E-Paper PDF 19th November (LHR)

CMYK

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019 I 21 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1441 I Rs 20.00 I Vol X No 139 I 16 Pages I Lahore Edition

Imran Vents hIs spleen at judIcIary oVer nawaz relIef g

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pm pLeads cJp Khosa, his successor to ‘taKe whatever measures necessary to restore nation’s confidence in Judiciary’

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says sharif famiLy couLd have easiLy given rs7bn as surety for their return

Lashes out at opp, says opposition staged ‘circus on containers’ to avoid accountabiLity, divert attention from Kashmir crisis

HAVELIAN

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staff report

isibly frustrated by the lahore High Court’s (lHC) order to remove former prime minister Nawaz sharif’s name from the no-fly list without him having to sign the Rs7.5 billion indemnity bond, Prime Minister imran Khan on Monday appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif saeed Khosa and his successor, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, to take whatever measures necessary to “restore the confidence of the nation in the judiciary”.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Havelian-Mansehra section of the Hazara motorway, imran maintained that the amount had been inconsequential for the sharif family and the bond should have been signed.

“We were requested to send him abroad on humanitarian grounds,” he said, adding that the government had shown mercy even though half the cabinet had been against the decision.

“What did we ask in return? We asked for a Rs7 billion guarantee. The amount is peanuts for them. The way they have looted the country, they can easily tip someone Rs7 billion,” he said.

He said that though the government had “merely asked for a piece of paper with the guarantee on it”, the PMl-N started creating

nawaz to leave for London at 9am today

“drama” on this demand.

Noting that Pakistan Muslim leagueNawaz (PMl-N) President shehbaz sharif had said that he would guarantee Nawaz’s return, PM imran asked the younger sharif, ” your son and son-in-laws are fugitives, who will provide a guarantee for them? both of Nawaz’s sons and ishaq Dar are absconding; who will provide a guarantee for them. On top of all that, there are corruption cases pending against you as well: who will give your guarantee?” stating that the government had conceded to the verdict of the lHC, he warned shehbaz that “the nation has understood your dramas”.

Recalling that shehbaz had said that imran should be responsible if something happened to Nawaz, the premier asked, “in the past 10 years, more than 800 people have died in jails, who is responsible for their deaths?” “Has anyone ever bothered to visit their bereaved families and ask how they are surviving?” he asked.

Referring to this perceived disparity in how the powerful and the powerless are treated in Pakistan’s justice system, the prime minister pleaded that CJP Khosa and his successor Justice Gulzar should take whatever measures necessary to restore the confidence of the nation in the judiciary. “if you need funds, we will provide them

[…] please restore this nation’s trust in our judicial system,” he said. “We will support you in whatever way we can,” he added.

Training his guns on the joint opposition, imran accused them of putting on “a circus on containers” in order to escape accountability.

The prime minister said that a circus was played on the container at Jamiat Ulema-eislam-Fazl’s (JUi-F) sit-in in islamabad.

He said that all the opposition leaders, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman bilawal bhutto and PMl-N President shehbaz, were present there to save their corruption and wanted to divert the attention from the crucial issue of Kashmir. “if there ever was an expert on dharnas, he is standing right here,” he said in reference to himself, before going on to mock the opposition for giving up their protest too soon. “i had said earlier that i would have agreed to all their demands if they could last a month on those containers. The Pakistan Tehreek-einsaf (PTi) protested for 126 days,” he recalled.

He also criticised the JUi-F leadership for “hiding” in the comfort of their “warm rooms” while ordinary workers languished in the cold and rain.

He also expressed disappointment at the fashion in which seminary students were “brought” to the protest. Noting that the participants seemed to be unaware of any common purpose of the sit-in, he alleged that Fazl had “used” them for personal gains. He also criticised the JUi-F chief for “using religion” to make money, saying he “issues whatever fatwas you want him to if the price is right”.

STORY ON PAGE 02

Asad Umar returns to federal cabinet as planning minister

STORY ON BACK PAGE

pmL-n demands fresh elections in 2020

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

imran vows no compromise on rule of law in pakistan

Shaheen-I ballistic missile training launch successful

STORY ON BACK PAGE

STORY ON PAGE 02

Army denies speculations of rift between PM, COAS

STORY ON PAGE 03

STORY ON BACK PAGE

imf rejects downward revision in fbr’s revenue target STORY ON PAGE 11

CMYK Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

02 NEWS

pML-n deMands fresh eLections in 2020 MarriyuM advises govt to focus on perforMance p LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) General Secretary Ahsan Iqbal on Monday announced that his party wants fresh elections in 2020 as “it is the only way forward in face of the stagnating economy”.

Talking to reporters after a meeting of the party’s parliamentary committee, the former minister suggested that national dialogue be held for a “free and fair election” next year. Iqbal was of the view that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in consultation with all political parties, should devise a foolproof mechanism to ensure free and fair elections in the country. He said that the party also decided to strengthen the ongoing protest drive against the government, adding that the party’s parliamentary committee also discussed measures to extend the impacts of the anti-government drive being run by opposition parties.

“The government has failed completely,” he added. The PML-N leader

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said the incumbent government should focus on serving the nation instead of getting jealous of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. In a statement, the PML-N leader said that PTI ministers are showing stubbornness by wrongly interpreting Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision, which ordered to remove Nawaz Sharif’s name from Exit Control List (ECL) and allowed him to travel abroad for medical treatment without submitting indemnity bond. She further appealed the nation to pray for the recovery of former premier, who will be leaving for London on November 19 in an air ambulance. The PML-N spokesperson told the media that doctors have examined Sharif’s health and medications are being provided to him for minimising health risks, particularly concerning his blood sugar level and heart disease. On the other hand, preparations have been completed at Harley Street Clinic for the medical treatment of Nawaz Sharif by his son Hassan Nawaz. STAFF REPORT

said that the party has also decided to run a membership drive across the country. Talking about southern Punjab, he alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government deceived the people of southern Punjab. “PML-N will again raise its voice over the issue in the National Assembly,” he said, adding that the PML-N would also raise the issue of Hazara province in the assembly. He

said that the committee discussed in detail the challenges facing the nation, including inflation, poverty, joblessness and “governance breakdown” in Punjab.

The infrastructure and all departments in Punjab have been ruined, he alleged.

Talking about the health of Nawaz Sharif, he said that the former prime minister will leave the country on Tuesday for treatment abroad. He said that

Nawaz Sharif should have left the country 15 days ago but the government created unnecessary hurdles in his travel which could be fatal. He criticised the ministers for issuing statements against a “very ill person”. The Rehbar Committee in its next meeting will talk about the future course of action as every party has its own Plan-B and Plan-C, he added.

Nawaz to leave for London at 9am today LAHORE

isLAmAbAd: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended a notification issued last week announcing the appointment of singer-turned-politician Abrarul Haq as the chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS). IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah was hearing a petition filed by outgoing PRCS Chairman Dr Saeed Elahi against Haq’s appointment. Elahi was appointed by the PML-N government as the PRCS chairman in 2014 and granted an extension for another term in 2017. Last week, he was removed by President Alvi, who, by law, is the patron of the Society.

According to PTI officials, Elahi was removed for openly criticising the government, adding that he had been accused of corruption and nepotism during his two successive tenures. Elahi, on the other hand, said that his removal was illegal because he had “neither completed his tenure nor was there any cogent reason” to remove him from the position. Elahi had challenged Haq’s appointment in the court on November 16 on the grounds of conflict of interest and nepotism. He argued that the appointment of a new chairman is illegal before the completion of his tenure, which ends in March 2020. He further said that Haq’s appointment was also in direct conflict with the organisation’s interest as the PTI stalwart not only runs a hospital and private college but also collects donations for his NGO Sahara For Life Trust. He urged the court to “declare the notification [of Haq’s appointment] as void, illegal, unjust, without lawful authority, arbitrary and against the law”. STAFF REPORT

firdous slams ex-indian general for endorsing rape, murder in ioK

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif will leave for London on Tuesday at 9:00am in an air ambulance.

The former premier will be accompanied by his younger brother, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, and his personal physician Dr Adnan Khan.

According to reports, the Sharif family has rented an air ambulance, which will arrive at 3:00am at Allama Iqbal International Airport. The airport administration has received a copy of the court’s verdict in this matter and has completed all preparations for the former premier’s departure.

Also, a meeting of the PML-N decided that Shehbaz Sharif will return to Pakistan after the health condition of Nawaz Sharif stabilises.

Party matters would be run through collective leadership while the parliamentary advisory group of the party will oversee matters related to parliament and other administrative issues.

Sources said the advisory group includes senior PML-N leaders Raja Zafar ul Haq, Rana Tanveer, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Sardar

ihc suspends abrar’s appointment as red crescent chief

Ayyaz Sadiq.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) issued a notification to formally allow the former prime minister to travel abroad for medical treatment, stating that the decision has been taken as an “interim arrangement” in light of the Lahore High Court’s order

in this regard.

In its notification, the ministry reproduced the undertakings provided by Shehbaz and Nawaz to the LHC in which the terms of their travel and return have been laid out.

The undertaking provided by Shehbaz includes a clause that states that

the Pakistan High Commission will have the right to meet Nawaz’s doctors to “verify or confirm about his health”.

The LHC had on Saturday allowed the former premier to travel abroad for four weeks for medical treatment, saying the duration could be extended based on medical reports.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday criticised the remarks made by a former general of the Indian Army advocating rapes and murders in Occupied Kashmir, saying that Indian Army officials had become the “agents” of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The tweet came after a retired Maj Gen SP Sinha appeared on a TV show on an Indian news channel, in which he can be heard saying: “Death in return for death, rape in return for rape.” According to Scroll.in, Sinha had asked for “death in return for death, and rape in return for rape” in order to “avenge the atrocities against Kashmiri Pandits during their exodus from Kashmir in 1990”. In the clip, the moderator is seen trying to calm down the heated exchange, which involved the panelists and audience members. NEWS DESK

Imran vents his spleen at judiciary over Nawaz relief cOntinuEd fROm pAgE 01 “Using religion for personal benefit is the biggest sin,” he declared. “I pray that the Fazl is spared the judgement that is waiting for him in the hereafter,” he added.

The premier said that some of his cabinet members were afraid of the outcome of the sit-in but he gave them courage. “The only had an issue with me because they know that I will not forgive their corrupt practices,” he said.

“Even I could make a deal with them as former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf did to pass his four years,” he said, adding that he would not do so as he fears God and the Day of Judgement.

PM Imran blamed the past rulers who took excessive loans for the recent hike in commodity prices. “It is a clear message from my side that I will not forgive this mafia,” he said adding that he knows the masses are passing through testing times but soon it would all be over.

Speaking more broadly, he said that opposition parties had come to Islamabad to “blackmail” the government to shut pending corruption cases against their leaders.

The prime minister, however, reiterated that would not spare “a single corrupt person” in the country. “I will betray my nation if I do so,” he added.

Talking about his government’s activities, the prime minister said that improving health and education sectors are their

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top priorities. “We have eliminated duty on hospital equipment,” he informed and further said that all-out efforts were underway to improve the education sector in the country.

Referring to the newly constructed section of the motorway, the premier said CPEC will play a pivotal role in the development of Pakistan.

He further said the housing project started by government will facilitate forty allied industries, creating a number of

employment opportunities. He added that five million houses will be constructed in five years’ tenure of the incumbent government.

“Earlier, CPEC was only a network of roads, but now it has become a project to further improve our industry and agriculture. This land is blessed with many resources, we just have to manage them better,” he added and further said that the focus will not be on investing in human capital.

CMYK Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

arMy denies specuLations of rift Between pM, coas t nEWS dESK

HE Pakistan Army has dismissed speculations pertaining to alleged rifts between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In his television programme, anchorperson Kashif Abbasi said that he spoke to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor regarding this the other day.

“I spoke to the ISPR DG the other day and asked him about speculations on social media pertaining to a lack of understanding and consensus between the premier and the army chief on various issues considering that there was also a long gap between their last two meetings,” he said.

“Major General Ghafoor rejected

arMy chief reaches tehran on officiaL visit

RAWALPiNdi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has arrived in Tehran on an official visit, a statement issued by the military’s media wing said on Monday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Qamar met his Iranian counterpart Major General Mohammad Hossein. “Both discussed regional security environment, efforts for regional peace and stability and Pak-Iran border security mechanism,” ISPR added.

Earlier in the day, Commander Turkish Armed Forces (CGS) General Yasar Guler met General Qamar at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to the ISPR. “The visiting dignitary appreciated role of Pakistan Army for peace and stability in the region,” it added. The army’s media wing said regional security environment and steps to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation were discussed between the two commanders. STAFF REPORT

such ‘baseless gossips’ and said that there is absolutely nothing of the sort.

He told me that the army is fully supporting the democratically elected government in line with the Constitution

pM imran mocks Bilawal over 'rain theory', ppp chief returns fire Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday took a dig at Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari by imitating him at the inauguration ceremony of the Havelian Thakot Project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Addressing the event, the premier said “Bilawal has startled scientists worldwide by saying ‘jab barish hoti hai to pani ata hai’ (water pours when it rains).” “But Einstein rolled over in his grave when he (Bilawal) went on to say ‘Jab ziada barish hota hai to ziada pani ata hai’ (More water comes when it rains more)” the premier quipped. “Bilawal claims to be a liberal but he is nothing but liberally corrupt,” he added. Following the statement, Bilawal responded to the PM’s comments on his Twitter handle.

“Neither am I a liberal, nor am I corrupt and certainly am not a hypocrite,” he said. “I am a visionary and progressionist who has been in politics for more than a year. You are a 70-year-old elderly man who has been exercising ‘selected’ politics for more than 20 years. If you have any identity, it is of taking U-turns and being a hypocrite and puppet.” Bilawal also mocked the premier by reminding him of the ‘rain’ statement he had given while addressing the groundbreaking of the Hazara Motorway Phase II in Havelian. “When it rains, water pours down. When it rains more, more water pours down,” the PM had said. The PPP chairman said that the premier has shocked scientists like Einstein with his intellect. NEWS DESK

secretary interior submits unconditional apology to senate chairman isLAmAbAd: In an interesting development, Federal Secretary for Interior Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan on Monday tendered an unconditional apology to Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani on behalf of the Ministry of Interior’s officials and officers for failing to attend proceedings of the Senate and its committees. In the formal communication addressed to the Secretary Senate Muhammad Anwar, Major (r) Azam explained the reason for the absences. Explaining his stance, he stated that CDA Member Khushhal Khan was deputed to attend the Senate meeting fixed for November 8, 2019. However, Khushhal was on leave and CDA’s director general (Legal) failed to depute an alternative officer to attend the proceedings. “The embarrassing situation erupted due to his unprofessionalism. The CDA chairman has been directed to take action against the above-mentioned officers for this negligence,” he wrote. Concluding the letter, the secretary interior observed that the Ministry of Interior places the parliament and its committees in high esteem and therefore, he assured to remain careful in the future. STAFF REPORT

and there will be no let up in this as it is essential for the progress and prosperity of the country,” he added.

“The ISPR DG said that prime minister and army chief are in regular touch

with each other and meetings take place when required. Not every meeting is disclosed to the media and there have been meetings in what is being termed as the long gap,” he further said.

Speculations became rife when journalist Najam Sethi, in his editorial in a local weekly, wrote that while PM Imran has signed the notification related to General Bajwa’s extension, he has hidden it from the public domain.

He also wrote that despite the premier’s insistence that the government and opposition are on the same page, they are clearly not on the same page as far as dealing with the opposition is concerned.

He further wrote that the prime minister is defying the establishment in Nawaz Sharif’s case, and this would only be possible if the former was uncertain whether the latter would stick around for a few more years.

Pakistan’s relations with US improving, says Sarwar LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has said that Pakistan and US are getting closer together, and relationship between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump is also exemplary. He said talking to USAID Mission for Pakistan’s Director Julie Ann, US Consul General Catherine Rodriguez and 70-member delegation of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism led by its President Venerable Wonhaeng which called on him at Governor House on Monday.

The Governor Punjab has announced to start Budhmat Chair in all the universities and organizing International Budhmat Conference. According to details, USAID Mission for Pakistan’s Director Julie Ann and US Consul General Catherine Rodriguez during their meeting with Ch Sarwar discussed cooperation in the ongoing USAID projects, Pak-US relations, Kashmir issue and regional situation. The Governor said that all the global powers including America should play their role in resolving the Kashmir issue.

Indian war hysteria and atrocities against innocent people of occupied Kashmir has put the regional peace at stake. Pakistan has always talked of peace, how-

ever peace cannot be restored in the region until settlement of Kashmir dispute.

He said that active cooperation by USAID to Pakistan in various fields including health and education is a good omen.

We also thanked the US government for its support to promote Pakistan’s business sector.

While, USAID Mission for Pakistan’s Director Julie Ann said that USAID is providing two lac US dollars as Challenge Fund Grant to businessmen and innovative people, thus building future of Pakistan’s trade sector.

New businesses and innovative approach in industrial sector not only help flourish economy but also improve industrial production and increase employment opportunities.

While talking to Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism delegation

led by its President Venerable Wonhaeng, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar assured that cultural heritage of Budhmat in Texila will not only be fully conserved but also be renovated. He said that for the first time in Pakistan, an International Budhmat Conference will be organized and followers of Budhmat religion from across the world will be invited to the conference.

He said Pakistan government is working actively to promote religious tourism in the country.

Kartarpur Corridor Project has been appreciated by Sikh community worldwide, and now we will conserve and renovate the holy places of Budhmat, Christianity and other minorities. He added, “I am sure you will go back with a message of love and peace from Pakistan and will tell the world that Pakistan is a peace loving country where tourists are provided complete security and other facilities.”

On this occasion, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism President Venerable Wonhaeng said, “We do appreciate the Punjab Governor’s announcement regarding holding of International Budhmat Conference. Lahore is a historic city and we have received unmatched love and affection in Pakistan. We do tell our countrymen that Pakistan is a peaceful country.”

NEWS

03

Model courts materialised dream of speedy, inexpensive justice: cJp iSLAmABAd STAFF REPORT

Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa said on Monday model courts materialised the vision of expeditious and inexpensive justice as envisaged in the country’s constitution, which otherwise was just a dream before the establishment of such courts. Addressing the award distribution ceremony of Model Criminal Trial Courts (MCTC) Judges at the Supreme Court, he said efforts, devotion, and commitment on the part of model court judges turned the dream of speedy and inexpensive justice into reality and litigants are getting prompt relief. “The credit goes to model court judges who rejuvenated the ailing judicial system under existing and available resources and without any amendments in the given law,” the top adjudicator said.

