Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 I 4 Rajab, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 230 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition IMF resuMes extended Fund FacIlIty For PakIstan; $500M tranche on the cards ISLAMABAD to be met. However, the pandemic dis - is projected to expand by 1.5pc in FY2021 STAFF REPORT rupted these improvements and required from the -0.4pc in FY2020. Still, with the a shift in authorities’ priorities towards sav - Covid-19 second wave still unfolding N International Monetary Fund ing lives and supporting households and around the world, the outlook is subject to (IMF) team, led by Ernesto businesses. To a large extent, the authori - a high level of uncertainty and downside Ramirez Rigo, concluded virtual ties’ response was enabled by the fiscal risks.” discussions with the Pakistani au - and monetary policy gains attained in the He continued, “The Covid-19 shock ECP duty-bound thorities and reached a staff- first nine months of FY2020. Aside from has required a careful recalibration of the alevel agreement on the second to fifth health containment measures, this in - macroeconomic policy mix, the reforms reviews of the authorities’ reform pro - cluded a temporary fiscal stimulus, a large calendar, and the EFF review schedule. to ensure transparent gramme supported by the IMF’s 39- expansion of the social safety net, mone - Against this background, the authorities month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) tary policy support and targeted financial have formulated a package of measures arrangement for the amount of SDR 4,268 initiatives. These were supported by size - that strikes an appropriate balance be - polls: CJP million (about $6 billion). able emergency financing from the inter - tween supporting the economy, ensuring “This agreement is subject to the ap - national community, including from the debt sustainability, and advancing struc - g proval of the IMF’s Executive Board. The re - Fund’s Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI).” tural reforms. The fiscal strategy remains CEC opposes use of views’ completion would release around He noted that as a result of the author - anchored by the sustainable primary $500 million,” a statement issued by the ities’ actions, the Covid-19 first wave deficit of FY2021 budget and allows for identifiable ballot papers IMF on Tuesday read. started to abate over the 2020 summer higher-than-expected Covid-related and At the end of the discussions, Ramirez and the impact on the economy was sig - social spending to minimize the short-term in electoral process Rigo stated, “The policies and reforms im - nificantly reduced. “External current ac - impact on growth and the most vulnera - plemented by Pakistani authorities prior to count improved due to ble. The targets are supported by careful ISLAMABAD ter”, the CJP said. “The election Covid-19 shock had started to reduce stronger-than-expected remittances, im - spending management and revenue STAFF REPORT commissioner should tell us how economic imbalances and set the condi - port compression, and a mild export re - measures, including reforms of corporate he plans to stop corrupt prac - tions for improving economic perform - covery. High-frequency economic data taxation to make it fairer and more trans - Hearing the presidential refer - tices in the Senate elections,” ance. Most of the targets under the also started to point to a recovery. Consid - parent. The power sector’s strategy aims at ence on the Senate election on asked the chief justice. EFF-supported programme were on track ering these improvements, the economy financial viability, through management Tuesday, the Supreme Court ex - Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan observed improvements, cost reductions, and ad - pressed dissatisfaction over the that the Election Act does not justments in tariffs and subsidies calibrated report submitted by the Election mention corrupt practices specif - to attenuate social and sectoral impacts. Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ically. “The word ‘guard’ has been “The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)’s and observed that it is ECP’s con - used for political interference be - monetary and exchange rate policies stitutional duty to ensure transpar - fore and after elections, as well have served Pakistan well and were criti - ent polls. as corrupt practices,” noted the cal in helping to navigate the Covid-19 The chief election commis - judge. Justice Ahsan said that shock. The strengthened international re - sioner (CEC) and the ECP mem - guarding against corrupt prac - serves’ position since the start of the pro - bers appeared before the court tices in this context would mean gram—with gross reserves almost in the hearing. that precautionary measures doubling to $13 billion until January 2021 A five-member bench of the ought to be taken before the and net international reserves (NIR) in - apex court, headed by Chief Jus - elections so that they are held in creasing by over $9 billion until Decem - tice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar a transparent manner. ber 2020—and the shock absorption Ahmed, was hearing the presiden - “Money and political interfer - displayed by the market-based ex - tial reference seeking the court’s ence are used in elections,” change rate, allowed the SBP’s to pre- advice over the open ballot in the noted Justice Ahsan. “The elec - emptively proceed to a large easing of upcoming Senate election. tion commission should tell us monetary policy, and a sizeable expan - “The Election Commission how it plans on stopping such sion of refinancing facilities. should not keep silence over the practices.” matter and submit its report after CONTINUED ON PAGE 05 reviewing all aspects of the mat - CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

coronavIrus In PPP moves SC against MORE INSIDE PakIstan PTI to emerge Senate open vote reference victorious in CONFIRMED CASES: ISLAMABAD Senate polls: PM INP STORY ON BACK PAGE 564,824 The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC) against Pakistan Navy’s Aman the presidential reference seek - ing the apex court’s opinion on 2021 exercise LAST UPDATED AT 10:25 AM ON FEBRUARY 16, 2021 the open vote for the Upper House in the forthcoming elec - concludes with DAY'S DEATH TOLL: NEW CASES: tions. The petition requested the ‘graceful’ international apex court to return the refer - 47 958 ence as the Senate elections fleet review are to be held under Article 226 STORY ON BACK PAGE of the Constitution. RECOVERED: DEATHS: “A proposal [bill] of 26th Con - stitutional Amendment has been Karachi police arrest pending in the National Assem - 527,061 12,380 bly,” the petition said. PTI leader after ECP According to the petition, the government has changed its orders removal from SINDH: PUNJAB: stance after failing in its attempt to amend the Constitution. “The constituency government has filed the presi - jurisdiction. sirable to obtain the opinion of 254,016 164,696 dential reference [in the SC] to The reference sought an in - the Supreme Court on any ques - STORY ON PAGE 02 achieve its political objectives,” terpretation of Article 226 that tion of law which he considers of KP: BALOCHISTAN: the petition insisted. stated that all elections under public importance, he may refer US firm discovers The petition was moved by the Constitution, other than those the question to the Supreme PPP leader Farhatullah Babar. of the prime minister and chief Court for consideration. Indian spyware 69,885 18,946 The reference was filed in the ministers, shall be held through a “The Supreme Court shall court by Attorney General of Pak - secret ballot. consider a question so referred targeting Pakistan AJK/GB: ISLAMABAD: istan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan, Article 186 of the Constitution and report its opinion on the under Article 186 of the Constitu - states that “If, at any time, the question to the President,” the ar - army 9,532/4,941 42,808 tion, invoking the court’s advisory President considers that it is de - ticle further stated. STORY ON BACK PAGE Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 02 NEWS KARACHI KaraCHI polICe arrest ptI leader after eCp orders removal from ConstItuenCy KARACHI an apparent defeat of the PPP. He added that PPP is threatened by the city of Karachi enter the constituency and that too with was the best forum to discuss or make a StAff RePoRt the negative political training of PPP was and PTI, Sherzaman added, claiming that the armed persons. He has been reported to have reform on the electoral process to ensure evident from the actions of Jiyalas. PPP has looted the entire province. He entered with armed persons in polling more transparency in the system. ARACHI police on Tuesday Bilal said they would not tolerate accused the Sindh chief minister of being stations 20 and 22 of Bhitai Abad. He assured that people would reject the arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf bullying from PPP in the by-elections. incompetent and alleged that Murad Ali “Voters are being taken to the PTI office anti-state narrative of Pakistan Democratic (PTI) leader and Sindh Assembly He said the PPP `Jiyalas’ were resorting Shah had rigged PS-88 through situated in the area and being given parchis Movement (PDM) in the forthcoming Senate Opposition Leader Haleem Adil to unrest for rigging in the by-elections, superintendents (SSPs) and station house on the promise of being paid Rs12,000 under elections while PTI would clinch majority Sheikh on charges of violating the adding that every PTI worker stood by Adil. officers (SHOs). the Ehsaas programme if they vote for the seats in that regards. EKlection Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) Similarly, PTI Karachi President and He added that Haleem Adil Sheikh PTI candidate,” read the letter by Taj Haider, BY-POLLS HELD: Polling took place on rules during a by-election to a provincial Member Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher speaks against corruption so he is being the in charge of the PPP’s Central Election Tuesday in the by-elections for vacant Sindh assembly seat in Malir. Zaman in a press release said that what targeted for revenge. The election has Cell (CEC). and Balochistan Assembly seats — PS-43 The ECP ordered his expulsion from happened in PS-88 had been highlighted by become controversial even before the The PPP urged the ECP to expel the Sanghar III, PS-88 Malir II and PB-20 Pishin Karachi’s constituency of PS-88 Malir, the entire media. The real face of the PPP has election result, Sherzaman said. provincial lawmaker and his armed guards III. where by-polls were taking place for a seat come out in front of everyone, he said, “Today’s election is completely non- from the constituency and to take further All three seats fell vacant, last year after of the Sindh Assembly. adding that PPP tries to intimidate the transparent, not in words but all the parties suitable action. the lawmakers elected from the seats passed A spokesperson for Sheikh confirmed opponents through fake first information participating in the election are saying this,” Separately, Chairman of the away due to the coronavirus. the MP had been detained by police reports (FIRs) and bullying threats. he asserted. “The people of Sindh know that Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir As of the time of filing, counting is officials in Darsano Chano neighbourhood He claimed that PPP cadres rigged this is not Benazir’s party.” Shehryar Khan Afridi on Tuesday said the underway. of Malir district. polling stations in rural areas and that the “Today there is destruction in the PTI government awarded the Senate tickets At least seven candidates are competing The constituency saw an aggressive women of the PTI party had been harassed. province. We will announce our strategy. All to loyal, ideological and credible workers to for the vacant Sindh Assembly seat from PS- election campaign from all political parties, PPP thugs took our polling agents hostage, the ministers were present in the campaign. help bring about effective legislation and to 43, wherein many observers have so far especially the main contestants — the he added. When rigging started in rural We will not forgive them. We will protest all contribute their services for the best national reported a close contest between PPP’s Jam Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the PTI. areas, we went there to take care of our over the city,” Sherzaman continued. interest. Shabbir Ali and PTI’s Mushtaq Junejo. In 2018 elections, Ghulam Murtaza workers, he maintained. Later on, PTI candidate from PS-88 “We are committed to hold the In PS-88, 20 candidates are vying for the Baloch of PPP had won the seat by Janshir Junejo, Sindh Assembly Jansher Junejo said that the spectacle put on upcoming Senate elections through show of Sindh Assembly seat PS-88, that fell vacant bagging more than 22,000 votes against members Saeed Afridi, Shehzad Qureshi, by PPP showed that the party did not hesitate hands to end the politics of horse trading to after the death of Sindh’s Minister for Muhammad Rizwan Khan of the PTI who Rabistan Khan, Karim Bakhsh Gabol, to use the government machinery in the ensure transparency in it,” he said while Human Settlement Ghulam Murtaza Baloch. got 16,386 votes. National Assembly member Saima Nadeem, constituency relentlessly. talking to PTV. The PPP has fielded Muhammad Yousuf The seat fell vacant after Baloch died PTI leader Sameer Mir Sheikh and other “This is an attack on the mandate of the He saluted Prime Minister Imran Khan Baloch as its candidate, PTI has named of Covid-19 in June last. leaders and workers were present. people,” he asserted, “Opposition leader who had awarded the party tickets to honest Jansher Junejo, Muttahida Qaumi For the by-election, the PPP had given Khurram Sherzaman further said that not Haleem Adil Sheikh and our workers have and credible leaders by reviewing their Movement has named former MPA Sajid the ticket to Baloch’s son, Yousuf Murtaza once during the whole ordeal did they see been attacked.” political services for the country and masses. Ahmed and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s Baloch. law enforcement agencies in action. “We have lodged complaints with the Both PPP and Pakistan Muslim League- has fielded Syed Kashif Ali. Some 108 polling stations were set up in “Nowhere did we see the Election Election Commission several times but no Nawaz (PML-N) had introduced the dirty In PB-20, votes are choosing between 27 the constituency, out of which 36 were Commission taking notice. The Election action has been taken. We will always fight politics of horse-trading, he said, terming the candidates, wherein experts believe that declared “sensitive” and another 33 “highly Commission has failed to hold transparent for the rights of the people,” he concluded. parties as champions of corruption. He Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) sensitive”. elections,” he lambasted Earlier today, the PPP wrote a letter to added that the action would be taken against Asmatullah Tareen, PDM’s joint candidate Meanwhile, PTI Parliamentary leader in He further said that the PTI condemned the ECP and urged it to take notice of the those who had found involved in this Azizullah Agha and three independent Sindh Assembly Bilal Ghafar condemned the incident that took place with opposition alleged rule violations by Sheikh. practice during Senate elections 2018. candidates Amardeen Agha, Sajid Noor the arrest of Adil. leader of Sindh Haleem Adil Sheikh. People “Sheikh, being a member of the Sindh The chairman asked the opposition Khan and Aismatullah are the favourites to He said firing on a vehicle of Adil was with them are also in danger, he added. Assembly, is not permitted under the law to parties to come into the Parliament which win the by-poll.

