straight appearance in the tournament.

“We are here to compete at the world stage,” said Irish skipper Wilson. “We have a great record in the Middle East and the boys are looking forward to a great tournament and ensure we finish right at the top again.”

The winners of each group of seven will qualify automatically, with the four remaining spots to be decided in playoffs.

Scotland, 11th in the world T20 rankings, claimed their firstever win at a global ICC tournament in the 2016 edition by beating Hong Kong, but will be looking to put the pain of agonisingly missing out on the 50-over World Cup earlier this year behind them. They had two chances to secure a place during last year’s qualifying in Zimbabwe, but lost to Ireland before rain cut short their tense run chase against twotime world champions the West

Indies. “We know every team is dangerous in this competition,” said Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer. “It is vitally important not only for us as Scotland but for every team here.”

JERSEY CHASING ‘DREAM’: The Netherlands, who reached the ‘Super 10’ round in 2014, Oman, Hong Kong and hosts the UAE will all be among the favourites to qualify.

But the likes of Nigeria, Jersey and Singapore insist they are not going to just make up the numbers as they bid to give cricket a boost in their countries.

There was already a shock in the Asian regional qualifiers, with Singapore reaching this stage ahead of Nepal, the world’s 13thranked outfit.

Island team Jersey are playing in their second consecutive qualifier, having fallen short four years

ago despite surprise victories over Hong Kong and Nepal.

“For Jersey, it would probably be the biggest thing that has happened in our sporting history,” admitted captain Charles Perchard.

“It’s a dream of ours to potentially play in a World Cup next year… “We’re a small island and in a lot of sports we do punch above our weight, especially in cricket and qualification would be massive for our country.”

Nigeria have reached the final stage of qualifying for the first time as cricket continues to grow in the African country, with their youth side booking a spot at next year’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.

“It would be a great thing to be at the World Cup. It would be a great history for Nigeria,” said their skipper Ademola Onikoyi, after his team took the place of

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Zimbabwe following their suspension by the ICC. “Our juniors will be at the World Cup next year in South Africa, so we want to do that as well.” Singapore, led

by Amjad Mahboob, are also debutants at the qualifying event, while Bermuda will be looking to

repeat the heroics of their side who famously reached the 2007 World Cup. The qualifiers get underway on Friday, with Scotland facing Singapore in the opening Group A game, while Ireland take on Hong Kong and the UAE play Oman in Group B.

Wednesday, 16 October, 2019

NEWS

InformatIon on JustIce Isa gathered vIa 'Illegal means', sc told ISLAMABAD

a

STAFF REPORT

counsel representing Supreme Court (SC) Justice Qazi Faez Isa – facing a presidential reference for allegedly concealing assets — in the case told the apex court on Tuesday that the information regarding properties owned by Justice Isa’s family in the United Kingdom was obtained through “illegal means”.

A 10-member larger bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, is hearing several constitutional pleas filed against the misconduct reference on a daily basis.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel Munir A Malik said the so-called evidence was collected through “surveillance and means without the approval of the lawful authority”, as he questioned the credibility of Waheed Dogar—the complainant who had first written to the government’s Assets Recovery Unit

JUSTice iSa’S coUnSel qUeSTionS credibiliTy of applicanT, callS him ‘fake appellanT’ (ARU) over alleged foreign assets.

Following Dogar’s application, the misconduct reference was filed against the top court judge at the Supreme Judicial Council.

The counsel questioned how the complainant was able to retrieve information from the United Kingdom Land Registry.

“Information can only be retrieved online when the address of the property is available,” he explained.

Justice Isa’s counsel said the information was gathered by “stalking the petitioner and his family”, arguing that Dogar seemed to be a “fake appellant”.

Questioning the initiation of proceedings against the SC judge, Advocate Muneer Malik asked how the government could launch legal proceedings against a

judge on the basis of the complaint filed

by Dogar.

He argued that there are “certain safeguards” in the law regarding investigations against judges.

“The complaints were received, evidence was collected and references were filed each at different times,” Malik noted.

“Do you mean to say that the investigation against the judge was initiated without due process?” Justice Maqbool Baqar asked.

Malik told the SC that the application to start proceedings against Justice Isa was written in April, right after the Faizabad verdict that was penned by the said judge.