He added it instilled a new spirit into masses to repose confidence in the institution of the judiciary, which otherwise had always been blamed for undue delays. Sohail Nasir, directorgeneral of the Model Courts of Pakistan, briefed the CJP on the performance of model civil appellate courts and model trial magistrate courts that had started functioning from July 15. He said during a brief period of 88 days model civil appellate courts decided a record number of 19,316 cases, likewise model trial magistrate courts have decided 18,908 cases besides recording statements of 39906 witnesses. He informed that there are 26 jurisdictions where all four categories of civil appeals , civil revisions, family and rent appeals have been decided and pendency is reduced to zero by the model civil appellate courts. There are five jurisdictions where the model trial magistrate courts have decided all the pending criminal cases, he added.

23 pakistanorigin females to participate in upcoming uK elections LOndOn INP

In a rather unconventional development, over 1,000 female candidates will take part in the upcoming general elections in the United Kingdom, scheduled to be held on Dec 12. According to the data shared by the electoral commission, the total number of candidates vying for seats in the House of Commons, the Lower House of Parliament, is more than 3,300. Out of the 3,300, 34 per cent are female candidates. As many as 23 candidates are of Pakistan/Kashmirorigin. Interestingly, the Labour Party has created history by fielding the most number of female candidates.

Pakistani man jailed for 10 years over Dutch anti-Islam MP murder plot cOpEnHAgEn AGENCIES

A Dutch court sentenced a Pakistani man to 10 years behind bars on Monday for planning to assassinate antiIslam politician Geert Wilders after the MP announced a cartoon competition depicting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The man, identified as Junaid I. by local media, was arrested in August 2018 at a train station in The Hague after he posted a film on Facebook in which he said he wanted to “send Wilders to hell” and urged

others to help. Judges at The Hague’s district court found the 27-year-old man, who had travelled from France, guilty of “planning a murder with a terrorist motive” and “incitement to commit a terrorist deed”.

“The suspect more than once said that Wilders’ death would be a good deed,” said presiding judge Jan van Steen, who added four years in jail to the six years sought by the prosecution. “Furthermore, the suspect wanted to commit the murder in one of the parliamentary buildings, the heart of Dutch democracy,” Van Steen said.

CMYK

The suspect had denied any terror-related motives. He said during the trial that he was “peace-loving” and had only travelled to the Netherlands from France to protest against Wilders’ cartoon competition. The Facebook video was seen by more than 153,000 people and shared 14,000 times.

Far-right leader Wilders cancelled his plans two days later to stage the cartoon competition, a move that angered many Muslims, particularly in Pakistan where widespread protests were held. Wilders, 56, known for his peroxide bouffant

hairdo and firebrand anti-immigration and anti-Islamist statements, lives in a safe house and has been granted 24-hour protection by the Dutch state.

The court did not say how Junaid I. planned to kill Wilders but found that in a bugged phone call after his arrest he said he took “specific things with him […] without which his mission would not be complete”. He had also walked around with a “large backpack, which he did not have when he was arrested” and lied about what it contained, the judges said.

04 LAHORE

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

WEATHER UPDATES 0 TUESDAY

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oPP sTAges wAlkouT As govT PresenTs More ordInAnces PML-N MPA SAMIULLAH KHAN DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF ORDINANCES TO CREATE ROOM FOR LEGISLATION LAW MINISTER RAJA BASHARAT SAYS GOVT DID NOT VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION BY APPROVING ORDINANCES LAHORE

T

SHAHAB OMER

HE provincial opposition on Monday recorded its protest in the Punjab Assembly against the practice of running the affairs of the government through ordinances instead of proper legislation. During Monday’s session, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Samiullah

Khan raised the issue in the House and asked the provincial government to withdraw the approved ordinances in order to create space for debate and deliberations for further legislation.

Speaking on the point of order, Khan said that the government’s decision of running the affairs of the province was unprecedented in the parliamentary history of Punjab. “The government has set a bad example as the House has the extension of

five ordinances on the agenda today while three new ordinances are also in the government business,” he said. The government sought an extension of 90 days in five ordinances: The Rawalpindi Women University, Rawalpindi Ordinance 2019 (IX of 2019), The University of Mianwali Ordinance 2019 (X of 2019), The Punjab Public Private Partnership Ordinance 2019 (XI of 2019), The Punjab Medical Teaching Institutions (Reforms) Ordinance 2019 (XII of 2019) and The Punjab Probation and Parole Service Ordinance 2019 (XIII of 2019).

The government also had three new ordinances: The Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2019, The Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 and The Punjab Village Panchayats and Neighbourhood Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 on Monday in its agenda.

Zubair Mehfooz

As Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari approved the ordinances, the opposition raised slogans against the government and asked the government to “close down the factory of ordinances”.

Criticising the government, Khan said that the most experienced and competent minister of the provincial government, Law Minister Raja Basharat, was running the affairs of the province through ordinances. He said that for the first time in the history of the House, the number of pending bills had crossed the number of passed bills as there were 20 pending bills while only 18 had been passed.

Later, the opposition staged a walkout to protest against the ordinances and the government continued legislating in its absence.

All matters in Punjab being settled with mutual consultations, says Buzdar LAHORE APP

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Monday said the incumbent government was giving top priority to the public welfare from day one as all matters in the province were being settled with mutual consultations. He was presiding over the meeting of provincial assembly members (MPAs) of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), which finalised its strategy about the ongoing Punjab Assembly session.

The chief minister said the village Panchayat elections were expected in March and the local bodies department was making necessary arrangements in that regard. The village Panchayat elections would be held on non-party basis, while the local government polls elections would be held on party basis in the next phase, he added. He said overhead bridges would be constructed at different places of the provincial metropolis to facilitate pedestrians, along with bringing improvement in the traffic system. Similarly, different roads would be repaired in Lahore at a cost of Rs 1 billion. Usman Buzdar said that comprehensive jail reforms have also been introduced by the PTI government and announced that parole rules were being changed to facilitate five thousand prisoners. For the first time in the history of province, "I have used the authority of the chief minister to remit prisoners' sentences and one thousand prisoners have also been released by paying their fines," he added. He said that motorbikes ambulance service was being extended to other districts of the province and employees' allowance of Rescue-1122 has also been increased. Buzdar reiterated that effective measures have been adopted to control price-hike and announced that the scope of model bazaars would be extended to Tehsils level. Farmers' platform has been introduced in model bazaars to facilitate growers to sell their produce directly, he said. "Indiscriminate action will continue against hoarders and profiteers, and you will have to play an active role to overcome the menace of price-hike."

Minister directs early completion of projects in health sector LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

Provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmeen Rashid chaired an important meeting at SH&ME Department. Secretary Health Momin Agha, Special Secretary Development Nadir Chatha, Addl. Secretary Development Dr. Asif, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Haq and MS DHQ hospital Rawalpindi and MS Raja Bazar hospital on video link were there. Dr. Yasmeen Rashid reviewed the progress of development projects of upgradation of government hospitals of Rawalpindi division. Special Secretary Nadir Chatha and Addl. Secretary Dr. Asif briefed the Health Minister about the progress of development projects.Provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmeen Rashid has said on this occasion that review meeting will be held on regular basis to monitor developmental projects. All officers are directed to get all development projects completed within time period. Completion of these projects will create best medical facilities for the patients.

Last government did not take any step for upgradation of government hospitals. She further said that extension of government to combat the medical facilities is very important. We are also completing the developmental projects of last governments.

MS of all hospitals should monitor these projects themselves.

Speaking on the floor of the House, the law minister said that the government was not violating the Constitution by approving ordinances. Earlier, Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz also came to the House after a gap of five months after his production orders were issued by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

PML-N lawmakers accorded a warm welcome to their leader by thumping their desks and raising slogans. It is worth mentioning here that prior to the issuance of Hamza’s production orders, 100 MPAs had resigned from the standing committees of the House. The session was later adjourned by the deputy speaker and will meet again on Tuesday afternoon at 3pm.

AT leAsT seven deAd AfTer boAT cAPsIzes neAr okArA OKARA: At least seven people died on the spot on Monday and over 25 went missing after a boat capsized in river Sutlej near Okara. Residents of the area started a rescue operation immediately after the incident. Seven bodies were recovered according to local sources. Rescue services also launched an operation to find the missing passengers of the boat.

According to reports, the boat was carrying more than 30 people at the time of the incident and rescue services fear the toll may rise. The police maintained that the identities of the victims were not immediately known. The officials are investigating the matter. In July this year, at least four people had drowned and 15 were rescued after a boat carrying around 40 passengers capsized in Tarbela Lake in the Barg Dabderi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur district. The boat was en route to Haripur from the Dedal Kamach area of Shangla when it went down in Burg Dabderi village in the Union Council Nara Amazai. The passengers were mostly residents of nearby villages. INP

Two Indians arrested for entering Pakistan without travel documents BAHAWALPUR: Police in Cholistan on Monday arrested two Indian nationals for entering the country illegally. District police officials says that both Indians entered Pakistan without proper documentation. A case has been registered by the law enforcement agencies against the apprehended, who have been identified as Prashant and Darilal from the Indian states Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad, respectively. Reports say that one of the accused is a software engineer, raising the possibility that he was sent to Pakistan to carry out some sophisticated terror attack. Earlier in September, the Federal Investigation Agency had arrested an alleged spy from Torkham border, identified as Umar Daud. In an official press release, the FIA said it handed him over to Peshawar officials. During questioning, the suspect said that he belonged to district Karak and had an Afghani passport. As per International Border Management System, he was placed on Exit Control List (ECL) by the police.The suspect went to Afghanistan in 2013 and also travelled to India five times. “In the year 2014 he raised PLA (Pashtun Liberation Army) to discredit Pakistani institutions,” read the FIA statement. STAFF REPORT

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

NEWS

Land grabbers gun down girl, injure five others in Barki village LAHORE: A group of suspected land grabbers shot dead a girl and wounded five others, including two women, over a land dispute in the city’s Defence area the other day. A video of the incident, which took place in Noor Bakhsh Chalaar village at Barki Road in the jurisdiction of the Defence Area (C) police station, shows the suspects barging in and opening fire on the unarmed people belonging to a poor Christian family. According to police, the main suspect — identified as Irshad Kamboh — and his accomplices opened fire at the family of Rafiq Masih, with the video confirming that they kept firing obsessively. The deceased was identified as 18-year-old Sonia, who died on the spot.

Four others, including Asia, Shahnaz, Nazeer Masih and Rafiq Masih were severely wounded and shifted to a nearby hospital. Police said they had moved the body to the morgue and initiated an investigation into the matter. So far only two suspects have been taken into custody.

Talking to Pakistan Today, PTI MNA Shunila Ruth said that the brazen gun attack had left the entire community shocked. “The victims belong to a Christian family which is settled on the land since 1936. The assailants have frequently made attempts to grab the piece of land measuring 24 kanals and keep on implicating the male members of the family in false cases,” she said, adding that she has asked the SP Cantt to ensure a fair investigation into the case and ensure justice to the victims. STAFF REPORT

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PakIstaN to host IstaNBuL PRoCess MeetINg oN CouNteRINg ReLIgIous INtoLeRaNCe Next yeaR ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN will host the 8th meeting of the Istanbul Process next year with a focus to evolve responses to growing religious intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday.

The announcement in this regard was made by Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood today at The Hague, Netherlands during his keynote address at the 7th Istanbul Process meeting. The minister drew

the gathering’s attention to the “alarming levels of Islamophobia” prevalent in many parts of the world, citing incidents of hate crimes, negative profiling, assaults on hijab-wearing Muslim women and denigration of venerated Muslim personalities and symbols as examples, the FO statement said.

He cautioned politicians against using “incendiary and populist rhetoric” for electoral gains, saying it can serve as a catalyst for hate speech leading to acts of violence, systematic discrimination and in some cases acts of terrorism. Mahmood underlined the need for upholding the right to self-determination of people under foreign

occupation. He called upon the flagbearers of human rights to “eschew ambivalence and double standards” in the face of grave human rights violations including in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He also expressed deep concerns over the growing incidents of “systematic discrimination and state-sanctioned violence against Muslims” in India, the FO statement said.

Talking about the importance of upholding fundamental freedoms, the minister stressed that freedom of expression must be exercised with responsibility and the international community should “begin to consider

reasonable restrictions in this regard”, both online and offline.

Mahmood also shared the range of steps taken by Pakistan in the field of education and for the promotion of inter-faith harmony and freedom of religion or belief. In this context, he highlighted the recent initiative taken by the government to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims. According to the FO, the Istanbul Process represents an operational mechanism of a consensus-based resolution at the Human Rights Council that seeks to promote the implementation of an 8point action plan to combat religious intolerance and other related issues.

Reham slams govt over restrictions on Maryam Nawaz’s ‘Diet Coke’ Prime Minister Imran Khan’s former wife Reham Khan has lashed out at her former husband over the government’s restrictions on “Maryam Nawaz’s Diet Coke”. “The Sharif family is a very resilient family. Your leader cannot spend even a single day in jail,” Reham said in a video statement. “Today you have stopped Maryam Nawaz from drinking Diet Coke. It would be very difficult if your leader is stopped from consuming Coke in jail.” “You have placed restrictions on her Diet Coke today.

Tomorrow if you have to spend a day in jail, you may not be served any Coke, Pepsi or Seven-up,” she added. Reflecting on the events of 2014, Reham said what was happening today on the Pakistani political landscape was ‘karma’. She said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman was doing the same things—dharna, long march, shutterdowns, protests—which Imran did in 2014. “Things happened the same way (in 2014). There was a dharna after one year; This time Maulana Fazlur Rehman is saying the same things—’There will be a shutterdown, a lockdown.’ We had heard all this in 2014,” she said. “They took 126 days and nothing happened. Look at what they have achieved. They have all converged on the same page. When Pervaiz Elahi is speaking against you, when he is saying let them go, when the railways minister is saying things like these,” she said, commenting on statements by the Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader and Sheikh Rasheed.

“The betrayal and disloyalty that you have carried out with people, the same is happening (with you now). The same people, with whom you formed your small majority, are threatening you. They are not Reham Khan,” she said. She said that Pervez Elahi was “a very seasoned and much bigger” political player and that he has “given his verdict”. She also said, “Your allies are also going to leave you. Ch Pervez Elahi was advising you to let Nawaz go abroad but you did not respond. You were disloyal to others in the past and now your people are going to be unfaithful to you.” “What you (Imran) did to him in Punjab by bringing Buzdar. Now it’s time for Pervez Elahi’s turn.” NEWS DESK

LAHORE: Many people are killed in accidents on railway tracks every year and the authorities have time and time again warned the public against putting their lives in danger. Pictured here are motorcyclists and young children crossing a railway track, paying no heed to those warnings. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

SC orders Railways to submit Royal Palm lease plan in 15 days LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court has directed the Pakistan Railways to submit a proper plan about leasing out the land for Lahore’s Royal Palm Golf and Country Club in 15 days.

Authorities have been instructed to submit the club’s account details and conduct its auction as soon as possible.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, asked the railways why it’s taken them so soon to hold the auction.

Their lawyer told the court that they have submitted a request to give them three months to hire a consultant. Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the department should submit a proper plan and then the court will issue instructions.

The lawyer also said that members of the previous government haven’t provided them with relevant records. Over which, one of the

judges said, “you have to hurry up the process.

The Railways wants to run trains or the golf club?” The authorities have been ordered to register a case against all missing records.

On June 28, the court had declared the 2001 lease agreement of the club to be ‘null and void’ and its possession was handed back to the Railways. The club was built on the land of Pakistan Railways. In 2001, the land was given on lease.

The club was sealed during the tenure of former railways minister Saad Rafique over unpaid dues. The Lahore High Court had given a verdict against the railway authorities. NAB was investigating irregularities in the lease too.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed had said that the golf course has been spread over 103 acres since the time of British rule. Fraud was committed to reduce the price of the land, he had said. He claimed that 32 bungalows and 103 quarters of Pakistan Railways were demolished to make the club.

PM Imran to take action against officers not redressing public issues ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday decided to take action against officers who are responsible for not addressing the complaints of people on ‘Citizen Portal’. According to the spokesperson of Prime Minister’s Office, a five-member committee will be constituted in every ministry and department, headed by a grade-20 officer or a joint secretary. The committee will evaluate the performance of officers who are assigned to address the complaints on Citizen Portal. The negligence in all the resolved and unresolved complaints will be indicated on priority basis. The complaints are being addressed by the subordinate staff instead of senior officers which results into unnecessary delays, the spokesperson said and added no solid reasons are shared by the ministries and departments, in case the relief is not provided to a citizen’s complaint. The cases are also closed without following the guidelines for solution.

Furthermore, the officers do not have a documentary evidence of the solved cases. All the federal and provincial ministries, divisions and departments have been directed by the Prime minister’s office to submit their review reports within 30 days, the spokesperson said. APP

FM Qureshi writes letters to top UN officials, rejects bifurcation of IOK ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

In an effort to highlight the dire situation in occupied Kashmir, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday wrote comprehensive letters to the United Nations (UN) secretary general and UNSC president.

In a statement, Foreign Officer spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that Pakistan will continue to draw the world’s attention toward the plight of the Kashmiri people in the face of inhuman

lockdown since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019. He said that the letters were written on 31st of October. Among other things, the foreign minister conveyed Pakistan’s rejection of the “bifurcation” of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he added. he spokesperson said that FM Qureshi highlighted the continued violation of human rights by Indian occupation forces and underlined New Delhi’s belligerent rhetoric and actions. In his letter, FM Qureshi said, “The iron curtain that has descended on IOJ&K, holding over 8

million Kashmiris under siege, has no parallel in recent history.”

He further said that the government of Pakistan had rejected the ‘bifurcation’ of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. He noted that changing the status quo in IoK unilaterally was in complete violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

“These Indian actions are therefore null and void in terms of international law, and do not, in any way, prejudice the right to self determination of the people of IoK,” read the letter.

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

06 WORLD VIEW

Trump was righT TO abandOn The Taliban peace deal. here’s whaT a gOOd One wOuld lOOk like THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SHOULD INSIST THAT ANY PEACE AGREEMENT INCLUDES A NATIONWIDE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN THE TALIBAN AND THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT

WaSHington PoSt DaviD h PetraeuS anD vance Serchuk

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WO months after President Trump declared U.S.-Taliban peace talks “dead,” diplomacy with the Afghan insurgents is reviving. With the administration already having negotiated a framework agreement with the Taliban, the key question now facing Washington is whether simply to dust off the settlement that was shelved in September or seek substantial revisions.

The Taliban’s position is clear: It maintains that the text from earlier this year “contains answers to all issues” and “only needs signing and implementation.” Yet the Taliban’s enthusiasm for the deal underscores why the White House should reconsider its terms.