IHC orders demolition of illegal Opponents of open ballot want lawyers’ chambers corrupt system: Shibli Faraz SLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered ISLAMABAD a message to specific circles to clear the way for her the election process. the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to demolish APP travel abroad, he added. He said that this would strengthen democracy and the “illegal” chambers built for lawyers on a sports Shibli said the government will not allow Maryam enhance the prestige of parliament. ground in Sector F-8 of the capital. In 2013, the lawyers Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Nawaz to go abroad added Nawaz Sharif also went He said that those who become members of the had planned to build their offices on the football ground Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said Prime Minister Imran abroad for his medical treatment but he started his upper house by “investing money” would put the and obtained a judicial order from a civil judge. Khan had always stressed that the Senate elections political moves. protection of personal interest before the people. However, after resistance by local traders, the CDA should be held in a transparent and fair manner. The minister said instead of issuing a passport, Shibli said that the mission of Prime Minister Imran demolished some 30 under-construction chambers. But He said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had a clear Nawaz Sharif would be given travel documents so he Khan is to eradicate corruption from the country and failed to retrieve almost half of the land occupied by stance that politics of money should end and capability could return to the country. ensure transparency. “The PTI will not back down in its lawyers. Later in 2017, lawyers from the Islamabad Bar and merit should be promoted. The passport could not be given to a person who struggle to achieve that goal.” Association (IBA) resumed construction before being In a statement, he said issues related to Senate was wanted by the law, he said, adding that the The statement came at a time when President Dr stopped. The following year, construction resumed once elections were discussed during a meeting chaired by government could not facilitate Nawaz Sharif so that he Arif Alvi on Saturday signed the Election Amendment again but came to a halt following a suo motu notice Prime Minister Imran Khan. should go away somewhere else. Ordinance 2021 under which the upcoming Senate taken by then-Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. The minister said members who were trustees of the Earlier today, Faraz said on Twitter that people elections can be held through an open ballot, triggering Tuesday’s verdict was announced by a four-judge bench vote of the electorate in provinces should not cast their opposing open ballot in Senate elections wanted a a debate in the country. headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and vote in a flawed and wrong manner. The governments continuation of the corrupt system against which Prime The opposition parties have raised their concern comprising Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin in the past did promote the culture of money in politics, Minister Imran Khan declared a war. over the issue, saying that the government of PM Imran Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. he added. The information minister made his remarks on is trying to make the Senate elections controversial. In the written order, authored by Justice Minallah, the He said the final list of candidates of PTI for the Twitter where he further said that Pakistan was at an However, the opposition’s hopes were dampened high court said lawyers and advocates who had allowed Senate elections would be completed today. important juncture of history where a decision has to be on Monday when Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) the building of the chambers “forcefully [took] the law The minister said during a public meeting Maryam made whether the public representatives reach the Gulzar Ahmed — while hearing the Jamiat Ulema-e- in their hands.” “The facts of this case are disturbing Nawaz affirmed that the future of Pakistan Democratic parliament on the basis of merit and capability or via Islam’s (JUI-F) petition filed against the Election because the conduct of a few enrolled lawyers has Alliance (PDM) was dark and now she expressed her “sale and purchase” of votes. Amendment Ordinance — observed that no one can caused reputational damage to the entire legal desire to go abroad. He was referring to the incident in Earlier, the minister stressed that “sale and stop the government from promulgating the ordinance. fraternity.” The court observed th e encroachment on the which Maryam said, before her Wazirabad rally, that purchase” of votes and horse-trading cannot serve the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal ground had begun in 2013 and due to a restraining she needed to go abroad for a minor surgery. Constitution and democracy. Bhutto-Zardari, during a press conference in Karachi order passed by district courts as well as an injunction, He remarked that he could not understand why the In a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle earlier today, said that his party would participate in the the civic body’s efforts to demolish the structures were Sharif family was afflicted with diseases which could on February 8, the federal minister urged political elections despite it being an open ballot one but would halted. Furthermore, office-bearers of the Islamabad not be treated in Pakistan. Maryam Nawaz was giving parties and parliamentarians to support transparency in challenge it in the court. District Bar Association (IDBA) had allotted plots to some lawyers for the construction of private chambers without any authorisation from concerned authorities. The high court expressed hope that members of the IDBA will clear the ground and “restore the Maryam criticised for teaching constitution to SC playground for public use”. The court further said that ISLAMABAD Shah to remove the finding of contempt case against on Tuesday said Maryam Nawaz is not politically the federal government and the CDA would be bound APP Nawaz Sharif. groomed as she is always against the merit. to clear the ground before March 23 if the lawyers fail “Look at her audacity! a convict and college drop Talking to a private news channel, he said she to do so. In addition, the government will also hold a Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and out, living off her family wealth (very basis of which issued an irresponsible and disputed statement against football match between students on the ground on Accountability Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar on are in dispute as being proceed of crime) is teaching the Supreme judiciary of the country. March 23, the verdict said. The court also directed the Tuesday severely criticised Pakistan Muslim League- Constitution to Supreme Court,” he tweeted. The SAPM requested the SC to take notice of her government to “commence and complete the Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz. He urged the PML-N VP to go through the history statement, as she has committed contempt of the court, construction of the state of the art complex of district Mirza tweeted that Maryam attempted to teach a of the theory of necessity as the political birth of her he said, further wondering how she could imagine one courts without unneces sary delay.” Meanwhile, the lesson on the constitution to Supreme Court despite father Nawaz Sharif and his party PML-N took place in in her post could dictate the supreme judiciary. He said IDBA will be able to submit its proposal to the CDA for being a “convict” a and “drop out” from college, and the lap of the ancestor of the theory of necessity. Maryam Nawaz had been trying to remove her name from “approval in relation to the Lawyers Plot, i.e., five-acre having a history of attacking SC during the stint of the “Your yeast includes the politics of buying and the Exit Control List (ECL) for a long time, but the plot separately allotted by the federal government for PML-N in government. purchasing which was initiated in Changa Manga by government made it clear that it would not allow any type the use of the lawyers.” “We expect that the federal Responding to a tweet of Maryam, he said the Nawaz Sharif,” he said adding Prime Minister Imran of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to anyone. government will ensure that the state-of-the-art judicial family traditions of the Sharifs are dark as the unruly Khan will end such malpractices. Shahbaz Gill said she was the production of the Sicilian complex is made functional before the next Pakistan party workers of PML-N had stormed into the Supreme Similarly, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister mafia as her father had been previously declared as Day, i.e., 23rd of March, 2022.” Court in 1997, forcing then Chief Justice Sajjad Ali (SAPM) for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill Sicilian mafia by the court in a case. Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 KARACHI NEWS 03 KaShmIr commITTee grIllS TwITTer regIoNal head For SIleNcINg KaShmIrI VoIceS uNder INdIaN INFlueNce

ISLAMABAD Shehryar Afridi said that when he was published. the private channels were also focusing on raise awareness on Kashmir dispute. MIaN aBRaR the federal minister for interior two years Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem, developing films and dramas on the plight of Last week, PTA had said that 280 ago, Indian social media activists Ministry of Information and Broadcasting caged people of Kashmir, the PEMRA valid handles had been suspended, HE Parliamentary Committee on impersonating Pakistanis were generating 80 Secretary Shaheera Shahid and other senior chairman said that this year on February 5 alleging that “under Indian influence, the Kashmir on Tuesday grilled the tweets per minute from Indian cities to incite officials also attended the meeting. regarding Kashmir Solidarity Day, some social media platform is not only regional head of social media violence in Pakistan over the blasphemy Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif was channels did not turn their logos back and depriving Pakistani users of their platform, Twitter, for silencing issue. nominated as convener of the subcommittee the authority was going to issue show cause fundamental rights but also violating its voices of thousands of Kashmiri and Shehryar Afridi said Twitter, on Advisory Board on Lawfare for Kashmir. notices to those TV channels. own community guidelines”. TPakistani activists projecting the plight of unfortunately, had double standards as no PTA chairman briefed the committee on Shehryar Afridi said that under This was not the first time Pakistan had people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu action was taken against Indian agents the suspension of social media accounts Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), contacted Twitter over the suspension of and Kashmir (IIOJK). posting tweets aimed at inciting hate and under influence of Indian operators since private television channels and media houses users’ accounts. A similar response was In a special hearing held at the violence in Pakistan. August 5, 2019. are bound to project Kashmir dispute and sought from the tech giant in September Parliament House, Committee Chairman He said over 8 million people of IIOJK He said that PTA raised the suspension India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and 2019, days after New Delhi stripped Shehryar Khan Afridi led the questioning of are being silenced under influence of Indian of accounts of Pakistani users under Kashmir and plight of the Kashmiris. Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status. George Salama, who heads the Twitter employees of Twitter. influence of a certain country and Twitter The PEMRA chairman sought time to In November 2020, the federal regional office in the United Arab Emirates The regional head stressed that Twitter management responded that users are free to present a report on telefilms and dramas on government had notified the Removal and (UAE). has zero-tolerance against hate speech and accept or deny Twitter rules. Kashmir dispute. Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Afridi questioned Salama about the violence. He said Twitter discourages He said the federal cabinet passed social Shehryar Afridi inquired why PEMRA (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Twitter policy regarding human rights and posting misleading content through fake media rules under which social media was silent on the content of private channels’ Rules, 2020,” which have been framed under freedom of speech and whether Twitter accounts once reported. companies are bound to keep a physical dramas about the sensitive relations, to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act regulations did not conform to the United He said overlapping and duplicate presence in Pakistan. He maintained that which the body’s chairman replied that the 2016 (PECA) to counter the flow of illegal, Nations charter on freedom of speech and content-posting are also discouraged by once PTA reports any account, Twitter will institution had banned three dramas of blasphemous, obscene or defamatory content freedom of expression. Twitter management. have to comply within 24 hours. private channels but the court had struck on social media. Salama, who attended the meeting Shehryar Afridi raised the misuse of Dr Farogh Naseem briefed the down the decision. Separately, Federal Minister for Science through Zoom, said that Twitter has a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Committee on the local and international He added that all Indian content had and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain specific policy and discourages hate speech (UAPA) black law by Indian occupational laws on freedom of speech and freedom of been banned by PEMRA. on Tuesday strongly condemned Indian and upholds freedom of expression. authorities and silencing of voices of information for the 8 million Kashmiris. He said that private TV channels were media for accusing him of spreading He said that Twitter authorities would Kashmiris. “We have already won our case of not developing any content on Kashmir and disinformation regarding farmer’s protest. ensure freedom of speech to all and voices Responding to Shehryar Afridi, the sovereignty on Jammu and Kashmir in the only content generated by public institutions In a tweet, the federal minister said, of minorities