E-Paper PDF 18th November (ISB)

CMYK

Monday, 18 November, 2019 I 20 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 138 I 60 Pages I Islamabad Edition

GovT claims vicTory in nawaz’s indemniTy bond case g

g

PM’s AIde shAhzAd AkbAr sAys courT reINforced cAbINeT decIsIoN As IT MereLy rePLAced GovT’s rs7bN sureTy boNd coNdITIoN wITh AN uNderTAkING froM shArIf fAMILy

g

Nawaz to depart on Tuesday, confirms PML-N

AGP sAys reLIef GIveN oN huMANITArIAN GrouNds, verdIcT doesN’T TAke INTo coNsIderATIoN MerITs of cAse

PM dIrecTs GovT’s LeGAL TeAM To revIew courT’s decIsIoN, seeks rePorT IN NexT cAbINeT MeeTING

ISLAMABAD

T

staff report

he federal government on Sunday said that the Lahore high Court’s (LhC) decision of allowing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment without any conditions has “validated” the federal cabinet’s stance.

Addressing a joint press conference with Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar said the court had maintained the cabinet’s decision as well as the time limit of four weeks, but the condition of indemnity bonds was suspended and replaced with undertakings from Nawaz and his brother, Shehbaz Sharif– the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

As per the law the name of a convict cannot

be removed from the exit Control List (eCL), he said, adding that the government still permitted Nawaz to leave on humanitarian grounds for medical treatment for four weeks.

Akbar said that the condition of indemnity bond was put forth because of the past record of the former premier.

“Nawaz had “broken promises” many times in the past, had received the certificate of “not being Sadiq (truthful) and Ameen” (righteous) from the Supreme Court (SC), and several members of his family were proclaimed offenders,” he said, adding that the amount of surety bond for Nawaz was determined on the basis of sentences awarded to him in Al-Azizia case.

“The government would have had to approach the civil courts for enforcement of the indemnity bonds in case Nawaz refused to return to the country, but now the high court itself has taken an undertaking from the Sharif brothers keeping in view the spirit of the cabinet decision,” he said.

Akbar said that the court has granted access to a government representative to verify the PML-N leader’s medical reports while he’s under treatment abroad. he also said that violation of the undertaking given by Shehbaz would be a serious criminal offence.

Speaking to reporters, the AGP said that the court’s decision was purely based on humanitarian grounds and the merits of the case were yet to be decided as no legal reason was given in the order. he further said that the matter would be discussed by the cabinet on Tuesday. he said that it was an interim order of the court, and it did not reject the government’s stance as the case would be resumed for the final decision to look into the merits of the case in January 2020.

The cabinet never opposed Nawaz’s need to travel abroad, but it couldn’t let him go without fulfilling legal requirements, he added. he said that the undertaking before the court of law had more value than indemnity bonds the government was asking for and if the signatories, Nawaz and Shehbaz, do not fulfil their commitment to the courts then they could face trial under Contempt of Court Ordinance and Article 61, 62-B of the Constitution. he said that after the written order of the court, the matter would be produced before the cabinet which would decide whether it should file an appeal or not.

IMRAN SEEKS REPORT: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the government’s legal team to review the court’s decision in this matter and present a report in the next cabinet meeting. Reportedly, the premier and his cabinet members will prepare a strategy on how to deal with the situation during the meeting as well.

LHC VERDICT: In a major setback to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the LhC on Saturday had allowed the former premier to travel abroad for four weeks without having to sign the indemnity bond suggested by the federal government, saying the duration could be extended on doctors’ recommendation.

Iran leader backs petrol price hike that sparked deadly unrest

STORY ON PAGE 02

JUI-F's countrywide road blockade in full swing

STORY ON BACK PAGE

‘All good between PTI, PML-Q’

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

STORY ON BACK PAGE

'Terminator' Rajapaksa storms to victory in Sri Lanka election in today’s issue

STORY ON PAGE 07

STORY ON BACK PAGE

CMYK Monday, 18 November, 2019

02 ISLAMABAD

Nawaz to dePart oN tuesday, coNfirms PmL-N EX-PM’S PERSONAL PHYSICIAN SAYS NAWAZ WILL TRAVEL IN A ‘FULLY EQUIPPED AND MEDICALLY STAFFED AIR AMBULANCE’ ONCE ‘CLINICALLY STABLE’ LaHore

P

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif will leave for London on Tuesday for medical treatment on the account of his deteriorating health, confirmed party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb in a statement.

The statement came a day after the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for four weeks without having to sign the indemnity bond suggested by the federal government.

In its interim verdict, the LHC said that in case Nawaz’s health doesn’t improve then the time period can be extended, adding that the government officials will be able to contact Nawaz

through the Pakistani embassy.

Nawaz will be travelling to London on an air ambulance which will arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday, said Marriyum, adding that the discussions on how to stabilise the former PM’s health before travel was also underway. With the flying fuel of 10 hours and two pilots, the air ambulance will be equipped with oxygen cylinders, ventilators, ICU and other medical facilities, while two doctors, including Sharif’s personal physician Dr Adnan, and paramedics will also assist the PML-N supremo during his travel. He will be shifted to the Harley Street Clinic in London immediately after landing, sources claimed, adding the former PM might be shifted to Boston if the doctors recommended his treatment in the United States. However, a delay in the departure is being attributed to Nawaz’s “unstable health”

Govt claims victory in Nawaz’s indemnity bond case continued from page 01

and a low platelet count. His personal physician Dr Adnan Khan stated that the PML-N leader will travel to the United Kingdom in the next 48 hours once he’s “clinically stable”. “He [Nawaz Sharif] will make the journey in a fully equipped and medically staffed air ambulance [which will be] arriving soon,” he tweeted. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will accompany the elder Sharif to London

Senate body concerned over threats to Edwardes College principal iSLamaBad SHAMIM MEHMOOD

As the government and Sharif brothers remained at an impasse over the terms of Nawaz’s travel abroad — specifically his return to Pakistan — the LHC had said that it would draft its own undertaking for the former premier’s travel and give to lawyers of both sides.Following the court’s directions, the PML-N legal team had submitted a handwritten draft of the undertaking by Nawaz, which stated: “I do hereby undertake to return to Pakistan […] to face the process of law and justice as soon as I am declared healthy and fit to travel to Pakistan by my doctors.” A separate undertaking was submitted by Shehbaz in which he had stated, “I undertake to facilitate the return of my brother on certification by doctors that he has regained his health and is fit to return to Pakistan.”

whereas Maryam Nawaz will be staying in the country. Giving a reason for his visit to London, Shehbaz said he will undergo a check-up in London over his bad back. Nawaz, who was imprisoned after an accountability court found him guilty in the Al Azizia corruption reference, had also been granted bail by the Islamabad High Court on humanitarian grounds. He also obtained bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

Senate body has inquired about the incident of attack and threats against the principal of the Edwardes College, Peshawar from the Chief Secretary and Inspector General Police (IG) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Notices have been issued to all concerned by the Senate Secretariat.

According to the notices issued to the Chief Secretary and IG police KPK, the Chairman Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokher has called for a

briefing to the Committee regarding the issue of threats to principal of the Edwards College Peshawar.

This action was initiated after the said issue was raised in the Senate by the Senator Kamran Michael during the last meeting of the Senate HR Committee.

Senator Kamran Michael informed the Committee that it’s been over a year that principal Edwards College, Brigadier retired Dr Nayyer Fardous has been facing threats and on one occasion even his house was attacked located in the same vicinity. The committee chairman ordered the

concerned senior officials to brief the committee on this important issue.

It is pertinent to mention that the Peshawar High Court on October 01, 2019, declared that the Edwards College was nationalized through the Privately Managed School and Colleges (Taking over) Regulation, 1972, which was validated by the 1973 constitution. Later the government constituted a six-member committee to look into the issues plaguing educational standards at the historical Edwards College Peshawar with a view to find a ‘workable solution’.

Neither deal nor relief: rasheed Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed said on Sunday that the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) ruling in former premier Nawaz Sharif’s petition for the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) without any conditionality ‘triumph of law’. He added that the speculations on the social media about the deal are baseless and no such deal took place between the government and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “Next two to three months are important and the situation will become better after that,” he said. “Neither deal was struck nor relief was provided. In this ruling, respect of both the government and Nawaz Sharif was saved,” he added. “Timing is the most important thing in war and politics.

Khurshid Shah, Hamza Shahbaz, Asif Zardari, and five other people are considering a plea bargain,” minster said.

“Things are going to get better in Pakistan.

The high court has granted Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad, and no one else has any role to play in this matter,” he said. NEWS DESK

Policeman found dead in di Khan DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A bullet-riddled body of a policeman was found within the limits of Daraban police station on Sunday.

According to police sources, the body of Subinspector Abdul Ghaffar was found from his home.The policeman had received 12 bullets of a 30-bore pistol, sources said. Efforts are on to nab the culprits, police said. INP

mark Lyall Grant urges world to resolve Kashmir dispute Britain’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Mark Lyall Grant has urged the international community to help resolve the Kashmir dispute. In an article in US magazine, Forbes Grant said tensions are near boiling point with an increasingly bitter feud between Pakistan and India over disputed Kashmir region putting the security of whole subcontinent at risk.

Grant said India’s latest action is bound to increase the levels of disaffection and extremism in the Muslim majority population of Kashmir. NEWS DESK

German activists urge world to highlight rights abuses in IOK Kashmiri and German human rights activists have called upon the world not to ignore the abuses committed by the India forces in occupied Kashmir, reported Kashmir Media Service. Rights leaders Karl-Christian Hausmann of UPF, Patricia associated with a German human rights organisation, Dr Ishaq and Zafar Qureshi from London and Kashmir Council EU Chairman, Ali Raza Syed were addressing a conference titled, “The Alarming Humanitarian Crisis in Kashmir” on the occasion of UN International Day for Tolerance in the city of Stuttgart.

Addressing the conference, Hausmann said, “It is surprising what I heard about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The German media doesn’t cover Kashmir as much as it should.” After listening to the Kashmiri Diaspora, Patricia promised they will do their utmost to make people aware of wrongdoing in Kashmir. Riffat Wani said, “For the past three months, the

Jammu and Kashmir has been cut off from the rest of the world even from India. There is a complete lockdown, media gag and all communications system is blocked. There are shortages of food and medicines and people have no access to hospitals.” Kashmir Council EU Chairman, Ali Raza Syed said, “It is 105th day today since the helpless Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir have lost their most fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and civil liberties. A population of

eight million people has been put under house arrest. They are living under harsh conditions without even the most basic and inalienable rights such as the right to life, right to education and healthcare, right to move, right to practice their religion or even right to bury their loved ones with dignity.” “Indian government is not allowing anyone to assess the situation on the ground, such as the UN and different international organisations, not even the Indian parliamentarians have been granted access,” he added. He also informed the gathering that the Kashmir Council EU held its 12th Kashmir EU Week at the European Parliament in the first week of November this year. The main theme of the event this year was “Human Rights and Civil Liberties” including the rights of the Kashmiri civilian population protected be series of International Treaties and Conventions. Like the previous Kashmir EU weeks, the 2019

CMYK

Conference also brought together European policymakers, political activists, NGO activists, intellectuals and interest group representatives who have been expressing grave concerns over arbitrary arrests, mass rapes, unmarked mass graves, impunity to armed forces especially under black laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA). Ali Raza Syed pointed out the Kashmir Council-Europe was trying to raise awareness of the present situation and gather support for the Kashmir from newly elected Members of European Parliament (MEPs). “Following the Kashmir-EU Week, we can say that the Kashmir issue has got as the top issue of their agendas, and we can assure you that they are already taking the necessary efforts to help the people of Kashmir. The Kashmir Council-EU is now working with Members of the European Parliament on a new motion for a resolution

urging for a new debate on Kashmir,” he said. Dr Ishaq said that the occupied valley has been converted into a cage of humanity. “We don’t know how many people had to bury their loved ones in their own yards without funerals and how many died of hunger or preventable diseases,” he added. Zafar Qureshi on the occasion said that as far as civil and political rights were concerned, the entire leadership of Kashmir had been arrested or put under house arrest. “Even India’s own puppet former chief ministers were arrested,” he said, adding handpicked civil servants of India appointed as Governors of both units of Jammu and Kashmir with all constitutional and administrative powers delegated to them.

Other speakers of the conference also emphasised upon the international community to play its role for end of curfew in the occupied valley and a peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue. NEWS DESK

CMYK Monday, 18 November, 2019

PaKistaN weLcomes eu’s offer over fatf PLaN

P

AKISTAN has appreciated European Union’s (EU) offer for technical assistance in the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan, according to media reports.

Following conclusion of the tenth session of the European Union-Pakistan Joint Commission in Brussels on Friday, a joint press release was issued, wherein both sides highlighted the significance of proper implementation of the FATF action plan.

The primary focus of the meeting remained on improving business climate, resolving issues obstructing trade and investment and implementation of ‘GSP-Plus’. Both Pakistan and EU appreciated the progress of ongoing activities pertaining to development cooperation and discussed ways to enhance cooperation beyond the ongoing decade.Prior to the meeting of the joint commission, several meetings of subgroups on trade, development cooperation, democracy, governance, rule of law and human rights were held on November 13 and 14.

During the sub-group on democracy, governance, rule of law and human rights, the two sides reaffirmed their strong support for democratic institutions, rule of law, good governance, the promotion and protection of human rights, labour rights, and fundamental freedoms, according to the press re-

lease.

Pakistan briefed the EU side on the recent developments in the region and highlighted its concerns regarding human rights and the humanitarian situation in India-held Jammu and Kashmir. The joint commission provided an opportunity to both sides to exchange views on areas of cooperation. The two sides appreciated the signing of the EUPakistan Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) in June 2019 and expressed commitment for its early and complete im-

5th Ballot ceremony of dHa Bahawalpur ISLAMABAD: DHA Bahawalpur, a premier community lifestyle provider, held its 5th ballot of 5,8 Marla & 2Kanal Residential plots, 4 & 8 Marla Commercial plots and 4 & 8 Kanal Farm Houses (Residential plots) on 16 Nov 2019 at site of DHA Bahawalpur. The evening unfolded with more than 400 specially invited guests taking part in the event that highlighted the world-class lifestyle standards introduced by DHA in the city of palaces. GOC 35 Division Maj Gen Muhammad Zahid Khan , graced the occasion as chief guest.

During his address he emphasized at the on-going fast track development work at DHA Bahawalpur. Also present at the ballot ceremony were legendary hockey player Sami Ullah Khan Niazi, Ex Project Directors DHAB, Brig Arif Rashid Kiyani (retd) and Brig Shahid Mahmood. Project Director DHA Bahawalpur, Brig Muhammad Kashif Mughal thanked the chief guest for gracing the event. He welcomed the participants and stated that DHA Bahawalpur is committed to provide best residential facilities to its residents at their door step. DHA Bahawalpur has increased the speed of development work further on different projects like, DHA Villas, Primary School, Commercial Area, DHA Club and Office Complex. After possession of residential plots in different sectors, 100 villas will be handed over to the owners soon. MOUs have already been signed with NDU, NUML, AOHS and SKMT. He expressed hope that the people of South Punjab will soon be benefitted by educational, health, residential, recreational and commercial facilities offered at DHA Bahawalpur. At the end, there was an inauguration of world class tourist attraction at DHA Bahawalpur. It was the most dazzling synchronization of water and music shows at the amazing DHA Dancing Fountains. PRESS RELEASE

plementation including the establishment of a Security Dialogue, working towards a comprehensive dialogue on migration and mobility, and further expanding relations in the areas of connectivity, climate change and energy, education and culture, and science and technology.

The parties discussed different aspects of migration management, highlighted the importance of full and effective implementation of the EUPakistan Readmission Agreement

(EUPRA), underlining that the Readmission Case Management System (RCMS) was of high importance in this regard.

The EU recognised the challenges faced by Pakistan in handling the most protracted refugee situation, and assured the country of continuation of its cooperation and assistance, working towards durable solutions for Afghan refugees and their host communities in the region, including the promotion of voluntary, safe, and dignified return to Afghanistan.

The two sides also agreed to pay increased attention to the humanitarian response to natural disasters.

The joint commission was cochaired on the EU side by Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service Gunnar Wiegand and on the Pakistan side,

by Economic Affairs Division Secretary Noor Ahmed. Representatives of the European Commission, observers from EU member states, as well as from Pakistan ministries of foreign affairs, commerce, economic affairs division and human rights attended the meeting.The next session of the joint commission will be held in Islamabad in 2020. The two sides undertook to hold the next political dialogue in Islamabad that would contribute towards the EU-Pakistan strategic dialogue at high representative and foreign minister level at mutually agreed dates in Brussels. NEWS DESK

PML-N accuses PTI ministers of contempt of court iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday accused the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) committing contempt of court by putting their own interpretation on Saturday’s Lahore High Court verdict allowing an unconditional departure of former premier Nawaz Sharif’s to London.

In a statement, she said the ministers at a press conference conveyed a message that they didn’t accept the court verdict.

Earlier, on Nov 16, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had suggested approaching the Supreme Court against the LHC verdict of allowing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for treatment. He said this decision would be a blow to the coun-

try’s judicial system if it goes unchallenged.

He advised that the Supreme Court be approached to have its final opinion on the matter.

The minister said he has not seen such decisions over 17 years of his legal practice. It remains to be seen how many prisoners benefit from the verdict, he added.

NEWS

03

PmL-Q isn’t govt’s ally anymore, claims fazl Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Falzur Rehman on Sunday said that PML-Q is no longer an ally of the incumbent PTI government. Speaking to a local news outlet, he said that PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi was convinced with his party’s stance after their meeting. Denying speculations of a deal between the government and his party, he said that when Elahi said that the sit-in ended after both sides reached an ‘understanding’, he spoke from his own point of view. "No deal between us and the government was reached either through Elahi or someone else,” he added. Responding to a question, he said that he will not end the antigovernment drive until Prime Minister Imran Khan resigns. “He will not be the prime minister by next year. I cannot tell you how that will happen but we are determined to protest until we get his resignation,” he added.