The predicate for any acceptable peace agreement with the Taliban ought to be their total, unequivocal break with international terrorism. It was, after all, two decades ago, when the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan, that its sheltering of al-Qaeda made possible the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and it was the Taliban’s subsequent refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden that forced the United States to invade.

The experience of recent coalition military operations in Afghanistan, moreover, underscores that al-Qaeda’s links to the Taliban remain strong. Under the deal Trump set aside in September, the Taliban appeared willing to promise that Afghan territory under their control would never again be used to launch terrorist attacks against the outside world.

That is a compelling formula at first glance, but inadequate under scrutiny.

For starters, the Taliban as recently as this summer still wouldn’t admit that alQaeda was the 9/11 perpetrator. As long as the group denies the facts about past acts of terrorism hatched under its aegis, it is impossible to take seriously its assurances about preventing future ones.

Even more fundamentally, a Taliban

pledge not to allow foreign attacks from Afghan soil does not address the group’s relationship with al-Qaeda and other Islamist extremists. A peace deal that ignores this makes little sense.

The Taliban must pledge to break ties with designated terrorist groups everywhere and show through active cooperation with the United States their willingness to fight them.

Moreover, any Taliban deal that requires all U.S. forces to withdraw from Afghanistan should be a nonstarter. Precisely because the Taliban’s counterterrorism promises are untrustworthy, it is essential for the United States to retain its own independent means to protect itself against extremist networks, which now include an Islamic State affiliate, in both Afghanistan and the surrounding region.

Exchanging America’s military footprint in Afghanistan for Taliban commitments against al-Qaeda would be especially ill-considered. Under such an arrangement, the more the United States fulfills its end of the bargain, the less incentive the Taliban would have to live up to theirs — and the less ability Washington would have to detect or punish violations.

For that matter, if the Taliban is sincere about turning against groups such as al-Qaeda, why wouldn’t it — like other U.S. counterterrorism partners around the world — welcome all the international help it can get against a common enemy?

The Taliban’s vehement insistence that all U.S. troops leave Afghanistan strongly suggests that its purpose in peace talks isn’t to transform its relationship with the United States but to evict its forces so that they can then overthrow the Afghan government — which, by contrast, has been a steadfast U.S. ally against terror.

Consequently, the Trump administration should insist that any peace agreement includes a nationwide cease-fire between the Taliban and the Afghan government, which should remain in place as the two parties then negotiate. Under no circumstances should Washington disengage from the Afghan battlefield while the Taliban is still rampaging on it.

The Taliban will of course resist all of this — conjuring the specter that the group might abandon diplomacy altogether in favor of continued violence, in the hope the United States will eventually give up and go home.

That is indeed a risk. But the right response isn’t to accept a deal that compromises U.S. national security and abandons an important counterterrorism partner.

The United States should instead adopt a force posture that is both sustained and sustainable, with our Afghan partners continuing to bear the overwhelming burden of the fight while the U.S. provides vital support. American diplomacy, meanwhile, can help offset the costs to the United States by securing additional forces and funding from allies worldwide.

Americans and Afghans are united in their desire for peace, but a bad deal with the Taliban would be worse than no deal at all — and from what is known about the accord that was on the table in September, it is likely for the best that Trump backed away. Rather than re-embracing that agreement, the White House should demand a better one, while making clear to the Taliban and other extremists in the region that an enduring U.S. commitment to our Afghan counterterrorism partners is non-negotiable.

David H. Petraeus is a former director of the CIA, former commander of U.S. Central Command and chairman of KKR Global Institute, where Vance Serchuk, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, is executive director.

The fountainhead of India’s economic malaise THE CITIZENRY’S DISTRUST IN INSTITUTIONS AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT HAVE CAUSED A PROLONGED SLOWDOWN

Hindu ManMohan Singh

The state of India’s economy is deeply worrying.

I say this, not as a member of the Opposition political party, but as a citizen of this country and as a student of economics. By now, the facts are evident to all — nominal GDP growth is at a 15year low; unemployment is at a 45-year high; household consumption is at a four-decade low; bad loans in banks are at an all-time high; growth in electricity generation is at a 15-year low — the list of highs and lows is long and distressing. But the state of the economy is worrying not because of these disturbing statistics. These are mere manifestations of a deeper underlying malaise that plagues the nation’s economy today.

A nation’s state of the economy is also a function and reflection of the state of its society.

The functioning of any economy is the result of the combined set of exchanges and social interactions among its people and institutions. Mutual trust and self-confidence are the bedrock of such social transactions among people that foster economic growth. Our social fabric of trust and confidence is now torn and ruptured.

INDUSTRIALISTS LIVE IN FEAR There is a palpable climate of fear in our society today. Many industrialists tell me that they live in fear of harassment by government authorities. Bankers are reluctant to make new loans, for fear of retribution. Entrepreneurs are hesitant to put up fresh projects, for fear of failure attributed to ulterior motives. Technology start-ups, an important new engine of economic growth and jobs, seem to live under a shadow of constant surveillance and deep suspicion. Policymakers in government and other institutions are scared to speak the truth or engage in intellectually honest policy discussions. There is profound fear and distrust among people who act as agents of economic growth. When there is such distrust, it adversely impacts economic transactions in a society. When transactions among people and institutions are negatively impacted, it leads to a slowdown of economic activity, and eventually, stagnation. This perilous state of fear, distrust and lack of confidence among citizens is a funda-

mental reason for our sharp economic slowdown.

There is an air of helplessness too. Aggrieved citizens find nowhere to go to air their grievances. Public trust in independent institutions, such as the media, judiciary, regulatory authorities and investigative agencies, has been severely eroded. With the erosion of trust, there is a lack of a support system for people to seek refuge against unlawful tax harassment or unfair regulations. This makes entrepreneurs lose their risk appetite even further for undertaking new projects and creating jobs. This toxic combination of deep distrust, pervasive fear and a sense of hopelessness in our society is stifling economic activity, and hence, economic growth.

The root cause of this rupturing of our social fabric is the Modi government’s ‘mala fide unless proven otherwise’ doctrine of governance.

The premise of the government’s policy framework seems to be that economic participants have mala-fide intent unless they can prove otherwise. This suspicion that every industrialist, banker, policymaker, regulator, entrepreneur and citizen is out to defraud the government has led to a complete breakdown of trust in our society.

This has halted economic development, with bankers unable to lend, industrialists unable to invest and policymakers unable to act.

The Modi government seems to view everything and everyone through a tainted prism of suspicion and distrust due to which every policy of previous governments are presumed to be of bad intent, every loan sanctioned considered undeserving and every new industrial project deemed to be crony in nature. And the government has positioned itself as some saviour, resorting to foolhardy moral-policing policies such as demonetisation, which have proved to be ill-thought-out and catastrophic.

Wrongful evil characterisation of everyone and a ‘good-vs-evil governance’ doctrine cannot be a recipe for healthy economic growth.

The role of social trust in economic development has been well-documented, right from the times of Adam Smith to the modern-day discipline of behavioural economics. The tearing of our social fabric of trust is the fountainhead of our current economic malaise. For economic growth to revive, it is very important that our torn social fabric of fear and distrust be stitched and knitted together to enthuse trust and confidence. It is very important for businessmen, capital providers and workers to feel confident and exuberant rather than being fearful and nervous.

This is possible only if the government sheds its ‘mala fide-unless-proven-otherwise’ doctrine and begin to trust India’s entrepreneurs.

India’s economy is perched in a precarious state currently. Incomes are not growing. Household consumption is slowing. People are dipping

into their savings to maintain similar levels of consumption. Headline GDP growth is accruing almost entirely to the creamy layer at the top.

RISK OF STAGFLATION The real worrying trend is that the most recent retail inflation numbers have shown a sharp increase, especially the food inflation figure. Retail inflation is expected to rise even further in the coming months. Continued increase in inflation combined with stagnant demand and high unemployment will lead to what economists term as ‘stagflation’, a dangerous territory from which it becomes very hard for large economies to recover. While we are currently not in stagflation territory yet, it is prudent to act quickly to restore consumption demand through fiscal policy measures since the impact of monetary policy seems muted. It is my belief that India’s fragile economic situation calls for the twin policy actions of boosting demand through fiscal policy and reviving private investment through ‘social policy’ by inspiring trust and confidence in the economic participants in our society.

India is now a $3-trillion global economic powerhouse driven largely by private enterprise.

It is not a tiny command and control economy that can be bullied and directed at will. Nor can it be managed through colourful headlines and noisy media commentary. Shooting down messengers of bad news or shutting off economic reports and data is juvenile and does not behove a rising global economic powerhouse. No amount of subterfuge can hide the performance and analysis of a $3-trillion market economy of 1.2 billion people. Economic participants respond to social and economic incentives, not diktats or coercions or public relations.

Sadly, this self-inflicted economic wound comes at a time when there is a unique and opportune moment in the global economy for India to capitalise. The slowing down of China’s economy and exports has opened up a large export opportunity for India to fill. India should aim to garner an elephant’s share of this export opportunity by fostering a climate of confidence and economic dynamism away from the current climate of fear, distrust and pessimism. With the government having an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and the global oil prices being low, this is a once-ina-generation economic opportunity to catapult India to the next phase of economic development and create new jobs for hundreds of millions of our youth. I urge the Prime Minister to set aside his deep-rooted suspicion of industrialists and entrepreneurs and nurse us back to a confident and mutually trustworthy society that can revive the animal spirits and help our economy soar.

Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014.

Onion price hits all-time high ADMINISTRATION SHOULD HAVE REACTED SOONER Star, BangladeSH The prices of onions have shot through the roof, reaching Tk 250 in Dhaka and many other districts causing immense suffering for the people. Previous to this week, prices had been hovering around Tk 120-150 which was already triple the regular market price; but since then, it has gone up by over Tk 100 in a matter of days. This rise has not come without warnings. It had been building up since at least September 29 when India banned onion export. The authorities, therefore, had more than a month to tackle the crisis which it has not been able to do.

While the authorities had been slow to react, the shortage was criminally exploited by some importers, as reported in this paper, who marked up the prices by nearly three times the import price. While the administration failed to apprehend the unscrupulous traders, the quantity it provided for open sales was insignificant too, and hence it failed to check the price hike.

Whether the supply shortage was orchestrated or not, the fact remains that it is the administration’s responsibility to ensure that the price of a commodity as essential as onion does not increase to such an agonising point. Had the authorities addressed the matter more promptly from the beginning, the crisis could have been avoided. Furthermore, as traders have alleged, lack of storage capacity has led to a huge percentage of their supply to rot, which is another reason why the price has increased so much.

It is absolutely unacceptable that people should have to tighten their belts because of the lack of appreciation by the authorities of an impending crisis. All those associated with planning should draw lessons from this episode and factor in the unpredictable so that such a crisis can be averted in future. And those who failed to anticipate the crisis should have a thing or two to answer for.

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

Iran Calmer despIte more ‘rIots’ over oIl prICe hIkes TEHRAN

I

AGENCIES

RAN said it still faces “riots” even though the situation was calmer Monday after days of violent protests sparked by a shock decision to hike petrol prices in the sanctions-hit country.

Major roads have been blocked, banks torched and shops looted in the nationwide unrest that has left at least two dead — a civilian and a policeman.

Footage of the violence showing masked young men on debris-strewn streets setting buildings ablaze has been aired on state television, which rarely shows any signs of dissent. The Basij militia, whose commander Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani said “America’s plot (had) failed”, reported looting, according to semi-official news agency ISNA. Demonstrations broke out on Friday after it was announced that the price of

petrol would be raised by 50 per cent for the first 60 litres and 200 per cent for any extra fuel after that each month.

The authorities in the Islamic republic say they have arrested more than 200 people and restricted internet access.

Netblocks, a website that monitors net traffic, tweeted: “40 hours after #Iran implemented a near-total internet shutdown, connectivity to the outside world remains at just 5% of ordinary levels”.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said the situation was “calmer” on Monday. But there were still “some minor issues and tomorrow and the day after we won’t have any issues with regard to riots”, he told a news conference, without elaborating. “There have been gatherings in some cities, in some provinces,” he said.

Pressed to give figures on the number of casualties in the unrest, he said: “What I can tell you today is that gatherings are about 80 per cent less than the previous day.” The situation on the streets has been

unclear largely due to the internet outage that has stemmed the flow of videos shared on social media of protests or associated acts of violence. Iran’s economy has been battered since May last year when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions.

LETHAL FORCE: The US on Sunday condemned Iran for using “lethal force” against demonstrators. “The United States supports the Iranian people in their peaceful protests against the regime that is supposed to lead them,” said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.

Iran’s foreign ministry slammed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after he tweeted “the United States is with you” Saturday in response to the demonstrations. In a statement issued late Sunday, the ministry said it was reacting to Pompeo’s “expression of support… for a group of rioters in some cities of Iran and condemned such support and interven-

FOREIGN NEWS 07

tionist remarks”. “The dignified people of Iran know well that such hypocritical remarks do not carry any honest sympathy,” ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying. “The acts of a rioter and saboteur group supported by the likes of (Pompeo) have no congruity with the conduct of the wise Iranian people.”

The statement blasted Washington’s “ill-intent” over its decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran after withdrawing from the nuclear deal. “It’s curious that the sympathising is being done with the people who are under the pressure of America’s economic terrorism,” Mousavi said.

For its part, Germany called Monday for dialogue between the government and “legitimate” protesters in Iran. “It is legitimate and deserving of our respect when people courageously air their economic and political grievances, as is currently happening in Iran,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer.

“The Iranian government should respond to the current protests with a willingness to engage in dialogue,” she added. Iran announced the decision to impose petrol price hikes and rationing at midnight ThursdayFriday, saying the move was aimed at helping the needy with cash handouts.

Police swoop as Hong Kong protesters try to flee

HONG KONG AGENCIES

Hong Kong riot police swooped on pro-democracy protesters trying to flee a university they had set ablaze Monday, in one of the most violent confrontations seen in nearly six months of unrest.

Hundreds of demonstrators clashed throughout the day with police who had threatened to use deadly force, as protests also flared in other parts of the city. Monday’s events were part of a new phase of violence that began last week and has led to chaos throughout the city of 7.5 million people, with schools closed, train lines disrupted and major roads blocked by barricades. China has refused to budge on any of the protesters’ demands, and warned it will not tolerate dissent. Chinese soldiers briefly appearing on Hong Kong’s streets

over the weekend supposedly to clean up debris fuelled concerns it could intervene militarily.

On Monday police tried to dislodge several hundred hardcore protesters who had occupied Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) over the weekend. Overnight the mainly black-clad youngsters set fire to PolyU’s main entrance as they repelled an attempted police incursion. Daylight saw no let up, with clashes every time activists emerged from the campus. Hails of tear gas greeted attempts to break out, with activists forced to retreat or trying to find holes in a police cordon.

Police made dozens of arrests — sometimes beating people with batons as they held them on the ground. Officers crowded around those who fell during charges, and could occasionally be seen kicking helpless protesters. Even by recent standards, the last few days have stood out as particularly violent, with one police officer hit in the leg by an arrow, and an armoured police vehicle torched. Officers fired live rounds on Monday, though said they did not think anyone had been hit. Police declared events at PolyU a “riot” — rioting is punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

“I hereby warn rioters not to use petrol bombs, arrows, cars or any deadly weapons to attack police officers,” a force spokesman said. “If they continue such dangerous actions, we would have no choice but to use the minimum force necessary, including live rounds, to fire back.”

Hong Kong police routinely carry sidearms,

but until now they have only used them in isolated incidents during running street clashes. Three people have been shot, none of them fatally.

They have largely relied on tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets, but the new warning suggests a more proactive use of live rounds.

HELPLESS: Fear gripped protesters inside the campus — whose occupation is a twist in tactics by a leaderless movement so far defined by its fluid nature. One 19-year-old, who gave her name as “K”, said there was desperation among those who remained. “Some people were crying badly, some were furious, some agonising, because they felt hopeless as we were left no way out of the campus.

“We don’t know when the police will storm in.”

Protests erupted in several other parts of peninsula Hong Kong, with makeshift barricades across normally bustling shopping streets, the road surfaces strewn with bricks to hamper vehicles. Police fired tear gas at groups who had gathered in the Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan areas, where they also made a number of arrests.

The unrest has rocked previously stable Hong Kong, tipping the international financial hub into recession and frightening off tourists. What began as a series of huge, peaceful demonstrations against a now-shelved bill to allow extradition to the Chinese mainland has morphed into calls for democracy and an inquiry into police behaviour.

Violence has worsened this month, with two men killed in separate incidents.

Gas, food running short in Bolivia amid protests SUCRE AGENCIES

Bolivian taxi driver Carlos Lara has spent three nights sleeping in his car at a service station, hoping that gas supplies held up by supporters of ex-president Evo Morales will make it through.

“No gas, no work,” the 72-yearold Lara said Sunday as supporters of Morales continued to block a road leading from La Paz to a refinery to the east, leaving gas stations bone dry.

He has been waiting in his car since 7 am on Thursday, and kills time by listening to the radio or chatting with taxi colleagues who, like him, are on the lookout for a truck with gas so they can get back to work.

“They tell us that the gas will arrive ‘maybe tomorrow,’ and the next day it is ‘maybe tomorrow’ again.

And that is where we are right now,” said Lara, pointing to several dozens cars in line with him. The scene is repeated at just about every gas station in La Paz, Bolivia’s administrative capital and ground zero of a red hot political crisis. Morales resigned a week ago amid violent protests over alleged fraud in his re-election to a fourth term in presidential voting on October 20. Ever since then, Morales backers have demonstrated daily to demand the resignation of Jeanine Anez, a conservative senator who

was legally in line to replace him and declared herself acting president on Tuesday. Clashes have broken out with security forces, especially in the central city of Cochabamba, a Morales stronghold. Nine people died, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Protesters blocked a road leading from La Paz to the neighboring city of El Alto earlier this past week. They have now blocked the key supply route from La Paz to Santa Cruz, the country’s financial capital, and to the center and east of the country, where farming is concentrated. These demonstrators have also blocked the Sanketa refinery near El Alto, which

supplies gasoline and natural gas to the entire La Paz region. Colonel Rodolfo Montero, the new head of the Bolivian police, said Sunday that the regional commander in El Alto has begun a dialogue with the protesters.

But no progress has been reported so far. Lara says he has nothing against the protesters. In his opinion, the Anez government made a big mistake and could have calmed things down without calling out soldiers and police as it did near Cochabamba.

BLACK MARKET MEAT: At the Mercado Rodriguez, an open air market, a merchant who gave her name only as Maria and sells fennel, pepper and other spices said she agrees with

that assessment. “There have been fatalities. Nine people were killed in Cochabamba!” she screamed. “I understand the demonstrators who are carrying out the blockade.”