would never be silenced. Twitter representative said that Twitter’s United Nations and Jammu Kashmir dispute was being run by private media. “Indian leadership and media is run by Responding to a question by Shehryar official position would remain equal for all must be resolved according to the The committee chairman expressed jokers accusing me of running an Afridi about the misuse of Twitter parties of the conflict zone. “We are working international law,” the law minister said. dissatisfaction over the performance of the international disinformation campaign regulations by Indian activists as exposed by closely with PTA to ensure equal opportunities He added that the Modi regime was PEMRA regarding highlighting Kashmir against India is absurd.” EU DisinfoLab, Salama said that Twitter to social media users,” Salama said. unleashing worst human rights violations to cause at private TV channels. “Let me assure you with leadership like management always ensures freedom of Shehryar Afridi urged the committee keep its illegal occupation of Jammu and A Pakistan Television (PTV) Narendra Modi no one needs to plan speech on social media. members to come forward and show interest Kashmir. representative briefed the committee on the anything as he himself is enough to destroy He maintained that Kashmiri activists to head various advisory boards so as The Pakistan Electronic Media projection of Kashmir dispute on state India,” he remarked. are free to raise their voice with legitimate subcommittees could be formed. In this Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman television. The Twitter based response came after accounts. He offered to organise workshops regard, Special Secretary Lodhi briefed that, briefed the Committee that private and Kashmir Committee Chairman Indian media accused American journalist in Pakistan along with Pakistan till date, the Kashmir Committee did not public television channels have been Shehryar Khan Afridi directed the PEMRA Pieter Friedrich of running a disinformation Telecommunications Authority (PTA) for have its rules of procedures. contributing hugely to raise awareness on the chairman and the managing director of PTV campaign against Indian government on the awareness of Pakistani and Kashmiri social He also laid before the committee a set dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. to present a detailed briefing on the directives of the federal minister, Chaudhry media activists on Twitter regulations. of draft rules for approval which could be When asked by Shehryar Afridi whether performance of both the state institutions to Fawad Hussain. Pakistan reports less than 1,000 coronavirus cases PTI sticks to its guns with Faisal ISLAMABAD reached to 564,824. The total count of active cases is Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) tLtp 25,383 and the positivity rate stands at 3 per cent. Some on Tuesday gave the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus 1,648 patients were stated to be in critical condition. vaccine emergency approval, widening access to the Vawda nomination Pakistan has recorded three-digit single-day coronavirus In the past 24 hours, as many as 1,064 patients low-cost inoculation in the developing world. cases for the first time during the last three and a half recovered from the virus while 527,061 people have The WHO's review found that the vaccine met the NewS DeSk months, as last time cases below 1,000 were reported recovered from the deadly disease so far. criteria for safety, and its efficacy benefits outweighed on October 30. A total of 31,905 tests were conducted across the its risks. The vaccine has been praised because it is The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) The National Command and Operation Centre country during the period, while 8,498,022 samples cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals, parliamentary board has said it will stick with its (NCOC) said on Tuesday that the country recorded 958 have been tested so far. including Pfizer/BioNTech's, which was listed for decision of nominating MNA Faisal Vawda as its fresh infections during the last twenty-four hours. 47 At least 428 new coronavirus cases were recorded in emergency use by the WHO late in December. candidate for the upcoming Senate elections from more coronavirus-related deaths were reported in the Punjab during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial tally "We now have all the pieces in place for the rapid Sindh. Reportedly, this decision was taken during past 24 hours, surging the overall death toll to 12,380. to 164,696. According to Punjab Primary and Secondary distribution of vaccines. But we still need to scale up a meeting of the parliamentary board chaired by According to the NCOC, with fresh inclusion of the Health Care Department, at least 33 more patients production," said WHO Director General Tedros Prime Minister Imran Khan, wherein the premier infections in the country, the national tally of cases succumbed to the pandemic as the tally reached 5,084. Adhanom Ghebreyesus. said that Vawda has rendered services for the party. Last week, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had handed out a fine of Rs50,000 on Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda for repeatedly seeking adjournment of Nisar among nine disqualification proceedings against him. The commission had also directed him to appear in- PTI leader challenges Gilllani’s person in the next hearing. The ECP has been lawmakers unable since January 2020 hearing the claim against Vawda seeking his disqualification for purportedly to cast votes in papers for Senate polls holding dual nationality at the time of filing of nomination papers for the 2018 general elections. Senate polls Presiding over the proceedings, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja had ISLAMABAD ISLAMABAD The number includes four of the eight senators from the said that the case has already been delayed, tLtp Staff RepoRt former Federally Adminis tered Tribal Areas (FATA). reprimanding the defence counsel for indulging in As the seats representing FATA will not be filled due delaying practices. As the hearing resumed Nine legislators, including Chaudhry Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday challenged to the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Tuesday, assistant defence counsel, Hasnain Ali Nisar Ali Khan, will not be permitted to the nomination of former prime minister and Pakistan Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in May 2018, the Senate strength will Chohan, had sought an adjournment due to the cast their votes in the Senate polls due to Peoples Party (PPP) leader Yousaf Raza Gillani for shrink to 100. engagement of Vawda’s counsel, Muhammad bin non-submission of the details of their Senate. Polling will, therefore, be held to elect 48 Mohsin, in a Lahore court. While the party has assets to the Election Commission of The PPP has fielded Gillani, originally members: 12 each from KP and been facing backlash over its fielded candidates in Balochistan, 11 each from Punjab and Pakistan (ECP). These nine lawmakers from Multan, from Islamabad as a joint the upcoming Senate elections, this controversy Sindh, and two from Islamabad. include one from the National Assembly candidate of the Pakistan Democratic has now been underscored when the friend of First Movement (PDM), the 10-party The legislators will also vote and eight others from the provincial Lady Bushra Bibi submitted her nomination opposition alliance seeking to oust to elect seven members on assemblies. From PP-19, Chaudhry Nisar papers for the Senate election, it emerged. the government. general seats including two According to a report by a local news outlet, Ali Khan has neither taken oath in the women and two technocrats in Fareed Rehman, a PTI Senate Farhat Shahzadi alias Farah Khan submitted Punjab Assembly nor submitted his assets hopeful from Islamabad, has the four provinces. Besides, nomination papers for the reserved seat for details to the ECP, whereas Sayed Basit accused Gillani of concealing the the election on one minority women. Moreover, her papers to the Election Ahmad Sultan from NA-185 was also facts in the papers. Gillani, he seat each in KP and Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were submitted at among the lawmakers who are barred to said, failed to mention his Balochistan will also be the last minute through her lawyer instead of cast their votes. The other candidates conviction in a contempt of court conducted. include Khawaja Muhammad Waseem case back in 2012. More than 65 percent of the being submitted in person. The ruling PTI has from PP-50 Narowal, Khurram Ijaz from His petition noted that Gillani senators due to retire belong to the additionally issued its official ticket to Dr Zarqa PP-136 Sheikhupura, Zehra Batool from doesn’t fulfill the requirements of opposition parties. for the ladies’ seat from Punjab. Farhat is the wife PP-172 Muzaffargarh, Husnain Ali Mirza Article-62 of the Constitution. A total of 170 candidates have filed of former district council chairman Ahsan Iqbal from PS-72 Badin, Iqbal Mian from PK- Embroiled in controversy over the nomination papers all over the country for Jamil and daughter-in-law of Pakistan Muslim 109 Kurram and Muhammad Iqbal Khan presidential ordinance on open voting, the Election 48 seats, according to the data released by the League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Chaudhry Iqbal. from PK-111 North Waziristan. The ECP Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to hold elections on Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). As many as 70 The ECP has announced the schedule for the had suspended the membership of the March 3. candidates, including 44 from the PTI, filed their holding of elections for the upper house of the nine lawmakers over failing to submit A total of 52 senators in the House of 104 are set to nomination papers on Monday which was the last date parliament on March 3. Monday was the last day asset details. retire on March 11 on completion of their six-year term. for submission of the papers. for candidates to submit their nomination papers. Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 04 NEWS KARACHI PTI ‘guARdIAn of fARmeRs’ RIghTs’: sAPCm fIRdous

NEWS DESK and vision–which is its “goal, obligation, and the Punjab government is working for the responsibility”, she added. development of backward districts, adding PeCIAL Assistant to Punjab Meanwhile, Provincial Minister for In - that the development projects are being com - Chief Minister on Information Dr dustries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal said pleted keeping in view the needs of the back - Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Tues - that a network of 32 model bazaars were pro - ward areas of South Punjab. day that the ruling party is a viding important relief to the buyers in dif - Firdous had said the government is pro - guardian for the rights of farmers. ferent cities of the province wherein the moting tourism to highlight the culture and sDuring a presser, she said: “It’s not just farmers were allowed to directly sell their soft image of Pakistan to the entire world. the water running through rivers but also the produce in model bazaars as free stalls were The successful holding of jeep rally in blood of our farmers and smallholders that provided to them by the government. Cholistan will promote cultural and eco - run Pakistan’s economy and provide it oxy - While addressing a gathering of party nomic activities and will start new era of gen through agricultural output”, adding that workers at his camp office, the minister ex - progress and prosperity in the region, she the provincial irrigation minister had taken pressed the satisfaction that hundreds of said. astounding measures to improve the lives thousands of people benefit from the facil - She had maintained the inauguration of and livelihoods of farmers. ity of model bazaars while thousands of a double-decker tourist bus in Bahawalpur is The special aide pointed out that previ - petty shopkeepers were also earning their an important step towards the promotion of ous governments had not focused on the de - livelihood. tourism in the region. Firdous said the in - velopment of the agriculture sector within A model bazaar would also be estab - cumbent government considers inflation as Pakistan. In particular, she held the Pakistan lished in every tehsil of the province as the talking to the media in Lahore, said that Pun - Firdous said that under the direction of an important issue and in order to resolve it, Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) govern - chief minister had given in-principle ap - jab cabinet has accorded approval to build the CM, apartments will be given to journal - the government is bringing the alternative ment responsible, stating that the “royal fam - proval to expand the scope of the model thirty-five thousand apartments for low-in - ists and lawyers also under the special quota. system of market committees. ily made Jati Umrah its centre of attention”. bazaars, the minister disclosed. come under the supervision of LDA. She said that a mother and child care On the occasion, she had pointed out The government would provide prosper - The provincial minister said that 309 Ra - She said that in the first phase, 4000 hospital will be built in Multan to facilitate that the old system used to benefit only a ity to the farmers, ensure water supply to the madan bazaars would start functioning from apartments will be constructed in Lahore people and new two cement plants will be few and a handful of people have not only final stage, and turn barren farmlands into Shaban 25 to provide essential items at sub - city, reported Radio Pakistan. established in Punjab. exploited the farmers but also harmed the fertile ones for the oppressed farmers under sidized rates. The public interest would be She said that a twenty per cent quota for She said that a special allowance will be people, therefore, the PTI government is in - Punjab Irrigation Minister Muhammad protected as the welfare of the masses was provincial employees and for LDA employ - given to doctors of the Punjab Population troducing an alternative system of market Mohsin Khan Leghari’s leadership and Chief very dear to the government, he vowed. ees and a ten per cent quota will be available Welfare Department. committees, which will help control price- Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar’s direction On a separate occasion, Firdous, while for federal employees in this regard. A day earlier in Sialkot, she had said that hike and inflation.