“The letter written by Dogar does not

have a phone number or address and does not mention any property that belongs to Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” Advocate Malik pointed out.

“What is the Asset Recovery Unit and why is it in the Prime Minister Secretariat?” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, also part of the bench, asked.

“Can you tell the court about the legal status of the Assets Recovery Unit?” Justice Baqar inquired. Malik only offered that “there is no civil servant in the ARU”.

Also, Justice Bandial asked if Justice Isa had ever given money to his wife as a gift. “I can let you know after confirming this,” Malik said.

“We will have the answer to that question,” Justice Bandial said.

The court subsequently issued notices to the respondents of the fresh constitutional petitions filed against the Supreme Judicial Council’s proceedings in the matter. The hearing was adjourned till Wednesday.

omani army chief praises pakistan army’s role in anti-terror fight

In a somewhat surprising U-turn, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday asked the people not to look towards the government for jobs as the provision of work was not in its capacity. “Instead, I want to tell you that the government is going to disband 400 departments,” he added. He was addressing the second Deans International Conference of Engineering Institutions in Islamabad. “In Pakistan or elsewhere in the world, governments are shrinking. It is very imperative to get people to realise that the government cannot provide jobs. If we start looking towards the government for jobs then the framework of our economy will collapse,” the federal minister stated. “It was the mentality of the 1970s that governments would provide jobs — now the private sector provides jobs,” he said. However, minutes after he delivered the remarks, the minister took to Twitter to say that his statement had been taken out of context. “[I am] astonished how every statement issued by me is made a headline without context.” He added: “I said that the private sector and not the government provides jobs. The government has to create an environment where jobs are available. It shouldn’t be the case that everyone is looking for a government job.” It may be mentioned here that the ruling party had promised to “create 10 million jobs over five years in key sectors: SME, housing, ICT, health, education, green economy and tourism” as part of its manifesto. Chaudhry himself had said in January that 10 million new jobs would soon be created for the youth while 500,000 houses would be constructed for the poor as promised by the PTI government. Earlier this year, Minister for Planning and Development Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar had said that the government would create 10m jobs in five years and enhance the sustainability of the economic growth by building fundamentals and structural reforms. “Ours is a reformist government,” he had said. NEWS DESK

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The United States slapped sanctions on Turkey Monday as it demanded an end to the deadly incursion against Syrian Kurdish fighters, accusing its NATO partner of putting civilians at risk and allowing the release of Islamic State extremists. The actions came hours after Syrian regime troops returned for the first time in years to northeastern parts of the country, invited by Kurdish fighters desperate for protection as the United States pulls out. President Donald Trump took extraordinary measures against a country that is officially a US ally as he faces mounting criticism at home, where even usually supportive lawmakers accuse him of abandoning Kurds who had spearheaded the fight against the Islamic State group. “I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey’s economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path,” Trump, who until recently had touted his friendship with Erdogan, said in a statement.

STAFF REPORT

UN says 85 civilians killed, 373 wounded in Afghan election violence

Oman’s Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Ahmed on Tuesday called on Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Rawalpindi, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

In the meeting, matters of mutual interests and regional peace came under discussion. The Omani general praised Pakistan Army’s achievements in the fight against terrorism.

He also said that army’s continued efforts for enduring regional peace and stability in South Asia are noteworthy.

On arrival at the General Headquarters (GHQ), General Ahmed was given guard of honor. Later, the general laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada to pay homage to the martyrs.

Earlier, on October 8, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had visited the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters

KABUL: Hundreds of people were killed or wounded in violence related to Afghanistan´s recent presidential election season as the Taliban sought to undermine the democratic process, a UN agency said Tuesday. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that 85 people were killed and another 373 wounded in election violence during the period from June 8 to September 30. On polling day alone, 28 civilians were killed and 249 injured. Children accounted for more than onethird of the victims. Despite the high toll, Afghan security forces said election day was a success because the Taliban failed to pull off any large-scale attacks that stole the headlines. AGENCIES

RAWALPINDI

'Don't look towards govt for jobs,' Fawad tells nation in surprising U-turn

US slaps sanctions on Turkey as Syrian regime returns to north

and held meetings with the top brass of the Chinese military during his ongoing visit, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) informed.