Maria said she has not raised her prices despite the crisis. “And I will not do it, because there are people who are needier than I am,” she said.

Not everybody at the market is so sanguine. Gualberto Albornoz, munching on a banana, complains that on Sunday he bought a dozen of them for 15 bolivianos (a little over two dollars) whereas a week ago they cost him seven. He blamed Morales supporters and says they do not understand that “it’s all over. We have a government, and there are going to be elections” for president and congress.

At the market, vegetables, fruit and spices are still in abundant supply, but meat is becoming scarce.

The only butcher stand open is that of a woman named Francisca.

All her competitors closed three days ago because they had nothing to sell.

“I find the meat on the black market. There are people who do this for a living. I ask no questions.

I buy the meat and that’s it,” she said. In order to ease shortages in La Paz, the government has flown in 35 tons of meat from central Bolivia.

Presidential chief of staff Jerjes Justiniano promised to send 25 tons of chicken over the next few days.

Chile’s president saves face, condemns police violence after four weeks of unrest SANTIAGO: President Sebastian Pinera condemned on Sunday for the first time what he called abuses committed by police in dealing with four weeks of violent unrest that have rocked Chile. “There was excessive use of force.

Abuses and crimes were committed, and the rights of all were not respected,” the president said in a speech to the nation as it marked a month of turmoil that has left 22 people dead and more than 2,000 injured. Furious Chileans have been protesting social and economic inequality, and against an entrenched political elite that comes from a small number of the wealthiest families in the country, among other issues. Accusations of police brutality and human rights violations have been levelled since the protests broke out, prompting the United Nations to send a team to investigate. Amnesty International has also sent a mission. “There will be no impunity, not for those who committed acts of unusual violence, nor for those who committed excesses and abuses. We will do what is best for the victims,” he said, referring to protesters first and then the security forces. The crisis is Chile’s biggest since its return to democracy in 1990 when long time dictator General Augusto Pinochet yielded to democracy. More than 200 of those injured have sustained serious eye injuries, some even going blind in one eye, after being shot by police. Pinera praised an agreement reached last week under which Chile will draft a new constitution to replace the current one that dates back to the dictatorship of Pinochet, who ruled from 1973 to 1990. Many in Chile see this step — getting rid of a charter that smacks of a dark, repressive chapter in the country’s past — as a way to help end the crisis. It is a key demand of the thousands of protesters that have been taking to the streets in Santiago and elsewhere almost daily for a month. The current constitution has been changed numerous times but does not establish the state’s responsibility to provide education and health care. “If the people want it, we will move toward a new constitution, the first under democracy,” Pinera said in a speech from the presidential palace. The spasm of anger began with a rise in metro fares but quickly swelled into a broader outcry against the status quo in what is traditionally considered one of South America’s most stable countries.

Chilean lawmakers agreed Friday to hold a plebiscite in April 2020 after hours of intense negotiations between the governing coalition and opposition parties. Thousands still took to the streets of Santiago later in the day, crowding into the protest epicenter of Plaza Italia, and violent clashes broke out between small groups of protesters and police late Friday afternoon. The referendum will ask voters whether the constitution should be replaced and if so, how a new charter should be drafted. “In the last four weeks, Chile has changed. Chileans have changed. The government has changed. We have all changed,” said Pinera during his speech Sunday. AGENCIES

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

08 COMMENT A positive U-turn needed To complete tenure

P

M Imran Khan deserved the two day rest at Banigala to recover from recent shocks. One was caused by Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Azadi March and the attitude of the PTI allies. Ch Shujaat Hussain prevailed upon the PM not to listen to his favourite “immature advisers” and deal with the marchers with kidgloves. The second shock was caused by the LHC judgment allowing former PM Nawaz Sharif to fly out, striking down the conditions like the indemnity bond and one time leave to fly out. The PML-Q and MQM leaders too demanded that the ailing politician be allowed to leave without conditions.

The government’s legal advisers tried to give the judgment a spin to prove it ‘reinforced the stance of the government’. The judgment however left the PTI’s ‘naïve players’ fuming and fretting. Zulfi Bukhari called the verdict “sad day for the people of Pakistan”. PTI’s social media activists wrung hands calling for a Presidential system where the head of the government can appoint judges of his choice.

Imran Khan’s total and complete concentration on accountability has added to the economic downturn of the country. The rhetoric against the corrupt elements and the repetition of ‘no NRO to anyone’ have sent a message to all institutions that their performance is to be judged from the number of the corrupt nabbed and the amount of looted wealth recovered. The NAB, FIA, FBR and others went after politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats arresting many on mere suspicion and trying to make them confess through nerve breaking methods. The scared bureaucracy stopped to take decisions, the panicked businessmen abstained from investing and the politicians started mulling an agitation Imran Khan must review his policy to complete his five year tenure. He has to tone down the corruption rhetoric and put breaks on institutions zealously conducting the arrests and trials. He has to develop good working relations with the opposition, reining in PTI’s loose guns and making NA sessions meaningful. The move to withdraw 11 references for debate was a positive step. So is the decision to form a panel to engage the opposition on legislation. Recourse to streets will end if differences are resolved through a strengthened Parliament with the PM attending its sessions fairly regularly.

Forgetting Altaf Hussain Such creations always become liabilities

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eAd of MQM-Pakistan Altaf Hussain has always been reckless and unpredictable with his words. Apart from inciting violence, issuing death threats to rivals and giving kill orders on a regular basis from england, where he has been living in selfimposed exile since 2002, he has made statements that range from delusional to comedic all the way to downright treasonous. One can argue that since he is no longer a Pakistani by virtue of his British citizenship he cannot commit treason, but that doesn’t change the fact that he still has a significant support base in Pakistan; the Muhajir community for which the original MQM was founded. UK authorities have opened an investigation against Altaf Hussain for charges of incitement to violence for which he was arrested and is out on bail at the moment. This is why- as the ground beneath his feet shrinks- he has requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for asylum and/or money. Perhaps he feels he can take advantage of the current tensions between Pakistan and India that could possibly lead Modi to entertain his preposterous request. His deteriorating mental health can be one reason for his inclination towards Indian help but Altaf has made anti-state speeches in the past as well, when he was relatively much saner.

One can only condemn in the strongest of terms what Altaf Hussain continues to spew but additionally and more importantly it should serve as another example to those who created the MQM and enabled it to become what it had at its peak: a killing machine unwilling to take dictation anymore. It necessitated two paramilitary operations over more than a decade in Karachi to finally rid the city of the violence and fear that Altaf Hussain thrived on. A similar experiment was conducted in Punjab as well with the creation of the Sipah-e-Sahaba that too had to be exterminated once it became a liability. Those followers who still support Altaf Hussain and choose to ignore his extreme transgressions should do some introspection and understand that their continued allegiance is actually what empowers him to operate the way he does. It is high time they forget Altaf.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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Directed by Robert B. Weide Aka, what the hell was that?

haSaN aFTaB SaEED

T

He Azadi March is over. Well, technically it’s still going on in the form of Plan B: blocking of highways ‘across the country’. (Or is it Plan C?) Interestingly, the response to all plans (A, B, C) of Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been a blissful oblivion on the part of the government. The dreaded (secret) plan that Hamid Mir had been warning about (and apparently hoping for) never came to pass.

PPP and PML-N were charmingly equivocal about the whole affair. The former wasn’t sure to what extent it was willing to go along while the Maulana inevitably played the religion card(s).

The latter turned its back on the dharna in Lahore, its stronghold. The gathering was almost exclusively that of Maulana’s own devotees, with no presence of workers of any other party.

All parties accused all other parties of bypassing the Rahbar Committee. JUI-F’s Hafiz Hussain Ahmad went as far as likening Shahbaz Sharif to brothers of Joseph. There was a general complaint that the Maulana didn’t share his strategy with anybody. In Maulana’s defence, probably there was no strategy to share.

The most succinct summary of the dharna came on the day the procession reached Islamabad. It was from the lips of Asfandyar Wali Khan, who demanded to know (within range of a microphone) what filth was that [the dharna]?

– author’s translation, who opted for the most benign synonym for the operative word – a not so subtle indication that the ANP’s part in the affair was over for all practical purposes.

It was a depressing affair. The sight of

grown-ups enjoying merry-go-rounds and seesaws of Lahore and Islamabad parks was sad.

Thankfully there were occasional comic reliefs: for example, when Maulana Ataul Haq darvesh (the general secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of JUI-F) led the frantic crowd to chant ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans, before being informed that this particular dharna was not against Nawaz.

This brings us to the question of what the sit-in was about. The stated goal, of course, was to get Imran Khan to resign. The Maulana even hinted at the possibility of the assembled mob to go and arrest the prime minister. If the Maulana is to be believed, (at different points) the dharna was against the ‘rigging’ in the general elections, the ‘betrayal’ of Kashmir, and the country’s economic woes. The Maulana also claimed that in addition to having strengthened civilian supremacy, the dharna had dealt the Israeli and Qadiani interests a mighty blow (solve this yourself). He also made it a point to stress that his dharna had given respect to ladies. There’s no arguing with this claim, given the fact that not one of the participants belonged to the fairer sex.

How many participated in the sit-in/march is a moot point, although the author has a reliable formula of calculating the ball-park figure: remove two zeroes from the number claimed by the organizers. Be that as it may, could the Maulana afford the logistics and food for all those disciples from so many parts of the country, and for so many days? Who sponsored it? And was it aimed at sending the government packing or was it a sit-in to end all sit-ins? Madrassah reforms have been bothering the Maulana no end, and there has always been this implicit threat of Maulana’s street power. It would be safe to say that the Maulana won’t be embarking on another such venture any time soon.

Who played whom? Was it staged to put Imran Khan in his place? Was it aimed at showing the opposition parties their collective worth?

Was it orchestrated to hang the Maulana out to dry? There’s no dearth of conspiracy theories re-

garding who orchestrated it and with what objective. But we venture into the realm of speculation here. All that is known with certainty is that Pervaiz elahi was able to prevail upon the Maulana to end the sit-in. There’s talk of some (real or imaginary) lollipop, the nature of which remains undisclosed and is apparently known to only those endowed with supernatural powers.

There’s therefore ample scope for all to link any future happenings to the dharna (and to claim that they knew so all along); and many are indeed hanging on to this thread now.

On a somewhat separate note, one really feels sorry for the pseudo-liberals. Maulana was never going to deliver what they wanted.

But such was their desperation that they got on to the Maulana bandwagon regardless. As soon as they realized however that it wasn’t going to work, they wasted no time in looking for the first excuse to jump ship. A leading light among them, who had earlier blasted the PML(N) for betraying the Maulana, tweeted: ‘Then it’s over. I always understood it to be a power play within the establishment. But if in that play he’s selling out the PTM as anti-state, he loses my support. This has given his game away.

I can’t support politics of expediency. Unfriended Maulana.’ Maulana was obviously able to convince the ‘anti-establishment’ crowd that he was going to get the establishment to rid them of Khan. Not that the pseudo-liberals need much convincing if something appears to be against Khan. Who will be the next liberal hope now?

The biggest beneficiary of the sit-in, as always, was the student community. The dharna started in fine style, with educational institutes shut down for two days. However, the students were left longing for more when no more holidays were to be had. As far as the consciousness of students is concerned, Khadim Rizvi, as a leader of men, ranks much higher than Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

There was a general complaint that the Maulana didn’t share his strategy with anybody. In Maulana’s defence, probably there was no strategy to share

Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

The sheer importance of cinema How unreality of cinema provides an oasis to those sick and buried in real lives

Shah Nawaz Mohal

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OMe things- they could be a quote, a picture, a face, a joke, a voiceleave a very lasting impression on us. We don’t consciously retain these memories and images but they remain somewhere inside and every now and then jump to the fore. We cherish them for a moment and then bury ourselves into earthly things and mundane tasks at hand. Many years back while reading the newspaper, I came across a line and for reasons beyond me it has stayed with me ever since. ‘Cinema is the world’s most beautiful fraud’, it read. What an apt, witty take on the subject, I thought, as there is hardly any other way to summarise the mighty galaxy of movies.

Where else in God’s vast world could a person dream, sense the sublime, taste the betrayal, hear his

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heart tremble, feel the goosebumps, and see the beginning and end of a story in less than three hours. It is in movies, that we live the lives that were denied to us by gods and fate.

Allow me to present a few examples from the movie-verse to substantiate the claim I just made.

Those among us, who want to know how Richard Nixon was dethroned by two journalists after they uncovered the infamous Watergate scandal in its monstrous enormity, watch ‘All the President’s men’.

Curious about how Herr Fuhrer Adolf Hitler spent his last days in a bunker, watch German film ‘downfall’. Long to know how Asadullah Khan Ghalib spent his days and nights in a decadent delhi, watch Ghalib starring Naseeruddin Shah (Yes, you guessed right, the one master Amir Liaquat Hussain referred to) . dare to delve deep in the nightmarish abysses of an embattled, paranoid mind of a genius, watch Russell Crowe starrer ‘A beautiful mind’. Wanna witness the human valour in all its glory and gore; watch ‘Gladiator’, ‘Spartacus’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’. Yearn to brush your knowledge on the Vietnam War, watch Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Full Metal Jacket’, Tom Hank’s ‘Forrest Gump’ and Peter davis’ critically acclaimed documentary ‘Hearts and Mind’.

Or just want to lay back and relax during an idle evening, anything from Messrs.’ SRK and Karan Johar would suffice. Would like to

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know the mighty tragedies of Shakespeare, but language is an obstacle, get hold of ‘Maqbool’, ‘Haider’ and ‘Omkara’ by Vishal Bhardwaj who masterfully adapted Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello for our time and taste.

The choice is limitless. One is free to name his or her poison and the boundless universe of movies have something to offer. Sci-fi, drama, horror, comedy, action, suspense, thriller, noir and on goes the list. It doesn’t matter whether one is looking for an outlet for momentary escape or for solace in a world gone haywire; there is a movie to fit the bill.

It is said that drama was the dominant art form of the 15th century, poetry of 17th and 18th century, and novels of the 19th century. Movies sidelined them all during the 20th century and become the most popular form of entertainment in the 20th century. We are two decades into the 21st century and still movies occupy the top slot despite the advent of TV, onslaught of social media and the rise of video games.

While growing up, and I have no qualms to admit, I learned more from books (which were not in my syllabus) and movies (which entertained, educated and nourished my imagination) than in all the years I studied to pass my exams, bag a degree, and lurch ahead to pass more exams and bag a higher degree. don’t know whether I was destined

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to follow Mark Twain’s advice of not allowing one’s schooling to interfere with one’s education or it was just a random coincidence.

As I get nostalgic about events past, I clearly remember this splendid cinema, NAFdeC in F-6, Islamabad-which has been abandoned for more than a decade and presently is in utter ruin-where once a week (twice when I had luck by my side), come what may, I used to visit and marvel at all things beautiful, all things heroic, all things impossible. It was through movies that I learned that every loose end gets sorted out in the end. Later on, it was through them I realized that heroes too die and villains can also triumph. At first, the films taught me to see the world in black and white. And the moment I started seeing the world in binaries of right and wrong, a contest between honest and crooked, a war between the just and the bigoted the talkies made me shed my innocence as there were new lessons to be learned.

And ever since I’ve been learning, unlearning and relearning this very subtle, extremely nuanced thing called human experience. Thank you, dear movies for teaching me faith through suspension of disbelief.

Shah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and journalist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 19 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

A prevailing social evil THe money, goods, or estate that the bride or her family pays to the groom in marriage is dowry. The dowry system is the oldest social malady in Indian subcontinent. Now, dowry has become a serious disorder in society which is being deeply ingrained in the blood of people. dowry is one of the social evils which has become a barrier to lead a normal life for women. dowry system has become a social norm and it is a great problem for society and also for women. The evil is always evil. The dowry system is the evil which killed and crippled many helpless women and also many women committed suicide. due to dowry system, neither the poor people get married their daughters nor they cease them at their home. In addition their age is passing bit by bit. To avoid the misfortune and grief, they suicide themselves. In Pakistan 2,000 cases of dowry deaths are counted per year, which are 2.45 per 10,000. In the neighbouring country India, dowry related violence is very high in comparison with that of h and Pakistan. In the last three year around 24,771 women were killed or committed suicide in India due to dowry related violence. I appeal the incumbent Government to pass act against dowry to end up the deleterious violence against women.

ABu BAkr kHAN rawalpindi

Modi must be stopped More than words and dialogue required now

NaDEEM M QurEShi

I

T has been more than a hundred days since Narendra Modi sent 600,000 of his soldiers to occupy Kashmir in early August. The world shrugged and went about its business. Pakistan launched a diplomatic offensive to get its Arab and Muslim allies to condemn the action and urge Mr. Modi to back down. It was water of a duck’s back.

The world has moved on. Business has absolute precedence over all other considerations.

The capacity to discern right from wrong has been lost. The rule of law, human dignity, and the fundamental right of people to determine their destiny are concepts that have been thrown to the wind. What a fall this has been!

To his credit Prime Minister Imran Khan, at a plenary session of the UN General Assembly in late October, delivered a widely applauded speech in which he minced no words. He even vowed to fight to the end - a terrifying prospect for two nuclear armed states with a combined population of a billion and a half people, roughly a quarter of the world’s population.

Sadly, since that heartfelt speech, in which the Prime Minister made a passionate appeal to the world community to intervene to end Mr. Modi’s illegal occupation of Kashmir, nothing has changed.

And nothing will.

Mr. Modi does not understand the language of peace. He is a man on a mission. Words, soft or hard, are not going to deter him. The children’s rhyme says it well: ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’. And so it is with Mr. Modi. He views appeasement as weakness or stupidity. He will not be moved by words or reason.

He is determined to establish the supremacy of a particular creed, no matter what the cost.

And in the end, sadly, it will be his people, all his people, not just Muslims, Christians and Sikhs who will suffer.

The illegal annexation of Kashmir, the ceding of the Babari Masjid site to build a Hindu temple, the mass eviction of ‘foreigners’ from Assam, the public lynching of people caught eating beef or slaughtering cows, the forced conversions of Muslims and Christians, and the threat of beating them to death for failing to acknowledge Lord Ram as their god. All these and more are symptoms of the demons that gnaw at Mr. Modi’s mind.

The only way Mr. Modi will back down is if Pakistan convinces him that his actions will entail consequences.

This will call for more than just words and diplomacy. We need to understand that we are alone, and that it is up to us to stop Mr. Modi from pulling the world into a new global war.

The great powers made a fateful error when they sought to appease Adolf Hitler after his invasion of Poland in 1939. It was an error that was to cost the planet millions of lives and the near complete destruction of europe.