Kyrgyzstan to take benefit from Pakistan’s new curriculum: Beishenaliev

ISLAMABAD uplift of the education sector. APP “We were in process for the up-gra - dation of our education system, therefore Kyrgyzstan will take benefit from the it will be a great pleasure for us to take new National Single Curriculum (SNC) benefit from the new single national cur - of Pakistan in the up-gradation process of riculum of Pakistan,” he remarked. its education system, said Kyrgyzstan’s Kyrgyz education minister also ex - Minister of education and Science Al - pressed his hopes of enhancing further mazbek Beishenaliev on Tuesday. cooperation in the field of education, During his visit, he met, along with a adding that the country would take bene - delegation, the Minister for Federal edu - fit from Pakistani vocational training in - cation and Professional Training Shafqat stitutions for their students. Mehmood, and in the meeting, both the Federal education Minister Shafqat education ministers discussed in detail the Mahmood also informed him about the issues of mutual interests and bilateral co - latest update of SNC and its goals. Mah - operation. Talking to the delegation, ed - mood briefed him about the measures ucation Minister Shafqat Mahmood said taken during the epidemic, including on - that both the countries had brotherly and line education, distance education pro - historical relations. Pakistani students go grammes, and use of technology in to Kyrgyzstan for getting an education, education. He added that technology was while the Pakistani educationist were in - bringing changing and new invention in vesting in the education sector of Kyr - the education sector. “We were making gyzstan, Shafqat informed. sure the provision of stable internet in the He further said that the Kyrgyz stu - less developed areas of Pakistan. We would dents often came to Pakistan to get reli - also ensure to provide quality education gious education in Madaris. with the help of technology in far-flung Shafqat Mahmood also briefed the areas of the country” Shafqat remarked. Kyrgyz education Minister about the steps Both the dignitaries expressed their resolve being taken by the education Ministry in to enhance further relations in the educa - vocational training, stating that for the first tion sector between the two countries. The time the training was being given in two meeting was also attended among others hundred high-end trades, including courses Parliamentary Secretary for Federal educa - on robotics and artificial intelligence. He tion and Professional Training Wajiha said that we were going to establish a Na - Akram, Federal Secretary education Farah tional Accreditation Council (NAC) for the Hamid, Additional Secretary Mohyuddin grading of vocational institutes. Ahmad Wani and other senior officials, Kyrgyz education minister lauded the while in the delegation the senior Kyrgyz KARACHI: A view of traffic jam on a busy road in the provincial capital. PPI efforts of his Pakistani counterpart for the Universities Rectors were also present. Amendment in Right GPKSC urges Pak-Kashmir community to apprise EU to Information Act is unconstitutional: TI delegation with IOK situation MIRPUR lim-majority occupied valley, which he sood Khan had said that the residents of in Pakistan beat with their Kashmiri sis - ISLAMABAD: As the amendment in the Right of APP termed as the largest prison in the world. Jammu and Kashmir expect United ters and brothers. Access to Information would spare the parliament Khan underlined that the IOK was States President Joe Biden to play the “We also firmly believe that the people and attached departments from public access to in - Global Pakistan-Kashmir Supreme giving the picture of an open prison since role of a true world leader and help re - of Jammu and Kashmir, regardless of the formation, the Transparency International’s (TI) Council (GPKSC), a United Kingdom- the lockdown began on August 5, 2019, solve the Kashmir conflict. international situation and whatever India Pakistan office has termed the Amendment Act, based organisation, on Tuesday called and has been carrying on for a seemingly Addressing the “Meet the Press” pro - does, will continue their struggle to gain 2021, as unconstitutional, saying it would target the upon the Pakistani-Kashmiri community indefinite period. gramme of the Karachi Press Club on their freedom and liberty,” he had added. very essence of access to information. The TI, in a to apprise european (eU) delegation with “Kashmiris blood-riddled hands of Sunday, he had said that the people of The AJK president had underscored letter to the Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq the real picture of human rights atrocities the occupational armed forces of India Jammu and Kashmir were willing to ac - that the Kashmir people got rid of the Sanjrani, has claimed that it has received a com - in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK). will receive the eU Parliamentary dele - cept any offer of third-party mediation slavery of the Maharaja government and plaint pertaining to the move by some senators, par - The eU Parliamentary delegation is gates with their prevailing sinister ap - for a peaceful and just solution for the now they have been fighting India for the ticularly regarding the clause which excluded the due to visit the IOK on Wednesday proach of misguiding them of the true Kashmir issue, provided the Kashmiris past 73 years and shed their blood for Parliament from the definition of public bodies. It is (today), reportedly on the invitation of Kashmir situation where the people of the are included in the mediation process as freedom. No power on earth can stop pertinent to mention here that public bodies are the Indian government. State were struggling for their just the largest party in the dispute. them from seeking freedom and liberty, bound to provide information to citizens, before the Talking to journalists, GPKSC Chair - cause”, Sikander said. “We hope that the Biden government he had said. Senate. This move is unconstitutional, it argued, man Raja Sikander Khan, currently on an A 20-member european delegation is will ask India to stop the massacre in the On the situation of the occupied stating that the act is against Article 19-A, and is official visit to Pakistan and Azad Jammu scheduled to reach Srinagar on a two-day occupied Jammu and Kashmir and to re - Kashmir, the state president had said that similar to the Sections 4,5 and 7 of the National and Kashmir (AJK), said: “India is spear - visit to IOK on Wednesday (today) to as - store the human rights of the Kashmiris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) issued on 5 Octo - heading the fake picture of the bleeding sess the current situation in the strife-torn including their right to self-determination not only waged a war against the Kash - ber 2007, during the rule of the Pakistan Muslim vale of Kashmir against the reality to disputed Indian occupied state, says a re - which is obligatory by the United Na - mir people but also imported hundreds of League-Quaid (PML-Q) government. The previous mislead the world of the current Kashmir port from across the Line of Control. tions,” he had said. thousands of Hindus from all over India effort had been declared unconstitutional by the situation in disputed IOK territory”. The envoys represent over 20 coun - The president of the AJK, while re - to settle in Kashmir. Supreme Court of Pakistan on December 16, 2009, He continued that New Delhi was tries, including France, Germany, Aus - sponding to several questions from jour - Modi planned to add six to seven mil - and if the current act is approved and promulgated, trying to befool the international commu - tria, New Zealand, Italy and the nalists, had said that the state of Pakistan lion Hindus to the existing 14 million it will find itself facing the same fate as 2007 NRO, nity through the false assertion that they Netherlands. will not compromise on the Kashmir Kashmir population to turn the Muslim TI Pakistan says. GHULAM ABBAS have lifted the lockdown from the Mus - earlier, AJK President Sardar Ma - issue as the hearts of 220 million people majority into a minority, he had added. Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 KARACHI NEWS 05 Commerce adviser updates FBR to shARE REAl-tIME dAtA wIth PM on trade prospects with FEdERAl, PRovInCIAl dEPARtMEnts Uzbekistan ISLAMABAD any other ministry or division of the federal or provincial from withholding taxes. ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA governments, they added. It is pertinent to mention that Meanwhile, FBR will not collect the tax on the goods APP Section 56 empowers the federal government to enter temporally imported into Pakistan by international athletes. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to share into bilateral or multilateral agreements with provincial The exemption has been granted to goods temporally im - Adviser to the Prime Minister on Com - real-time data, including videos and images, with other fed - governments or with governments of foreign countries ported into Pakistan by international athletes which merce Abdul Razak Dawood called on eral and provincial government departments. for the exchange of information, including electronic, would be subsequently taken back by themwithin 120 Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan here Sources said that government has amended the Sales Tax with respect to the sales tax imposed under this act or days of temporary import, sources added. on Tuesday and briefed him about the Act 1990 by introducing Section 56A with regard to an agree - any other law of Pakistan. Presently, the government is On the other hand, the government has also given trade potential existing between Pakistan ment for the exchange of information. sharing data with 40 countries under the Economic Coop - an exemption to National Telecommunication Authority and Uzbekistan. The commerce adviser The FBR has been given the power to share data or in - eration and Development (OECD) agreement. from withholding tax u/s 153(1)(b) on services includ - apprised the prime minister about his re - formation, including real-time data videos and images, re - Similarly, the government has also exempted Islamic ing ancillary services specified in Section 41 of Pak - cent visit to the Central Asian state and ceived under the exchange of information agreement with Naya Pakistan Certificates Company, Limited (INPCCL) istan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996. briefed him about the prospects of bilat - eral trade. Earlier on February 2, the two countries agreed to enhance bilateral trade relations by entering into a Prefer - ential Trade Agreement (PTA). The two sides discussed enhancing banking coop - Oil prices close to 13-month highs, Car production eration, working on rail and road con - nectivity matters and establishment of off-dock terminals. They also resolved to supported by Texas cold snap up 4.9pc in cooperate in shipping, textile, engineer - ing and IT sectors. It is pertinent to men - after U.S. markets were closed for and crude pipeline operators. Texas 7MFY21 tion here that the Uzbeks have invited LoNDoN a public holiday on Monday. produces about 4.6 million barrels Pakistan business delegations to organise AGENCIES Benchmark Brent crude slipped 37 per day of oil and is home to 31 re - ISLAMABAD a joint exhibition in Tashkent in June cents, or 0.5pc, to $62.93 a barrel fineries, the most of any US state and APP this year. On February 1, Dawood had Oil prices hovered near 13-month highs on Tuesday, supported by a US by 1434 GMT but remained 13- including some of the country’s met with Chamber of Commerce and In - The production of cars in the country witnessed cold snap that shut wells in the oil- month peak reached in the previ - largest, EIA data shows. dustry of Uzbekistan President Adkham an increase of 4.87 per cent during the last seven producing state of Texas, though ous session. US West Texas Middle East supply concerns also Ikramov to discuss cooperation in tex - months of the current financial year 2020-21 gains were capped by a Norwegian Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose after the Saudi-led coalition tile, leather and engineering sectors. (7MFY21) as compared to the corresponding pe - wage deal that averted supply disrup - gained 45 cents, or 0.8pc, to fighting the Houthi group in Yemen riod last year. During the period from July-Janu - tions in Europe. $59.92 after touching their highest said on Monday that it had destroyed ary, as many as 75,867 cars were manufactured The global rollout of coron - since early January last year. an explosive-laden drone fired by the against the production of 72,337 units in FY20, IMF resumes avirus vaccinations, fuelling expec - Swiss bank UBS increased its Houthis at the kingdom, the world’s according to Pakistan Automobile Manufactur - tations of a recovery in the global Brent price forecast, saying it expects biggest oil exporter. ing Association (PAMA). According to details, Extended Fund economy and oil demand, has also the benchmark to reach $68 a barrel But in a move that helped to cap the production of Honda cars went up by kept prices buoyant. Keenly in the second half of the year and $70 prices, Norway’s oil industry em - 66.10pc from 8,232 units to 13,674 units during watched US oil inventory