The JUI-F chief also rejected the notion that his sit-in had failed. He said that under the Plan B, more pressure would be exerted on the government. “Instead of containing the sit-in in one place, we have moved it to several areas across the country,” he concluded. NEWS DESK

court’s order on Nawaz’s plea ‘vindicates’ govt’s stance: firdous ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcast Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that order of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in connection with Nawaz Sharif’s name in Exit Control List (ECL) proved that government stance was based on principles and law. The SAPM in her Tweet said that the LHC decision reinforced the government stance 80 percent over the issue as the conditions imposed by the government did not reject by the court but only suspended to decide in January. APP

sarfaraz can make a comeback with strong domestic performance: Pm ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday spoke in praise of former Pakistan cricket team captain Sarfaraz Ahmed saying that he can make a comeback in the team by performing well in domestic cricket.The prime minister, besides praising Sarfraz Ahmed also welcomed the appointment of Misbahul Haq as head coach of the Pakistan Cricket team.“Misbah has the ability to coach players. Sarfaraz is a good cricketer, he should perform in domestic cricket and make a comeback into the team,” he said. PM Imran Khan has taken a two-day break from his official duties and party engagements to spend time with family and close friends. It may be noted that the PCB in October had removed Sarfaraz Ahmed as skipper in the Test and Twenty20 formats due to a drop in his overall form. STAFF REPORT

Gwadar Free Zone: Pakistan assures 23 years tax exemption to China Pakistan has assured China for providing Sales Tax exemption for 23 years and other tax exemptions on equipment and material purchased locally for industrial units established in the Gwadar Free Zone. According to official documents, Pakistan and China appreciated the progress of the construction of the Initial Zone of Gwadar Free Zone offered for luring business attraction. Both the sides agreed that further efforts are needed for business attraction explicitly stipulating sales tax exemption for 23 years and tax exemption on equipment and materials purchased in Pakistan locally.

Pakistan and China also agreed that active efforts such as local tax breaks in Balochistan province and the

provision of fiber optic communication by the Pakistani side are needed to address the development hurdles of the Gwadar Port and the Free Zone.

Pakistan would offer the concessions in a piece of legislation to be tabled before the Parliament for promulgation into an act. Both the sides agreed to the need of fast execution of Gwadar infrastructure and assistance projects including the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA), Gwadar Vocational and Training Centre, expansion of China-Pakistan Government Faqeer Colony Middle School and construction of the Pak-China Friendship Hospital and Eastbay Expressway. To advance the integrated development of Gwadar Port and the

CMYK

Gwadar region, both the sides expressed satisfaction on the progress of Gwadar Free Zone development.

The Phase-I of Gwadar Free Zone had been completed and all plots have already been leased out to more than 30 Pakistani and Chinese investors registered in the Free Zone.

The annual Gwadar Expo, Gwadar Marble and Mineral Exhibition and other business events have been promoting Gwadar as an emerging regional economic hub of Pakistan. The Ministry of Commerce and Federal Board of Revenue confirmed the condition of Gwadar Port as a capable entrepot of transshipment to Afghanistan in official letters and have sent management teams to the

Gwadar Port. Both sides agreed to give continued priority and active advancement to the development of the Gwadar Port. The last JCC appreciated the efforts of the both sides for finalization of the Gwadar Master Plan report submitted by the Fourth Harbor Engineering and Design Institute of CCCC (China Communication Construction Company). The JCC appreciated that the construction of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) officially started on Oct 31, 2019 and the timelines of milestones will be ensured. The ground-laying ceremony of the 300MW coal-fired power plant was held on Nov. 4, 2019 to relieve power shortage in the Gwadar region. NEWS DESK

04 LAHORE

Monday, 18 November, 2019

WEATHER UPDATES 0 MONDAY

26 C

110C

TUESDAY

260C

110C

WEDNESDAY

240C

120C

THURSDAY

230C

140C

eight universities being established in Punjab: buzdar Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that eight universities are being established in different cities. In a message on International Day of Students, he said the provision of quality and modern education to students is a basic responsibility of the state.

He said that students play a key role in achieving the goal of development in a country. The Chief Minister said Pakistani students are bringing laurels to the country with their intellect and wisdom at the international level. Punjab Health Minister, Dr. Yasmin Rashid in her message said Prime Minister Imran Khan is fully committed to introducing the high standard and uniform system of education in the country. She underlined the need for providing equal opportunities of advancement to boys and girls in educational institutions. NEWS DESK

LAHORE: A donkey suspends in the air after its owner overload the cart with hides. Animals, especially the beast of burdens, are often abused by their owners who put excessive weight on these animals without any regard for their wellbeing. PPI

govT swings inTo aCTion afTer sTray sTring kills man CM ORDERS LAHORE POLICE TO SUBMIT REPORT, SAYS COPS WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IN CASE OF KITE BAN VIOLATION LAHORE

P

STAFF REPORT

UNJAB Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed authorities concerned to crack down on kite sellers amid after a stray kite string claimed the life of a 40-year-old man in the provincial capital.

It may be noted here that the number of people dying due to kite-related incidents has witnessed an increase due to repeated violations of the ban on kite flying and related activities. As per the

ban, kite flying and selling can lead up to three years imprisonment in addition to fines.

In Lahore, at least three people have lost their lives in Oct after coming into contact with a stray string. Meanwhile, the incident of kite-related deaths were also reported in other cases.

Taking note of the death of a 40year-old man, CM Buzdar on Sunday ordered the Lahore CCPO to submit an immediate report on the matter.

Acting on the chief minister’s orders, the Deputy Inspector General

(DIG) dismissed SHO Mudassar Ullah and ordered SSP Mughalpura to complete investigations into the incident and submit a report on the matter. Buzdar said that local police would be held responsible wherever people were

Those looking for ‘in-house change’ will be dissappointed, says Sarwar LAHORE INP

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) leaders Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi were dependable allies of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and offered a

pillar of support to the government.

He said that difference of opinion among allies does not mean that the government is in danger, Talking to media after inaugurating a water filtration plant in Izmir Town, Lahore on Sunday, the Punjab Governor said that everyone must remember that people have given us a mandate for five years

and all government institutions including the army are on the same page for the country’s development and stability.

He said that he respects the verdict of the Lahore High Court (LHC) which he believes is a win-win situation for both the government and the opposition. Governor Sarwar said that the federal cabinet allowed former prime

found to be violating the ban on kiteflying.

Meanwhile, police have arrested three kite sellers and seized over 300 kites and dozens of string rolls from their possession.

minister Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad for treatment on humanitarian grounds.

He said that the former premier was provided all medical facilities in Pakistan and that the government would not create any hindrance in Nawaz Sharif traveling for medical treatment.

He said that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leadership has submitted written surety in LHC for Sharif’s return as “we want to see Nawaz Sharif back in Pakistan after his recovery”.

He further said that all those looking for an “In house change” will be disappointed.

Creating best medical facilities for patients at all govt hospitals: minister GUJRAT: Punjab Health Minister Punjab Dr Yasmeen Rashid has said that we are creating opportunities of best medical facilities for the patients in all government hospitals. The Health Minister was speaking during her surprise visit to THQ Hospital Kharian. She reviewed medical facilities provided to the patients in the hospital, visited different wards of the hospital and inquired about the admitted patients. Medical Superintendent THQ Hospital Kharian briefed the minister about medical facilities being provided to the patients. Dr Yasmeen Rashid said that hospitals of eight mega cities of Punjab have been upgraded under Prime Minister Health Initiatives. She further said that cleanliness and medicine in the government hospitals being monitored properly. Vacancies of doctors in DHQs and THQs hospitals are being filled by the department, she added. INP

Two broThers among Three killed in sialkoT firing SIALKOT: Two brothers among three people were killed in firing of unidentified armed men here early Sunday morning, police said. According to details, unknown miscreants sprayed bullets at three people in Feroz Ke Nagra area of Pasrur in district Sialkot. As a result of firing, two real brothers Akmal Shehzad, 35, Imran, 32, and their employee Muhammad Javed, 42, were killed on the spot. The attackers fled the scene after committing triple murder and the bodies were shifted to hospital for postmortem. Reasons behind the killings could not be ascertained. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Gujranwala, Tariq Abbas Qureshi taking notice of the incident has directed DPO Sialkot to arrest the culprits. A case was registered into the incident and police teams have constituted under the supervision of DPO Sialkot to trace and arrest the murderers. INP

Mubarak Haveli: A symbol of glorious past spanning over centuries LAHORE APP

Mubarak Haveli, located inside Bhatti Gate, near Bazaar Hakeemaan Lohare, used to be the finest and oldest single family abode of Qazalbash family in central Punjab. The Haveli was built around 1863 by Nawab Ali Raza who was herbal doctor (hakeem) by profession. He also contributed immensely to business and cultural values of history.

Walking through narrow alleyways, a large, wooden and green front gate of Mubarak Haveli approaches, from where; a tapered corridor with whitewashed brick walls leads to the inner courtyard. The floor of the courtyard is covered with rectangular stone tiles.

On the other side, the courtyard opens into a heavily incensed living area. The walls are painted brick red. The top floor had wooden arches while the

ground floor had vaulted wooden windows.

Green ivies and bushy shrubs dangled on the red wall. This part leads to a huge open area with white marble walls and lofty arches, with a small square clean water pond having lampposts around it. It had black alams lining the wall on one side, and a four feet silver ta’zia with intricate engravings.

The construction of the Haveli was followed by the will of three brothers: Nadar Ali, Bahar Ali and Bahadur Ali. It was named after the son of Bahadur.

The family remained as a single unit till the time of Nawab Sahib, however, later on it was divided into two units: Fakir Family and Syed Family.

The ‘Fakir Family’ being nearest to Darbar of Mughal also remained in power but the other half of the family has faced crucial times. Moreover, the history of the Haveli is also sometimes linked with Kohe-Noor. The architectural design of haveli also resembles to the art and culture of Mughals as La-

hore is one of those sub-continental cities which had most of the Mughals in it. The wide and long courtyards wooden doors and pillars make manifestation of the glory of past. The kankar lime stone works reflects the dedication and versatility of Mughals and Sikhs affection for art and traditional culture. Shah Shuja Durrani of Afghanistan had to flee his home and came to Maharajah Ranjit Singh's court for help in 1813. The Maharajah kept the deposed king in this Haveli under house arrest and forcefully took the Kohinoor diamond and other crown jewels from Durrani. The Afghan king had to escape in disguise with his family to save his life.

After British overthrew the Mughals, the Haveli was returned rightfully to the Qazalbash family in 1927 and still its look-over by his grandsons. A major portion of the Haveli was restored from the west side which was damaged earlier when the haveli was left empty for a decade. Talking to APP, a shop owner,

Khurram at Bhatti Gate said that all these sites represent 1000 years history of Lahore. He said that the Haveli also represent the amalgamation of different traditions which lie within the walls of Lahore. Pakistan is lucky enough that it had a privilege of having seen the glorious past, he added.

Monday, 18 November, 2019

NEWS

AJK can be turned into engine of growth, productivity for region: Sardar Masood

Jadhav is the face of indian terrorism, says fo ISLAMABAD

KOTLI INP

President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan has said that the state government has sharply focused on good governance, rule of law and access to justice in order to transform the liberated territory into one of the most developed regions. In a message read out at the conference titled "International Conference on Modern Trends in Social and Management Research" organized by University of Kotli here on Sunday, Sardar Masood said that the state government was heavily and rapidly investing in infrastructure development, hydro-power generation, quality education, universal access to health, tourism, industry and agriculture.He said that it was our ambition to transform Azad Kashmir into an engine of growth and productivity for Pakistan and the entire region. The President said Azad Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places in the world. "It is part of the paradise on earth and Kotli is a nugget of a city nestled in the valleys and mountains," he added. Sardar Masood said that Azad Kashmir has rich geographical landscapes. Snowcapped mountains, glaciers, rivers, natural springs, valleys and forests, flora and fauna and biodiversity – enrich and adorn our land. But, he maintained that the most precious asset we have is our people – strong, sturdy, resolute and talented.

They are scaling new educational heights in the five public sector universities, scores of postgraduate colleges and a vast network of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

We have the highest educational score in the whole of Pakistan, he added. The AJK president said that he was impressed by the wide range of themes of the conference encompassing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), sustainable development, e-commerce, marketing, micro-financing, banking, eco-tourism and hospitality in the liberated territory. Sardar Masood Khan said that the Azad Kashmir universities have also started teaching new technologies such as machine learning, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, Big Data and biotechnology. These technologies would help us attain leap-frog development and become part of the regional and international supply chains. Addressing the students, the AJK president said that they were the architects of the future of Pakistan and the liberated territory. Therefore, they should build on and expand the knowledge they gather from this conference and play their part in making this world peaceful, secure and prosperous. The conference was attended by delegates from all over the world including key speakers Patrick Hanks, Professor of Lexicography, UK, Ms Catherine, Enviro- Activist, South Africa, and Paul Hildebrand from Germany. Earlier, Vice Chancellor the University of Kotli Dilnawaz Gardezi welcomed the delegates.

05

P

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN on Sunday rejected the remarks made by the Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) in an interview with a French newspaper and other media outlets in which he alleged that Pakistan had built an “industry of terror”.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Foreign Office (FO) termed “this outburst” as a reflection of India’s “well-known smear campaign against Pakistan.”

“It is deplorable that to further the RSS-BJP extremist ideological and nationalistic agenda, and to divert global attention from the gory reality in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), senior Indian officials continue to manufacture ‘facts’ both with regard to the issue of terrorism and the situation in IOK. If anything, Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav is the face of India’s ‘export’ of terrorism to

Pakistan,” the statement read.

“Similarly, India’s frustration is evident from the fact that despite its relentless state-terrorism in IOK for decades, it has failed to muzzle the peaceful voices of the Kashmiri people and their demand for self-determina-

tion, promised to them in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” the statement added.

Pakistan also said that India continues to be the safe haven for those preaching hate and carrying out hate crimes, including against its own mi-

norities, with impunity and indeed under state patronage.

Regarding the minister’s farcical claim that the “situation is back to normal” in IOK, FO asked why this ‘normalcy’ is not visible to the outside world. “For India, there is no escape from the reality that its state-sponsored repression cannot break the will and indomitable spirit of the Kashmiri people. India would be well-advised to move away from its obsession with Pakistan and also from its continued denial of reality,” the statement further said.

The FO said that Pakistan, for its part, would continue to highlight the plight of the people of IOK and reiterate its call for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

“As a country that has suffered the most from cross-border terrorism, Pakistan would continue to contribute constructively to regional and global efforts to promote peace and prosperity in the region and beyond,” the statement concluded.

Pak Tea House: A place graced by legends of literature LAHORE APP

The cafe of ‘Pak Tea House’, built in 1948, had been in the limelight since its inception as a place often graced by the cluster of renowned legends of literature for sharing their insight on creative and literary works at one place.

Lahore has established its credentials as a creative capital by securing a place on the list of cities that has been designated as ‘UNESCO Creative Cities of 2019’. The city, long known for its culture, is among the 66 cities on the list for 2019 as ‘City of Literature’.

The House has remained instrumental in brain storming of the literary figures like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Saghar Saddique and many more — old and young budding stars who had their thirst in literature and artistic activities.

In the heart of Anarkali, near Neela Gombat, there lies one of the oldest buildings where many linguists, literary figures and social sci-

entists hangout with each other to hold scholarly discussion on ideas and make in-depth analysis of books, literary figures, movements and events on a cup of tea.

Ishfaq Ahmed once mentioned ‘Pak Tea House’ as the home for literature art and cultural studies for the people of Lahore. The two stories building narrate the stories of the mind that were once the talk of the town and are still alive amongst thousands of their followers.

Amongst other monumental and historical structures in Lahore, Pak Tea House has its own especial appearance and position especially within those circles of people who love to explore history. Literature students and lovers from all over the country give a must visit to the place when they come to Lahore.

One of the attractive things of the café is its furniture, which even today gives the same look. The visitors feel the privilege to sit on the seats which were once dragged from

the table by Shorash Kashmiri.

Lahore is among one of those few cities of the country which had been able to continue its decades-old culture of mushairas due to places like ‘Pak Tea House’. It is the time to listen to the ongoing discourses in other cities too (big and small) to create a culture of exchange of ideas and a space for intercultural communication.

The place still remains packed with doctors, students and lawyers due to nearby buildings of Lahore High Court, King Edwards Medical College and Meo Hospital.

The students often take keen interest in literary atmosphere of the building while enjoying sipping tea from their mugs.

Talking to APP, Advocate M. Hamza said, “The place stands for decades’ old history of literary activities which fascinates visitors from around the country. He said that every inch of the café opens new chapters of history while explaining the legacy of rich minds of the liter-

ary figures that used to consider it as their second home.

Another visitor Ghulam Rasool said that the place is still known for the market talkies as it tells about the updates of the town with its own decency. Keeping the glory and history of the café, the local government of Lahore looks after the building after it’s reopening by the then Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef in 2013 after little renovation.

Ali Sher, table manager of the café, said that that the traditions of arranging weekly Mushaira in the café is still conducted with its values.

Poets and literate people from all over the country participate in the Mushaira and pay tribute to the literary legends.

A medical student of KE Medical College, Dr Aisha, said that ‘Pak Tea House’ due to its reasonable prices, is one of the favorite socializing places for students. She said there was a peaceful aroma within these walls that attracts people towards itself.

Only losers resign because of protests CITY NOTES M A NIAZI

B

OLIVIAN President Evo Morales proved that he is an idiot, a lamebrain and a loser.

Imagine, he resigned just because there were protests against him. Just look at our own Imran Khan. Maulana Fazlur Rehman led an Azadi March against him to Islamabad, but catch our Imran resigning. Morales had to resign because of election irregularities last month. And Fazl said that he was demanding electoral reforms which would stop any government from being selected but our Imran is not so weak minded as to cave in.