We stand today, here in the Subcontinent, at the precipice of a similar moment. The choices and decisions we make today will determine the ultimate price we pay in the future.

Prime Minister Khan ended his speech in the UN with these words: “This is the time when you, the United Nations, must urge India to lift the curfew; to free the 13,000 Kashmiris who have disappeared meanwhile and this is the time when the UN must insist on Kashmir’s right to selfdetermination.”

It is time for him to realize that the UN will not do anything, nor will anyone else. We own this and it is ours to get right. Yes, we are in the throes of an economic crisis, and yes there is

Sadly, since that heartfelt speech, in which the Prime Minister made a passionate appeal to the world community to intervene to end Mr. Modi’s illegal occupation of Kashmir, nothing has changed.

political infighting and turmoil. But let’s not forget that we are still the owners of one of the most powerful armies in the world. What use is a powerful army if we can’t even use it to leverage our interests? It is time, Prime Minister, to put them to work.

By this I do not mean that we go to war.

But to at least convey the message to Mr. Modi that we are ready to do so. To this end let’s bring all the fighting divisions, armour and men, that we can spare to the front line. Just this action alone will put immense pressure on Mr. Modi.

He has more than half a million men deployed in Kashmir to suppress a local population which hates them. He cannot risk an attack from the front when 30 million Kashmiris are ready to take on his soldiers occupying their land. Indeed, this is a tactic that India itself has employed in the past when its perceived interests were at threat. Why should we then demur when a population of 30 million Muslims is invaded and occupied?

We do not want a fight. But we must make clear to Mr. Modi that if he does not withdraw his forces from Kashmir and restore to the people of that benighted land their rights then we are ready for war.

You put it well, Prime Minister, in your speech to the UN: “Supposing a country 7 times smaller than its neighbour; faced with a question. either you surrender, or you fight till the end. I ask myself this question. And my belief is ‘La ilaha illAllah’, there is no God but one.

We will FIGHT!” The time has come to demonstrate that you meant what you said. The world has not yet caught on to the danger that Mr. Modi poses to the whole planet. Just as it did not understand the danger that Mr. Hitler posed in 1939. Let’s not make the same mistake today that was made 80 years ago when a fascist and a tyrant was allowed to go too far. And the world paid a near unbearable cost to stop him.

The elite special forces unit of the British Army, the SAS, has a motto: Who dares Wins.

This is a motto we need to make our own. All tyrants are bullies and cowards. And the one we face today on our eastern border is no different.

Whether his occupation of Kashmir stands or not rests ultimately on our willingness to dare him.

The world has not yet caught on to the danger that Mr. Modi poses to the whole planet. Just as it did not understand the danger that Mr. Hitler posed in 1939. Let’s not make the same mistake today that was made 80 years ago when a fascist and a tyrant was allowed to go too far.

And the world paid a near unbearable cost to stop him

Nadeem M Qureshi is Chairman of Mustaqbil Pakistan. He has served on the Board of Pakistan Petroleum Limited, and has degrees from MIT and the Harvard Business School.

Price hike SINCe several days, the citizens of the country have been facing the price hike of vegetables at the hands of relevant authorities, which has prompted them into launching the protests against the authorities. Indigent people are unable to buy any vegetables due to price escalation. This reinforces the fact of Government not being aware of the situation.

I am requesting to the higher authorities to please look into the matter and take strict action against relevant department.

ZAMIr AHMAd MEMoN Shikarpur

Unnecessary confusion ReCeNTLY entire Pakistan media is devoting its considerable time on the issue of whether Pakistan (its Government & Judiciary) should allow former PM Nawaz Sharif (sentenced in a case) to go out of Pakistan (UK) for medical treatment.

Pakistan should understand that Courts function on the basis of territorial jurisdictions. The bail bonds, securities, indemnity bonds etc are merely some assistance to Courts for ensuring the appearance of the accused / sentenced whenever Court wants him / her. But ultimately the last guarantee of such person’s appearance in Court is the arms of the State through which Court can enforce the appearance of such person in case he / she refuse to come to Court. These arms of State are Police / Security forces of Pakistan, which functions and has power in the territory of Pakistan only and not in the territory of UK. Therefore it will be illegal on the part of Pakistan Government & Courts to allow Nawaz to go to UK without taking any assurance from the Government of UK or INTeRPOL that in case Nawaz defies Court order to appear before Court then they will ensure his appearance by handingover Nawaz to Pakistan embassy in UK. HEM rAJ JAIN Shakopee

PTI and economy CALL it nostalgia or whatever, but to me it seems that in good old days people used to have limited needs and wants.

In the pre-partition times, there was no media blitz and showoff was not the trait of masses. People used to live simple lives working hard to earn enough to meet their needs and to save some. Political leaders were more devoted, honest, and focused on their cause. Similarly, workers were selfless and devoted. After creation of Pakistan, things started to change rapidly. It seems that after achieving our main goal of getting a country of our own, we lost our way. As if we did not have a purpose anymore. Our politicians became power hungry, selfish, and vision less. Instead of working toward achieving a goal to make the country prosperous, they exploited public for self-serving purpose to satisfy their lust for power. Result was that we started to lag in economy, education, and health.

Our rulers instead of correcting their course, took the easier way of borrowing to finance their self-gratifying, often useless, projects. Whichever political party came to power, blamed the poor health of economy of past rulers and borrowed more to keep doing what the predecessors did.

Beside dictatorial rules, the two mainstream political parties, PPP and PMLN ruled the country for a long time but failed to carve out methods to keep balance between income and expenditure leading the country into a downward spiral of debt trap. The PTI came on promise of change but very quickly fell into the same trap. They lacked experience and did not do proper planning to deal with economic issues of the country. Resultantly they find themselves in a economic and political quagmire, which they find difficult to get out of.

Our PM has said on several occasions that his government will learn from the Chinese model to revive economy. The Chinese president Xi recently said to government officials that the Chinese officials must not use the fight against corruption as an excuse to sit around doing nothing, idling away the day, “spending the whole day eating.” It is for the PM to interpret and understand the Chinese wisdom. rAJA SHAFAATuLLAH ISlamabad

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ChInA ConFIrmS AIrCrAFt CArrIer SAIled through tAIwAn StrAIt BEIJING

C

AGENCIES

HINA confirmed on Monday that its first domestically built aircraft carrier had sailed through the Taiwan Strait for “routine” training and tests after Taipei accused Beijing of intimidation around upcoming elections. The ship, which has yet to be named, is Beijing’s second carrier and will add massive firepower to its navy once it is officially put into service, as the country faces tensions with selfruled Taiwan and regional neighbours around the disputed South China Sea. The carrier crossed the sensitive waters on Sunday before entering the South China Sea for “scientific research tests and routine training”, navy spokesman Cheng Dewei said on an official social media account. Cheng said

it was “normal practice” for carriers that are under testing to conduct cross-regional trials. “It is not aimed at any specific target and has nothing to do with the current situation,” Cheng said without elaborating. The sail-by comes as Taiwan gears up for presidential elections in January. Taipei’s foreign minister Joseph Wu tweeted on Sunday that China “intends to intervene in #Taiwan’s elections”, adding: “Voters won’t be intimidated!” Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had dispatched ships and planes to track and closely monitor the carrier’s movements, and that US and Japanese vessels trailed it in the strait.

China, which sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, has stepped up military drills around the island since Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election, came to power in 2016. Tsai — who has voiced support for Hong Kong’s

Samoa makes measles vaccine mandatory to stop deadly outbreak APIA: Samoa finalised plans for a compulsory measles vaccination programme Monday, after declaring a state of emergency as a deadly epidemic sweeps the Pacific nation. At least six fatalities, including five children, have been linked to the outbreak of the virus, which has also hit other island states such as Tonga and Fiji. Samoa is the worst affected with more than 700 cases reported from across all areas of the country, prompting the government on Friday to invoke emergency powers.

Declaring a state of emergency, the government said plans for compulsory measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunisations would be published on Monday. “MMR vaccinations for members of the public who have not yet received a vaccination injection is now a mandatory legal requirement for all of Samoa,” it said. A national emergency operations centre to coordinate the measles response in the nation of 200,000 people was opened on Monday, with children aged six months to 19 years and non-pregnant females aged 20-35 given priority.

However, no information was immediately available on how the vaccinations would be administered or whether those who were not immunised would face sanctions. Children are the most vulnerable to measles, which typically causes a rash and fever but can also lead to brain damage and death. AGENCIES

Justice S A Bobde takes oath as 47th Chief Justice of India Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde was sworn in as the 47th Chief Justice of India (CJI) in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi today. Justice SA Bobde, who succeeds Justice Ranjan Gogoi, was administered oath by President Ram Nath Kovind in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief Justice Bobde will have a tenure of around 17 months and will retire on April 23, 2021. He has been part of several key cases, including the five-judge constitution bench that passed the historic verdict that cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Chief Justice Bobde was also part of a nine-judge bench headed by the then Chief Justice JS Khehar which, in a unanimous judgement in August 2017, held that the Right to Privacy was a constitutionally protected fundamental right in India. He also chaired a three-member in-house panel which gave a clean chit to his predecessor, Chief Justice Gogoi, on a sexual harassment complaint against him by a former court staffer. The committee also included Justices Indira Banerjee and Indu Malhotra. Chief Justice Bobde has been chosen following the rule of seniority and his name was recommended by Justice Gogoi in a letter to the Centre. His Warrant of Appointment was signed by President Ram Nath Kovind following which the Law Ministry issued a notification naming the judge as the next head of the Indian judiciary. Born on April 24, 1956, in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Justice Bobde completed a Bachelor of Arts and LLB degrees from Nagpur University. He enrolled as an advocate of the Bar Council of Maharashtra in 1978. Justice Bobde practiced law at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court with appearances at Bombay before the Principal Seat and before the Supreme Court for over 21 years. He was designated as a senior advocate in 1998.

Justice Bobde was elevated to the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000, as an Additional Judge and sworn in as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court on October 16, 2012. NEWS DESK

pro-democracy movement — has described the elections as a fight for Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.

Her challenger favours much warmer relations with China.

On the same day as the sail-by, Tsai announced that former premier William Lai, who has styled himself as a “Taiwan independence worker”, would be her running mate in a move likely to irritate Beijing. Eric Hundman, assistant professor of political science at NYU Shanghai, said that the sail-by was a “continuation of Beijing’s consistent efforts to pressure Taipei”.

“The choice to sail through the Taiwan Strait was undoubtedly deliberate and probably intended as a signal to both Taiwan and the US of China’s increasing naval capabilities,” he said.

The “Type 001A” carrier was launched in 2017 and sea trials began the following year, but it has yet to be officially put into service. The state-run Global Times, a nationalist tabloid, cited an anonymous military expert as saying the ship likely sailed through the strait to dock at its possible home base in south China’s Hainan island.

Hainan province is in the South China Sea east of Vietnam, which has competing claims in the waterway along with China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Brunei. China has one other carrier — the Liaoning, a repurposed Soviet carrier bought from Ukraine that went into service in 2012.

A US think-tank reported in May that recent satellite photographs indicated that construction of a third Chinese aircraft carrier was well under way.

Russia says has handed ships back to Ukraine ahead of summit MOSCOW AGENCIES

Russia said Monday it had handed over three navy ships it seized a year ago from Ukraine, in the latest move to ease tensions between the two countries ahead of a crucial summit.

After an exchange of prisoners in September and the withdrawal of some frontline forces over the last few weeks, the handover marked another step in trying to resolve the five-year conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Efforts have been building since the election this year of Volodymyr Zelensky as Ukraine’s new president, and on Friday France announced he would hold his first face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris on December 9.

The talks, which will also include French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will be the highest-level negotiations on the conflict since 2016. Russia’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the ships — two gunboats and a tugboat — had been handed over to Ukraine. It said they had “illegally crossed the Russian border” and been held as evidence but were no longer needed.

There was no immediate confirmation of the handover from Kiev.

The Ukrainian ships were seized in November last year in the most serious confrontation between the two countries

since the start of the conflict in 2014. Russian forces boarded and took control of the vessels as they headed through the Kerch Strait, a narrow waterway giving access to the Sea of Azov that is used by Ukraine and Russia. They captured 24 Ukrainian sailors, who were returned to Ukraine as part of the September prisoner swap.

Border officials had said on Sunday that the ships would be returned and local television showed footage of them being towed by the Russian coastguard through the Kerch Strait. The election of Zelensky, a television comedian who shocked the country’s elite by winning the presidency in April, has raised hopes the conflict with pro-Moscow separatists can finally be resolved. Zelensky has said ending the war — which has left some 13,000 dead — is his top priority. The conflict in Ukraine’s industrial east broke out after Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which led the West to impose wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow.

The separatists have declared unrecognised breakaway statelets in the mainly Russian-speaking Ukrainian eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Moscow of giving financial and military backing to separatists, which Russia denies.

September’s exchange was the first major step in years to reduce tensions, with the two countries swapping 70 prisoners.

China lashes out at NY Times report on leaked Xinjiang documents

Facial recognition makes subtle advance in Britain

Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in demanding a harsh crackdown in Xinjiang.

Xi is quoted as warning that economic development alone will not extinguish demands for independence among Xinjiangs Uighurs and other Muslim groups, who are linguistically, culturally and religiously distinct from Chinas majority Han people and make up about half of the vast, resource-rich regions population of 25 million.

Xi is also quoted as endorsing a more forceful indoctrination campaign among Muslims, seen as leading to the establishment of the sprawling network of camps.

There must be effective educational remolding and transformation of criminals, he told officials in heavily Uighur south Xinjiang during a 2014 trip. And even after these people are released, their education and transformation must continue.

China first denied the existence of the camps, then described them as de-radicalisation centers aimed at providing job training to raise living standards and make Muslims less susceptible to religious extremism and separatism.

Those released from the camps describe them as virtual prisons where conditions are difficult and punishments harsh. They say they are forced to renounce Islam and Uighur culture as backward and swear loyalty to Xi and the Communist Party in what some call a campaign of cultural genocide.

LONDON: The experiment was conducted discreetly. Between 2016 and 2018, two surveillance cameras were installed in the Kings Cross area of London to analyse and track passers-by using facial recognition technology.

The deployment of the cutting-edge technology at one of the British capital’s busiest transport hubs, which was first revealed in the Financial Times, has fuelled controversy in Britain where its use does not yet have a legal framework. The company in charge of the project argued it has acted “only to help the police… prevent and detect crimes in the area”, and that it had no commercial use. But data watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) seized on the case. It opened an investigation and expressed concern about the increasing use of facial recognition, which allows for faces captured on camera to be compared with images stored to databases. The Kings Cross case is not isolated, with shopping centres in Manchester and Sheffield, and a museum in Liverpool, also reportedly trialling the technology. Privacy group Big Brother Watch has denounced the trend as an “epidemic”, with other critics warning it risks undermining fundamental rights. Ed Bridges, 36, has sued Welsh police for targeting him with this technology while he was Christmas shopping in 2017 and at a protest in 2018, with his case working its way through the High Court in Cardiff. This is the first time that such action has been brought in British courts. AGENCIES

BEIJING AGENCIES

Chinas foreign ministry lashed out at The New York Times on Monday over its release of leaked documents portraying the inner workings of Beijing’s campaign to detain more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps. Spokesman Geng Shuang accused the newspaper of ignoring the true reasons behind and success of what China terms a campaign to end poverty, separatism and religious extremism. He said the fact Xinjiang hasn’t suffered a terrorist attack in three years about the length of the time the internments have been carried out in earnest demonstrates the correctness of the policy.

Geng told reporters at a daily briefing that the article is a clumsy patchwork based on selected interpretation of the documents.

“It is hyping up these so-called internal documents to smear Chinas efforts in Xinjiang.

What is the agenda?” he said.

He said China would continue to do a good job in implementing policies in Xinjiang aimed at expanding development and prosperity. Xinjiangs continuing prosperity, stability, ethnic unity and social harmony are the strongest refutation to the allegations by certain media and individuals, he said.

Geng did not question the validity of the documents, which detail among other things the pivotal role played by President and

Symbolic swearing-in for Sri Lanka’s new president COLOMBO AGENCIES

Sri Lanka’s new president and the scourge of the Tamil Tigers Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday urged minorities unnerved by his election victory to work with him, as he was sworn in at a ceremony steeped in symbolism for his core supporters. Having spearheaded the brutal end of the Tamil separatist war a decade ago, Rajapaksa is a divisive figure but popular among his own majority Sinhalese-Buddhist community.

His landslide win split the island nation of 21.6 million on religious and ethnic lines as never before, seven months after deadly terrorist attacks. Unusually, his inauguration was held at a revered Buddhist shrine with an imposing stupa — reputedly built by a Sinhalese king who vanquished invading Tamils over 2,000 years ago.

At the ceremony, Rajapaksa put his success down to the “extraordinary blessings of the Buddhist monks”. “The main message of the election is that it was the Sinhala majority vote that allowed me to win the presidency,” the 70-

year-old retired lieutenant colonel said.

“I knew that I could win with only the votes of the Sinhala majority. But I asked Tamils and Muslims to be a part of my success. Their response was not what I expected. However, I urge them to join me to build one Sri Lanka,” he said.

Rajapaksa was defence chief under his brother Mahinda’s 2005-15 presidency when the military conducted a no-holds-barred campaign to end the 37-year war in which 100,000 people perished. This makes the brothers heroes among Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese majority and the powerful Buddhist clergy. But around 40,000 Tamil civilians were allegedly killed in the closing stages of the conflict, which ended in 2009, and Saturday’s election saw Tamils — who account for about 15 per cent of the population — voted overwhelmingly against Rajapaksa.

WAR CRIMES: As defence secretary, Gotabaya had unfettered control over the security forces, while “death squads” that abducted dozens of dissidents, opponents, journalists and others also allegedly reported to him. Many people were never found again after being bundled

into feared white vans, while some were killed and dumped by roadsides. The new president has denied any involvement and has resisted international calls to investigate the alleged war crimes.

At his only press conference during a threemonth election campaign, Rajapaksa reiterated that he will not allow Sri Lankan troops to be tried by any war-crime tribunal, foreign or local. He had also pledged to exonerate the dozens of military personnel accused of abductions, extortion and killings during his brother’s decade in power.

COMEBACK: After being in opposition for nearly five years, Rajapaksa announced his intention to run for the presidency just days after militant attacks on April 21 that killed 269 people, promising to protect the nation.

The Easter Sunday suicide bombings on three upscale hotels and three churches was carried out by a homegrown outfit from among Sri Lanka’s Muslim minority, who make up 10pc of the population. It shocked the nation, and the world, just as Sri Lankan tourism was booming and as the nation prepared to celebrate a decade since the end of the Tamil separatist war.