data by March 2022, with WTI trading at ployers struck a wage deal with the Facility for Pakistan; the months under review whereas the production from the API industry association a $3 discount. Safe labour union on Tuesday, pre - of Suzuki Swift also rose by 21.86pc from 997 and Energy Information Adminis - Cold weather in the United venting a strike at the Mongstad $500m tranche on units to 1,215 units in the corresponding period tration (EIA) will be released this States halted operations at Texas oil crude terminal, which could have of the previous fiscal year. However, the pro - week on Wednesday and Thursday wells and refineries on Monday and forced major offshore oil and gas duction of Toyota Corolla decline from 15,256 the cards respectively, each delayed by a day forced restrictions on natural gas fields to shut. units to 9,950 units, showing a decrease of CoNtINuED fRoM pAgE 01 34.77pc. Similarly, the production of Suzuki Cultus increased from 8,115 units to 8,594 units, The banking system remains healthy, but it witnessing an increase of 5.9pc while the pro - will be important for the SBP to continue to duction of Suzuki WagonR witnessed a sharp de - remain vigilant and prevent possible finan - ECP duty-bound to ensure cline of 18.97pc from 6,889 units to 5,582 units. cial stability stress as the temporary sup - Meanwhile, the production of Suzuki Bolan port is phased out. International reserves surge by 18.89pc from 3,963 units to 4,712 units are set to improve further reflecting current transparent polls: CJP whereas the production of Suzuki Alto decreased account developments, the EFF resump - from 28,885 units to 16,381 units, witnessing a tion, and international partners’ support. decrease of 43.28pc. “The authorities are moving steadfastly on CoNtINuED fRoM pAgE 01 Election Commission has summoned a meeting to review a number of other important reforms, in - the video recently surfaced. The Commission will decide cluding on strengthening regulatory agen - The chief election commissioner responded by saying that if a forensic test of the video is necessary,” the election Adidas plans to sell cies’ legal frameworks (NEPRA and the ECP does all it can under its jurisdiction to ensure that commissioner said. “The Election Commission has come OGRA Acts), consolidating SBP’s auton - corrupt practices are thwarted. “Action is taken before and to know about the 2018 video now,” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan struggling Reebok brand omy (SBP Act), and improving state owned after elections, on grievances and complaints,” said the remarked. enterprises (SOE) management (SOE election commissioner. “The Election Commission is not interested in ending BERLIN Law). In addition, they have conducted a The chief election commissioner opposed the use of corruption from the electoral process,” the Chief Justice AGENCIES triage of SOE, and are moving forward the identifiable ballot papers in the electoral process. While said. Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed with the audits of contracts awarded for opposing serial numbers on ballot papers, the election submitted his recommendations to the ECP to ensure trans - German sportswear maker Adidas AG plans to Covid-19 related spending. They continue commission chief said that the amendment to the Consti - parency in the election. sell or spin-off its underperforming Reebok to enhance the effectiveness of their anti- tution will be required for the identifiable ballot papers in Senator Raza Rabbani said that the recommendations brand, 15 years after it bought the US fitness monetary laundering/counter financing of the election. from the AG will be deemed proposals from the PTI. He label to help compete with arch-rival Nike Inc. terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and “The court is not suggesting amending any law. The urged for taking all the stakeholders into confidence over Adidas said on Tuesday it had decided to begin a progress in completing their action plan Election Commission knows well what is happening,” the the matter. formal process aimed at divesting Reebok as with the Financial Action Task Force top judge said. The court summoned the chief election commissioner part of a five-year strategy it plans to present on (FATF). “The IMF team would like to “The Supreme Court had declared any mark on the and the members of the election commission on Wednes - March 10, when the company will also publish thank the Pakistani authorities for the con - ballot paper as unlawful in the past. An identifiable ballot day with effective recommendations and adjourned further 2020 results. It will report Reebok as a discon - structive and candid discussions.” paper has no place in the law,” the CEC further said. “The hearing of the presidential reference till Wednesday. tinued operation from the first quarter of 2021. A banking source said the business could be worth around 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). “Reebok and Adidas will be able to significantly better realize their growth potential independ - ently of each other,” Chief Executive Kasper Pakistan to cross Rs100bn e-commerce trade in 2021 Rorsted said in a statement . The company bought Boston-based Reebok for $3.8 billion in 2006, but its sluggish performance led to re - NEWS DESK said, “Our first step is to start building peated calls from investors to dispose of the PARTNERSHIP SIGNED TO CREATE NEW capacity of the sellers on Daraz Through brand. In the meantime, Adidas managed to eat Extreme Commerce Pakistan’s first our training and our state-of-the-art into Nike’s dominance in the United States with EdTech company specializing in e-com - ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES FOR Video Boot Camp (VBC). Educating its core brand, helped by partnership with merce and digital trade education and everyone with eCommerce dynamism on celebrities like Kanye West, Beyonce and Phar - practices will train Pakistani youth to sell ECOMMERCE AND DIGITAL TRADE IN PAKISTAN Daraz. We will be the bridge between rell Williams. After Rorsted took over as CEO in on Daraz platform. Extreme Commerce Darazsellers and Daraz with the Extreme 2016, he launched a turnaround plan for Reebok, and Daraz signed a memorandum to im - cept prepayment methods which is a Boot Camp (VBC) is a collection of 100+ Commerce’s knowledge repository as which helped it return to profitability, but its prove eCommerce and digital trade liter - large jump from the previous quarter. ECommerce and digital money-making the learning platform. We can quickly performance continued to lag that of the core acy in the country. There are now 43,000 orders a day via skills in the world. VBC covers an exten - relay issues, challenges and find solu - Adidas brand and it was then hit by the Covid- Although the State Bank of Pakistan prepayment method (in Q3 2020) on sive range of skills that builds and em - tions together. As this will help the sell - 19 pandemic. (SBP) and Federal Board of Revenue Pakistani merchants, which is up from power witheCommerce and digital trade ers in the country to explore the (FBR) are working to introduce a plat - 24,000 and 13,000 in the same quarter in skill sets to earn money by offering serv - eCommerce phenomenon as a knowl - form that will facilitate Pakistani traders 2019 and 2018. ices to clients across the globe and setting edge-based economic growth model. to export their products seamlessly on The partnership between Extreme up own businesses and stores on national “Extreme Commerce’s vision to global platforms such as Amazon, Al - Commerce and Daraz, will be imparting and international eCommerce platforms. make Pakistan a global e-commerce ibaba, and eBay, the local traders are knowledge skills on how to sell on the Through this MOU, thesellers and back-office hub has been acknowledged looking for an opportunity to explore the Daraz platform more efficiently with traders on Daraz will also benefit from by international institutions as well. Ex - global markets enthusiastically. maximum customer satisfaction and po - the rich knowledge resource available on treme Commerce aims at developing a As per the latest e-commerce num - tential to grow. The arrangement will fa - the VBC platform as well. The partner - national e-commerce ecosystem through bers released by the State Bank of Pak - cilitate the sellers to expand their ship will be catalytic for the eCommerce inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs. istan(SBP), the e-commerce market size enterprise further and improve their on - market to cross the Rs100 billion e-com - Being Pakistan’s largest e-commerce for the year upto Q3 2020 was Rs96bn line selling skills, including formation of merce trade barrier in2021. knowledge sharing and capacity building (assuming a 60pc COD volume), prepay - businesses, creating stores, product Sunny Ali, the Founder and Chief platform, Extreme Commerce has a ment was Rs39bn over the same period. branding and marketing. Executive Officer of Extreme Commerce community of more than half a million There are now 2,164 merchants who ac - The Extreme Commerce’s Video shared his views on the partnership and people nationwide.” Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 06 COMMENT A shock for Imran Khan Dissenters go public The senate trial of Donald J Trump number of PTI legislators publicly challenged the rowing reminders of the extreme violence of that day. vict mr. Trump. But even if they do not, a marker And the excerpts from Trump’s speeches were re - has been laid and a message sent. nomination of some of the party candidates for minders of the former president’s incitement. It was also important that the words and actions A the Senate elections. It was maintained by the The Democrats closed their case with the summary before and during January 6 are now recorded and critics that these nominations were made in violation of argument that Trump had, during his time in office, preserved for posterity. There will be no forgetting or merit. Federal minister Faisal Vawda was issued a party courted and cultivated far-right extremist militia ele - rewriting of history. The violence, the hateful chants, ticket for fear that he might be disqualified as mNA by ments. Both before and after the 2020 election, he used the death threats, and mr. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric the court for lying about his nationality while submitting his speeches and tweets to mobilize these elements. In will not be forgotten or refashioned into something nomination papers for 2018 polls. This was clearly a case the days leading up to January 6, he incited his follow - other than what they were. of moral turpitude that a party claiming high moral ers to come to DC for a “Stop the Steal” rally and did And finally, while the trial was ongoing, my ground could not condone. The two moneybags who had nothing when social media chatter around the event daughter and I discussed how much a relief it was to th recently joined the party were also awarded tickets. This hinted at possible violence. And finally on the 6 , even be able to listen to the proceedings without the fear of after it became clear that the Capitol had been waking up each morning to a barrage of angry or hate - amounted to preferring money over merit. Bitter breached, mr. Trump acted late, and hesitantly, to call ful tweets from mr. Trump. The absence of his Twitter opposition from the Balochistan chapter of the PTI led to on his supporters to leave the building, while telling rants, since he was banned from that social media plat - the replacement of business tycoon Abdul Qadir by mr them he loved them and praised their patriotism. form, has been refreshing. We only remembered just Zahoor Agha soon after the announcement. The party On the fourth day (which is today as I am writing how unsettling they were when we the House team however retained all others till the time for nominations Washington Watch this column), mr. Trump’s attorneys began their de - played parts of the ex-president’s rally speeches or was over on monday. fense. It consists of four key elements: that the im - showed some of his tweets during their presentation. There was opposition in the PTI’s KP chapter against Dr James J Zogby peachment is based on nothing more than the This doesn’t mean that 17 Republicans will vote the nomination of Najibullah Khattak and Faisal Saleem Democrats’ long-standing hatred of Donald Trump; to convict mr. Trump. No matter how compelling the on the ground that they lacked competence and had a bad ’m writing this column in the midst of the Sen - that the Democratic case presented misleading evi - case against him and the fact that his voice is now reputation. A delegation of outspoken PTI mNAs had also ate trial of Donald J. Trump. On January 13, dence in which Trump’s speeches were edited to pro - muted on social media– many Republican Senators duce a false impression of his intent; that the are still afraid of what they call “Trump’s base.” With called upon the Pm. In Sindh two mNAs went public, one mr Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for having incited the January Democrats are using a double-standard because more than two-thirds of Republicans believing that against mr Vawda and the other against Federal Finance 6 violent insurrection resulting in a mob break - members of their party have used language