If Morales had followed Imran’s example, nothing would have happened. After all, Fazl had to back down, and switch to Plan B. And look at Saad Hariri, who was too weak to be PM, because he resigned as the prime minister of Lebanon after protests there over the economic situation. Look, can you think of any government of Pakistan which would have survived a look at the economy? During the recent protests too, the economy was an issue. Did Imran resign? He did not even show a sign.

Another Arab country Imran did not learn from was Iraq. The government there has not been able to face down protests there even though 319 people

have been killed by law enforcing agencies since the protests began last month. I wonder whether Fazl approves. I wonder whether he could concentrate, because though the negotiator was changed from Pervez Khattak to Chaudhry Shujat Hussain. Fazl spent all the time waiting for him to say, “Maulana, aao, roti shoti khao”, but apparently he did not. So he left Islamabad in dudgeon. And all of those workers left hurriedly in search of a john.

I suppose Imran too was not paying atten-

tion. After all, he was busy inaugurating the Kartarpur Corridor, which was rewarded by the Babri Mosque decision. Was the Indian Supreme Court (SC) replying to the Kartarpur decision, or was it supporting Modi’s decision to end Kashmir’s special status?

Anyway, the Kartarpur inauguration took place on Iqbal Day and that was succeeded this year by Eid Miladun Nabi. And the day after that was Armistice Day. We do not mark it, but it does mean the end of World War I. True, I doubt if any veterans are still there. Indeed, World War II veterans would be few and far between. And while vets of the 1948 war are still alive, none of the 1965 or 1971 veterans are still in service.

Eid Miladun Nabi fell on a Sunday, depriving the little ones of a holiday. The government also resisted the temptation of having Monday off, and converting the weekend into a long one. The kiddies had to rely on the smog for the holiday. In fact, it happened again, and the government ordered the Saturday off too. The government blames the East Punjab farmers burning the stubble in their fields. No one is blaming our farmers.

And those who blame diesel-burning vehicles are merely supporters of China, which has been propagating the idea of global warming as a conspiracy to stop America being great again.

Supporters of China have also prevailed in

CMYK

Australia, where a second round of bush fires are the result of a drought. These fires succeed the forest fires in California. Now that is definitely a conspiracy, just like the school shooting there, which is a conspiracy to make the gunrights’ advocates look bad.

Maybe we will not have as many conspiracies in Spain now, where the anti-immigrant Vox party has done so well. Here, we have a conspiracy against Imran Khan, shown in Nawaz Sharif getting to go abroad on the excuse of illness.

The government tried to get him to sign a bond to get his name off the Exit Control List (ECL), but the real event of which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters have been deprived is Imran Khan suddenly turning up at Kot Lakhpat Jail, going straight to Mian Nawaz’s cell, flinging him to the ground, and kicking him. Or at least getting some money out of him.

That’s what Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman did remember, when he detained a number of Saudi royals, ministers, businessmen and clerics back in October 2017, and put them up at a hotel in Riyadh, refusing to let them go until they paid a lot of money. Who says Imran does not learn from Arabs? And remember, those arrested in Saudi Arabia were arrested for corruption. I wonder how come Imran did not stage a sit-in in front of the hotel where the corrupt elements were being kept.

Monday, 18 November, 2019

06 WORLD VIEW

Why Venice is disappearing FLOODING IN THE HISTORIC CITY IS ABOUT MORE THAN CLIMATE CHANGE — BAD ENGINEERING AND CORRUPTION ARE ALSO TO BLAME

ROllIng StOne

O

JeFF GoodeLL

N Tuesday night, as epic floodwaters were rising in Venice, Italy, members of the Veneto regional council gathered in their chambers on Venice’s Grand Canal and, incredibly enough, voted to reject measures to battle climate change. Within two minutes, according to council member Andrea Zanoni, water started pouring in, flooding the chambers with several feet of murky lagoon water.

Coincidence? Maybe. But it almost makes you believe there is a god, and she is laughing hysterically at how foolish humans can be in the face of the climate crisis.

What’s happened in Venice this week, however, is no joke. High winds in the Adriatic Sea drove six feet of water into the city, causing the worst flooding the city has seen in more than 50 years.

Tourists took selfies in San Mark’s Basilica in waist-deep water (one man swam across St. Mark’s Square – likely the first, but surely not the last, person ever to do that). Eighty-five percent of the city

flooded; at least two deaths were reported. The floodwaters did incalculable damage to the foundations and structural integrity of the 1,000-year-old city’s most iconic buildings, including St. Mark’s Basilica. “These are the effects of climate change,” Venice mayor Luigi Burganaro said as he waded through the flooded city.

But the tragedy of Venice is about more than climate change and the power of rising seas. It’s about how bad engineering, combined with greed and incompetence, can make the climate crisis we are facing so much worse.

Venetians, of course, have been dealing with flooding for centuries. The city, which is located in a shallow lagoon at the edge of the Adriatic, was protected from storms by marshy barrier islands called “barene.” As far back as the 12th century, Venetians have been managing the tidal flows into and out of the lagoon by blocking rivers and building up the barrier islands to protect the city. When they built new buildings, they often built them on top of the pillars and foundations of older buildings, which had the effect of gradually raising the city.

But things started changing in the 1960s, with the excavation of the Canale dei Petroli, a channel that was dredged to allow oil tankers to reach Porto Marghera, a deep-water port on the mainland near Venice. The shipping channels changed the tidal dynamics of the lagoon, allowing

storm surges from the Adriatic to penetrate deeper and faster into the city. They also hastened erosion of the lagoon, which has widened the inlet into the sea, further increasing the risk of tidal surges.

In recent years, the channels have been further deepened and expanded to accommodate cruise ships, which have transformed the romantic city of Titian and Giorgione into a kitsch-filled tourist trap.

And like many coastal cities, the pumping of groundwater for drinking water and industrial use caused the city to sink in recent decades, which did not help.

When I visited Venice to do some reporting for my book The Water Will Come, about sea-level rise, I spoke with Pierpaolo Campostrini, an expert in the restoration and preservation of Venice, who told me the groundwater pumping had stopped and sinking was no longer a problem.

In the past, Campostrini told me, Venice had no trouble dealing with rising seas. “We just kept building the city higher. The palazzo we are sitting in today was built in the 15th century, but there’s a 13th-century palazzo beneath this. And beneath that, who knows? They were not sentimental about the past. They did not worry about preserving old buildings.

They just built new ones on top of the old ones. And the city kept rising. But of course we can’t do that anymore. Now, there are cultural constraints. We don’t want to lose the beautiful Renaissance ar-

The appalling abuse of women and girls brave enough to speak out is nothing new

Independent Yvette Cooper

When good people are choosing not to stand again for parliament because of the poisonous state of politics, something is going badly wrong.

And this isn’t just about politics. Women journalists, scientists, sports stars, celebrities, royals and local neighbourhood activists often find themselves targeted with threats, abuse or organised trolling.

Racism and homophobia make it worse.

Even five years ago, I could not have imagined any of this happening. I could never have imagined losing a friend and colleague to violence, as we did when Jo Cox was killed. Nor would I have dreamed that fellow human beings I have never met would call for me to be beaten, shot or strung up because they didn’t like something I’d said.

The frustrating thing is that those of us out on the doorstep campaigning in the election know most people are as friendly and chatty as ever. Most of us care about and respect each other whatever our political differences. But a nasty and sometimes dangerous minority can poison democracy and public life for everyone. We can’t let them. It’s time to start fighting back and drawing inspiration from the women who have done so before us.

Three years ago I started collecting the speeches and stories of women across the world and through the ages who have taken to public platforms and often faced a backlash for doing so. Most anthologies of speeches are full of men, yet for centuries, brave and bold women have used their voices to rally communities and crowds, to persuade, to teach and to inspire change. Too often those speeches and the strength of the women who gave them has been overlooked.

This week some of those speeches and stories are being published – from warrior queens to world leaders, teenagers to pensioners, celebrities to local community champions. Some of them are well known – Boudica, Emmeline Pankhurst, Michelle Obama, and of course Julia Gillard’s fantastic tirade against mi-

sogyny in the Australian Parliament.

Others are much less so. In 1968, at the time of the Ford Dagenham women’s strike, Irish trade unionist Joan O’Connell made a fantastic speech to the TUC conference on equal pay. It’s the inspiration for a scene in the film Made in Dagenham. The remarkable thing is that today, on Equal Pay Day more than half a century later, many of Joan’s arguments are as powerful and as relevant as ever.

As I searched for different speeches, I came across wonderful, inspiring stories which show how words can change minds and change lives. But I was shocked by how many of the women I’d found from across the globe and across the centuries who had made great speeches had also faced serious threats, abuse or violence for speaking out.

Boudica was attacked and her daughters raped because she dared to speak up against Roman authority. Josephine Butler, the Victorian campaigner for women’s rights, had to escape from a window when the barn she was speaking in was set on fire.

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s first woman prime minister, who spoke out powerfully on women’s equality in Islam was assassinated by the Taliban.

Decades later they also shot Malala Yousafzai in the head when she spoke up for girls’ education.

Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist, was brutally beaten by the police for her peaceful activism. Teenage climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has been the target of fierce online abuse.

The backlash against women who speak out isn’t new – even though social media has given it different form and shape. But nor, thankfully is the bravery of strong women who persist and overcome: Butler eventually changed the law on prostitution and child abuse; Maathai built a green movement; Malala’s foundation is now supporting girl’s education across the world.

Thunberg, of course, has inspired a new generation of climate campaigners all across the world.

These women’s speeches and stories should be the inspiration to push back against the rising tide of misogyny and hate. Because now there are more of us who are willing to speak out. And there will be more still. We need women and men to stand firm together against each new wave of abuse, because the most inspiring message of all from the women who have spoken out before, is their determination and their optimism for a better future.

Yvette Cooper is the Labour candidate for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford in the general election. She was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997. She is the author of ‘She Speaks: The Power of Women’s Voices’, published by Atlantic Books.

chitecture we have here. Knocking it down and building on top of it is not an option.

We have to find another way to save it.”

In 2003, a consortium of engineering and construction firms was formed to build a series of barriers at the entrance to the lagoon to protect the city. MOSE, as it is called (the acronym, which comes from Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, is deliberately meant to invoke Moses, the Biblical parter of the sea) is a highly-engineered series of barriers designed to rest at the bottom of the lagoon. When a storm surge comes in, the barriers are supposed to inflate with air and rise up and create a temporary wall to protect the city.

MOSE was intended to be a technological marvel, an ambitious engineering project that would showcase the ability of forward-thinking engineers and politicians to save one of the gems of human civilization. At one conference I attended in Venice a few years ago, Pier Vellinga, a climatologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, called MOSE “a Ferrari on the sea floor.” It wasn’t clear whether he meant that as a compliment.

Engineering-wise, MOSE has been a debacle. Underwater casings have eroded from corrosion, and there has been an infestation of mussels in the hinges. In tests, the bulkheads don’t rise out of the water as they are supposed to. Underwater drone images show that the floodgates are

already corroded. Italian journalist Roberto Giovanni calls MOSE’s engineering flaws “an anthology of horrors.”

The project has also been plagued by corruption and cost overruns. In 2014, 35 politicians, entrepreneurs, and civil servants were arrested on various corruption and bribery-related charges, including the former regional president Giancarlo Galan. Not surprisingly, the cost of the barrier system ballooned from $1.7 billion to more than $6 billion.

It was scheduled to be completed in 2011. Now, due to all the design and engineering problems, it won’t be operational until at least 2022.

But the biggest problem with MOSE is that the barriers were planned for a world that no longer exists. For one thing, even as sea levels rise, the locks will have to be closed more and more frequently.

And that is a problem, because the lagoon needs continuous exchange with the sea, otherwise it degenerates to a sewer (most septic systems in Venice dump right into the lagoon). Worse, the barrier was only engineered to protect the city from about two feet of sea level rise, which some scientists believe could happen as early as 2050. After that, the $6 billion dollar Ferrari on the sea floor will be useless. If it ever works at all, that is.

Venice’s future is not pretty. After this week’s floods, there will likely be renewed efforts to engineer temporary fixes, such as water-tight barriers to keep water from rising up beneath some of the city’s architectural gems. There are plans to elevate Piazza San Marco a few feet.

But in the long run, the only way to save Venice may be to permanently wall it off from the lagoon. That will kill life in the lagoon and turn the city into a Disneyland-like theme park entirely cut off from nature. It’s a sad fate for a glorious and historic place like Venice, but that’s what we’re doing to our world.

Desertification is devouring India APPROXIMATELY 25PC OF LAND AREA IS UNDERGOING DESERTIFICATION

Ozy rishika pardikar

In monsoon season, farmers in Maharashtra’s Dhule district are torn between hoping for a downpour and dreading it. The barren area needs water — but as the already dry ground becomes increasingly degraded, rainwater could erode the shallow topsoil that remains and destroy the few plants still able to grow there.

Almost 45 percent of Maharashtra’s land area is turning into a desert, as is a huge chunk of India.

Land degradation — the process by which land loses its productivity and ability to support plant life — is normally caused by climate change, human activity or a combination of the two. When land in dry areas degrades, that’s desertification — and desertification’s pace has intensified. It’s now happening at as much as 35 times the historical rate, according to the United Nations.

That’s more than 204 million acres, concentrated in the country’s west. An estimate last year found that land degradation alone cost India over 2 percent of its gross domestic product. According to the U.N., 50 million people across the world are at risk of being displaced in the next decade due to desertification. According to a special report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in August, desertification has affected the living area of approximately 500 million people since the 1980s.

In September, the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification held its biennial meeting in Noida, India, where world leaders and international organizations discussed how to combat desertification, land degradation and drought. At that meeting, members advocated restoring degraded lands via a global movement.

The most immediate answers, though, may lie in traditional knowledge. In India, some struggling with the impact of desertification are looking to the Thar Desert between India and Pakistan. With 133 residents per square mile, it’s the most populous desert in the world. Temperatures can hit 122 degrees Fahrenheit, and winds gust at more than 35 miles per hour. The driest parts of the region receive less than 6 inches of rain per year.

Located on the edge of the desert is the village of Laporiya, home to 2,500 people who support themselves via a mix of farming and livestock

herding. Over the past three decades, Laporiya has become renowned for rainwater harvesting practices that allow villagers to survive on just 10 to 20 inches of rainwater a year.

“During 1977, there were severe droughts, and this is when we started holding discussions with people in the area. There were about 20 of us, and as the first step, we began restoring the ponds in the area,” says Laxman Singh, head of the Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal Laporiya, a nongovernmental organization focused on natural resource management in Rajasthan’s rural communities since the 1980s.

The community restored old ponds and built new ones by identifying land supported by underground stones and digging catchment areas. The ponds were then categorized according to use: Two were for groundwater recharge, one was for irrigating fields. Villagers built canals and embankments to capture the meagre rainfall and channel it into the ponds. In some cases, trees were planted near the ponds to support the soil and also to provide shade for the villagers.

Rectangular plots of lands called chaukas store water during monsoon season. Approximately 200 feet by 430 feet, the chaukas are arranged in a zigzag pattern across a section of common land.

Chaukas are especially important for capturing runoff and storing it for usage during dry periods.

“During monsoons, the ponds filled up, the local environment improved because groundwater was getting recharged and people could also irrigate their fields,” Singh says.

Following the success of the chauka system in Laporiya, 8,000 people across 58 nearby villages implemented similar systems.

“Traditionally, water was an issue that communities would solve by themselves,” says Maulik Sisodia, executive director of Tarun Bharat Sangh, an organization that works to empower self-governance models at the local level across villages in India. “Rainwater conservation is the best solution for climate change adaption and mitigation.”

It’s not just about adaptation: Such techniques could potentially reverse land degradation. Experts say the restoration of degraded land is most dependent on conserving water and reforesting areas where appropriate. While Rajasthan has the highest percentage of land degradation of any Indian state, it was also one of just four states to reduce the percentage of land affected between 2003 and 2013.

“These are time-tested, community-driven solutions,” Sisodia says, “which fulfill the needs of both the community and the earth.”

Monday, 18 November, 2019

FOREIGN NEWS 07

iran leader backs PeTrol Price hike ThaT sParked deadly unresT DUBAI

us, s korea postpone joint exercise criticised by north korea BANGKOK: The United States and South Korea on Sunday said they were postponing a joint military air exercise that North Korea has criticized as provocative. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his South Korean counterpart made the announcement in Bangkok, where they were attending an Asia defense ministers’ conference. Esper told reporters he did not consider the postponement a concession to North Korea. “We have made this decision as an act of goodwill to contribute to an environment conducive to diplomacy and the advancement of peace,” Esper said. As recently as Friday, when Esper was in Seoul to consult with South Korean officials, there was no word on postponing the military air exercise, which had been called Vigilant Ace. Seoul and Washington had scaled back the exercise recently and changed the name, but North Korea strongly objected, calling it evidence of a lack of interest in improving relations. The North has demanded accommodations before it will agree to resume nuclear negotiations. South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the exercise had been put off pending further consultations between Seoul and Washington. No new date has been set. “I see this as a good-faith effort by the United States and the Republic of Korea to enable peace … to facilitate a political agreement, a deal if you will, that leads to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Esper said. He said Seoul and Washington encourage North Korea “to demonstrate the same goodwill” as it considers decisions on its own military training, exercises and testing. He also urged the North to return to the negotiating table “without precondition or hesitation.” Esper said that even without the planned exercise of South Korean and American air forces, both militaries “will remain at a high state of readiness” for potential combat. The U.S. has about 28,000 troops in South Korea. AGENCIES

at least seven killed in gas explosion in bangladesh DHAKA: At least seven people were killed and eight injured on Sunday after a gas pipeline exploded in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong, a police official said. The pipeline exploded in front of a five-story building, blowing some of its walls off, Mohammad Mohsin said, citing witnesses. The injured were taken to hospital, he said, adding the death toll could rise as some were in critical condition. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, fire service official Amir Hossain said, adding an investigation was underway. AG E N C I E S

i

AGENCIES

RAN’S supreme leader supports the government’s decision to increase gasoline prices and says that those setting fire to public property during protests against the hikes are “bandits” backed by the enemies of Iran, the country’s state television reported Sunday.

The comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came a day after protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices by 50% had blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police. That came after a night of demonstrations punctuated by gunfire, in violence that reportedly killed at least one person.

The report quoted Khamenei as saying that those violent protesters were supported by counterrevolutionaries and Iran’s enemies abroad. Khamenei also acknowledged some were upset about the higher prices.

He urged security forces to “implement their tasks,” without elaborating.

Khamenei’s description of some protesters and his instructions to security forces suggest authorities may be preparing to quash the demonstrations that began on Friday and quickly spiraled out across the country.

The protests have put renewed pressure on Iran’s government as it struggles to overcome the U.S. sanctions strangling the country’s economy after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from

Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers over a year ago.

Though largely peaceful, the latest demonstrations devolved into violence in several instances, with online videos purporting to show police officers firing tear gas at protesters and mobs setting fires.

While representing a political risk for President Hassan Rouhani ahead of February parliamentary elections, they also show widespread anger among Iran’s 80 million people who have seen their savings evaporate amid scarce jobs and the collapse of the

national currency, the rial.

The demonstrations took place in over a dozen cities in the hours following Rouhani’s decision early Friday to cut gasoline subsidies to fund handouts for Iran’s poor. Gasoline in the country still remains among the cheapest in the world, with the new prices jumping up to a minimum of 15,000 rials per liter of gas — 50% up from the day before. That’s 13 cents a liter, or about 50 cents a gallon. A gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. costs $2.60 by comparison.

Tear gas, firebombs engulf Hong Kong university in new clash HONG KONG AGENCIES

Police fired tear gas at protesters holding out at Hong Kong Polytechnic University as overnight clashes resumed Sunday, and opposition lawmakers criticized the Chinese military for joining a cleanup to remove debris from streets. A large group of people arrived to try to clean up a debris-strewn roadway near the campus but were warned away by protesters.

Riot police lined up a few hundred meters (yards) away and shot several volleys of tear gas at the protesters, who sheltered behind a wall of umbrellas across an entire street.

The faceoff came hours after intense

overnight clashes in which the two sides exchanged tear gas and gasoline bombs that left fires blazing in the street. Many protesters retreated inside the Polytechnic campus, where they have barricaded entrances and set up narrow access control points.

Protesters, who occupied several major campuses for much of last week, have largely retreated, except for a contingent at Polytechnic. That group is also blocking access to the nearby Cross-Harbour Tunnel, one of the three main road tunnels that link Hong Kong Island with the rest of the city.

Elsewhere, workers and volunteers — including a group of Chinese soldiers who came out from their barracks — cleared

roads of debris Saturday as most of the protesters melted away. There were scattered incidents of protesters arguing and clashing with people clearing roadways, and in one instance, throwing a gasoline bomb near City University of Hong Kong.

Opposition lawmakers issued a statement criticizing the Chinese military for joining the cleanup. The military is allowed to help maintain public order, but only at the request of the Hong Kong government. Dozens of Chinese troops, dressed in black shorts and olive drab T-shirts, ran out in loose formation near Hong Kong Baptist University and picked up paving stones, rocks and other obstacles that had cluttered the street

UN rights chief warns Bolivia crisis could 'spin out of control' SUCRE AGENCIES

Four more people have died in protests in Bolivia, an international monitor reported Saturday, as the UN rights chief warned that excessive force by police could see unrest “spin out of control.”

Fierce clashes between security forces and supporters of exiled ex-president Evo Morales have rocked the country since Tuesday, when Senator Jeanine Anez declared herself the country’s interim leader.

Morales resigned and fled to Mexico after losing the support of Bolivia’s security forces following weeks of protests over his disputed re-election.

The latest toll takes the total number killed in the political crisis to 23, according to the Washington-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which also recorded 122 injured since Friday.

It raises to nine the number of people killed in clashes with security forces on Friday outside the central city of Cochabamba, a Morales political stronghold.

Thousands of coca growers had tried to reach the city to join a protest against Anez but they were blocked by riot police, who stopped them from crossing a bridge and dispersed the crowd after dark

with the support of the army.

Five protesters were initially reported dead in the confrontation. Interim cabinet chief Jerjes Justiniano was unable to confirm the higher toll when speaking to reporters on Saturday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet said those deaths appeared to have resulted from “disproportionate” force by police and the armed forces.

“This is an extremely dangerous de-

velopment as, far from quelling the violence, it is likely to make it much worse,” she added.

“I am really concerned that the situation in Bolivia could spin out of control if the authorities do not handle it sensi-

tively and in accordance with international norms and standards governing the use of force.”

Anez issued a decree on Thursday that authorized the military to participate in maintaining order and exempted the armed forces from criminal responsibility. Morales, 60, said on Twitter that the measure gave “carte blanche and impunity to massacre people.”

Unrest in Bolivia first erupted when Morales — the country’s first indigenous president — was accused of rigging the results of October 20 polls to gain re-election for a fourth term.

He eventually resigned and fled the country after losing the support of Bolivia’s security forces following weeks of protests, but said this week we was willing to return to bring peace to Bolivia.

But Anez said her predecessor would have to face charges if he returned, telling journalists that there were “many allegations of corruption” during his tenure.

Anez, the former deputy senate speaker, took over the top job to avoid a power vacuum — a move endorsed by the Constitutional Court.

Bachelet said Saturday that the country was “split and people on both sides of the political divide are extremely angry.”

Tensions had risen in the wake of “widespread arrests and detentions,” she added.

Monday, 18 November, 2019

08 COMMENT Things falling apart?

Nawaz’s exit revealed cracks in the coalition

T

he most prominent dissenter from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s hardline policy on sending ex-PM Nawaz Sharif abroad was PMLQ chief Ch Shujat hussain. The cracks created by the issue are best illustrated by the views of the man who was the chief government negotiator with Maulana Fazlur Rehman during the recent Azadi March. Though Ch Shujat was unable to bring the negotiations to a conclusion, not only is he an ally of great importance because cousin Pervez elahi is Punjab Speaker, but because his party is all-important for the PTI’s Punjab government. his view, that Mr Khan is receiving bad advice, indicates how strongly he feels that Mr Khan was ill-advised to demand a surety bond from Mian Nawaz. he is not the only ally to feel upset. The MQMPakistan has also chosen this juncture to say that it too is not satisfied. Perhaps most troublesome for the PTI is that both the PML-Q and the MQM-P have included economic performance in their separate critiques, which would indicate that both are worried by the way the economic team has been performing.

It is not just the economic team. There have been reports that NAB demanded that the surety bond be demanded. Apart from the fact of the impropriety of the executive taking on the judicial function of ensuring a suspect’s attendance, there is also the question of why an executive body should loom so large on Mr Khan’s horizon.

There are whispers of a Cabinet reshuffle being caused by all this, with the intention of purging the Cabinet of dissenting voices, particularly those who favoured a tough line with Mr Sharif. With the government having been in office for 15 months, this would be a second reshuffle. Mr Khan must have realised that the previous reshuffle has not worked, and the economy has not been fixed. It does seem that more change would merely unsettle the present combination.

The problem may well be that the PTI has not got people in Parliament who are up to the job of serving as ministers. Mr Khan must be realising by now that the country is more difficult to run than its cricket team.

Paedophile patronised Why did the KP government employ him?

T

hAT Sohail Ayaz was deported to Pakistan from the UK without anyone telling the Pakistani authorities of why he was deported is bad enough, but what seems beyond belief is that he was able to land a job with the KP government as a consultant on governance, and that too at a fat salary.

That he got the job indicates that he had a network, of relatives, friends or even fellow paedophiles, behind him. That he was left free to assault 30 minors, is evidence that the UK did not share the information of why he was deported, which was because of a conviction for paedophilia.

There is now splendid talk of creating a Sex Offenders Register, on which Mr Ayaz would have been placed if had existed, but that would not solve the problem of why there was no background check by the KP government before giving him a job. There should have been some exploration of the circumstances of his return from the UK. There are two main reasons for deportation, overstay and litigation. Litigation is very often shorthand for deportation after having served a jail sentence post conviction for a criminal offence. even if someone has been convicted of an offence, Pakistan should know, even if the convict is not a sex offender.

Why should Pakistan not know of pickpockets, cat burglars or bank robbers?

Another aspect of the affair is that of child pornography. Mr Ayaz was described by the judge who presided at his trial as ‘driven by powerful paedophiliac interests’, but was also thought to peddle paedophiliac videos. With scandals striking Pakistan (starting with the Kasur scandal of 2017), the country could develop an unfortunate reputation. No one wants Pakistan to replace the image of Terrorism Central with that of Kiddie Porn Capital; that is not quite the ‘soft image’ that anyone wants projected. Ayaz Sohail should serve as that example. The KP government should make sure there are no flaws in the investigation, and that the mentally sick find KP too hot to hold.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

I

Understanding the informal economy of Pakistan Measuring the sector accurately is essential

Dr Omer JaveD

T

he Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been actively taking steps, especially in the recent past, to increase documentation of the economy. Along with increasing the tax base in the country, this is basically to decrease the informal sector of the economy, which according to some estimates is at least one-third of the GDP (gross domestic product) of Pakistan. At the same time, as the formal sector grows, it will also allow government to better safeguard the rights of the labour– including better addressing the child labour issue– previously involved in the informal sector.

The importance of the informal sector is paramount in developing countries in general, basically due to its sheer size. It is therefore important to measure it in a better way, a message which has also been recently voiced by the managing director (MD) of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), Kristalina Georgieva at the beginning of the 7th IMF Statistical Forum. In that she underlined the importance of use of technology in better measuring informality, which generally is mostly concentrated in the agriculture and retail sectors.

Moreover, she pointed out that while the digitization of economies has provided more opportunity to involve informal employment, yet research indicates that ‘Poverty levels among people in informal employment are, on average, twice as high as that of people in formal employment... because of low productivity, low incomes, and limited access to government benefits’.

The IMF MD also highlighted the large involvement of women in the informal sector, where as per the ILO (International Labour Organization) ‘in developing economies, 92 percent of women workers are informally employed’, which is indeed a very high number, and points to the fact that women, more than men, are suffering from lack of safeguard of labour rights there. For example, in Pakistan, cottage industry appears to employ a lot of women in the informal sector, who in turn are therefore most affected by the lack of safeguards of labour rights, including the application of minimum wage.

That said, the information on labour market statistics in the informal sector is quite limited, and therefore requires better effort by individual governments and multilateral agencies like the IMF. The focus of the IMF’s forum towards this will indeed help in this regard. here, it may be pertinent to indicate the main methodologies with regard to measuring the informal economy, as outlined in the IMF’s May 2017 Sub-Saharan Africa’s ‘Regional economic Outlook: Restarting the engine Growth’ report. here, to measure the size of the informal economy, the most commonly used direct approaches ‘...rely on surveys and samples based on voluntary replies, or tax auditing and other compliance methods.

While providing great detail about the structure of the informal economy, the results are sensitive to the way the questionnaire is formulated and to respondents’ willingness to cooperate. Consequently, surveys are unlikely to capture all informal activities’.

Then there are the ‘indictor’ or indirect approaches, which measure from a macroeconomic perspective, whereby the first approach approximates the size of the informal economy through measuring the ‘discrepancy between national expenditure and income statistics’; with the approximation in calculation mainly creeping through the assumption that ‘all the components of the expenditure side are measured without error and constructed so that they are statistically independent from income factors’.

In the second indirect approach, the informal economy’s size is approximated through the ‘the discrepancy between the official and actual labor force’, yet the main weakness in this approach is the presence of other explanatory factors– like ‘business cycle, difficulty in finding a job, and education and retirement decisions’– for the downward fluctuation in the labour force participation rate (assuming total labour force participation is constant) other than that ‘...can be interpreted as an increase in the importance of the informal economy’.

Third is the ‘electricity approach’ whereby ‘...the difference between growth of electricity

consumption and growth of official GDP as a proxy for the growth of the informal economy’.

Yet disadvantages of this approach include ‘...(1) not all informal economy activities require a considerable amount of electricity (for example, personal services) or the use of other energy sources (for example, coal, gas), hence only part of the informal economy growth is captured; and (2) the electricity-overall GDP elasticity might vary significantly across countries and over time’.

Other indirect approaches include fourthly the ‘transaction approach’ and fifthly the ‘currency demand approach’, which may also be looked into for usefulness of measurement in the specific situation of an economy. The next approach in this regard, is the ‘multiple indicators-multiple cause (MIMIC) approach’. Although being quite exhaustive in nature, the approach nonetheless is not without criticism. here, explicitly considered are ‘...several causes as well as the multiple effects of the informal economy... [making use]... of the associations between the observable causes and the effects of an unobserved variable, in this case the informal economy, to estimate the variable itself. The estimated MIMIC coefficients allow us to determine only relative estimated sizes of the informal economy in a particular country over time.

In order to convert these measures into percent of GDP values we need to apply a benchmarking or calibration procedure’.

Given the above methods, extensive studies need to take place in Pakistan to understand the true extent of informal sectors; where all the above approaches are adopted to generate better statistics, and overall to reach greater clarity on the size and different aspects of this sector. here, the work being done at the 7th IMF Statistical Forum in this direction, also needs to be internalized for employing useful techniques in understanding the dynamics and size of the informal sector in the case of Pakistan.

Given the above methods, extensive studies need to take place in Pakistan to understand the true extent of informal sectors. Here, the work being done at the 7th IMF Statistical Forum also needs to be internalized for employing useful techniques in understanding the dynamics and size of the informal sector in the case of Pakistan

Dr Omer Javed holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund. He tweets @omerjaved

The problem of child marriages Need to take decisive action Saira Shahliani

T

he problem of child marriages continues unabated in many developing countries. Our country is also not immune to this issue. This is one of the causes of many socio-economic problems plaguing Pakistan such as overpopulation, high maternal and child mortality rates, stunting and wasting of children, and so on. In order to tackle this issue, it is time to increase the minimum marriageable age up to 18 years throughout Pakistan for both genders along with launching an awareness campaign in this regard.

People do not have adequate knowledge about the risks posed by early marriages. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a social gathering where I was questioned what early marriage is! This phenomenon intrigued me and I came to the conclusion that indeed it is the inadequate understanding of this issue of early child marriages which is predominantly responsible for the issue of early child marriages.

Additionally, lack of proper employment opportunities has also contributed in this regard. As the downtrodden sections of society are unable to afford education, health and other

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

such facilities, they deem it necessary to get their offspring married as soon as possible, mostly before their 18th birthday. One of the reasons is that they are not able to look after their children or even to properly feed them, and an easy way out is to get their daughters married at an early age. early marriages are also the cause of many medical complications. Stunting and wasting of children are the most threatening of them. Due to child marriages, unplanned pregnancies are prevalent, resultantly the expectant mother, as well as her child, does not have an adequate intake of the required nutrition, which leads to stunting and wasting amongst the children. As the first 1000 days of life for new-born children are the most important, if they will not be provided with the nutritious diet, there is a danger that they may suffer stunting and wasting. Increased maternal and child mortality rates are other perils with regard to child medical complications arising out of the marriages taking place before 18 years of age.

There is a need to curb this unchecked rise of child marriages throughout Pakistan. First and foremost, the existing laws pertaining to the child marriages should be amended and the minimum marriageable age for both the genders should be changed to 18 years. The Sindh Assembly has passed the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013 and fixed 18 years as the

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

minimum marriageable age for boys as well as girls. 16 years is fixed in other provinces as thr minimum marriageable age, so this should be amended by other assemblies following in the footsteps of the Sindh Assembly. Such a move may face resistance from orthodox religious leaders, but they should be convinced and taken on board in this step. Furthermore, the government and the civil society should take holistic steps for creating awareness against the child marriages so that the public may know about the risks of the early marriages.

It is time we realised the dangers of early child marriages and took comprehensive steps in this regard. Beginning from amending the existing laws and substituting 18 years as the minimum marriageable age and raising awareness can be game changers in eradication of the menace of early marriages. The role of ulema is indispensable in this respect, hence they should be motivated for playing their vital role.

If we do not realise this threat then we are bound to cause more damage to individuals, families and to the society at large. Thus, there is a need to check the child marriages at the earliest.

Saira Shahliani was a PPP member of the Sindh Assembly of Sindh and convener of the Sindh Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (201318).

She can be reached at: sayrashahliani@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Monday, 18 November, 2019

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Campaign against democracy TheRe is a systematic campaign in electronic media by few anchors and selected analysts who blame democracy for ills that afflict this country, thereby negating Quaid’s vision.

Pakistan was created through democratic constitutional struggle waged by politicians with calibre of Quaid-e-Azam and many others who rose up through political process and were not implanted by British Raj. It were men like Sikandar hayat, a bureaucrat on payroll of hM Government, serving as Member Reserve Bank of India, who was implanted by Raj to take over Unionist Party in Punjab after untimely death of Sir Fazal-i-hussain, a politician in his own right, on 29 June 1936. The British Raj excelled in “Divide and Rule” through intrigues using paid civil and uniformed bureaucracy as tools. They controlled both hindus and Muslim, through civil bureaucracy run by DC and Commissioners (There is no post of DC etc in UK), a uniformed security service to quell local population through intrigues and use of brute force such as Jallianwala brutality. It is unfortunate that MAJ vision of a modern democratic welfare was deliberately derailed, the Constitution delayed and country became hostage to vested interests. Quaid succeeded in the words of Wolpert - modify the map of world- creating a nation-state; but within a year of his death his vision was derailed. If Quaid’s democratic Pakistan was allowed to function, Kashmir would have been liberated in 1948 or latest by 1962, there would have been no military action in east Pakistan and this country would not have been engaged in proxy war under Zia. Pakistan would have emerged as an economically powerful state, with its people enjoying fruits of development instead of miseries that they face today.