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

BUSINESS 11 CORPORATE CORNER

IMF RejeCts downwaRd RevIsIon In FBR’s Revenue taRget ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Company limited (PTCL), in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan, conducted a ‘Spellathon’ activity for 1,000 primary school students in national language i.e. Urdu. pREss RELEAsE

LAHORE: Service Industries Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arif Saeed and China’s Long March Tyre Company CEO Li Qingwen sign a memorandum of understanding. pREss R E L E A s E

t

GHULAM ABBAs

HE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rejected the government's request for a downward revision in the revenue target for the ongoing fiscal year (FY20), adding to the difficulties of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which already recorded a revenue shortfall of over Rs160 billion in the first quarter of FY20.

FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi has confirmed that the IMF has not accepted the request to reduce the revenue target of Rs5.5 trillion set for FY20.

He, however, claimed that talks with the IMF for flexibility in the target were still underway.

"We are hopeful that IMF will consider our request," Zaidi said while talking to media after a meeting of the Senate's Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Monday.

In reply to a query, the FBR chairman said that proposals regarding the establishment of Pakistan Revenue Authority have been postponed

"but reforms in the FBR were being introduced".

"The restructuring process of FBR is well underway. It's only that the timeline for restructuring has been changed," he said, adding that a committee has been formed to supervise the proposed restructuring of the board.

Earlier, while briefing the committee, the FBR chairman stated that the powers of Customs would not be transferred for the next two years.

Only those officials against whom there were complaints were being targeted, he added.

Giving the details of revenue collected so far in the Financial Year 2019-20, Zaidi informed the committee that FBR has collected Rs1,280 billion in the first four months of FY20, as against the target of Rs1,447 billion. He maintained that the figure was 16.3pc higher than in the same period of last year.

The committee was informed that 888,748 out of 2,655,081 return filers were new taxpayers and that the number of individuals that availed the Asset Declaration Ordinance 2019, stood at 124,208.

CDWP approves eight projects worth Rs31.6bn ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAs ISLAMABAD: Ufone President & CEO Rashid Khan receives the ISO 9001:2015 Certificate from SGS representative Waqas Khan. p R E s s R E L E A s E

LAHORE: The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) teams have successfully started collecting service charges from pilgrims at Kartarpur Sahib Corridor through NBP counters. pREss RELEAs E

KARACHI: 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 JS Bank President & CEO Basir Shamsie. p R E s s R E L E A s E

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday approved eight projects worth Rs31.6 billion and recommended five projects worth Rs195.1 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for consideration.

The CDWP meeting was presided over by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan.

According to details, projects related to devolution & area development, education, energy, governance, health industries & commerce, food & agriculture and physical planning & housing were presented during the meeting.

A project related to devolution & area development titled 'Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP), worth Rs15,524.58 million, was referred to ECNEC. The project was aimed at reducing poverty in the southern Punjab region through agriculture productivity, livelihood opportunities, community infrastructure and vocational training.

Two projects related to education were presented in the

meeting; 'Establishment & Operation of Basic Education Community Schools’, worth Rs5,194.558 million, and 'Improving Human Development Indicators in Pakistan with focus on MDGS related to education and six EFA Goals', worth Rs3,306.024 million.

The projects were approved with a direction that Balochistan would not come up for any further revision.

Four projects related to energy were presented in the meeting. The approved projects included '500kV Chakwal Substation', worth Rs8,956.39 million, and 'Hydropower & Renewable Energy-II, Gilgit Baltistan(KFW)', worth Rs2,260.194 million.

On the other hand, two projects titled 'Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project', worth Rs12,297 million, and 'Evacuation of Power for Wind Power Project at Jhampir and Gharo', worth Rs13,405 million, were recommended to ECNEC for approval.

Meanwhile, two projects related to governance namely 'Punjab Cities Programme (PCP)', worth Rs32,530.24 million, and 'Pakistan Single Window', worth Rs10,640.617 million, were referred to

ECNEC. A project related to health titled 'Procurement, Installation and Commissioning of Medical Equipment for three Hospitals in Afghanistan including 60bedded Nishtar Kidney Hospital in Jalalabad, 200-bedded Jinnah Hospital in Kabul, and 100-bedded Naib Amanullah Khan Logari Hospital in Logar', worth Rs2,355.537 million, was approved by CDWP. Moreover, a project related to industries and commerce titled, 'National Strategic Programme for Acquisition of Industrial Technology (NASPAIT), worth Rs2,914.12 million was also approved by CDWP. A project related to Physical Planning & Housing titled 'Construction of three Sewerage Treatment Plants and Related Sewerage System to Treat the Waste Water Falling into Korang River, Rawal Lake and Their Area of ICT', worth Rs3,971.35 million, was approved by CDWP. Lastly, a project related to food & agriculture namely 'Promoting Research for Productivity Enhancement in Pluses', worth Rs2,599.590 million, was also approved by CDWP.

Non-performing loans surged 23pc in FY19, Senate body told ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAs

KARACHI: EFU Life Assurance Ltd and HabibMetro Bank have signed an agreement to launch conventional insurance products, which will be distributed through HabibMetro branches. p R E s s R E L E A s E

ISLAMABAD: Mari Petroleum Company Ltd MD/CEO Lt Gen Ishfaq Ahmad and Petroleum Secretary Mian Hayaud Din sign Petroleum Concession Agreement for award of Wali West Block in KP to MPCL. Energy & Petroleum Minister Omar Ayub Khan was also present on the occasion. pREss RELEAsE

The non-performing loans (NPLs) of the banking sector have increased by more than 23pc during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019 (FY19).

Testifying before a parliamentary panel on Monday, the State Bank of Pakistan reported that the stock of NPLs in the banking sector increased to Rs768 billion in FY19, depicting a year-on-year rise of 23.2pc or Rs144.4 billion from Rs623.6 billion in FY18.

The SBP team, led by SBP Deputy Governor Jamil Ahmad, also informed the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, headed by former Senate chairman Farooq H Naik, that the gross NPLs to total loans of the banking sector also moved up to 8.8pc in June 2019 from 7.9pc a year earlier.

"Most of this increase was due to energy and sugar sectors, as they together explained more than 50pc of the rise," the SBP team reported in its presentation. "In the energy sector, most of the rise in NPLs pertained to the public sector".

With an increase in fresh NPLs during FYI9, Provision Coverage Ratio (Provisions to NPLs) declined to 78.4pc in FY19. Consequently, net

NPLs to net-loan ratio (NPLR) inched up to 2.1pc. However, the current level of NPLR is lower than the last 5-year average of 2.4pc, indicating contained credit risk at present.

Several factors contributed to the rise in NPLs, including the overall slowdown in the economy, tightening of macroeconomic conditions and constrained cash flow of corporate entities. Moreover, late start of sugar crushing season, water shortages, and drought condition affected crop yields, which hindered farmers' repayment capacity.

The SBP officials informed that to manage excessive risktaking by banks and particularly the credit risk, the central bank, through its prudential regulations, prescribed various exposure limits for single/ group borrowers, aggregate large exposures, contingent liabilities, unsecured financing facilities and exposure against shares/term finance certificates (TFCs). In addition, it had put in place regulations for classification and provisioning of non-performing loans in line with the unemotional best practices.

The meeting was attended by Senators Syed Shibli Faraz, Mohsin Aziz, Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Muhammad Akram and senior officers from the ministries of finance and economic affairs.

During the meeting, the committee members expressed concerns over the failure of FBR and Customs in controlling the menace of smuggling.

The FBR officials informed the committee that drone and satellite technology was being introduced to curb the smuggling at various points of the porous borders.

On the smuggling of LED TVs, the committee was informed that the ongoing momentum of countrywide enforcement operations against smuggling of goods, including LED TVs, was in full swing.

The committee stressed the need for training of forces that have been granted anti-smuggling powers such as the Coast Guards and Frontier Corps.

Determining whether the recent increase in taxes and duties have contributed to a rise in smuggling of goods, the committee was informed that there was zero per cent tax on raw materials. "This was done specifically to encourage industrialisation."

The committee encouraged the formulation of legislation in this regard.

HBL starts RMB business in China HBL BECOMES FIRST BANK FROM PAKISTAN AND ONE OF THREE BANKS FROM SOUTH ASIA AND MENA REGION TO OFFER END-TOEND SERVICES IN CHINESE CURRENCY RENMINBI URUMQI MEIRYUM ALI

Habib Bank Ltd now offers end-to-end intermediation for Chinese currency Renminbi (RMB), allowing customers to now open RMB accounts. This makes HBL the first bank from Pakistan, and one of the three banks from South Asia and the MENA region, to do so. The bank’s branch in Urumqi, in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, formally commenced RMB business on 7 November 2019, after obtaining regulatory approval. The branch was opened in March 2017 and acquired the RMB licence in June 2018. It is the only foreign bank branch operating in the northwestern province. HBL Chairman Sultan Ali Allana and HBL CEO Muhammad Aurangzeb were present in Urumqi to formally commence the RMB business.

Members of the HBL’s board of directors and other executives were also there. “We are doubling up our business in China and it will soon become a second home market for HBL. For our branch in Urumqi we got the RMB licence in the shortest possible time, so we are very grateful to the regulators in China,” said Aurangzeb. He continued, “Chinese regulators are very supportive of developing market-based capabilities and encouraging financial institutions to provide clients bestof-breed leading-edge products and services while managing systems risks well.”

Speaking on the occasion, Allana said, “We want to be an integral part of Chinese economy as well as the country. I am hopeful that in the coming years, this foundation can give us the springboard to become a bank of relevance in China in the coming decades.”

HBL has also applied to upgrade its Beijing representative office to a branch. The licence is expected to arrive in the next two to three months, subject to regulatory approval. This latest development is part of HBL’s recent efforts to expand in China. Last week, Bloomberg reported that HBL was looking to tap more business under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). HBL is currently involved in around $6 billion of Pakistan projects under the BRI. HBL acquired stake in Pakistan’s first coal mining venture, one of the main Belt and Road projects, with Chinese companies in the Thar desert. HBL was also the first Pakistani lender to open a branch in Gwadar, Balochistan, where China is developing a port. In the third quarter of 2019, HBL also signed an agreement with Ufone, extending a bilateral Trade Finance Facility in RMB for the first time. This was done to facilitate the import of cellular network equipment through Huawei Technologies Ltd.

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

12 BUSINESS MARKET DAILY

Bull-run continues at PsX as index gains another 827 points KARACHI: Bulls continued to dominate the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), as the indices rallied on first trading session of the week while volumes soared to the highest levels since May 2017. Foreign investors closed second successive week (November 11-15) as net buyers with a net inflow of $4.18 million. Highest inflow was witnessed in fertiliser ($5.15 million) and banking ($3.76 million) sectors. According to media reports, the State Bank of Pakistan would announce its monetary policy for next two months on November 22, 2019. Previously, the central bank had kept the policy rate unchanged at 13.25pc. The benchmark KSE-100 Index recorded its intraday high at 38,452.73 after gaining 868.84 points. It settled higher by 827.67 points or 2.15pc at 38,411.56. The KMI-30 Index gained 1,329.26 points to close at 62,549.91, while the KSE All Share Index ended higher by 534.26 points at 27,248.39. Out of the total traded scripts, 277 advanced and 94 declined. The overall trading volumes jumped up to 466.08 million, of which 268.79 million came from the 100 index scripts. The Bank of Punjab (BOP +3.59pc), KElectric Limited (KEL +5.12pc) and Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL +2.81pc) topped the volume chart.

The scripts had exchanged 37.60 million, 28.39 million and 18.76 million shares, respectively. Sectors that helped the index accumulate gains included banking (+163.86 points), fertiliser (+131.44 points) and power generation & distribution (+114.29 points). Among the companies, Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO +99.86 points), Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC +89.04 points) and United Bank Limited (UBL +61.96 points) remained the top contributors to the index. The automobile assembling sector added 3.03pc to its cumulative market capitalisation.

Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited (HCAR +5.00pc), AlGhazi Tractors Limited (AGTL +5.00pc) and Hinopak Motors Limited (HINO +5.00pc) touched their upper-circuit breakers. sTAFF REpORT

no CIRCuLaR deBt aFteR deC 2020, vows FInanCe advIseR ISLAMABAD

a

sTAFF REpORT

DVISER to Prime Minister on Finance & Revenue Dr Hafeez Shaikh on Monday reiterated the government's resolve to eliminate circular debt by December 2020.

Briefing the leading anchorpersons of electronic media about the government's economic performance during the first quarter of the Fiscal Year 2019-20, the adviser said, "Owing to the prudent policies of the present government, the current account deficit has come down significantly in the first quarter, whereas the volume of exports has increased. The trade deficit has decreased by 33.5pc."

He said the government was also trying to surpass the target of

BILAL HUSSAIN: Price of tomatoes won’t be coming down any time soon as protests in neighbouring Iran over petrol price hike have hindered the import of tomatoes from the country. All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed said that importers were facing difficulty in importing tomatoes from Iran due to protests in the country.

“Pakistan importers have already agreed to import 4,500 metric tonnes of tomatoes from Iranian suppliers but protests in the country have hindered the smooth transaction,” he said, adding that and less than a quarter of the quantity – 989 metric tonnes – have been imported so far. “If the protests continue in Iran, delays could be expected in the import of tomatoes,” he stated. The price of tomatoes has been skyrocketing in the country as the vegetable is being sold at around Rs280 per kilogramme.

Before the price hike, tomatoes were being sold at Rs50 approximately. KARACHI

non-tax revenue in the ongoing fiscal year.

"In the coming months, the economy will strengthen further and soon the country will achieve economic prosperity," he maintained.

The senior anchors on the occasion asked questions related to fiscal, monitory and external accounts.

Issues pertaining to inflation, exports, investment portfolios, central bank's autonomy, agriculture and taxation system were also discussed.

The adviser informed the journalists about the precarious economic situation left by the previous

government and the challenges the incumbent government faced after coming into power.

He highlighted that bilateral agreements with friendly countries coupled with the assistance provided by the International Monetary Fund helped ease the pressure on the economy.

Dr Hafeez Shaikh said that the IMF team, in its first quarterly review, had issued a satisfactory report on the government's economic performance.

The media people were informed that the government would utilise all its energy to increase rev-

SC bars govt from selling Pakistan Steel Mills land ISLAMABAD sTAFF REpORT

tomato imports suffer amid protests in Iran

'GOVT WILL STRIVE HARD TO INCREASE REVENUES AND DECREASE EXPENDITURES IN THE REMAINING QUARTERS OF FY20'

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday barred the government from selling land owned

by Pakistan Steel Mills to generate funds to pay provident funds and gratuities to mills’ former employees.

The court order came during the hearing of a petition concerning a shortage of funds to pay to former PSM employees. A two-member bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, has been hearing the petition.

The case had been presented to the apex court by the Ministry of Production. The deputy advocate general, who was representing the government, told the court that mills did not have sufficient funds to pay salaries and provident funds to employees.

“We are selling the land in order to pay the outstanding dues,” he said.

Justice Ahmed criticized mills’ performance in response, saying: “Pakistan Steel Mills’ output is zero. It has been ruined [by the responsible people] to fill their own pockets.”

“Pakistan Steel Mills was [once] a huge institution.

Hundreds of steel mills operated with the help of [PSM],” he recalled. “Cars, trucks and even rockets were prepared in PSM.” The bench, however, restrained the government from disposing of PSM land to address its financial crisis, saying it cannot be sold as “it belongs to the people [of Pakistan]”.

The hearing was subsequently adjourned for 15 days.

Once the top contributor

to the national exchequer, Pakistan Steel Mills has now become an epitome of mismanagement and nepotism.

According to the AuditorGeneral Report 2018-19, salaries of its employees and fixed overheads are being met through bailout packages from the federal government.

The report pointed out that PSM was at zero production level since 2015, but the mill management has not made any effort to recover Rs2.79 billion shown as taxes refundable on its balance sheet from the tax authorities.

In addition to financial woes, the mill has continuously failed to recover around 344 acres of its township land encroached by various entities and the value of land has been estimated at Rs3.44bn by the expert appointed by Privatisation Commission.

sBP to announce monetary policy on Friday

Air Arabia signs $14bn Airbus A320 order

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) would unveil its monetary policy for the next two months on Nov 22 (Friday). Prior to the policy announcement, the Monetary Policy Committee of the central bank will meet to discuss and decide a new policy rate. SBP will issue the monetary policy statement through a press release on the same day.

Previously, the SBP had kept the rate of interest unchanged at 13.25pc. “The decision reflected the MPC’s view that inflation outcomes have been largely as expected and inflation projections for FY20 have remained unchanged since the last MPC meeting on 16th July 2019,” a press release issued by SBP had said. NEWs DEsK

DUBAI: Air Arabia on Monday announced a firm order for 120 Airbus A320 family jets in a deal worth around $14 billion, as the Sharjah-based budget carrier looks to expand its operations beyond the Middle East. The order will more than double the current fleet of 55 narrowbody aircraft for Air Arabia, the UAE’s only listed airline. Air Arabia CEO Adel Ali told reporters at the Dubai Airshow the order consists of around 70 A320neo jets, with the rest being A321XLR and A321neo models. “The addition of the A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR complements our existing fleet and allows us to expand our service to farther and newer destinations while remaining loyal to our low-cost business model,” Ali said. He added that the carrier has yet to finalize an engine option for the order. Airbus, which last month cut its fullyear delivery goal for commercial jets due to production glitches, said the planemaker was working “relentlessly” to live up to the promises it has made to customers. The plane manufacturer said it expects first delivery for Air Arabia to be in 2024. AGENCIEs

enues and decrease expenditures in the remaining quarters of FY20.

The adviser recalled the steps taken in the budget 2019-20 to curtail expenditures; allocation of increased funds for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and poverty alleviation programmes. "The government had granted exemption of tax on exports and had decided to provide subsidy on electricity and gas to the export industry in the budget."

He said that the government was strengthening its institutions in order to extract durable economic results, adding that institutions like the State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) have been given more autonomy to carry out its official business independently.