as incen - mr. Trump won the November election, Republican minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, confirming that they iIng into the US Capitol Building and committing acts diary as Trump’s; and that the use of mr. Trump’s elected officials are loathe to cross them. Even those would in no case vote for them. In Sindh party units of murder and mayhem. They did so in an effort to words are a violation of his right to free speech. Senators who ran against Trump in 2016 (Lindsay threatened not to cooperate in local government elections stop the certification of Joseph Biden as the winner At this point, we do not know whether the Senate Graham, Ted Cruz, marco Rubio) and called him a if mr Vawda’s name was not dropped. of the 2020 presidential election. It is now up to the will be able to convict mr. Trump. Because it will re - liar, a charlatan, and a threat to the Republican Party, In the PTI’s parliamentary board meeting on Tuesday. Senate to determine whether the former president is quire two-thirds of the Senate (67 votes) for a guilty have since cowered in the face the fear of retribution Prime minister Imran Khan stood by Federal minister guilty of the charges against him. verdict, it’s not certain that 17 Republicans will break from Trump supporters. They know he is a problem Vawda, maintaining that he had rendered services for the The first day of the proceedings was dedicated to ranks with the former president and join with the 50 but are still afraid of him. party. The board consequently made just one change, a motion made by mr. Trump’s attorneys arguing that Democrats to find mr. Trump guilty of the charges That said, win or lose, this week was historic and against him. But that doesn’t mean that the week was will be remembered as playing an important role in replacing mr Najibullah Khattak with former Senator the trial itself was unconstitutional since Trump was no longer in office. After the Senate voted 56-44 that a loss or the effort has been in vain, for three reasons. preserving our Democracy. Liaquat Tarakai, retaining all other nominees. me Khan it was constitutional, the trial continued. It was important that mr. Trump was called to (Mr Trump was acquitted, 43 votes to 57, ten hopes to pacify the party’s Sindh leadership by taking During the second and third days, the Democratic account for his behavior and his words. Accounta - Senators short of the two-thirds majority needed to them into confidence over the board’s decisions via video House members presented their impeachment case bility is essential for democracy. If Congress were to convict, on February 13: Ed) link. Only the election results would show whether against mr Trump. It featured graphic footage of the vi - simply have let pass what happened on January 6 or The writer is President of the Arab American In - interaction with the Pm had pacified the dissidents. olent break-in of the Capitol and excerpts from Trump’s the words mr. Trump said leading up to and during stitute mr Khan opposed the secret ballot for he thought this speeches and Twitter comments, which the Democrats the insurrection, then such violence very well might would encourage party dissenters to vote against his argued incited the protesters to march to the Capitol and happen again. Of course, the best guarantee that it The writeris President of the Arab-American nominees while keeping their identity secret. Little did he “stop the steal” of the election. The videos were har - will not be repeated would be for the Senate to con - Institute expect that some of the party’s legislators would publicly take a stand against his nominees. He would be shooting himself in the foot if he accuses the dissenters of selling their votes. The looming threat of Cyber warfare targets in Libya and help create “strike packages”. one percent were assigned the”exquisite” work of War is shifting to cyberspace Not only the NSA but also the FBI and CIA have penetrating enemy computer systems. We know Afghan peace deal cyber forces of their own. The FBI is however en - Stuxnet crawled into Iranian nuclear systems and de - gaged in domestic cyber-espionage. stroyed one-fifth of fast-spinning Iranian centrifuges. US defence production is closely allied with a Stuxnet is a cyber weapon built jointly by the USA in jeopardy host of defence contractors. For instance, Lockheed and Israel in a collaborative effort known as the martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE System were “Olympic Games” during 2005 -10. Stuxnet reportedly Pakistan will be asked to ‘do more’ yet again the sub-contractors in the $337 billion Joint-Strike ruined almost one-fifth of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges. It fighter project. The USA surmised China had hacked caused the fast-spinning centrifuges to tear themselves T was almost certain that once the Biden contractors’ or sub-contractors’ computer systems. apart. It could paralyse factory assembly-lines or Administration took over, it would review many of The NSA thoroughly checked the computer systems power plants, most of which are in Europe, Japan, and the foreign policy decisions made by the outgoing to make them foolproof. In so doing, they had to re- the USA. Stuxnet functions by targeting machines I write the software, resulting in delay. The USA’s using the microsoft Windows operating system and Trump Administration. The Afghan peace deal is such an nightmare was that if China happened to know the networks, then seeking out Siemens Step7 software. agreement that the Biden White House wants to take vulnerabilities of the F-35 then it could exploit them Shane writes that Bush was incredulous about another look at. Signed a year ago, it set out a US troop in jet-to-jet combat. claims made in briefings about capability of cyber- withdrawal in 14 months if the Taliban upheld its It is difficult to sift propaganda from the truth in penetration. “Bush wanted to know: was the White promises. Although there had been some initial reduction the USA’s allegation. Before the collapse of the House at risk? Bush pointed to the secure phone on in violence with the Taliban not attacking international USSR, several books portrayed it as a potent threat his desk that he used to talk to cabinet officials and forces, it continued targeting the Afghan government. to the USA. But it collapsed like a house of cards. foreign leaders. “Could someone get into that?” he more recently, especially after the change in the White amJeD JaaveD maybe, the China bogey, asked. mcConnell realized House, violent attacks and targeted killings have also, was a hoax. that until this moment, the increased. With only a few weeks to go before the USA When an employee President had never been opened an email of a defence told just how weak the gov - has to begin ending its 20-year military deployment in cyber attack is no less lethal than a nuclear contractor from a “trusted Incredible advances in ernment’s own electronic Afghanistan, it seems unlikely that it will completely pull attack. It could cripple financial systems, source”, the incoming mail defenses were, or the coun - out at a time when the security situation is so volatile. The stock markets, navigation systems of ships inserted a digital backdoor to technology will change our try’s. “mr. President, “mc - Taliban are understandably furious over the Biden at sea or airplanes in air, and shut down in - allow China to monitor every lifestyle. Electric car and Connell said, “if the Administration signaling a revision in the agreed upon dustrial or nuclear plants. keystroke the employee capability to exploit a com - ACyber-warfare is, relatively, a new phenomenon. typed, besides every website munication device exists, we withdrawal schedule, with veteran leader Gulbuddin bots to recharge electric Hekmatyar going as far as to warn that the presidential Though the FBI had already been exploring cyber - visited and every file, created, have to assume that our ene - palace would be surrounded if the deal is violated and space in respect of domestic intelligence, the NSA uploaded, or downloaded. batteries may outnumber mies either have it or are try - their demands are not met. awoke after the aerial attack on the New-York Twin China even captured all the gasoline filling stations and ing to develop it.” It is clear that the Biden Administration has no good Towers. It was a bit hard for the NSA to convince passwords that the contractors It is a myth that stand - President Bush that a cyberforce was the need of the used for logging in to web fo - alone computers (not con - option with regards to Afghanistan. On the one hand it has hour. The USA accuses China of having penetrated rums. The NSA claims to gas-guzzling cars. nected to the Internet) can’t to ensure that there is a manageable level of peace in the defence contractors’ computers to get information have tracked “threat signa - be penetrated. Even they are country before it leaves in order to avoid another Iraq-like about the $737 billion F-35. China points to Huawei tures” and communicated vulnerable, perhaps more situation where ISIS emerged and wreaked havoc in the penetration and Snowden’s leaks about hacking of them to defence contractors. vulnerable as everybody in country and region as a whole for years before being Chinese universities computers. The USA regards Huawei as a Chinese military- an organisation knows their importance. taken out. The Taliban will certainly dial up its attacks Bush, engrossed in his War on Terror kept aloof intelligence proxy. As such, it successfully penetrated The age of bipolar cold-war is over . We now live against the Afghan government which is still unable to from the Internet/Google. Shane Harris, in his book it besides Beijing’s Tsinghua university. Snowden in an unpredictable age where “speed” is the most im - protect itself owing to an undertrained and under equipped @War: The Rise of Cyberwarfare writes: “This was showed documents to journalists that revealed “the portant element of power. Armistead E. Leigh, in his security apparatus. No easy or early exit-routes therefore the man who had once said he used “the Google” NSA had penetrated at least sixty-three [Chinese] uni - book Information Operation: Warfare and the Hard exist at the moment for the USA. In this backdrop, only occasionally to look at satellite images of his versities’ computers or servers” . Reality of Soft Power says, `What the future holds for ranch in Texas. It would be difficult to explain in Success in use of cyber-weapons stimulated the military forces, and the national security establish - Pakistan’s strategic position becomes all the more technical terms how someone sitting at a keyboard USA to create a robust cyber-force. Rigorous aptitude ment is unclear”. The age we live in is unpredictable. important as it will be looked upon by the USA to placate could wreak havoc from thousands of miles away, tests were developed by the US military to recruit the COVID19 turned it topsy-turvy. the Taliban on the likely event that the deal falls through. using a machine with which the president was largely best warriors. It is already mandatory for all entrants to Incredible advances in technology will change Pakistan will be asked to ‘do more’ and help clean up the unfamiliar.” Like nuclear weapons, releasing cyber the US Air Force to undergo basic cyber-security train - our lifestyle. Electric car and bots to recharge electric USA’s mess across the Western border yet again. weapons required presidential assent. ing. Five military academies now include cyber-warfare batteries may outnumber gasoline filling stations and A long last, the president sanctioned an ambitious as a field of study. The NSA sponsors a war game gas-guzzling cars. Online education and online com - cyber-warfare and espionage programme with re - among all the services to choose the best hackers. merce may become a permanent feature of everyday quired funding. During the Iraq War, the neophyte Shortlisted USAF cyber specialists are trained at life with concomitant threats. Card cloners may out - cyber warriors fought well in locating insurgents’ net - Keesler Air Force Base, on the Gulf Coast of missis - number pickpockets. Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami works. In a way, the cost of the programme was re - sippi, just like pilots. The would-be cyber warriors Pakistan too should do its best to adjust with the paid with dividends. Since then the USA has fortified have to run a gauntlet before being qualified to wear changing world of information power. Arif Nizami its cyber-capability to meet not only external but also the cyberspace badge, a pair of silver wings crossed Editor internal threats. by a lightning bolt centred on a globe. The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in “During US military operations in Libya in 2011, There were 12,600 USAF cyber-force warriors the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Umar Aziz which led to the ouster of muammar Gaddafi, the (2013 estimate). The majority guarded networks, degrees in economics, business administration, and Managing Editor Joint Editor Executive Editor NSA worked with the Navy’s cyber warriors to track plugged vulnerabilities, and updated networks. Only law. He can be reached at [email protected]