MALIk TArIq ALI Lahore

A clever move

Jinnah’s ‘Purana Pakistan’

A look at how Nawaz was allowed to go abroad

SyeD KaSwar GarDezi

D

AYS after the Lahore high Court and the Islamabad high Court granted bail to Nawaz Sharif, the government found itself cornered to decide Nawaz’s fate concerning his removal from the exit Control List. Though according to the applicable law, it is the government’s prerogative to include or exclude the name of any individual from the eCL, Nawaz’s case was in the limelight and several factors were to be considered before an official decision could be made. It wasn’t an easy decision.

The government was in a fix as the decision would potentially have had a number of implications which could be problematic for the government in the future. If they decided not to remove his name and his health deteriorated, the government would have to face the backlash. Similarly, if they allowed him to fly abroad and he refused to return thereafter, the government would be the one facing the brunt of both the public as well as the courts from where Nawaz could have absconded. The political repercussions of their decision were also to be considered as the Maulana was on the war path simultaneously.

Nonetheless, the government came up with a brilliant idea to allow Nawaz to travel subject to a stringent condition which the entire country knows would never have been complied with.

Caving in to the demand of the government would amount to political suicide by the PML(N). Talks of a possible deal would have also gained traction. By imposing the condition, the government effectively shifted the onus from itself. As expected, the matter was taken to court to be reviewed judicially.

Once again, the name Sharif gained preferential treatment and a divisional bench of the LhC sat on Friday as well as Saturday. As a general rule, the divisional benches do not sit on Fridays and the entire Lahore high Court does not function on Saturdays. Irrespective of the ordinary provision of justice to the common man, the learned judges convened till Saturday evening and took up Nawaz Sharif’s matter. A day earlier, the maintainability of the petition was deliberated upon and subsequently the pe-

tition was maintained and adjourned for the next day. The name Sharif indeed carries some weight, in spite of whatever anybody might claim. Such treatment at the hands of the judiciary raises several eyebrows.

Senior members of the bar, whilst commenting off the record, severely criticized the mode and manner in which the proceedings commenced.

Not because relief was provided to Nawaz Sharif but solely because similar relief would never be provided to a common man, no matter how serious the circumstances might be. The judiciary in the recent months has provided extraordinary relief to the Sharif family, which remains unheard of as far as the common citizens of the country are concerned.

Ironically, it is the very same judiciary which the Sharif family itself criticized for being biased and having been purportedly influenced by outside forces. The independence and integrity of the very same judiciary has been admonished by the Sharif family and their supporters since the unveiling of the Panama saga.

Nevertheless, the PTI government made a clever move and tactfully avoided taking responsibility for any future eventuality that may or may not arise.

Following the court order on Saturday, even if Nawaz Sharif absconds, the government is not to blame. They would simply contend that the condition imposed by them could have made it difficult for Nawaz to abscond but it was the court’s decision following which he was allowed to leave hence, zero liability for the government. It is unexpected from the incumbent government to think of such a move, which is the reason why some reports claim it was the NAB’s idea to impose the indemnity condition.

Though several commentators opined that the government’s condition was inhumane and should not have been imposed, I beg to differ.

The condition was never meant to restrain Nawaz from leaving. All it hoped to achieve was a shifting of the burden from the government’s shoulders, which they successfully were able to do. Be it NAB’s idea or the government’s itself, the indemnity condition was surely a clever

move. The government blew hot and cold in the same breath and interestingly got away with it.

On one hand they allowed Nawaz to fly abroad, whereas at the same time imposing a condition they knew would never be complied.

The tarnished reputation of the government was saved from yet another embarrassment in the light of the court order allowing Nawaz to travel abroad. The turbulent tenure would have suffered a major setback if Nawaz in the future refused to return to Pakistan. It is now the courts which granted bail, suspended the sentence and allowed Nawaz to travel abroad.

As far as the government was concerned, it would have wanted to keep Nawaz within reach. No blame can now be attributed to the government in case of Nawaz’s failure to return.

At a time when the political landscape remains bumpy for the government, the Imran Khan led team outmanoeuvred a bombshell lobbed at them. effectively, the government has indemnified itself by letting the court decide the fate of Nawaz. The very courts responsible for Nawaz’s incarceration in the first place. I wonder what the views of PML(N) would be about the judiciary at the moment. Whilst invoking extraordinary constitutional jurisdiction, the court has granted extraordinary relief to Nawaz, the sort which should change the perception of the N-Leaguers about the judiciary.

Conclusively, it may be said that relief on humanitarian grounds provided to Nawaz should be readily extended to the common man. Incarcerated prisoners are made to suffer despite being diagnosed with serious medical conditions. Their petitions are not even fixed for hearing, let alone being decided in their favour. Let us hope that similar treatment is extended to the citizenry and it is not a condition to have Sharif as your surname, in order to obtain relief.

Relief on humanitarian grounds provided to Nawaz should be readily extended to the common man.

Incarcerated prisoners are made to suffer despite being diagnosed with serious medical conditions.

Their petitions are not even fixed for hearing, let alone being decided in their favour. Let us hope that similar treatment is extended to the citizenry and it is not a condition to have Sharif as your surname, in order to obtain relief

Syed kaswar Gardezi is a lawyer and a columnist. He can be contacted at kaswargardezi@gmail.com

MARTIN Luther King Jr once said ‘almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world a better place’. Jinnah wanted the Pakistanis to respect our minorities. I want to reiterate that Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised to give minorities their due rights. he envisioned following the model of the state of Medina. Mr Khan’s zeal was witnessed when he proposed that Dr Atif Mian was the panacea for the economic calamity of Pakistan. he desired to see Dr Atif as the Finance Minister in his ‘Naya Pakistan’. The desire was a rhetorical.

Nevertheless, Mr Khan coerced Dr Atif to resign from the economic Advisory Council, owing to his faith; which is indifferent to our economy. Consequently, Dr Imran Rasul resigned in protest. This robbed our economic Council of competent members. however, Jinnah would have daunted the government’s decision because he guaranteed justice, equality, and opportunities for the minorities. Jinnah was a protagonist of minority rights. he stood for the Muslims when they were a minority in the colonial India. Jinnah must have been disenchanted following this inauspicious decision.

The premier idealises Jinnah and pledged to withhold the values of the father of our nation. The white part of our flag denotes Pakistan’s minority. One need not be a Muslim to serve this country. Any person regardless of their religion is capable of serving his/her state without prejudice.

Unfortunately, our government has unceasingly disdained almost every other Pakistani, who had the audacity to choose a dissimilar trajectory since the demise of Mr Jinnah. Pakistan loses her chance to prosper when every Joginder Nath Mandal, Sir Zafarullah Khan, Abdul Salam and in this case Dr Atif is left to the mercy of the bigots in the country. This is a startling moment for our homeland. The food for thought is that can our nation flourish with this myopic attitude and is Pakistan alike India when it comes to minorities? Ostensibly, those who claim to be the harbinger of revolution, need to aspire for the Pakistan of 1947 i.e., ‘Purana Pakistan’.

BArrISTEr ArSALAn CHAUDHry narowal

Banning plastic bags PLASTIC bags had been a huge indication of apocalypses since 1950s and it is very much notorious of being the fountainhead of enhancing the mortality rate of people in Pakistan. Plastic bags are being manufactured with various hazardous chemicals which are very much dangerous for every individual surviving in Pakistan, because in every corner of Pakistan plastic bags are being used to carry out the eatable goods without being aware the causes and health risk and sometimes it is very much spoiler for the lands because the plastics would make a timber land into a barren land.

According to the expert scientists that plastic takes more than 500 years to break down in a landfill. Moreover, the scientists have claimed that the plastic bags have been the source of numerous deadliest diseases such as cancer endometriosis, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, birth effects and developmental disorders, immune damage, asthma, and cause multiple organ damages. Furthermore, the Minister of Climate Change Senator had evaluated that more than 55 billion plastic shopping bags are being used in Pakistan where the utilisation had been increased to 15 per cent per annum. In Pakistan approximately 8,021 production units are available whose production of average is nearly 250-500 kilograms per day and the result more investigated that more than 160,000 were directly and 600,000 were indirectly dependent on the industry. I request to the government to conduct surveys to create awareness among the residents about the health risks of applying plastic bags.

MEHrAJ ALTAF Turbat

Monday, 18 November, 2019

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Pence aide says TrumP's ukraine Phone call was 'unusual and inaPProPriaTe' WASHINGTON

T

AGENCIES

HE phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the center of Congress’ impeachment investigation was “inappropriate,” an aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

Jennifer Williams, a foreign policy aide to Pence who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump’s insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations “struck me as unusual and inappropriate.”

She said the discussion was “more political in nature” than phone calls with other foreign leaders, and included what she viewed as specific references to the president’s “personal political agenda.”

Trump’s call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US foreign policy to undermine former Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election.

The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a former White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy, who

was also on the call.

Morrison, who resigned a day before his deposition last month, and Williams both expressed concerns about Trump’s remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week.

“I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics,” Morrison told lawmakers. He also said found Zelenskiy’s tone in the call with Trump to be “obsequious.”

Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, damaging relations with Ukraine. He said he only learned later that the aid to Ukraine was conditioned on the investigations. In the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump’s keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor’s testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points.

House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the

holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, was the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear.

Sandy spoke about how unusual it was to have a political appointee come in and place a hold on military aid to Ukraine, CNN quoted a source familiar with the testimony as saying.

Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether mili-

tary aid was held up for political reasons.

“This is a technical part of our investigation,” Raskin told reporters outside the interview room.

“We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favors he wanted (into) the budget process.”

HOLMES’ TESTIMONY:On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticise a former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said

amounted to witness intimidation. Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech.

Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week.

While Yovanovitch’s testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition later in the day with David Holmes, a US embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential.

Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine’s willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son. The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy. “So, he’s gonna do the investigation?” Trump asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes’ testimony.

“He’s gonna do it,” replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do “anything you ask him to,” according to Holmes.

The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Venice hit by another exceptional high tide; worst week in 150 years VENICE AGENCIES

Australian man accused of starting bushfire to protect cannabis crop MELBOURNE: An Australian man has been accused of deliberately lighting a fire to protect his cannabis crop, sparking an outof-control bushfire as blazes rage along the country’s east coast.

Four people have been killed and more than 300 homes destroyed in devastating bushfires that have razed more than one million hectares (2.5 million acres) along the eastern seaboard in just over a week. Police said a 51-year-old man appeared before a local court on Saturday charged with intentionally lighting a fire at Ebor in New South Wales state in an attempt to protect his cannabis crop. The alleged bungled attempt on Thursday at backburning — a practice used by firefighters to clear the undergrowth that fuels fires — quickly spread the flames and the man did not try to extinguish the blaze, according to police. The Ebor fire is about 10,000 hectares in size — and is still burning three days later. Authorities believe arsonists are behind several other bushfires across badlyhit New South Wales as well as in neighbouring Queensland, and have appealed to the public for information leading to more arrests. On Sunday, there were 130 fires burning across the two states, large swathes of which have already been ravaged by a crippling drought. New South Wales firefighters undertook backburning as temperatures dipped on Saturday night, ahead of an expected deterioration in fire conditions early next week. Parts of Queensland were facing “extreme fire danger” as high temperatures and low humidity were forecast to combine with storms to create challenging conditions for firefighters. Bushfire-prone Australia has experienced a horrific start to its fire season, which scientists say is beginning earlier and becoming more extreme as a result of climate change, which is raising temperatures and sapping moisture from the environment. Growing calls to curb fossil fuels and drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions are being ignored by the country’s conservative government, which is eager to protect its highly lucrative mining industry. AGENCIES

Reeling from devastating floods this week, Venice suffered another exceptional high tide on Sunday, with the water peaking at 150 cm (4.9 feet), marking the worst week for the city since official tide statistics were produced in 1872. The city’s center for tide forecasts had warned the tide could reach 160 cm on Sunday and the high mark hit at 1210 GMT was not far short of that.

Water flooded St. Mark’s Square and hundreds of voluntary workers were helping citizens cope with the emergency. The city beloved around the world for its canals, historic architecture and art, was hit by a high tide at 187 cm (6.14 feet) on Tuesday. That was just short of the record 194 cm set in 1966 and caused the city’s worst flooding in 50 years.

In normal conditions, tides of 80-90 cm are generally seen as high but manageable.

With four tides above 140 cm since Monday, this is the worst week for high tides in Venice since 1872 when official statistics were first produced.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has been ap-

pointed special commissioner to deal with the emergency, estimated damages from the flooding in the city since Tuesday at around 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion).

Authorities in Florence and Pisa were also closely monitoring the Arno river, whose

water levels rose rapidly in the night due to heavy rain. Italy’s longest river, the Po, which runs across northern Italy passing through Turin, was also being monitored after its level rose by 1.5 meters in the last 24 hours due to heavy rain.

Britain's Prince Andrew sparks backlash after 'disastrous' TV interview LONDON AGENCIES

Britain’s Prince Andrew provoked a backlash Sunday following an extraordinary TV interview in which he denied having sex with an alleged victim of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as public relations experts branded the hour-long exchange “disastrous”.

Queen Elizabeth II’s second son was lambasted from all quarters for his lack of judgement and empathy with the victims, his extraordinary defence that he was at a high street pizza restaurant, never sweated and claim that he only stayed at the sex offender’s home because he was ‘too honourable’.

The unprecedented interview was the first time Andrew has answered questions about Virginia Robert’s allegations.

It was a PR gamble intended to clear his name but in attempting to justify his re-

lationship with Epstein, Andrew appeared Sunday to have opened himself up to even greater criticism.

Roberts, now Giuffre, claims she was forced to have sex with the royal on three occasions — in London in 2001 when she was 17, in New York and on Epstein’s private Caribbean island. PR consultant Mark Borkowski said the exchanges were “like watching a man in quick sand” and that he had “never seen anything so disastrous”.

Meanwhile media lawyer Mark Stephens, who represented James Hewitt after his alleged affair with Princess Diana, called the interview “a catastrophic error”. “(He) seemed unconcerned by the seriousness of the matter, laughing and smiling at several points during the interview… and expressed no regrets or concern about Epstein’s victims,” added The Guardian.

“Not one single word of remorse,” screamed the front page of the Mail on Sun-

day following the interview on the BBC’s Newsnight programme on Saturday evening.

Andrew, 59, who is eighth in line to the throne, has been dogged for years by critism of his links to Epstein, who was found dead in a New York jail in August.

Giuffre, who alleges that Epstein abused her for years and farmed her out to his wealthy friends, first made her allegations against Prince Andrew, who has repeatedly denied them, in a 2015 US civil court deposition and has repeated them in more recent TV interviews.

“I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened,” Andrew said referring to her claim that they had sex, adding he had “no recollection” of having met her. The prince told interviewer Emily Maitlis he was in fact “at home with the children” on the March 2001 night in question, after earlier taking his daughter Princess Beatrice to a pizza restaurant.

Monday, 18 November, 2019

BUSINESS 11

PIA to commence direct flights to US from next year MONITORING REPORT Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start direct flights to the United States (US) from April 2020 as preparation has entered into its final phase. The national flag-carrier will initiate direct flights between PakistanUS from the month of April next year and the PIA administration has sought permission from American officials for it besides providing related documents and plans, reported ARY News. PIA will utilise its long-range Boeing 777 aircraft for the flight operations to the US. Recently, a team of homeland security of US had visited Pakistan to overview of the arrangements for direct flights at Islamabad and Karachi airports. Moreover, US transport security authority had also concluded its audit of PIA planes and security measures on the airports. The officials of the security agency had expressed their satisfaction over the security arrangements, claimed the report. The administration of the national flag-carrier is seeking formal permission from the US authorities to commence direct flights from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

According to the published report, the development came forth after the successful visit of PIA chief executive officer to the US where he had met high-level officials from aviation, airport authority, TSA and others. In March, American authorities had green- lightened Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for the direct flight operations to the United States (US). The development follows, after a meeting of the Consul General of the United States of America JoAnne Wagner with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO Arshad Malik, at the PIA headquarters. The national flag carrier had shut its direct flight operations to the US owing to financial losses of the organisation. JoAnne Wagner had assured to contact the relevant authorities for direct flights to certain US cities from Pakistan. The administration of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had started the implementation of its business plan in October focusing the strategy to make the national entity into a profitable organisation, the report claims.

Multi-pronged approach needed to address Sindh’s woes: experts KARACHI STAFF REPORT

In its drive to promote regional arts and literacy, JS Bank hosted a book talk on “The Economy of Modern Sindh.

Opportunities Lost and Lessons for the Future” authored

by Dr. Ishrat Husain, Aijaz A. Qureshi and Nadeem Hussain. The ceremony was attended by Basir Shamsie, President & CEO-JS Bank, Imran Shaikh, Chief of StaffJS Bank, professors and students from Sindh University amid media presence. The Economy of Modern Sindh delves into the different aspects of Sindh’s economy. It highlights the socioeconomic problems that have beset Sindh and proposes a multi-pronged strategy to address these challenges. Basir Shamsie, President & CEO, JS Bank stated “JS Bank strongly supports progressive and sustainable initiatives for engaging the people of Pakistan. Modern economy of Sindh reflects back into the time where Sindh was the center of economic progress and how it has lost its competitive advantage to other provinces today. The book proposes fine measures that will contribute significantly towards the economic revival of Sindh and further help regain its lost stature.

We at JS Bank strive to highlight Pakistani authors and their work.” Committed towards its role as a catalyst towards the progress and prosperity of Pakistan, the Bank hopes to continue this journey of impact by being a part of arts and literature.