The ISPR spokesperson had said that the Army Chief visited PLA headquarters today and held separate meetings with the PLA commander and the vice-chairman of the Central Military

Commission.

During the meeting, COAS Bajwa discussed the current situation of the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) and matters relating to regional security. The Army Chief also apprised the Chinese military leadership about the ongoing atrocities in IOJK being committed by India forces.

Torture, detention of children adds rage in Kashmir SRINAGAR AGENCIES

A 10th-grade student Afaan, spent a fortnight in a prison in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOK), after police booked him under a stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). He was charged with protesting against Indian decision of revoking the special status to the region.

Afaan was lucky enough that prison doors opened just a fortnight later for him, as a court ordered his release, accepting his school document that he was juvenile. He is one of the scores of children, whisked away at midnight by law enforcement officers and sent to prisons. A fortnight in a prison cell has completely changed Afaan, says his father Manzoor Ahmed Ganai.

The Juvenile Justice Committee of the State High Court has confirmed the arrest of 144 juveniles. In a report submitted to the Indian Supreme Court, it said that 108 of them were released on the same day. Other 36 were sent to a Juvenile Home, in Harwan, in the outskirts of Srinagar city.

“Out of those 36 Juveniles, 21 were granted bail and 15 were facing an inquiry,” said the committee in its report.

Most of the children including a nineyear-old boy have been charged with rioting, disrupting public order and pelting stones on security personnel.

Quoting Assistant Director General of Police, A K Chowdhary, the report claimed that not a single juvenile was

under illegal police custody. The report also refutes charges that children are tortured in the custody.

But the Anadolu Agency has been able to locate families of minors, who claimed that their children were put behind bars illegally, without informing courts and were also tortured. They said that children, who have been released on court orders are now mental wrecks after spending days in police lock ups, prison cells and court hearings.

“He (Afaan) is very depressed and frightened. His whole body aches and there are visible scars on his back,” Ganai, told Anadolu Agency.

The arrest order had recommended that he be detained for a period of two years, stating that he was leading violent mobs and raising anti-national slogans. The government was also bent to prove him a major. But the court accepted the school certificate which showed that he was born in 2003.

“My son was put in a small cell under harsh conditions with other criminals. The incident has deeply affected his psyche, “ Ganai said. He said that such harsh measures against children was leading them to take extreme steps.

“Such treatment will never solve any problem,” he said. An Indian civil society group, the National Federation of Indian Women, which spent a week travelling in Kashmir, also rejects numbers put out by the judicial committee.

The group claims that they found 13,000 children as young as 14, de-

India blocks SMS services in IOK after trucker killed SRINAGAR: Text messaging services were blocked in Indian-occupied Kashmir just hours after being restored when a truck driver was killed and his vehicle set ablaze, authorities said on Tuesday. Indian authorities had only restored call and text services for mobile phones on Monday, following a 72-day blackout in the restive territory imposed after New Delhi scrapped the region’s semi-autonomous status. The seven million-plus people of the Kashmir Valley — the main hotbed of resistance to Indian rule — are still cut off from the internet, however.

Authorities said SMS services were cut on Monday night following the attack on the driver of a truck carrying apples in Shopian. Residents said two masked gunmen told the driver to move his vehicle because it was blocking the road, but it skidded and got stuck. “The gunmen then fired at the truck and set it on fire,” a witness told AFP. Apples are a sensitive issue in Kashmir, which exports vast quantities of the fruit to markets across India. Many orchard owners say they are refusing to harvest this year to protest against the government’s move to scrap occupied Kashmir’s autonomy. Indian authorities claim that “militants” have been intimidating farmers and businessmen. Separately on Tuesday, officers arrested half a dozen women activists protesting in Srinagar. They included the sister and daughter of former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, one of several hundred local politicians, lawyers and others in custody since early August, mostly without charge. AGENCIES

tained since autonomous status of Kashmir was revoked on Aug 5.

Experts predict that the region would pay a heavy price to the acts of detaining and torturing of minors. “It is

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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like a time bomb. Abusing minors is more dangerous than adults. It is a recipe to prepare them for an act of revenge and take refuge in radicalization,” said Advocate Shafkat Nazir.