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965 I Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 I Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545 I Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk I Email: [email protected] Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected] Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively Cultural imperialism through Media BACk a few days ago, i was sitting with my mother and she was viewing a cooking show on an international station which was suggesting an idea of having a delicious way to cook a smoked chicken with a style of that station country. After a few days, my mother cooked the chicken in a same custom at one of the family events. the thing to be pondered here is that how the idea of cooking a chicken according to the cooking tradition of that particular country has been travelled through the media into my house. this is how media works in order to depict a culture of certain countries into other countries. Media in the past few decades has become a tool for many countries to epitomize their culture on different levels and has been very effective to imperialise their culture in different hosts around the world especially base countries, thus by making them vulnerable. Edward Said in his book ‘‘Culture and imperialism’’ explained cultural imperialism in the 18th, 19th and 20th century, by analysing the function of empire through cultural objects. he explained that the business of an empire depends on the idea of an empire. inside a society, all sorts of arrangements are made for it then, in turn, imperialism acquires a kind of coherence, a series of memories, and a presence within the culture of ruler and ruler alike. Culture is one of the soft and very effective tools in order to project the thoughts and brainwash the minds across different regions of the world without even letting the adversary know about the agenda. Media in this normalization have played a very vital role, especially with their entertainment industries, through print media advertisement, through social networking etc. this is how media normalize the culture in any country. Political brinkmanship Entertainment industry from the last few decades has been a tool of cultural imperialists in order to gain their interests. in obscure ways, the and appropriate action in this regard to ensure transmission of culture functions through different media outlets. For The opposition must not avoid accountability transparency in the future elections, while the Example, Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. hollywood definitely does not process of accountability takes its logical course. currently have a master plan to export the American way of life across tation designed to put pressure on the govern - the failure of the PDM to take that course would the globe and displace local culture, as American music may not ment to abandon it. do more harm to it than the sitting government. inherently be a progenitor of democratic government and economic the scams in regards to money laundering, PDM Chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman has cooperation. instead, local cultures respond to the outside culture of the fake bank accounts and benami properties held declared the movement against government a U.S. media and democracy in many distinct ways. Art has been another by the politicians who have been ruling the coun - ‘Jihad’. Probably he thinks that the people of Pak - factor that paved a way for the cultural imperialists for their goals. today try in the past, and their associates, are mind bog - istan can be fooled through such declarations. Lit - social media is surrounded by meme culture, and memes are considered gling. the government would be failing in its eral meaning of Jihad is to strive or make a to be the source of ideas expressed in a very friendly manner. it is such duty if it does not initiate processes to bring to determined effort. in the islamic context it means an idea that even an idea is presented and people do not consider it book the people who took this nation for a ride. fighting in the way of God or an evil which viti - offensive. For many people around Pakistan, it is a source of the opposition parties ates against the tenets of entertainment, but in reality, every meme has a certain meaning and idea and its leaders would be islam. None of the ob - and through this soft tool idea is projected indirectly into the minds of well advised to adopt jectives of their coming the people. Meme culture on today’s social media platforms has become the legal course to together really call for a a source of looking modern and convincing that you are going with the prove their innocence. The opposition therefore jihad, specially seeking modern world trends. the process of account - reprieve against the al - AdnAn KhAn ability also provides needs serious rethinking, leged criminal acts. it is LAhorE them the chance to clear actually a movement for their names once and particularly by the PML(N) creating a strife ( fitna ) Malik MuhaMMad ashraf for all. their resort to and promoting dissen - agitation on this issue and PPP, which should sions within the society; Remembering an also constitutes mistrust refuse to follow the dictates an act which is forbid - ith both the government and the of the judicial system of den in islam. in view of extraordinary film opposition alliance sticking to the country. it hardly of the Maulana to stoke the the foregoing discussion their guns, the country seems to justifies converting this there is absolutely no BoL is a film directed by Shoaib Manzoor which was released on June, be heading towards chaos and po - criminal issue into a po - movement into a religious reason to give a reli - 24, 2011. it has been 10 years since the release of this Pakistani litical instability which it cannot litical one and launch - gious hue to a move - masterpiece film but still today it influences thousands of minds aWfford in view of the grave challenges it is con - ing a movement to pull issue with frightful ment ostensibly initiated positively with its realistic story. Not one but this film consists several fronted with. the situation needs to be defused down the government. to stall the process of ac - messages and moves around some critical topics of our society like by politicians on either sides of the isle. Street Democracy can be consequences. They must countability. that surely poverty, the hatred for transgenders, patriarchy and religion. the leading agitations and disruptive antics invariably lead to best served and use the forum of Parliament is not, and must not be, actress and the protagonist of the film humaima Malik has given a chaos and disorder, harming the cause that the strengthened through stopped. matchless performance in this movie. this is starts by leading actress proponents of such actions claim to serve. the following the univer - to resolve the national the PDM is almost telling her story before being hanged as her last wish. She starts with history of agitations in this country proves it be - sally established demo - through its schedule of explaining about her that he was a physician and was poor. he was yond any iota of doubt. the country surely needs cratic norms. the issues like the electoral public rallies and obsessed with male child but could not get one. only due to the a break from the vicious circle of political government has been protests. however in obsession of male child the mother gave birth to many female children brinkmanship and the irresistible propensity to mandated to rule the reforms and systemic spite of the fact that it is due to which mother got week physically but yet she was not allowed to pull down an elected government before the end country for five years a conglomeration of 11 skip giving birth due to some religious beliefs. Because of being poor of its mandated tenure. and it must be allowed changes in governance, political parties, includ - they could not feed the children very well. her mother gave birth to a the developing situation, therefore, requires to complete its tenure. which is their prime duty. ing two major political transgender who was later raped by a man at working place. having this an evaluation of the legitimacy or otherwise of Democracy is about forces, the PML(N) and belief that the raped transgender child can bring dishonor he was killed the objectives of PDM on which its movement letting the people make That is the way the country the PPP, it has failed to by the father. there are numerous tiny ups and downs in the film. For against the government is premised. the PDM their judgment at the attract the expected at - getting money the father sleeps with a lady who later gives birth to his contends that the present government lacks le - end of the tenure of a can be winched out of the tendance in them. daughter. one day the lady leaves this daughter also at physician’s home. gitimacy as it was installed through rigged elec - sitting government. if those who attended thinking that the baby girl can dishonor for him, he tires to kill her. here tions. their second claim is that the process of the government fails to political quagmire it has were diehard support - the protagonist resists to save the baby but mistakenly kills her father and accountability was nothing but a witch-hunt come up to the expecta - ers of the parties and gets the capital punishment. Before getting hanged the actress leaves a against the political opponents and the third one tions of the people, become stuck in. We have a not the people from a question that if killing is a crime why is not giving birth a crime? is that the government has made the lives of the they would give their Constitution and institutions cross-section of society. FArAhnAz people miserable due to its failure to control in - verdict in the ensuring it constitutes a rebuke TurbAT flation and its inability to address the woes af - election. Alleged poor to exercise the will of the to them and exhibits the flicting the economy. the last and much hyped performance of a gov - lack of confidence of is that they are striving for the restoration of true ernment does not by people. Any deviation from the masses in the legiti - China’s rapid growth democracy in the country. any democratic norm macy of their cause as As far as rigging in general elections 2018 is give the opposition the that course loses moral, well as mistrust in their ChiNA is among the best friend of Pakistan. in 1949 China got concerned, most of the international observers and excuse to dislodge it political and constitutional democratic credentials. independence. China was entirely devastated after the civil war, but watchdogs within the country have not pointed out through street agitation. the opposition because of its citizens drudgery China was built again. China is any wrongdoing in the elections to the extent the it is a negation of justification therefore needs serious manifested as the second powerful country in the world. China’s opposition parties are claiming. the very fact that democracy in view of rethinking, particularly technology entity is matchless among all countries in the world. China’s the opposition parties have made it a cause for the fact that there are by the PML(N) and soldiers are very much energetic and brave. Advancement of China is challenging the legitimacy of the incumbent gov - other legal options PPP, which should re - just because of the chinese citizens. Chinese government is very much ernment after two and half hears, without exhaust - available to express fuse to follow the dic - effective in granting justice. the prescription are same for every poor ing the constitutional and legal avenues available lack of confidence in the government. tates of the Maulana to stoke the movement into and rich. they are honest and not corrupt. Pakistan shares border with to have the complaints about the alleged electoral the opposition parties must realize that a religious issue with frightful consequences. china and even though they are close friends. in 1998 when Pakistan was fraud evaluated and judged, makes it abundantly maintaining peace and tranquility in the country they must use the forum of Parliament to re - getting sanction China vetoed it in security council and supported clear that they actually had no proof or credible is also their national obligation. Creating politi - solve the national issues like the electoral re - Pakistan. there is a big gap between Pakistan and China augmentation. evidence available to approach the constitutional cal crisis and chaos in the country is not condon - forms and systemic changes in governance, though Pakistan got independence before china,but still pakistan did not bodies, including the ECP, immediately after the able legally, morally and politically. the which is their prime duty. that is the way the got up growth. in Pakistan there is no any justice, there is no any strict election results were announced. it exposes the situation demands that they should abandon their country can be winched out of the political quag - rules. China is known for his excellency in technology and education. hollowness of their claims. agitation and engage the government in a dia - mire it has become stuck in. We have a Consti - China is reached on the competition level with America though many of Accountability is one of the pivotal pillars logue for reforming the system to plug the av - tution and institutions to exercise the will