FBR to RecoMMend AMendMent In IncoMe tAx oRdInAnce oveR ReMIttAnceS ISLAMABAD

t

AGENCIES

AKING measures in response to a plea of an overseas citizen of Pakistan seeking benefits of certain provision of Income Tax Ordinance 2001 regarding regularization of remittances sent through money transfer companies, Federal Ombudsman’s office said it is possible that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) may earn the confidence of expats through recommending amendment in the law.

An applicant, Majid Ali Chaudhry from abroad approached the Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis (GCOP) Hafiz Ahsaan Khokhar in the Federal Ombudsman’s office.

The applicant said that remittance other than banking channels has not been regularized as the Federal Board of Revenue doesn’t entertain remittances sent through MoneyGram and Western Union in terms of ‘foreign income’.

The applicant also claimed that other money transfer companies were not operating in Pakistan while the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 was promulgated, adding that currently expats used to send remittances through banking channel besides MoneyGram and Western Union, which have been regulated under the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

Expressing his concern, the applicant said that if the FBR pays no heed to legalize the remittances sent through money transfer companies, there is a strong possibility that remittances would be sent through illegal instrument ‘Hundi’ which will definitely cause a substantial amount of dent in the national kitty.

Revealing the plea to Governor SBP and Chairman FBR, GCOP Khokhar conducted hearing of both the agencies’ representatives for resolving the issue.

Representative of the SBP informed the GCOP that matters pertaining to classification of foreign remittances made through exchange companies as income under Income Tax Ordinance 2001 do not fall under the regulatory domain of the SBP. The central bank apprised GCOP Khokhar that under “Section 111 (4) of the Income Tax

Ordinance 2001, the FBR accepts ‘Proceed Realization Certificates’ (PRCs) issued by banks and banks issue PRCs for home remittances received through all overseas banks and money transfer companies including MoneyGram and Western Union.”

“We are of the view that even foreign exchange proceeds of remittances disbursed by exchange companies are received by Pakistani banks, these remittances should also be recognized by FBR under Section 111(4) of the Income Tax Ordinance — it would be appropriate to amend the Income Tax Ordinance to include PRC issued by Exchange Companies and Post Offices for the remittances,'' stated the SBP. GCOP Khokhar called comments from the FBR who told that a meeting was held in pursuance of the directions of the Wafaqi Mohtasib saying the SBP regulations on Customer Due

Diligence (CDD) government banking companies under AML/CFT Regulations for banks and DFIs and money/value transfer companies under the Exchange Companies Manual 2018 were discussed. The representative of the FBR also informed that impact of SBP’s proposed changes in light of FATF regulations was also discussed.

“In light of the discussion held in the aforementioned entities governed by separate regulatory frameworks. The benefit of Section 111(4) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 has been restricted to Scheduled Banks. Extension of such benefit to money transfer companies is the sole prerogative of the Parliament and amendment in law can only be brought about through the introduction of money bills in the legislature. However, without prejudice to the above, the matter at hand shall be considered during the upcoming budgetary exercise,” concluded the FBR.

E&P companies have paid Rs2.197bn oil royalty in 3 years ISLAMABAD APP

The government has collected an amount of Rs2.197 billion on account of oil royalty from five hydrocarbon Exploration and Production (E&P) companies during the last three years for onward payment to the provinces concerned.

“The royalty amounting to Rs2,197.17 million has been collected from five E&P companies who discovered oil reserves in their 29 fields located in different parts of the country during the last three years,” read an official document available with APP. The companies, including United Energy Pakistan Limited, Oil and Gas Development

Company Limited, Pakistan Oilfields Limited, Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Mari Petroleum Company Limited, paid Rs38.86 million as oil royalty in 2016-17, Rs449.99 million in 2017-18 and Rs1,708.33 million in 2018-19.

Meanwhile, a senior official privy to petroleum sector developments said the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) would spend around Rs1.384 billion to carry out welfare schemes and development projects in their operational areas during the current fiscal year under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

For this purpose, he said the OGDCL had earmarked Rs 1,019million and PPL Rs365.7 million under their CSR programmes to be exe-

cuted in 2019-20.

Every year, the OGDCL and PPL allocate around one percent and 1.5 percent of their pretax profit respectively to provide facilities like education, health, clean drinking water, vocational training and infrastructure development in their respective oil and gas producing districts under the Petroleum Concession Agreements.

The official said the government was making all-out efforts to make the Social Welfare Committees, constituted after Guidelines-2017, more effective bodies to ensure effective execution of the CSR schemes in oil and gas producing districts.

He said the committees had the mandate to identify, approve and ensure timely execution of the projects for well-being of local communities.

Karachi hit by highest price hike in Pakistan’s history: report KARACHI AGENCIES

Pakistan’s current economic crisis has caused the highest price hike of daily use items in Karachi’s history. The country’s maximum annual inflation rate rose to its peak level of 12.55% this year as compared to last year’s 6.78% peak level, which was at an eight-year high since June 2011.

The investigative report by journalist M Nawaz Khuhro said that the transport fares and prices of vegetables and other food items in retail market rose sharply in Karachi and other parts of the country soon after gas and oil prices were jacked up by the government.

The unemployment rate has also gone high to 6.1% so far as compared to 3.04% last year and is expected to rise by 6.2% in 2020, according to an investigative report made under a fellowship organized

by the Pakistan Press Foundation.

Comparing regionally, Pakistan's 6.1% unemployment rate has turned higher than that of India (2.6%), Bangladesh (4.3%), and Sri-Lanka (4.4%).

Pakistan Economic Survey 2019 says the fiscal year 2018-19 witnessed a muted growth of 3.29% against the ambitious target of 6.2%. A recent World Bank report said that Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth slowed to 3.3 percent in FY19 with a 2.2 percentage points decline compared to the previous year.

The State Bank of Pakistan’s data shows the government’s domestic debt and liabilities increased to Rs23,164 billion by 30 September 2019 from Rs17,004.7 billion in June 2018 while its external debt & liabilities rose to US$106,891 million by 30 September 2019 as compared to US$96,111 million by 30 September 2018. This burden will cause trouble to the economy of the coun-

try and people in the future.

The prices of daily use items in Karachi recorded a historical high during June to November 2019 as compared to the same period last year.

In an interview, Joint Director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Zulfiqar Shah, said the present economic crisis had badly affected common people, particularly the working class.

He said since the PTI government signed the $6 billion economic programáagreement with IMF, rupee had devalued over 30 percent and fiscal deficit rose as high as at 7.4%. These bad economic indicators coupled with unemployment and low wages had severely affected workers, he said.

In an interview, Sindh Agriculture Research Council (SARC) senior vice president Jamal Mahmood said that the current economic crisis had badly af-

fected agriculture sector, which is the mainstay of Pakistan.

In an interview, Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) general secretary Zehra Akbar Khan said that the current economic crisis had affected 50,000 home-based workers in Sindh as most of them had become unable to pay the rent of their houses and cannot afford the education of their children.

COPING STRATEGIES: The investigative report says there is dire need to devise effective coping strategies to pull the country out of the worst economic crisis.

In an interview, President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan said Pakistan needed to focus on E-commerce, especially B2B e-commerce to increase exports.

He said that China was moving towards producing higher value added goods and was looking to move a portion

of its manufacturing sector to other developing countries. Pakistan must try to get as much of China’s relocating manufacturing as possible by setting up joint ventures with the Chinese under CPEC. More work is needed on Ease of Doing Business reforms so as to attract foreign investment, he said.

He said that the country’s services sector also needed to focus on exports and search for other avenues apart from the IT sector. Pakistan also needs to encourage formation and proper functioning of skill development institutions.

The investigative report said that there was a dire need to devise effective coping strategies to pull the country out of the worst economic crisisááby establishing own industries for manufacturing computers, mobile phones, cars, buses, coaches and other vehicles because much of the national income goes to foreign countries for purchasing these items.

Monday, 18 November, 2019

12 BUSINESS

chInA hAS InveSted $12.4Bn In eneRgy SectoR UndeR cPec ISLAMABAD

c

SHAHZAD PARACHA

HINA has invested $12.4 billion in Pakistan’s energy sector under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Sources told Pakistan Today that during the 9th JCC held in Islamabad this month, China told Pakistan that as of September 2019, 12 power generation projects have either started construction or have been operating commercially already, with a total installed capacity of 7240 MW and a total investment of about $12.4 billion.

Among them, there are nine COD projects (some are constructed in phases), with a total installed capacity of 5320 MW and a total investment of about $8.175 billion and three projects, expected to be completed and put into operation between 2020/21 to 2022/23 fiscal year, are under construction, with a total installed capacity of 1920 MW. In addition, nine projects stand at early stage with a total installed capacity of 6390 MW. China also informed Pakistan that CPEC energy cooperation has increased the power supply in Pakistan. In the fiscal year 2018-2019, power generation of

CPEC projects reached 17.728 billion kWh, 14.5 per cent of the total output in the NTDC system which could supply over 33 million people on per capital power use basis.

In addition to this, CPEC energy cooperation has promoted economic and social development of Pakistan. According to statistics, COD CPEC projects as of the fiscal year 2018-2019 have paid about $250 million in taxes during the construction period and provided over 10,000 jobs since reliable power supply is a significant facilitator to local economy and social development.

China said that CPEC energy cooperation has enriched the content of a community of shared future between Pakistan and China. It said that during the construction of projects, its companies observed related laws and regulations, respected local rules and customs, and properly addressed issues that may cause local concerns such as the relocation of residents and community development.

China further said that its companies are committed to localisation of content, including transfer of technology, indigenisation, development of local resources and capabilities and have created a significant number of jobs in this process.

Italy assures support for promoting sustainable tourism in Pakistan NEWS DESK In a major step taken to boost Pakistan’s tourism and hospitality industry, Italy has agreed to help Pakistan out in the technical aspects of tourism management. This was said in a meeting between the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Stefano Pontecorvo and Chairman National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari on Wednesday. The envoy said that Italy is willing to extend technical assistance to Pakistan to encourage communitybased projects in the tourism sector to help alleviate poverty, support youth employment and generate income.

Appreciating Pakistan government’s recent initiatives for the promotion of tourism in the country, he said that the opening of Kartarpur Corridor was a huge achievement. Zulfikar Bukhari said Pakistan had achieved a major milestone by opening the Kartarpur Corridor which would eventually promote the religious tourism in Pakistan. He said the government was working on the development of ‘Brand Pakistan’ to project the country as a tourist haven that would eventually increase the influx of foreign tourists. He said the government, in collaboration with provinces, was developing the Gandhara Corridor to attract tourists from the South East Asian Countries. “Pakistan attaches great importance to sustainable tourism in Pakistan and will focus on religious tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, and towards the growth of intangible cultural heritage,” he added.

Airbus-backed tournament unveils first electric racing aircraft An Airbus-backed air racing tournament unveiled an electric-powered sports aircraft on Sunday, billed as the world’s first, as the European planemaker seeks to boost its green aerospace technology. Several companies, including U.S. ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N), are working on electric-powered flying cars, amid increasing concerns about the environmental impact of fossil-fuel intensive air travel. Last month, Airbus (AIR.PA) rival Boeing announced a partnership with automaker Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) sports car brand, Porsche, to develop a concept electric flying vehicle capable of transporting people in urban environments. Air Race E said the aircraft, called White Lightning and unveiled at the Dubai Air Show, will be manufactured by UK-based Condor Aviation. The aircraft will use an electric motor that will carry it at flight speeds of around 482 kilometers (300 miles) per hour on a tight 5 kilometer (about 3 miles) circuit, just 10 meters above the ground.

“The racing series will provide a test bed for innovation and accelerate the journey towards electric commercial travel,” Air Race E Chief Executive Jeff Walkman said. Lithium batteries installed under the fuselage of the plane will provide power for five minutes of high intensity racing and around 10 minutes of reserve flying at reduced power, the firm said. AGENCIES

“As they work to ease energy shortage and boost employment, they have also helped enhance infrastructure, improve people's wellbeing, facilitate community development, provide skills training, assist with disaster relief, and participate in cultural exchanges. These efforts have brought real benefits to local communities and facilitated the realization of common prosperity,” China told Pakistan.

JOINT STUDY ON PAKISTAN POWER MARKET: During the session, both sides noted that the joint expert panel had reached consensus on the Report of Joint Study on Power Market in Pakistan (finalised on November 3, 2019), which indicates that the power supply-demand will be basically balanced in Pakistan from 2019 to 2030. After 2025, apart from minor surplus in specific years due to concentrated commissioning of power generation projects, Pakistan may enjoy balance generally in all the other years.

Both sides agreed in principle that the project list may reviewed and adjusted based on the Supplementary Protocol to Agreement on the CPEC Energy Projects Cooperation between the Pakistan and China (signed on February 3, 2016) and the recommendations by expert panels with regard to the project list adjustment in line

with Report of Joint Study on Power Market in Pakistan. Then the outcome of adjustment shall be endorsed in the form of the signed agreement between China National Energy Administration and Pakistan Ministry of Energy (Power Division).

The Pakistani provinces proposed the projects, including 135 MW Taunsa HPP

by Punjab, 350 MW Toren More Kari HPP and 260 MW Jameshill more Lasht HPP by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), off-grid solution for Baluchistan and merged district of KP, and JCC agreed that project proposals will be evaluated by both experts panels.

The JCC noted the 6th EPEP Meeting regarding Azad Pattan HPP, 2 HPPS in GB and Rahimyar khan imported fuel power Plant.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CPEC ENERGY COOPERATION PROJECTS: Pakistani and Chinese leaders have recently reached agreement on advancing CPEC development with high standards and building CPEC projects into model projects of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In the spirit of their instructions and for a sound, orderly and sustainable CPEC energy cooperation, the joint expert team has drafted the Guiding Principles for CPEC Energy Co-

operation Projects. Both sides agreed that the draft and launch of the guiding principles at the current stage is an important step taken to ensure long and steady progress of CPEC as well as the 2016 construction of high-quality BRI model projects. The two sides also agreed to revise and improve the terms of the guiding principles and strive to launch the document within this year.

Policy stability, both sides agreed on the need to ensure CPEC policy stability for sustainable development of projects.

The two sides agreed that all CPEC projects had been reviewed and granted approvals by the Pakistani side on a case-by-case basis. These projects are consistent with and fall within the policy and regulatory framework of Pakistan.

The current CPEC policies and agreements shall be jointly executed by both the Chinese and the Pakistani sides. China proposes that the Pakistan maintain stability in its taxes and power tariffs while establishing a better regulated and more efficient power market. The two sides shall enhance communication and coordination, analyse the impact of changing policies on CPEC projects, and be aware of potential risks so as to ensure sustainable development of CPEC energy projects.

SECP board approves General Takaful Accounting Regulations 2019 ISLAMABAD APP

The policy board of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved the General Takaful Accounting Regulations 2019.

The board, which met under the chairmanship of Khalid Mirza on Saturday, also approved the Provisional Manager and Official Liquidator Regulations 2019, Corporate Rehabilitation Regulations 2019, directive on adoption of IFRS-14 Regulatory Deferral Accounts under Section 225 of the Companies Act. The directive on financial reporting of the family window takaful operations by life insurers and compliance with the compulsory group insurance under the Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Order) Ordinance, 1968 were also approved.

The policy board took up the matter to initiate the review process of the Securities Act 2015 keeping in view the removal of harsh regulatory impediments that hamper the overall growth of securities’ market with the aim of facilitating the ease

of doing business in the country.

The board decided to review and rationalise the Futures Act 2016 and the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2017, which are onerous and cumbersome, to create a facilitating regulatory environment.

The board also advised the commission to revisit the Regulatory Sandbox Guidelines 2019 (Insurance) and gave directives for appropriate amendments to the Companies (Further Issue of Capital) Regula-

tions 2018 to facilitate and promote the mobilisation of capital.

Directives were also given by the board to the commission for recalling all staff members seconded to the law enforcement agencies and for transferring back the cases wrongfully referred to NAB. The board directed that the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) Listing Regulations of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), proposed by the commission, be looked at again

for facilitating the market and making provision for a premium board in the stock exchange for the growth of capital market and encouraging IPOs in the primary market.

The board took serious notice of the statement of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO about earnings of PIA, which could be viewed as market manipulation.

The commission was directed to look into it and take appropriate enforcement action. The board told the commission to develop a system through which public-sector organisations could be monitored for any possible violation of the laws administered by the SECP. The board expressed concern over the negative mindset of the commission’s staff and gave directives for taking appropriate steps to ensure that service-orientation was inculcated in the staff rather than the current obstructive and “ruler-like” mindset.

The governance structure of the stock exchange was also reviewed and substantial recommendations were made by the board. It was noted with concern that several months had passed and no appropriate professional had been appointed CEO of the exchange.

Boeing says timing of 737 MAX return in hands of regulators DUBAI AGENCIES

Boeing moved on Saturday to ease tensions with regulators over the return to service of its 737 MAX, saying it was up to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and its global counterparts to approve changes to the jet in the wake of two accidents.

The FAA told its staff this week to take whatever time was needed to review the grounded plane after Boeing said it expected the FAA to certify the 737 MAX in mid-December.

“We put some targets out that still line up to December ... type certification,” Stan Deal, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters.

“The FAA has said they are not going to put a time frame on it and we are going to track behind them on this,” he told a news conference ahead of the Dubai Airshow.

Boeing’s mid-December estimate sent the planemaker’s stock price soaring on Monday, though it also said it would not win approval for changes to pilot training until January.

U.S. officials privately said this week that Boeing’s timetable was aggressive — if not unrealistic — and was not cleared in advance by regulators.

On Friday, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson indicated the agency would decide in its own time whether to unground the plane that was involved in two fatal crashes in five months, killing 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

“This effort is not guided by a calendar or

schedule,” Dickson wrote in a memo seen by Reuters.

Dickson is due to attend the Dubai Airshow this week.