Local assemblers irked over increase in used car imports ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAs

Local car manufacturers/assemblers have raised serious concerns over the surge in the import of used cars during the last two months, saying that this practice "will damage the local auto industry". Since the sale of locally assembled vehicles has shown a sharp decrease during the past year owing to the overall economic slowdown, the increasing imports of used cars have further alarmed the assemblers. In a statement issued on Monday, the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) expressed grave concern over the increase in "illegal import" of used cars. According to the statement, the number of used imported cars in September 2019 stood at 565 units whereas the combined figures for July and August were just 531 units. In October 2019, the imports further increased to 709 units. "The strict policies the incumbent government were able to control the illegal import of used cars as it came down in FY2018-19. This was quite a success on the part of the government as its policies had started bearing fruits for the local auto industry," said the PAMA spokesperson. "But it seems that the importers' have once again found a way to continue with their nefarious plans of denting the local auto industry." Citing media reports, he alleged the importers were importing used cars on the passports of Pakistanis residing in Dubai. He said that the government should immediately investigate this issue and must stop this practice in order to help the local auto industry. It is ironic that the government is not restricting the import of used cars, given its impact on the environment, local auto sector and the national economy, he added. "We are already facing the brunt of rupee devaluation, additional duties and an increase in interest rates. Now, the misuse of used cars' schemes is proving detrimental to the industry," he concluded.

'Govt aims industrial expansion under CPEC's 2nd phase' ISLAMABAD sTAFF REpORT

Planning, Development and Reform Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar said on Monday that under the next (2nd) phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the industrial base would be expanded in order to help increase the country’s exports.

Addressing the 3rd annual two-day conference tilted ‘Universities Consortium on CPEC', the minister noted that China has a total trade volume of $4,000 billion with the world while Pakistan has only $80 billion worth of trade with the global market.

Bakhtiar said the Chinese government was investing $1 billion in Pakistan's socio-economic sector, including cooperation in higher education.

"The Chinese government has offered 25,000

scholarships for Pakistani students, besides financing to build 1,000 small schools in different areas of the country," he stated. "We have broadened the CPEC cooperation in areas of socio-economic development, agriculture, industries, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people contact through universities, as it will help enhance multilateral relations between the two countries."

Bakhtiar said that diagnostic studies through concrete research were required to evaluate the potential sectors that could harmonise bilateral socioeconomic development. He continued that close liaison between academia and industrial sector would be necessary to fill the gaps and connect the two sides for shared economic growth.

He said that after the fourth industrial revolution, the concept of knowledge economy has been enhanced, adding that the government has prioritised

technological advancement in order to introduce innovative industrial concepts.

Bakhtiar said the government wanted to add new sectors, including iron, mines and minerals, oil and gas, copper, pipeline, textiles and automobile, to exploit the potential of trade through CPEC. The minister further informed that China would invest $10 billion in the oil and gas sector and $4 billion in local steel sector through CPEC projects. "As many as $9 billion have been approved for the constuction of a railway line from Peshawar to Karachi."

He said that the government had taken several important decisions that paved way for finalisation of Gwadar Master Plan, preliminary design of ML-1 project, operationalisation of Gwadar Port and free zone.

He added that the government had established CPEC Authority which would work as a one window for all CPEC related issues so that "we can fasten the

pace of the projects and remove all bottlenecks to ensure efficient implementation".

The minister maintained that CPEC would be a gateway to progress and prosperity. "The year 2019 has been significant for CPEC as several significant milestones have been achieved or would be achieved by the end of the year," he added.

The recent visits of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his interaction with Chinese leadership, he said, had in true sense, broadened and enhanced the scope of future cooperation in diverse fields.

Addressing the conference, Ambassador of China to Pakistan Yao Jing said that Universities Consortium on CPEC would play a vital role in the completion of CPEC framework.

He said the corridor provided platform for cooperation to connect the society, institutions and people of the both sides.

PakisTan inTernaTional Film FesTival FeaTures animaTion

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By KauKaB Jahan

he second edition of Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF) held under Karachi Film Society, focused on animated films only. The three-day event in Karachi had multiple activities including seminars, talks, workshops and film screenings along with three Pakistan premiers of international productions. The festival is supported by the Government of Sindh through its Department of Culture.

The seminar was conducted on the topic, ‘Potential of Animation in Pakistan – Challenges & Opportunities’, while six films were; BILAL: A New Breed of hero (Arif Jilani – producer), ALLAhYAR and the Legend of Markhor (Uzair Zaheer Khan – director, writer & producer), Mary & The Witch’s Flower (english Language), Modest heroes (Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1), The Donkey King (Aziz Jindani – co-producer, co-writer and creative director) and 3 BAhADUR: Rise of the Warriors (Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy – director, SOC Films), and few short films; Global Citizens, Saif The Fisherman, earth heroes, and Quaid Se Batein (Daniyal Noorani – Creator) were screened at various cinema houses of the city. A Workshop was also conducted by Geoffery Wexler.

A special screenings of the animated movies, organized for the underprivileged students from various parts of the city was also held on first day if festival. Participating schools included JS Academy for the Deaf, Tadrees, Karachi Schools’ Guide and the Young Patriots School.

Seminar was moderated by Filmmaker Sana Tauseef who produced animated film ‘TikTok’ in 2018, while the panellists were Amyn Farooqui (Co-CeO/Co-Founder & Creative ShARP IMAGe), Daniyal Noorani (CeO – Wakhra Studio /Creator Quaid se Batein), Aziz Jindani (Founder – Talisman Animation Studio, Creative Director ‘The Donkey King), Arif Ji-

lani (Producer Barajoun entertainment, BILAL – A New Breed of hero), Imran Ali Dina (Lecturer/ GFX Mentor) and Asif Iqbal (Bridge Animations &VFX -Chief executive Officer) who discussed at length the quality and content of animated films produced in Pakistan and the reasons behind losing good human resource to foreign countries. Chief Guest of the seminar was Mr Murtaza Wahab – Advisor to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-corruption, establishment and Information.

The workshop was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Wexler, Chief of the International Division at Studio Ponoc on “Communicating Culture with Integrity”. The workshop comprised discussion from his work on Studio Ponoc’s debut feature film ‘Mary and The Witch’s Flower’ to his pursuit of storytelling worthy when producing the english-language version of Isao Takahata’s masterpiece, the Studio Ghilbi’s ‘Only Yesterday’.

The concluding day of PiFF 2019 Animation started with the annual brunch which was attended by Principal Secretary Govt of Sindh Mr S. T. Mustafa, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sindh Mr Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Mr Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, filmmakers, members of the U.S Consulate, artists and founding members of the Karachi Film Society.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ishrat hus-

sain, founding member of KFS stressed on the need of organizing such events to nourish and train the young filmmakers of Pakistan and to put the country’s film industry on the world’s entertainment map.

Sultana Siddiqui, president Karachi Film Society once again stressed on the need of the government’s support to ensure the growth of Pakistan’s film industry. She also urged the attendees to support each other and to take steps towards the collective growth of the society.

The second edition of the Pakistan International Film Festival 2019 concluded with a special sneak peek of ‘The Glassworker’, presented

by Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animation studio ‘Mano Animation Studios’. Usman Riaz, the founder of Mano Animation Studios shared his journey and the efforts that went behind making Pakistan’s first hand-drawn anime movie.

The Festival saw a gathering of professionals, students, academia and enthusiasts of animation in Pakistan.

The Pakistan International Film Festival (PIFF) was founded by Ms. Sultana Siddiqui, founder and president of hUM Network Ltd. The festival is held under the patronage of Karachi Film Society, which a is a non-profit organization with founding members like the names if Dr Ishrat husain (former Governor State Bank of Pakistan), Ms Ameena Saiyid (CeO OUP), Senator (r) Javed Jabbar (writer/producer, former Information Minister), Mr Sirajuddin Aziz (CeO habib Metropolitan Bank), Mr Jamil Baig (CeO Nueplex Cinemas), Ms Ronak Lakhani (Chairperson SOP), Ms Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (Oscar winning director/producer) and Ms. Sayeeda Leghari (Managing Director/Chairperson, Pepsi Sukkur Beverages (Pvt Ltd.). The primary goal of Karachi Film Society is to improve access of the people in innovation and excellence in different categories and genres of cinema and films to highlight the unique scope of this mass medium.

Four babies are born every second: Every second, we welcome four new babies into our overall population. Do a little math and you'll find out that means there are approximately 250 births each minute, 15,000 each hour, and 360,000 each day. In a full year, there are around 131.4 million babies born on Earth, according to the Ecology Global Network.

The coldest temperature ever recorded was -144 degrees Fahrenheit: You might think you're accustomed to frigid air and blustery winds, but the average winter day has nothing on the coldest day ever recorded, which was -144 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature was recorded in Antarctica during a span of research between 2004 and 2016. Just a few breaths of air at that temperature would induce hemorrhaging in your lungs and kill you.

The Earth's ozone layer will make a full recovery in 50 years: Because of pollution, the Earth's ozone layer has suffered a lot. That's bad news for everyone, since the fragile gas layer protects our planet and shields us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

Fortunately, climate change experts believe that the ozone layer will fully heal within 50 years, according to a 2018 report from the United Nations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CMYK

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

14 SPORTS

nAdAl Ends yEAR As nUmbER onE FoR FiFth timE Murray began the year ranked at 240 and the prospect of retirement.

As he struggled with surgery on a hip injury and the subsequent recuperation he had slipped to 503 in September before a dramatic return to the courts, which produced a remarkable victory at the European Open in Antwerp, lifted him to a year-end 126.

LONDON

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AGENCIES

AFAEL Nadal was confirmed as the year-end world number one for the fifth time after the ATP released its season-closing rankings on Monday.

The Spaniard did not make it beyond the group stage of last week's ATP Finals in London but Novak Djokovic's failure to reach the semi-finals meant Nadal closed the year with 9,985 points, 840 clear of the Serb.

Nadal draws level with rivals Djokovic and Roger Federer, who have also finished the year in top spot five times, and moves one behind six-time end-of-year number one Pete Sampras.

Nadal and Djokovic have been this year's two dominant players after winning two Majors each. Djokovic won the Australian Open and Wimbledon with Nadal cleaning up at Roland Garros and the US Open. Federer ends the season at number three for the second year running. The Swiss, who turned 38 in August, has cut down his Tour commitments to focus on events around Grand Slams.

He reached the semi-finals of the

AtP yEAR-End RAnkings As oF noVEmbER 18:

French Open where he lost to Nadal and the last eight at Flushing Meadows where he lost in five sets to world number 20 Gregor Dimitrov.

In between he lost an epic Wimbledon final against Djokovic, the first to be decided by a tie-break in the fifth set, suggesting that he still has hopes of a 21st major title in 2020.

Dominic Thiem, who took a set off Nadal in the final of the French Open, moves up to number four after reaching the final of the ATP Finals where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The 21-year-old Greek closes the year at number six, just behind Daniil Medvedev, after his triumph in London.

Former world number one Andy

1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,985 pts 2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 9,145 3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,590 4. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,825 (+1) 5. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705 (-1) 6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 5,300 7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 3,345 8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,870 9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290 13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000 17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1840 18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1775 19. John Isner (USA) 1770 20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1747 126. Andy Murray (GBR) 442

Aisam to boycott Davis Cup tie against India in protest against ITF match ruling SPORTS DESK Tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi on Monday announced that he will boycott the upcoming Davis Cup tie against India as his protest against the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) decision to deprive Pakistan of the tie's hosting right.

On Nov 5, the ITF had moved the Davis Cup tie against India from Pakistan to a neutral venue citing security issues after Indian players refused to tour Pakistan. Terming the decision "deplorable", Aisam said that he was "saddened to learn that the ITF, under the Indian influence, continues to take away Pakistan’s right of holding Davis Cup tie against India at our home venue".

“The attitude of both the All Indian Tennis Asso-

ciation (AITA) and ITF towards Pakistan is highly deplorable, to say it the least,” Aisam said in a letter addressed to Salim Saifullah, the president of Pakistan Tennis Federation.

“There is absolutely no threat foreseen for the Indian tennis team in Pakistan. As you very well know that hundreds of Indians are regularly visiting Pakistan to perform their religious activities in various places like Kartarpur, Nankana Sahib and Taxila.

There has not been a single incident of violence or mishandling with any Indian national ever in Pakistan and for sure not at all in recent years,” he mentioned in the letter, of which Geo News has obtained a copy.

Aisam criticized Indian tennis players and officials for showing disrespect to Pakistan.

“They should not insult and disgrace our security forces by saying that they cannot assure the safety and security of a few member of the Indian tennis team,” said Aisam, the most successful tennis player to come out of Pakistan.

“Indian's last excuse of Dharna in Islamabad by a political party also does not hold good anymore since

that too has also concluded,” he added.

Aisam further said that if the excuse is the tension between India and Pakistan due to what Indians have done in occupied Kashmir then why we should be penalised for their wrongdoing.

He said that he has always maintained that politics and religion should not be mixed up with sports. “This is my point even now that neither AITA nor ITF should snatch away our right in this case,” he said.

“If the ITF does not correct their wrong decision then as a protest against this unjust, unfair and biased decision I want to raise my voice and hereby announce not to participate in this tie if it takes place outside Pakistan,” Aisam wrote in the letter.Aisam reiterated that he is always very passionate about representing the country in Davis Cup ties but this time around it is more important that he stands up for the honour and dignity of country by refusing to accept an "incorrect, unjust and undesirable decision". “The president of the PTF, its council members and the people of Pakistan are requested to kindly understand my stance. Long live Pakistan,” the tennis ace added.

Ex-UEFA chiEF PlAtini slAms VAR As 'loAd oF cRAP' ROME: Former UEFA president Michel Platini has slammed the use of VAR technology, the introduction of which he has always opposed, as a total nightmare, in an interview on Italian television. "It would take half an hour to explain why it doesn't solve problems," the former France international told the "Che tempo che fa" late-night talk show on Rai on Sunday. "It shifts them. I'm against VAR. I think it's a load of crap and unfortunately we will not go back." The 64-year-old has always been against the use of VAR which he refused to consider after he became UEFA chief in 2007. European football's governing body has now also introduced the use of the video replay technology in this year's Champions League. Meanwhile, the former Juventus star believes he could still play a role in football after his four-year suspension from the sport ended in October.

"At 64, I have the opportunity for one last adventure, but I have no room for error and I have to think about it," he said. A triple Ballon d'Or winner, Platini had been expected to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016 but fell spectacularly from grace a few months earlier. The former France captain was suspended by world football's governing body in 2015 over a controversial payment of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros, $2 million) that he received from Blatter. Platini has always insisted he did nothing wrong. "At FIFA, they did not want me as president," he continued. "I wanted to defend football and I was the only footballer who could become FIFA president." Platini added that he no longer had any contact with either Blatter or current FIFA president Gianni Infantino. AGENCIES

New era or false dawn? Tsitsipas win invites caution LONDON AGENCIES

Stefanos Tsitsipas said he was ready for a breakthrough Grand Slam victory after winning the ATP Finals in London -- but a glance at recent history invites caution.

The 21-year-old Greek was in bullish mood after he beat Dominic Thiem, having ousted Roger Federer in the semi-finals, to become the season-ending event's youngest winner since 2001.

"I believe I'm really close to being crowned a Grand Slam champion," he said, after his 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) triumph in London on Sunday. "I know these are strong words that I say but I do feel I belong there."

But although Tsitsipas's victory feels significant, he is the fourth first-time champion in as many years at the season finale, which has proved a poor predictor of future success.

Last year, young German Alexander Zverev pummelled Novak Djokovic in the final but he had a miserable time at this season's Slams -- while the Serb, 32, picked up the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles to take his overall tally to 16.

Rafael Nadal, 33, won a barely cred-

ible 12th French Open title and added the US Open, underlining the fact that the old guard were still very much in charge.

No member of the "Big Three" -- also featuring Federer -- has won the seasonending ATP Finals since 2015, when Djokovic picked up his fifth title.

Djokovic was also the last ATP Finals champion to go on to win a major title.

Injury-plagued Andy Murray has won only two trophies since he secured his sole ATP Finals title in 2016, crowning his strongest season. And the lavishly gifted but inconsistent Grigor Dimitrov has not won a tournament since his 2017 success at the season finale.

The fact remains that despite all the razzmatazz surrounding the ATP Finals, it is the Grand Slams that are the true yardstick in tennis.

Since 38-year-old Federer won his first Grand Slam title in 2003, the Big Three have collected an astonishing 55 out of the 66 majors on offer, with Murray and Stan Wawrinka also winning three apiece. There has long been speculation over who would have the guts and talent to overthrow the established order.

Players such as Milos Raonic, Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori -- members of a

previous supposed "next generation", consistently failed to challenge the dominant trio.

INCREDIBLE TENNIS: However, that is not to say that there's no hope for the younger players, who now appear to be getting closer.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev, 23, pushed Nadal all the way in the US Open final in September, and should have avenged the loss at the ATP Finals but he collapsed from an seemingly impregnable position against the Spaniard.

Zverev demolished Nadal to reach the semi-finals in London, but was disappointing in a straight-sets defeat against Thiem.

Tsitsipas's impressive win against Federer in the semi-finals also felt like a statement of intent -- backing up his victory against the Swiss at the Australian Open.

Zverev, 22, predicted next year will bring a new Grand Slam champion, saying the "young guys are playing incredible tennis". But Tsitsipas warned that it was crucial to dislodge Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in the early rounds as they tend to improve as tournaments progress, adding that the five-set format also played into their hands.

"For the young guys it's all about

CMYK

time," he said. "I don't know. We will have to beat them or wait for them."

Federer says he has heard it all before, although even he senses a possible shift at the top of the men's game.

"It's the same question every year at the end of the year, and I feel like I'm answering it the same way," he said.

"But does it feel like this year might be the best (closest) year yet? Possibly."

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

SPORTS 15

smith WARy oF mohAmmAd AbbAs, bUt EAgER to chAllEngE yoUng qUicks BRISBANE

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AGENCIES

TEVEN Smith is wary of the threat that could be posed by Mohammad Abbas, but is keen to push Pakistan's young quicks to the limit as he prepares to return to Test cricket on home soil.

Abbas, who has 66 wickets at 18.86 from 14 matches, is set to take the new ball; the last time the teams met in the UAE, he took 17 wickets at 10.58 - albeit in very different conditions than he will encounter this week - but Smith was absent from that series due to his one-year ban for ball tampering.

Abbas is likely to be entrusted with lengthy spells so that the young pace bowlers - of which 16-year-old Naseem Shah has generated the most excitement - are not overburdened.

"I've never faced Abbas... he stands the seam up, any sort of movement he'll get the most out of it," Smith said. "And it looks like Shah bowls with some good pace. Being as young as he is, he probably hasn't bowled lots of overs consistently, so it'll be about making him come back and bowl as many spells as he can and see if he can maintain it."

Former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur spoke to ESPNcricinfo about the challenge the young quicks face in main-

taining pressure on Australia's batsmen.

"I think Naseem Shah and Muhammad Musa will be very good bowlers, without a doubt, and the tour is really good for their development, but the thing that worries me is the ability to get six

balls in the right area and you need to have that ability in Australia: strike with the new ball then go into a holding pattern," Arthur had said.

"You've got to be able to be very consistent with your line and length so it will

be interesting to see if they can get that balance right with their attack."