Speaking on the eve of the show, the head of Boeing divisions spanning jetliners, defense and services expressed sympathy for the relatives of victims of the two crashes that led to the plane’s worldwide grounding in March.

Deal said Boeing is in discussions with host airline Emirates over the impact of delays to its much larger 777X, for which the Dubai carrier is by far the largest customer.

Boeing is also talking to Emirates about the future of a tentative order for 40 787 Dreamliners, which is among a number of orders left in the balance since the last Dubai show in 2017.

Emirates has taken a tough stance on new orders ahead of the Nov. 17-21 show but industry sources say it could agree to confirm at least some of the 787s in exchange for a deal with Boeing that would allow it to cancel or defer some delayed 777X. It is also expected to confirm orders for some Airbus jets.

PAkistAn’s GAminG ProdiGy ArslAn ‘Ash’ siddique tAkes his riGhtful PlAce AmonG the tekken elite

A

By Rohama Riaz

rslan ‘ash’ siddique hosted a grand event at nishat Hotel Emporium in lahore. The purpose of the event was to address the e-sports community and the broader gaming audience in Pakistan.

The event was graced with the presence of ash’s friends and family, e-sports community members, socialites, bloggers and the media. as the guests walked in, they were transported to an area adorned with ash’s posters and trophies noting his outstanding achievements. a montage of ash’s ultimate journey to being the undisputed crown-winner of the Tekken world was played at the event. after a reveal video, the 24-year-old undisputed champion from lahore graced the stage. The moderator for the segment Mamoon sabri asked him questions about his rise as one of world’s greatest Tekken players today and his long journey. ash also spoke about his sensational victories in international Tekken tournaments and his history. He announced that he is the first Pakistani athlete to be signed by red Bull.

“If you’re a gamer, it is your dream to be a red Bull athlete,” said ash. “red Bull has a huge presence in the international gaming industry and it feels like finally joining my family. red Bull athletes are a class apart and some of the greatest players in the world. so, it really feels amazing to be a part of this elite group. and it’s an honor for me to represent Pakistan through this in the world.”

The Tekken maestro also spoke of the potential impact of him being a red Bull athlete on the local gaming community. He has singlehandedly put Pakistan’s gaming community on the world map; therefore, he feels it has a huge scope for growth and more local players to as-

The world's quietest room is located at Microsoft's headquarters in Washington state: Silence is golden, as they say. And while it may not be worth quite as much as jewels and gold to most people, it certainly was the primary goal for those who built the quietest room in the world. Located at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, the lab room measures a background noise of -20.35 dBA, which is 20 decibels below the threshold of human hearing and breaks previous records for spaces that were deemed the planet's quietest places, according to CNN.

pire higher and make it.

From playing in the local arcades in lahore to winning EVO Japan 2019 and EVO Usa 2019 consecutively, ash is currently on the top of the world. In the process, he has defeated the world’s finest Tekken players, including Tekken legend Knee, Chanel, Book and lowHigh (Evo 2018 Champ).

His rise as an elite player has led him to be signed by red Bull in order to join the likewise elite gamers in the world. after making history in 2019, ash is still not done. ash said, “I always move forward with a dream to achieve. 10 years ago, my dream was to collect one hundred thousand (Pakistani) rupees. My next dream was to become the number one player in Pakistan. Then it was to become number one player in the whole world and to win two consecutive EVOs for Pakistan. I have fulfilled that.”

now, ash focuses on his next goal: winning the prestigious Tekken World Tour 2019 Finals in December in Bangkok, Thailand, where he is among the top 20 players invited to compete. at the event, ash also offered everyone a sneak peak of watching him in action with an opportunity to play Tekken with him. Two of his fans as well as red Bull country manager Taimoor afaq played the game with him.

Post-game, afaq gave the concluding remarks, welcoming ash to the Elite red Bull family. But he wasn’t the only one to do so. To ash’s surprise, four red Bull esports legends, including the FIFa eWorld Cup player abdulaziz alshehri aka Mr. D0ne, also sent in their video messages, congratulating and welcoming arslan to the family.

Finally, ash made his last remarks to send the crowd home with a high-adrenaline experience and newfound inspiration in the young Tekkenace.

There are only three countries in the world that don't use the metric system: For simplicity's sake, most of the more than 200 countries in the world use the metric system when describing things like length or mass. However, there are three countries that stand out: Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States.

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

The longest place name on the planet is 85 letters long: People who live in Mamungkukumpurangkuntjunya Hill, Australia, need a little patience when it comes to learning to spell their hometown's name. But you know what? So do the folks from Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Massachusetts and Tweebuffelsmeteen-skootmorsdoodgeskietfontein, South Africa.

Marvel Announces Five New Release Dates For MCU

Joker Hits A Billion: More Profitable Than Marvel Movies

Parineeti Chopra injures neck on Saina Nehwal biopic sets

Disney and Marvel reveal five new release dates for untitled films set within the MCU, which look to be a part of Phase 5.

Worth a note is that apparently Marvel will be releasing four flicks a year as four films are to be released in 2023: While the titles for the movies are unknown, it could be possible that the release dates are for Blade, Captain Marvel 2, ant-Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and / or possible new franchises such as Deadpool, Fantastic Four or X-Men. a nova movie would be pretty awesome as well.

Here is the current Marvel release date schedule: • Black Widow: May 1, 2020 • Eternals: november 6, 2020 • shang-Chi: February 12, 2021 • Doctor strange 2: May 7, 2021 • Untitled spider-Man sequel (sony): July 16, 2021 • Thor: love and Thunder: november 5, 2021 • Black Panther: May 6, 2022 • UnTITlED MarVEl: 10/7/22

last month I called the Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie the "MCU Killer"- which is no laughing matter - as now it is learned the flick has crossed the billion-dollar mark at the box office to become the most profitable comic book movie of all time, even more than Kevin Feige's Marvel movies.

Joker will officially cross the billion-dollar mark with Friday's box office total, which follows the film only having been released for about six weeks. It's also the first r-rated comic book movie to hit a billion, something Hugh Jackman's Wolverine couldn't do as well as ryan reynolds' Deadpool films.

Joker also holds the biggest October opening weekend of all time with a $93.5 million and is the highest-grossing r-rated movie of all time.

The film also hits a billion without help from China, something not seen since Christopher nolan's The Dark Knight.

Talks have already started regarding a potential sequel, which actually saw Joaquin Phoenix create Joker-inspired movie posters to inspired director Todd Phillips while filming the first movie.

Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra has injured herself while shooting for the biopic on Olympian and badminton star saina nehwal. The actor has even shared a picture of her injury. sharing the image, Parineeti wrote on Instagram, “Dude.

Me and the entire team of saina have been taking so much care that I shouldn’t get an injury, but shit happens. Will rest it as much as I can before I can start playing badminton again. #sainanehwalBiopic.” In the picture, Parineeti has her back to the camera and a collar can be seen around her neck.

Musician amaal Malik commented that he had warned her against such injuries. “I told you don’t push it. so jaa abhi 5 6 din, you’ll be up and roaring in no time. You and the entire team of #saina has put their life into this film. You’ve stepped in and saved the film & trust me !! The entire genetation will witness magic in every scene. The tears, the blood & sweat , will not go in vain. Chalo Pari, Time To Be sherni,” he wrote.

Parineeti stepped in for the lead role in the film after shraddha Kapoor quit the movie.

CMYK

Monday, 18 November, 2019

14 SPORTS

AuStRAliA bAN PAttiNSoN fRom PAkiStAN tESt foR 'PERSoNAl AbuSE' BRiSBAnE

J

AGENCIES

AMES Pattinson is out of the first Test against Pakistan at the Gabba after being suspended by Cricket Australia for delivering a volley of obscene personal abuse at Queensland's Cameron Gannon during Victoria's Sheffield Shield match that concluded on Friday.

He has been found guilty of a level two breach of Article 2.13 of Cricket Australia's code of conduct for personal abuse of a player. The charge was driven by umpires John Ward and Shawn Craig who felt that Pattinson overstepped the mark with his language towards Gannon, with whom Pattinson has been a BBL teammate at both the Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat.

The alleged abuse is believed to have been of a homophobic nature, although Gannon and the Queensland players are understood not to have taken offence.

However, Pattinson's choice of words was immediately noted by Ward and

Craig, who took the charge to the match referee David Talalla.

"I made a mistake in the heat of the moment," Pattinson said. "Straight away I realised I was in the wrong, and I apologised immediately, both to the opponent and to the umpires. I have done the wrong thing and accept the penalty. I'm gutted to miss a Test match, but the standards are there for a reason and the fault is mine."

Pattinson and Victoria were visibly frustrated throughout the match with some of the umpiring decisions, including his own lbw in the first innings on day two when he was part of Mitchell Swepson's hat-trick. Pattinson had previously been found guilty of two level one code of conduct breaches over the past year for which he received a reprimand and a 100% match fee fine, the latter for showing dissent at the umpire's decision in a Shield game against South Australia.

Australia's captain Tim Paine did not hide his disappointment.

"It's unfortunate, it doesn't sit certainly with our values what James has done, he knows that and understands that

and he'll learn from it," Paine said. "Missing a Test match potentially is a hard thing to deal with, but he'll learn from that and come back better. "I don't know the exact details of the situation, there's been hearings and it's been dealt with by the appropriate people. James understands he's let himself down, he's let our group down and we expect him to bounce back."

The vice-captain Pat Cummins said that he was hopeful Pattinson would learn from events, the second occasion in which he has been suspended from playing a Test match: he also missed the 2013 Mohali Test against India when he was suspended alongside Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson in the "homeworkgate" saga.

"Not ideal, especially over the last couple of years we've been pretty clear on our values and what we stand for as a team. Hopefully Patto learns from what he's done," Cummins said. "We absolutely love playing with him, love having him around. For me when I'm out there, I'll try and stay conscious of what I'm trying to do. It's pretty hard some-

and stay pretty level off the field. It is the day and age where there are cameras everywhere. Players are role models. You have to be aware of not crossing that line but there will be times when players do."

Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia's head of integrity and security, said: "We have a duty to uphold the highest standards of behaviour and the action taken in this matter demonstrates that. On this occasion, James acknowledges he fell short of that expectation."

It appears highly likely now that Mitchell Starc will be the third fast bowler chosen alongside Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood although Pattinson did not think he would be selected in any case. Australia have not added a replacement to the squad with Michael Neser the other quick bowler available.

times, the heat of the moment, concentrating on bowling and trying to take wickets, you can slip up every now and then, but I won't be changing too much from what I try to do."

Mitchell Starc, a fellow member of the pace battery, said that while he did not want to see Pattinson lose his expressive, aggressive streak, it was critical that all members of the team were aware of their very privileged, public place as role models for Australian cricket and wider society.

"I did not see the incident but Patto is very much that huff and puff type and that is what we love about him," Starc said.

"He is in your face. He is someone you love to have on your team and not play against. Apart from his bowling skills he is that old school Australian fast bowler.

I don't say or do much these days. I try

17-year-old Gurbaz powers Afghanistan to series win SPORTS DESK

Shami in top ten for bowlers, Agarwal up to No. 11 among batsmen MUMBai: Mohammed Shami and Mayank Agarwal, the standout stars in India's inningsand-130-run win over Bangladesh in the Indore Test, made massive strides up the ICC Test rankings, getting up to seventh and 11th among bowlers and batsmen respectively in the latest update. Shami returned 3 for 27 and 4 for 31 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 150 and 213, while Agarwal scored 243 - his second doublecentury in just 12 Test innings - when India put up 493 for 6 declared. His seven-wicket haul meant Shami moved up eight spots in the rankings to a career-high No. 7, three positions below Jasprit Bumrah and three spots above No. 10 R Ashwin. Shami's current tally of 790 rating points is also the third best for an India quick ever, only behind Kapil Dev (877) and Bumrah (832). Agarwal, meanwhile, finished just outside the top ten, which includes team-mates Virat Kohli at No. 2, Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 4, Ajinkya Rahane at No. 5 and Rohit Sharma at No. 10. The 28-year-old batsman has had a spectacular start to his Test career, totalling 858 runs in just eight games so far, his runs coming at an average of 71.50, with three centuries and three half-centuries. From Bangladesh's point of view, it was a disappointing start to the World Test Championship campaign, as they lost the first of two Tests inside three days. Mushfiqur Rahim, though, did well with the bat, scoring 43 and 64, which helped him move up five spots to No. 30, while Abu Jayed, the fast bowler who picked up four wickets in the Indian innings, moved to the 62nd position, a jump of 18 spots.

Among the other Indians who did well in Indore, Ravindra Jadeja advanced to be joint-35th among batsmen (with Australia's Marnus Labuschagne) after scoring an unbeaten 60, while there were one-spot gains for Shami's fast-bowling mates Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, up to No. 20 and No. 22 respectively. The Indore win meant that India carried forward their perfect start to the World Test Championship, currently on a maximum of 300 points from six Tests, with New Zealand Sri Lanka, who have both played just two games so far, way behind on 60 points apiece. The second and final Test of the series will be played under lights in Kolkata from November 22. AGENCIES

Seventeen-year-old Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit 79 and 20-year-old Naveen-ul-Haq returned figures of 3/23 as Afghanistan eased to a 29-run win over West Indies to secure a 2-1 series victory.

As he had in the previous game, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan won the toss and chose to bat first. It was a decision he may have soon regretted as Hazratullah Zazai (0) and Karim Janat (2) were both dismissed by Sheldon Cottrell (2/29) leaving the hosts 12/2 after three overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz however held firm and launched a oneman counter-attack. The partnership between the opener and Ibrahim Zadran was worth 32 when the latter was run out for a solitary run.

Rahmanullah continued unperturbed though, and reached fifty from 37 balls in the 11th over as he built a strong partnership with Asghar Afghan

(24). But just as Asghar began to get going he mistimed a hook shot and was caught in the ring by Brandon King from the bowling of Keemo Paul (2/26), the partnership worth 50 in 6.1 overs.

The assault from the teenaged opener continued unabated, supported by a run-a-ball 14 from Najibullah

Zadran, until Kieron Pollard (1/21) finally had him caught for a 52-ball 79 on the point boundary slashing at a short ball. A late barrage from Mohammad Nabi (15) boosted the total up to 156/8.

A pair of early wickets, one each for Mujeeb Ur Rahman (1/9 from three

Serbia confident Djokovic will be fit for Davis Cup BELGRADE AGENCIES

Serbia's Davis Cup captain Nenad Zimonjic was optimistic on Sunday that world number two Novak Djokovic will be fit to play in this week's new look Davis Cup in Madrid.

Djokovic lost to Roger Federer on Thursday, missing out on a place in the ATP Finals semi-finals in London, revealing afterwards that he had been suffering pain in his elbow. "Everything seems okay now," said Zimonjic. "He will have his first practice since that match today (Sunday) so we'll find out. As of now,

eveything is okay."

Djokovic suffered a shoulder problem at the US Open in September but recovered from it to win in Tokyo and Paris. "I think it's going to be enough time for him to prepare for our first match which is going to be on Wednesday," said Zimonjic.

Serbia open their campaign against Japan on Wednesday morning before meeting France in their second group match 24 hours later. The Davis Cup's new 18-team format has replaced the former World Group.

The nations have been split into six three-team groups, with the winners and two best runners-up advancing to the quarter-finals.

LAHORE: Winners of Silk B Bank Inter-Club Tournament held at Lahore Country and Polo Club, Malir Garrison Karachi, Habib Metropolitan B Bank, pose for a photograph with Silk B Bank Director Shehram Raza, Lahore Country and Polo Club President Colonel (r) Shoaib Aftab and others. PRESS RELEASE

CMYK

overs) and Naveen-ul-Haq (3/23), left the West Indies' chase floundering at 16/2. When Karim Janat trapped Evin Lewis in front with the final ball of the eighth over, the visitors still needed 115 runs and their chances seemed to be disappearing further with every ball.

Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer (11) were not lacking in intent but struggled to find consistent timing on a tricky pitch against good bowling.

Rashid Khan induced a leading edge from Hetmyer to end his stay, but Hope's persistence began to pay off, and he reached his fifty from 43 balls.

When he was caught from the first ball of the penultimate over though, any realistic chance departed with him. An excellent final over from Naveen-ulHaq which went for just four runs and saw the end of Jason Holder (6) left the final margin of defeat unflattering to the visitors, but the victory was well deserved by a fine all-round performance by Afghanistan's youngsters.

Ronaldo scores his 99th international goal to punch Portugal's ticket for Euro 2020 LUXEMBOURG: Portugal sealed their place at the 2020 European Championship with a 2-0 win away at Luxembourg on Sunday afternoon.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for Portugal in the 39th minute before Cristiano Ronaldo registered his 99th international goal four minutes from time. For Portugal's first strike, it came via the brilliant vision of Bernardo Silva and the excellent touch of Fernandes.

The Manchester City playmaker looked up and played a pinpoint ball into the path of Fernandes, whose wonderful control allowed him to quickly look up at the goalkeeper and fire into the bottom right corner. The 86th minute saw Cristiano find his way onto the scoresheet, making it four goals in two games over this international break, although it was one of the ugliest goals the 34-year-old has scored in his career.

Bernardo Silva was one again involved as his inswinging cross from the righthand side, yet Diogo Jota's acrobatic effort from close range bounced away from the goalkeeper and enabled Cristiano to bundle it over the line from a yard out. AGENCIES

Monday, 18 November, 2019

SPORTS 15

eurO 2020 takeS Shape aS netherlandS, Germany and crOatia qualify

StephenS eyeS OlympicS, return tO fOrm in 2020

AmsterDAm

t

Agencies

HE Netherlands, Germany and World Cup finalists Croatia expanded a list of big hitters to qualify for Euro 2020 on Saturday as the trio booked their places at next summer's finals.

Austria also made it through to the multi-host tournament, which kicks off in Rome on June 12, with 16 sides now ensured of a spot at the 24-team event and only four places remaining from the main qualifying route.

They join other big names such like world champions France, Spain, Italy and England, with European champions Portugal one win away from qualification.

Ronald Koeman's resurgent Dutch needed a point to qualify for their first major tournament since coming third at the 2014 World Cup and got what they needed in a scrappy goalless draw with Northern Ireland in Belfast. "It means a lot for us as players. Hopefully it means so much to the Dutch people," Liverpool defender Van Dijk said.

However, they were far from the flamboyant outfit that has so

often thrilled in Group C, and survived a huge scare when Steven Davis smashed a first-half penalty high over the bar.

The Dutch dominated possession and stopped the hosts from having a single shot on target but failed to create much themselves.

Davis' spot-kick blunder left Michael O'Neill's side third and hoping for a way into the tournament via the playoffs. The draw allowed fierce rivals Germany to move top in the group as Toni Kroos hit a brace in a simple 4-0 win over Belarus in Moenchengladbach which saw them qualify for the Euros for the 13th time in a row.

A deft back-heeled goal from defender Matthias Ginter just before the break and impressive finishing

by Leon Goretzka and Kroos gave the Germans a comfortable threegoal lead early in the second half.

Captain Manuel Neuer produced a superb save to keep out Belarus striker Igor Stasevich's penalty before Kroos dribbled through the defence to claim his second goal seven minutes from time and make sure of a routine win.

"Overall we did well, but at the moment I don't include us among the favourites for the European

title," said Kroos, echoing coach Joachim Loew's comments from earlier in the week. A win over Northern Ireland in Frankfurt on Tuesday will guarantee Loew's new-look side first place.

Croatia survived a scare to secure their place in the Euros after coming from behind beat Slovakia 3-1 in Rijeka. The World Cup runners up needed just a point to ensure qualification from Group E but Robert Bozenik stunned the home crowd when he tapped the away side ahead in the 32nd minute.

However it was one-way traffic in the second half and Croatia's qualification was never in doubt once Nikola Vlasic drilled home the leveller. Bruno Petkovic headed the hosts in front and Ivan Perisic sealed the three points with a thumping finish with 16 minutes left.

"We were trying to stay calm in the dressing room at half-time, we were sure that our quality would prevail. We kept attacking, creating chances, and the goals came," said Petkovic. That win gives Wales a fighting chance of qualifying after their 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan earlier on Saturday.

Ryan Giggs' side stay third thanks to first-half headed goals

from Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson and Slovakia losing against the Croats. They are just one point behind second-placed Hungary, who travel to Cardiff on the final day for a winner-takes-all clash.

"It's massive for us to get the three points and now we go again Tuesday," said Moore. "We came here for the three points and we got them -- now it's all guns blazing towards Tuesday."

Austria booked their place with a 2-1 win over North Macedonia that kept third-placed Slovenia at bay despite their 1-0 triumph over Latvia.

They are second in Group G behind Poland, who had already qualified going into this round of games but maintained a three-point lead at the top of the group thanks to a 2-1 win at Israel. In Saint Petersburg, the Hazard brothers made short work of Russia as already-qualified Belgium maintained their 100 percent record with a 4-1 win that secured them top spot in Group I. Eden and Thorgan Hazard put Roberto Martinez's side three goals ahead at the break before in-form Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku crashed home the fourth in the 72nd minute to make absolutely sure of the result.

MARINA DEL REY: Sloane Stephens said she is ready to turn the page on a disappointing 2019 and shift her focus to climbing the world tennis rankings to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. The 26-year-old American, who won the U.S. Open in 2017 and reached world number three in 2018, struggled this year, failing to make the final at any tournament and falling to world number 25. “I’m excited to start a new season because midway through 2019, I was ready for it to be over,” Stephens told Reuters in an interview after hosting a tennis clinic at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, California. “So I’m just looking forward to 2020 and I’m ready for a fresh start. I literally have nothing to lose, a lot in front of me and nowhere to go but up,” she said. “For me it’s a good position to be in.” High on her list of goals for 2020 is making her second consecutive appearance for Team USA at the Olympics, she said. “I made one before, which was really cool, and I’d obviously love to make a second one and play for my country,” she said. To do so, she will need to deal with a grueling WTA schedule, made even more difficult with the extra playing time and travel needed in an Olympic year. “Managing the ups and downs throughout the year is a pretty big goal,” she said.

“It’s about staying healthy and happy, enjoying my tennis and not getting too burnt out at the beginning of the year knowing that it is a very long season,” she said. Stephens said she has no lingering issues with the foot injury she suffered in 2017 that required surgery and sidelined her for 11 months. Agencies

mccarthy expectS republic tO Seal eurO 2020 berth DubLIN: Mick McCarthy expects the Republic of Ireland to qualify for Euro 2020 with a win in their decisive showdown against Denmark. McCarthy's side can clinch a third successive trip to the European Championship if they beat the Danes in Dublin on Monday. It will be the sixth time the sides have met in two years and the Republic have failed to win any of the previous five, drawing four and losing one. Denmark are currently top of Group D, three points ahead of thirdplaced Ireland. But Republic boss McCarthy is convinced that barren run against Denmark will come to an end at the Aviva Stadium. "When people tell me that 'You haven't beaten somebody for so many times', well, I always believe it's about time we did and that's the mentality that I try to instil into everybody else," McCarthy told reporters on Sunday. "Just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it's not going to happen again. "There's loads of places being flooded in England at the minute - they've never been flooded before, but they are because it's been raining a lot. "I just think that for us, always there's a big performance in us that can win a game. If I don't believe it, I might as well go home - and I'm not going home anytime soon." Asked if he accepted that Age Hareide's team were technically better than his, McCarthy responded by referencing then second-tier Sunderland's shock 1973 FA Cup final win over Leeds as proof that underdogs can upset the odds. Agencies

Roger Federer rues bad start as ATP Finals hopes are dashed LONDON Agencies

Roger Federer has one of the world’s best overheads so when he botched two smashes on his way to dropping serve in the second game of his ATP Finals semifinal against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday he knew it might be a rough day.

So it proved as the 20-times Grand Slam champion went down 6-3 6-4 to the 21-year-old Greek who has taken the tournament by storm on his debut appearance. While Tsitsipas, in Federer’s words, was “as hard as nails”, the Swiss great converted only one of the 12 break points as his hopes of a seventh title at the season-ender fell flat.

“I think getting broken with missing two smashes in one game, that hasn’t happened in a long, long time or ever,” the 38-year-old told reporters. “So that was tough.

“That’s not something you can train or practise for. That’s tough, just feet were not quite there yet, still not quite getting

used to the high one and all that stuff.”

Although failing to scale the heights he achieved on Thursday when beating Novak Djokovic, Federer did not play badly. Had he taken his chances it could have been different and the ninth game of the first set, a thrilling 13-minute baseline battle in which Federer saved six set points before the aggressive Tsitsipas finally sealed the set, was crucial.

Federer did respond after being broken early in the second set, but Tsitsipas refused to take a backward step as he claimed a second win of the year over Federer. bIG THREE: Tsitsipas’s victory meant the last of the big three of Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were out of the exclusive year-ender.

With the other semi-final between defending champion Alexander Zverev, 22, and 26-year-old Dominic Thiem, it is perhaps another signal that the old guard are under attack like never before. Or perhaps not. “I just think they have proven their point this year by qualifying for the ATP

Finals, and also now at least one of them making it to the finals and maybe also Sascha again repeating what he did last year,” Federer said.

“But then I look at the list of who finished world number one, who has been world number one all these years, and it’s just crazy that it’s always one of us.

“But we are not getting any younger.

So chances increase not because we are getting worse but because they are getting better, I believe.”

One suspects Tsitsipas’s fearless, attacking style would get the nod of approval from Federer and he was generous in his praise for the youngster who has made stunning progress into the world’s top 10 this year.

“I have to credit him for pushing me to not playing at the level I was hoping to today,” Federer said. “It’s his footwork that’s always on the aggressive side.

“Any short ball will be attacked, and I think he does that very, very well. He’s one of the best at that in the game.

“He did come up with the goods when he had to, and he was better than me today.” Despite winning four titles this year to take his career haul to 104, Federer failed to add to his Grand Slam collection. But he remains upbeat about the future. “I’ve got to keep on playing at the level like I have this year, and then I will create some chances,” he said.

Monday, 18 November, 2019

NEWS

'TerminaTor' rajapaksa sTorms To vicTory in lanka elecTion COLOMBO

G

AGENCIES

OTABAyA Rajapaksa, who spearheaded the brutal crushing of the Tamil Tigers 10 years ago, stormed to victory Sunday in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections seven months after Islamist extremist attacks killed 269 people.

The retired lieutenant colonel, nicknamed the “Terminator” by his own family, won 53-54 percent of the vote, his spokesman told AFP as Rajapaksa’s main rival Sajith Premadasa of the ruling party conceded the race.

“It is a clear win. We envisaged it.

We are very happy that Gota will be the next president. He will be sworn in tomorrow or the day after,” spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. Rajapaksa, 70, had a 49.6 percent share of the vote with close to six million ballots counted. He is the younger brother of the charismatic but controversial Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was president from 2005-15.

Results from Sinhalese-majority regions — the Rajapaksas’ core support base — were expected to push this above 50 percent. Premadasa, 52, of the ruling party was trailing at 44.4 percent.

He had strong support in minority Tamil areas and a poor showing in larger Sinhalese constituencies.

Election Commission chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said at least 80 percent of the 15.99 million eligible voters participated in Saturday’s poll, which was marred by isolated violence that left several people injured.

Rajapaksa conducted a nationalist campaign with a promise of security and a vow to crush religious extremism in the Buddhist-majority country following the April 21 suicide bomb attacks blamed on a homegrown jihadi group.

Three luxury hotels and three churches were targeted in the coordinated bombings. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the attack, which left 45 foreigners dead.

Saturday’s poll was the first popularity test of the United National Party (UNP) government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who stepped aside and allowed his deputy Premadasa to stand in the election.

INTELLIGENCE FAILURE: Wickremesinghe’s administration faced severe criticism for failing to prevent the attacks despite prior warnings from an intelligence agency of neighbouring India, according to findings of a parliamentary investigation.

Premadasa also offered better security and a pledge to make a former war general, Sarath Fonseka, his national security chief, projecting himself as a victim seeking to crush terrorism. He is the son of assassinated ex-president Ranasinghe Premadasa who fell victim to a Tamil rebel suicide bomber in May 1993.

Gotabaya is adored by the Sinhalese majority and by the powerful Buddhist clergy for directing security forces to crush Tamil separatists and end a 37year separatist war in May 2009 with brother Mahinda.

But they are detested and feared by many Tamils, who make up 15 percent of the population. The conflict ended

with some 40,000 Tamil civilians allegedly killed by the army.

Some in the Muslim community, who make up 10 percent of the population, are also fearful of Gotabaya becoming president, having faced days of mob violence in the wake of the April attacks.

Under his brother, Gotabaya was defence secretary and effectively ran the security forces, allegedly overseeing “death squads” that bumped off rivals, journalists and others. He denies the allegations. During that time, Sri Lanka also borrowed heavily from China for infrastructure projects and even allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in Colombo in 2014, alarming Western countries as well as India. The projects ballooned Sri Lanka’s debts and many

turned into white elephants — such as an airport in the south devoid of airlines — mired in corruption allegations.

China also offered Sri Lanka “international diplomatic protection” against criticism for its rights record, analyst Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu told AFP. The Rajapaksas “spent and spent without giving any consideration to how it has to be paid back”.

Unlike in 2015 when there were bomb attacks and shootings, this election was relatively peaceful by the standards of Sri Lanka’s fiery politics.

The only major incident was on Saturday when gunmen fired at two vehicles in a convoy of at least 100 buses taking voters from the Muslim minority to vote. Two people were injured.

JUI-F's countrywide road blockade in full swing Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) protesters on Sunday continued to block highways across the country for a fourth consecutive day as a part of ‘Plan B’ to oust the prime minister.

Workers belonging to the JUI-F and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) continued to block the QuettaChaman Highway, suspending supply to Afghanistan and affecting the traffic creating long queues of vehicles.

Similarly, in Bannu, JUI-F workers protested on the Indus Highway Link Road affecting the flow of traffic flow.

In Karachi, the protests continued for a fourth day on Hub River Road. A large contingent of police and Rangers were present at the site of the sit-in.

Addressing the participants of the sit-in in Khairpur, JUI-F central leader Rashid Soomro said the sit-in plan was a success. “We have plans till Z, but the government will go before Plan C,” he added.

On Saturday, JUI-F workers continued their sit-in at Dera Ismail Khan National Highway, in Nowshera near GT Road and Hakimabad along with Indus Highway Link Road and Malakand.

Protests and road blockades are also continuing in other parts of the country.

The protests, led by JUI-F chief

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, began with the ‘Azadi March’ on October 27 from Karachi. Thousands of supporters reached Islamabad on October 31, holding a two-week sit-in on the city’s main highway.

As a result of the protest, the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA) suffered a loss of Rs 42 million on account of the 12-day closure of Rawalpindi-Islamabad

Metrobus. On November 13, Fazl set ‘Plan B’ in motion, hoping to bring the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on its knees over his demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the executive committee of the party that was held at Fazl’s residence to chalk out a future strategy against the government. It may be noted that the

opposition has refused to become part of any violent move by the JUI-F and has only lent its token support to the marchers that have been gathered at the H-9 venue for more than a week now.

In the meeting, the JUI-F chief was briefed about the plan by all four provincial chiefs of the party. Fazl expressed his satisfaction over the arrangements in place for the plan.

On the other hand, the federal government has also pulled its socks to counter the ‘Plan B’.

An official, on condition of anonymity, had told Pakistan Today that the interior minister had given standing orders to the Islamabad administration to ensure that “there is no violation of the accord signed between the admin and the JUI-F leadership”.

When asked to comment on the strategy if the JUI-F protesters would resort to blocking the Faizabad interchange, the official had said that Faizabad interchange does not fall under Red Zone, however, the administration would not allow the protesters to move ahead from Peshawar Mor. The official had said that the Punjab government would take action if the protesters converged at Faizabad as it falls under the remits of Punjab. NEWS DESK

Indian Muslim group to seek review of SC Ayodhya verdict MUMBAI AGENCIES

An Indian Muslim group said on Sunday it would file a petition in the Supreme Court asking for a review of a ruling that awarded a disputed site in Uttar Pradesh to Hindus, allowing them to build a temple there. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, an umbrella body of intellectuals and organizations, said it would seek a review of the judgment, which rejected Muslim claims over the land. India’s Supreme Court ruled on Nov. 9 that a 2.77 acre (1.1 hectare) plot of land should be awarded to Hindus, who believe it is the birthplace of Lord Ram, a physical incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.“There are apparent errors in the Supreme Court judgment, and we felt that it would be prudent to file a review petition,” Syed Qasim Ilyas, a member of the group, told a press briefing. The main Muslim litigant in the case, the Sunni Wakf Board, has declined to file a review, saying it respected the verdict.

The site, where in 1528 a mosque was built by an associate of the Mughal emperor Babur, has been the center of a bitter dispute between India’s majority Hindus and Muslims, who make up about 14% of the population, since Indian independence. In 1992, a Hindu mob razed the mosque to the ground, leading to riots in several parts of India.

‘all good between pTi, pml-Q’ Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday said that the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid-eAzam (PML-Q) is an ally of the government and will continue to maintain such ties in the future too.

The former Punjab chief minister (CM) said that no one could create a misunderstanding between the party and the government, adding that his remarks on former premier Nawaz Sharif were blown out of proportion.

“Whatever I said about Nawaz was for Imran Khan’s own good,” he added. Elahi also said that he had contacted Maulana Fazlur Rehman to save the country from descending into political chaos. Earlier during an interview last week, Elahi had opined that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan should let Nawaz fly out of the country since the former prime minister was gravely ill. On the other hand, Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazl had told a local media channel that Elahi and he were on the same page when they had last met.

Further, Elahi was also part of the government’s negotiating committee responsible for negotiating with the JUI-F chief when the latter brought life in the capital to halt, demanding PM Imran’s resignation. Although Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak was heading the committee, Elahi and his cousin, Chaudhry Shujaat were instrumental in holding talks with Fazl during the protest. NEWS DESK

Aramco declares $1.71 trillion valuation in blockbuster IPO RIYADH AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia on Sunday put a value of up to $1.71 trillion on energy giant Aramco in what could be the world's biggest IPO, but missed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's initial target of $2 trillion.

Aramco said it would sell 1.5 per cent of the company in a blockbuster initial public offering worth at least $24 billion.

"The base offer size will be 1.5 per cent of the company's outstanding shares," the state-owned energy giant said in a statement

that set the price range at 30-32 Saudi riyals per share ($8-8.5).

The much-delayed offering is scaled down from original plans, but it still rivals the world's biggest listing so far — the $25 billion float of Chinese retail giant Alibaba in 2014.

Aramco had initially been expected to sell a total of five per cent on two exchanges, with a first listing of two per cent on the kingdom's Tadawul bourse, followed by a further three per cent on an overseas exchange.

But the firm has said there are no current plans for an international stock sale, indicating that

the long-discussed goal had been shelved for the time being.

Saudi Arabia is pulling out all the stops to ensure the success of the IPO, a cornerstone of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed's ambitious plan to diversify the economy by pumping funds into megaprojects and non-energy industries. S&P Global Ratings said the stock market debut could enable the kingdom to strengthen its financial position.

"If subsequently effectively deployed, the funds raised could be used to support longer-term economic growth in Saudi Arabia," it said.

The government has report-

edly pressed wealthy Saudi business families and institutions to invest, and many nationalists have labelled it a patriotic duty.

Even for the domestic listing though, there are reports the firm is struggling to attract foreign institutional investors, amid an uncertain outlook for the energy sector and questions over company disclosures and governance.

In its prospectus released last week, the company lists a variety of risks ranging from terrorist attacks to geopolitical tensions in a region dominated by SaudiIran rivalry.

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

CMYK