Waqar Younis, Pakistan's bowling coach, was also aware of the strain the inexperienced pace bowlers could be under.

"It's hard work on these big fields, hard

pitches, it takes a lot out of you as a teenager, and we have to keep our fingers crossed that they stay fit and can challenge the Australians," he said.

In the 2016-17 series between these two teams, Smith had scored 441 runs at 110.25 including two centuries. Very few bowlers have had an answer to him since he returned to international cricket earlier this year.

After 774 runs in the Ashes, he has scored two centuries for New South Wales this season - his dismissal in the second bringing a fine for dissent - but they have come on two slow pitches at Drummoyne Oval and the SCG, where the slips became largely redundant, vastly different to what will confront him at the Gabba.

In the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland in Brisbane last month, Smith collected a rare duck in the first innings and then made 21 in the second and over the next few days, he will be focusing on the change in conditions.

"This week is going to be about getting used to the Gabba bounce, working on my leave and just being patient," he said. "It's probably a little bit different to the last two Shield games I've played at Drummoyne and SCG, where they've been pretty benign wickets. I don't think I had a slip in basically for the whole time I batted."

Pakistan at 10th spot in Asia with three quota places for Olympics Tokyo 2020 SPORTS DESK

Paine hits out at stokes for ‘cheap shot’ at Warner BRISBANE: Australia captain Tim Paine has blasted England all-rounder Ben Stokes for taking a "cheap shot" at David Warner, claiming he was using the controversial opening batsman to spike sales of his new book.

In his book, which is being serialised in a British newspaper, he claims Warner´s sledging motivated Stokes during his match-winning heroics in the third Ashes Test this year.

Stokes´s incredible unbeaten 135 at Headingley steered England to a record run chase and thrilling one-wicket win to square the five-match series at 1-1.

"He just wouldn´t shut up for most of my time out there," Stokes said of Warner, who insists he has reformed and is no longer the brash character who was banned for a year over a ball-tampering scandal. "I could accept it from just about any other opponent. Truly. Not from him, though," Stokes added.

"The changed man he was adamant he´d become, the one that hardly said boo to a goose and even went as far as claiming he had been re-nicknamed ´Humble´ by his Australia team-mates, had disappeared." Paine disputed the characterisation and was adamant Warner did nothing wrong.

Asked if it was a cheap shot by Stokes, Paine replied: "Oh absolutely.

"I was obviously standing next to David the whole time (at first slip) and you are allowed to talk on the cricket field," he told reporters on Sunday in Brisbane ahead of a Test series against Pakistan.

"But by no means was he abusing him or sledging him. "It just seems to be a common trend in England that they like to use Davey´s name to spike book sales." AGENCIES

Pakistan has achieved the 10th position out of 16 Asian countries with regards to quota places for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

According to the list issued by the Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC), Pakistan won three quota places to take 10th position out of 16 countries in shooting in Asia. China tops the list with 25 quotas and India is second with 15 quotas. South Korea and Japan are third and fourth with 14 and 12 quotas, respectively.

Iran and Thailand each won six places. Chinese Taipei with five places is seventh. Kuwait and Mongolia are eighth and ninth, respectively. Behind Pakistan are Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Singapore.

In total 102 quotas were won by 16 Asian countries. Meanwhile, National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) will be arranging a six week training

programme for Pakistani shooters with an Italian coach ahead of the Olympics.

“We are to arrange the training for our shooters with the world’s best coach,

a legend with three consecutive gold medals in Olympics,” said an official of NRAP while speaking to ‘The News’.

“We shall make all efforts to win a medal for Pakistan,” he added. The three Pakistani shooters who have won quota places for Tokyo 2020 are Khalil Akhtar, Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, and Gulfam Joseph.

The official said NRAP held talks with the president of Italian Shooting Federation to finalise the details.

He added that NRAP and its shooters have achieved their quota places without any support from the government. “I hope the government realises the potential in shooting sport which has 15 Olympic gold medals on offer. Pakistan has immense talent but no patronage from government is hurting it,” said the official.

PCB hopes for Australia, England Test tours next LAHORE AGENCIES

Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, believes it is realistic to expect Australia and England to return to Pakistan under the current future tours programme following the planned resumption of Test cricket in the country with Sri Lanka's visit next month.Khan hopes that Sri Lanka's "hugely symbolic" return for two Tests, along with staging the entire Pakistan Super League in the country this season, will continue to shift the perception about Pakistan, though he conceded that it is likely to be a lengthy process.

The PCB has recently hosted Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts and his counterparts at the ECB, Tom Harrison, and Cricket Ireland, Warren Deutrom. Khan said that they all left with positive impressions of the security situation in Pakistan, and invitations to tour have been extended to South Africa, Ireland and Afghanistan, while Bangladesh are scheduled to tour in January under the FTP. As a stepping stone to full tours by Australia and England - slated for 2022 in the programme - Khan is hoping for the A teams of the two countries to travel first. "Do I think that's realistic? Absolutely. Can it happen? I think it's a case of ongoing dialogue working closely with players' associations," Khan told ESPNcricinfo. "The first big step was to get Kevin and Tom to come over, which they committed to and really threw themselves into, which is superb. The FTP, the next two or three years, it gives us the opportunity to take small steps. It's not going to happen overnight, we need to con-

tinue to build confidence on what we do.

"Our greatest selling point is word of mouth from players - 260 foreign players from across 15 countries registered for the draft, which shows how far we've come. I'm hoping that will accelerate people's thinking in wanting to come and visit. We just have to be consistent in our approach with every country."

Khan, who took up his role ten months ago after having served as the Leicestershire chief executive, said that first-hand experience of Pakistan is the best way to see the progress that has been made. "The one big thing is that I think there's a perception about Pakistan and what exists there, it's not until you get there that you realise the reality is very different," he said. "I think everyone who came over had a really good experience, saw that it's a normal country and people live a normal way. "Wherever you look in the world, Pakistan is as safe as anywhere… the world's not a great place at the moment, but we've done everything we can

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to get the security measures in place. We are pretty experienced at it now, because we've had to be. What people say when they leave is that it's not what I imagined it would be. It's frustrating at times because people have this perception because that's what the media paints. It's had its fair share of issues in the past, we remain vigilant, there's no complacency, but we are good at what we do and I encourage people to come have that experience." While Khan focuses a lot of his efforts into the long-term plans for international cricket in Pakistan, the performance of the national teams also remains at the forefront. The Test side begins its World Test Championship campaign at the Gabba, then the team heads into a new World Cup cycle and tries to arrest a slide in its T20I form, even as the women's team prepares for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

"We are sitting seventh in Tests, sixth in ODIs that is a concern for us and something we want to address," he said. "We want to be walking out at Lord's in 2021 for the Test Championship final, there's a number of ICC events coming up and we go in to win every one. It's also about focusing on the long game for Pakistan, which is about sustainable success, in order to do that you'll have to go through some pain again and again to get to where we want to."

The number of central contracts for women was reduced from 17 to ten this year but the value increased, alongside further enhancements such as business class travel. Khan has also been encouraged by Nida Dar's stint in the WBBL with the Sydney Thunder, and wants to use that as a catalyst for further growth.

Tuesday, 19 November, 2019

NEWS

ASAd UmAr retUrnS to FederAl cAbInet AS PlAnnIng mInISter ISLAMABAD

Imran vows no compromise on rule of law in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday reaffirmed his resolve to establish and maintain rule of law in Pakistan as he ruled out any possibility of a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)-like agreement for people convicted of corruption. In a meeting with senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan, the premier discussed various constitutional and political matters, including the case of former premier Nawaz Sharif who is set to leave for London on Tuesday. “People seeking an NRO-like deal are living in a fool’s paradise. I will never compromise on rule of law in Pakistan,” asserted the PM. “Accountability has been and will always remain our top priority. All state institutions are on the same page and want to see a stronger and prosperous Pakistan.” PM Imran said corruption was like a termite that eats away at and weakens the foundations of a country. “Sustainable progress can never be possible without improving and strengthening state institutions,” he said. The prime minister also hinted that some steps to provide relief to the general public would be revealed in the current month. STAFF REPORT

Shaheen-I ballistic missile training launch successful RAWALPINDI: Two days after India conducted the first night trial of nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-II, Pakistan on Monday conducted a successful training launch of Shaheen-I, a surface-to-surface ballistic missile. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release, the launch was conducted as part of a training exercise “aimed at testing the operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command”. Director General Strategic Plans Division, Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, NESCOM chairman, senior officers from Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, scientists and engineers witnessed the training launch. Shaheen-I is a short-range solid-propellant ballistic missile with a range of 650km (404 miles) which has been in the national arsenal since 2003. It can carry either a conventional or a nuclear warhead and usually uses a mobile launcher as a platform. “Troops displayed a high standard of proficiency in handling and operating the potent weapon system, ensuring Pakistan’s credible minimum deterrence,” ISPR stated. STAFF REPORT

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STAFF REPORT

ORMER finance minister Asad Umar will make a return to the federal cabinet as the minister for planning and special initiatives, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan announced on Monday.

Firdous said that as part of an expansion in the cabinet, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, who was until now serving as the minister for planning and development, will be made the federal minister for petroleum. A notification announcing the changes will be issued soon, she added. Asad Umar had resigned from his post as finance minister on April 18.

Sources told Pakistan Today

that the government had already decided to replace Bakhtiar and it was only a matter of time before the announcement was made. Sources added that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been informed by China about the lackluster performance of Bakhtiar as the planning minister.

“Due to the ministry’s lackluster performance, an impression had developed that CPEC had been slowed down. While the Chinese embassy clarified this time and time again, the Planning Ministry could not do the same. The officials of the ministry often came unprepared to the Joint Working Groups as well as the JCC,” sources said.

Sources also said that as the planning minister, Bakhtiar had failed in retaining his team in the CPEC unit.

“As soon as Bakhtiar took over, the spokesperson of the ministry as well

as the spokesperson of the CPEC unit, Asim Khan, resigned. Khan had been instrumental in spreading information about CPEC to the media but after his departure, the minister decided against appointing anyone which led to a communication gap, thus giving out the impression that nothing had been happening in the ministry,” they added. “Khan’s Development and Communication unit had created an impression that CPEC was former premier Nawaz Sharif’s brainchild destined to turn around Pakistan’s economy. When Khan left, there was nobody left to bridge the gap between the ministry and the media,” sources further said.

Sources disclosed that when Hassan Daud Butt, the acting project director of CPEC, resigned, Shaukat Khattak, the deputy media director of the ministry, also resigned and

IHC calls for code of conduct for media in anchorpersons’ contempt case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday highlighted the need to devise a code of conduct for media during the hearing of a contempt of court case.

Senior news anchors, chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and representatives of PBA were present in contempt case hearing presided over by Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the IHC. “A ticker on the media could create an impression about a person that he is corrupt,” Justice Athar Minallah pointed out. “The freedom of media is also important. The court (IHC) has to take decision over the matter,” the chief justice said.

He called for the cooperation of the learned anchorpersons over the issue.

The chief justice in an interchange said that only the code of conduct of the PEMRA is not sufficient. “If you have to say something about us express it, but no analysis or comment is advisable over the cases under the court hearing,” the justice said. Justice Athar Minallah highlighted the need of formulating terms and conditions with regard to the media.

Anchorperson Kashif Abbasi begging the court’s permission asked that a man files writ on Saturday and his matter decides on the same day, it generally doesn’t happen. “A person could file a petition in court on a holiday or the day of Eid,” the chief justice replied. “The talk shows don’t discuss the issues of common man,” the justice remarked. “Try to educate people about the law,” he urged.

The bench adjourned further hearing of the case until December 18.

4 dead, 6 wounded in California football party shooting CALIFORNIA AGENCIES

Four people were killed and six more wounded when unknown suspects sneaked into a backyard filled with people at a party in central California and fired into the crowd, police said.

The shooting took place at about 6:00 pm (local time) on the Fresnos southeast side, where people were gathered to watch a football game, Fresno Police Lt. Bill Dooley said. Deputy Chief Michael Reid told the Fresno Bee and the

KSEE/KGPE TV stations that a total of 10 people were shot, with three found dead in the backyard. A fourth person died at the hospital. Six others are expected to survive and are recovering at the hospital. All the victims were Asian men ranging from ages 25 to 35, Reid said.

What we do know is that this was a gathering, a family and friend gathering in the backyard, Dooley said. Everyone was watching football this evening when unknown suspects approached the residence, snuck into the backyard and opened fire. The victims were taken to

India to procure armed drones from US in defence deal worth $7bn New Delhi is close to signing a deal with the US government for the purchase of armed drones and anti-submarine warfare and surveillance aircraft, according to a report in The Times of India. The report claims that the deal is valued at over $7 billion, and will include the procurement of Sea Guardian drones and P-8I anti-submarine warfare and surveillance aircraft. “Indian Navy, Air Force, and Army are coordinating their requirements and specifications for the acquisition of these Sea Guardian armed drones from the US under the FMS route,” sources told TOI. A letter of request in this regard from the Indian government to the US government will likely be issued early next year after taking the capability requirements of the three military services into account. The US had approved the sale of drones to India earlier this year. The drones would loaded with missiles and other weapons that New Delhi wants, according to the Indian publication. The other major deal in the pipeline is the project for the acquisition of the 10 P-8I anti-submarine warfare and long-range surveillance aircraft which will add to the existing fleet of 12 such planes in the Indian Navy. In the last decade, India has inducted a large number of American defence hardware into the military, including Apache attack choppers, Chinook heavy-lift Helicopters, and C-17 Globemaster, among others. NEWS DESK

Community Regional Medical Center in critical condition, and some are now stable, the TV stations reported. About 35 people were at the party when the shooting began, Reid said. Thank God that no kids were hurt, he said.

No one is in custody in connection with the shooting. Police said there was no immediate indication that the victims knew the shooter or shooters. Police were going doorto-door in search of surveillance video that might help them track down the suspects.

The shooting took place about

a half-mile from the city’s airport.

Agents from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives field office in San Francisco were responding to the shooting, the Bee reported. It was at least the second fatal gun attack Sunday in southeast Fresno, the Bee reported. A man in his 20s was shot to death early on Sunday at a home in another part of the city. Police have not said whether the incidents could be connected.

Sunday’s shootings in Fresno also come on the heels of at least two mass shootings in California.

these important posts were never filled. Many key posts related to CPEC are also vacant and the govt has neither appointed anyone to these posts nor has it giving the acting charge to other officials, sources added. Sources further said that the Planning Commission also failed to develop a liaison with the Chinese embassy or even with their counterparts in China’s Ministry of NDRC. “Another disaster the ministry made was that Joint Secretary Dr Liaquat Ali Shah was appointed as the project director of CPEC while he did not have the relevant skills to handle the technical affairs of CPEC. Finally, top officials of the Chinese government requested PM Imran to handle the affairs of CPEC himself and subsequently a CPEC Authority was formed to streamline the affairs of the ministry,” sources concluded.

Rights activist Idris Khattak abducted by unidentified men PESHAWAR: Rights activist Idris Khattak was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified men while on his way from Akora Khattak village to Swabi, his driver Shahsawar told police on Monday. In a complaint filed in Anbar police station, Shahsawar said that he was driving Khattak to Swabi when four unidentified men stopped the activist’s car at Swabi Motorway Interchange and kidnapped him.

The incident took place on November 13, according to the complaint. Though complaints have been lodged by Khattak’s driver and family, police are yet to register a first information report (FIR). Officials did confirm that Khattak was missing but said an FIR will be lodged after an initial investigation. Politician Jibran Nasir claimed that the activist was “abducted by intel agencies six days ago on Islamabad Peshawar highway near Swabi Interchange”.

Nasir said that the driver was abducted along with Khattak but was released after three days. However, the application filed by Shahsawar did not mention any such occurrence.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) demanded Khattak’s “immediate recovery”, saying that he had “remained associated with progressive politics since his student days”. “HRCP condemns arbitrary detentions and urges the Pakistani state to fulfill its constitutional obligations towards its citizens,” the organization said in a tweet. STAFF REPORT

At least four wounded as back-to-back blasts hit Kabul KABUL: Officials said back-to-back explosions targeting a military training center in the Afghan capital have wounded at least four Afghan national army soldiers. Kabul police spokesman Firdous Faramarz said the explosions early on Monday happened on the western edge of Kabul. Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi tweeted that the target of the attacks was the Kabul Military Training Center. He said the explosions were suicide attacks. Emergency workers were on the scene and the full extent of the damage and casualties was still being determined. AGENCIES

Trump says he will ‘strongly consider’ testifying in impeachment probe IMPEACHMENT PROBE SET TO PICK UP SPEED WITH EIGHT MORE WITNESSES WASHINGTON AGENCIES

President Donald Trump on Monday suggested he would be open to testifying publicly or in writing as part of the House impeachment inquiry being led by House Democrats.

Trump’s openness to participating in the probe of his efforts to push Ukraine to announce political investigations came in response to an invitation for him to testify extended by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a recent interview on CBS’ “Face The Nation.” Pelosi, Trump tweeted Monday morning, “suggested on Sunday’s DEFACE THE NATION that I testify about the phony Impeachment Witch Hunt.

She also said I could do it in writing.”

“Even though I did nothing wrong, and

don’t like giving credibility to this No Due Process Hoax, I like the idea & will, in order to get Congress focused again, strongly consider it!” Trump wrote. House Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry have already heard from numerous witnesses behind closed doors. Last week, three of them testified publicly before the House Intelligence Committee. Eight more witnesses, including multiple current Trump administration officials, are scheduled to appear for public hearings this week.

“If he has information that is exculpatory, that means ex, taking away, culpable, blame, then we look forward to seeing it,” Pelosi said in the interview that aired Sunday.

“If Donald Trump doesn’t agree with what he’s hearing, doesn’t like what he’s hearing, he shouldn’t tweet. He should come to the committee and testify under oath. And he should allow all those around him to come to the committee and testify under oath,” she said.

Investigators in the House, led by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., have sparred with Trump administration in their efforts to hear from witnesses.

The administration has direct some officials, including U.S. charges d’affaires to Ukraine Bill Taylor and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, not to appear for their scheduled depositions. Some of those officials defied the White House and cooperated with congressional subpoenas for their testimony, while others have sided with the administration.

Whether he decides to testify or not, Trump’s voice has already been heard in the impeachment hearings. During a public hearing Friday with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, Trump lashed out at her in a tweet that was then read aloud to her by Schiff.

Yovanovitch was recalled from Ukraine amid efforts by Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others to get Ukraine to announce probes into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, as well as a conspiracy theory about alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election. She said during her hearing that Trump’s tweets about her were “very intimidating.” Schiff said that “some of us here take witness intimidation very, very seriously.”

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

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