of the us believe to have china has to be upcoming super power country. our of democracy. Political leaders or parties claim - enues of rigging and political engineering which people. Any deviation from that course loses Pakistani Citizen should learn a lesson from chinese. Everyone is ing democratic credentials would never feel shy becomes a rhetoric after every general elections. moral, political and constitutional justification. astonished of China’s rapid growth or rapid development. China is of clearing their position through the judicial the government has repeatedly expressed its among the most known country. process. they would not try to sabotage the willingness for a dialogue except on the issue of Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. Erum ASAduLLAh process of accountability through political agi - accountability. Let there be a national consensus He can be contacted at: [email protected]. TurbAT Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 08 WORLD VIEW The TaLiban cLose in on afghan ciTies, pushing The counTry To The brink THE TALIBAN HAVE POSITIONED THEMSELVES AROUND SEVERAL MAJOR POPULATION CENTRES, INCLUDING THE CAPITAL OF KANDAHAR PROVINCE, AS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WEIGHS WHETHER TO WITHDRAW OR TO STAY new York tiMes Watkins, a senior analyst on afghanistan for the inter - When the Taliban pushed into the districts around cent months. For now, a small detachment of U.S. and thoMas Gibbons-neff and taiMoor shah national Crisis Group, a brussels-based conflict resolu - Kandahar, the police put up very little fight. Many out - NaTO troops remain to support the struggling afghan tion organization. “Pulling out might be politically posts were already barely staffed, Mr. Noor and other forces, according to a U.S. military official. HE Taliban have been encroaching on key impossible if Kandahar was on the nightly news.” local officials said. Some afghan government officials With the police force mostly in ruin, the afghan cities around afghanistan for months, threaten - in Panjwai, a district that neighbors Kandahar city, disputed that accusation, saying they retreated in fear. army and commandos have moved into Kandahar, be - ing to drive the country to its breaking point the low thud of artillery punctuated a recent warm winter Others said they didn’t know why they retreated at all. ginning operations in November to retake territory that and push the biden administration into a no- afternoon, signaling the Taliban’s proximity to its popu - General Tadeen rejected any accusations of corrup - was then retaken by the Taliban. Commando officers said win situation just as the United States’ longest lated center. at the edge of the district, a lone police out - tion and abuse and denied that his police forces were their forces had been exhausted by frequent orders to fill wTar is supposed to be coming to an end. post sandbagged into the rock overlooked what was now withering around Kandahar. “The Taliban do not have in for their police counterparts. in nearby arghandab around the northern city of Kunduz, despite the win - Taliban territory. One officer’s head was bandaged from more power,” he said, from his well-guarded compound District, the site of the Taliban’s northern offensive on ter’s fierce cold, the Taliban have taken outposts and mil - a roadside bomb blast, another wore a gauze sling under in Kandahar city. “The afghan forces can defend them - Kandahar city, army leaders and police officers say itary bases, using small armed drones to terrorize afghan his uniform, propping up a shoulder wounded from a selves.” The deteriorating situation in Kandahar is a they’re severely understaffed and their pleas for support troops. in neighboring Pul-i-Khumri, they have seized sniper’s bullet. broader reflection of security around the country. The have gone unheeded by officials in Kabul. important highways in a stranglehold of the city, threat - “They are still working here; we can’t replace them, Taliban have spent the past months capturing military One outpost was using two armored vehicles likely ening main lifelines to Kabul, the country’s capital. because we don’t have enough forces,” said Safiullah bases and police outposts and installing highway check - left over from the 1980s Soviet invasion to defend and in the city of Kandahar, a bedrock of historic Khan, the police officer in charge. “Our commanders points near capital cities in provinces such as Helmand against Taliban positions on the river banks below. and political importance and an economic hub for the steal from our fuel, food and our supply.” and Uruzgan in the south, and Kunduz and baghlan in in December, nearly 200 checkpoints in Kandahar country’s south, Taliban fighters have pummeled the sur - During an offensive in the fall, the Taliban took the north. Though Taliban tactics vary from region to re - were abandoned by the afghan army, according to a U.S. rounding districts, and moved closer to taking the swaths of territory and then mostly held their ground de - gion, the outcomes are usually the same: increased tax - government watchdog report released Feb. 1. The col - provincial capital than they have in more than a decade. spite attempts by the afghan security forces and U.S. ation on highways, plummeting morale among the lapse of some military bases in the fall afforded the Tal - The Taliban’s brazen offensive has put the biden ad - airstrikes to dislodge them. afghan security forces with dwindling U.S. support and iban troves of military equipment and ammunition, ministration into a dangerous political bind. Under the Taliban commanders told tribal officials in the dis - growing fear among those living in once-secure areas. including several pieces of heavy artillery. deal struck by President Donald J. Trump with the Tal - trict that the insurgent group deliberately stopped short The Taliban’s aim is to force the afghan government afghan security forces are also contending with por - iban last year, all foreign troops — including the remain - of taking Panjwai, said Haji Mahmood Noor, the dis - into complying with their terms of peace. in Qatar, Tal - tions of a populace that have more faith in the Taliban ing 2,500 american service members who support trict’s mayor, because they were told to wait and see how iban leaders have demanded the release of around 7,000 than in the government. in capturing new territory, the afghanistan’s beleaguered army and security forces — the next phase of peace negotiations played out. “When more prisoners and the establishment of an interim gov - Taliban installed their own administrative services, ex - are scheduled to withdraw by May 1, leaving the country the trees turn green the situation will get worse,” Mr. ernment, two requests that ashraf Ghani, afghanistan’s plained Lal Mohammad, 23, a wheat and grape farmer in an especially precarious state. Noor said, referring to the spring, when the Taliban can president, has so far refused. who now lives behind the Taliban’s front line in Panjwai. if the biden administration honors the withdrawal move more at ease under the cover of blooming foliage. “The Taliban seem to believe that applying this pres - insurgent fighters have smashed smartphones and date, officials and analysts fear the Taliban could over - Panjwai’s near collapse and the growing threat to sure, staging their fighters to potentially strike Kandahar banned music, imposed a curfew, dug defensive tunnels whelm what’s left of the afghan security forces and take Kandahar city are partially the consequence of the death and other urban centers, will pressure the U.S. to with - between people’s homes and used empty rooms in them control of major cities like Kandahar in a push for a com - in 2018 of Gen. abdul Raziq, who had been the draw, or else,” Mr. Watkins said. “The strategic logic as fighting positions. Roadside bombs are everywhere, plete military victory or a broad surrender by the afghan province’s police chief since 2011. Known for settling might have the opposite effect.” he said. but land disputes and petty crime are well man - government in the ongoing peace negotiations. disputes with threats and bloody retribution, and accused To prepare for a possible multipronged attack should aged, compared to the afghan government’s corrupt bu - but if the United States delays its withdrawal dead - of many human-rights abuses, General Raziq also used the United States stay beyond the May 1 deadline, the reaucracy, said Mr. Mohammad. “People like it,” Mr. line, as a congressionally appointed panel recommended his close relationship with the U.S. military, to keep Kan - Pentagon has requested additional military options — in - Mohammad said, adding that he just wants someone to on Feb. 3, the Taliban would most likely consider the dahar Province mostly secure for years. cluding an increase of U.S. troops or a commitment of take over Kandahar so people can get back to their lives. 2020 deal with the United States void, which could lead after General Raziq’s death at the hands of a Taliban more air support from U.S. Central Command, which These sentiments are common in more rural areas of to renewed attacks on american and NaTO troops, and infiltrator, his brother, Gen. Tadeen Khan, was made a oversees operations in the Middle East and afghanistan, afghanistan. but the afghan government’s incompetence potentially draw the United States deeper into the war to general overnight and took over as police chief, but his according to two U.S. officials. Whether these requests and widespread corruption have brought that attitude to defend afghan forces, whom the Taliban could still re - lack of military experience meant he was largely discon - will be granted depends on the biden administration’s the doorstep of one of the country’s most populated cities. taliate vigorously against. nected and absent from his duties. as his officers taxed next move, which is expected to be announced in coming “The government,” Mr. Mohammad said, “has failed.” “The threat of Taliban military victories, especially and abused their residents with little oversight, the Tal - weeks upon completing a review of the current agree - in an area as symbolic and strategic as Kandahar, makes iban forged alliances with local tribal leadership and paid ment in place with the Taliban. The unrest has already Fahim Abed contributed reporting from Panjwai and it difficult for the biden administration to swallow the low-level police officers to abandon their posts before delayed the handover of Kandahar airfield, a sprawling Najim Rahim from Kabul, Afghanistan. Eric Schmitt risks of finalizing a troop withdrawal,” said andrew their fall offensive, local and provincial officials said. american base east of the capital, to afghan forces in re - contributed reporting from Washington. Winners and losers in Libya’s political deal A MAJOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENT IN LIBYA HAS RECENTLY BEEN AGREED TO AFTER LENGTHY COMPLICATED NEGOTIATIONS. BUT UNLESS THE OUTCOME IS VIEWED AS A WINWIN GAME, IT COULD END UP BEING JUST ANOTHER ROUND OF EMPTY TALKS However, since October 2020, UNSMiL has been leading from Egypt, France and the European Union among oth - and Williams, making it similar to the outgoing Presi - incrementally successful rounds of negotiations. it started ers. in reaction to the agreement, Greece went as far as dential Council headed by Sarraj, which never got the with the cease-fire across Libya that was signed on Oct. expelling the GNa’s ambassador to athens, Menfi, who vote of confidence by parliament as required by the 23 in Geneva by a 10-member military commission, is now the new head of the Presidential Council. Libyan Political agreement of 2015. in fact, it ended up Al-Monitor equally representing the GNa and its rival, the Libyan That particular agreement is vital for Turkey’s strat - in power only because of the UN Security Council en - Mustafa fetouri National army (LNa) commanded by Khalifa Hifter. egy in the Eastern Mediterranean. Having Libya, a coun - dorsement manifested in Resolution 2259, which recog - Williams has been successfully building on that try with a long Mediterranean coastline, recognize nized it (the Presidential Council) as the only legitimate ibya finally has a prime minister and Presidential breakthrough by pushing for political dialogue and cre - Turkey’s claims is crucial. ankara would reject any new government. but its political and legal legitimacy inside Council. Whether this will bring unity and peace ating the LPDF back in October, before launching nego - executive authority in Libya if it sensed such a new gov - Libya was and still is questioned. to the divided, war-torn country is another matter. tiations in November. ernment might annul its security memorandum and mar - When it comes to domestic losers, there are a few. Credit for this positive development goes to if successful, the current executive setup is a win- itime deals that were previously signed with the GNa. but they hardly represent any serious obstacles. The array Stephanie Williams, acting United Nations envoy win for Libya and its people after 10 years of perpetual based on its own calculations, Egypt, which backs of militias in western Libya in general, and Tripoli in par - aLnd head of its Support Mission in Libya (UNSMiL). war, chaos and division — but not everybody is happy. the LNa, perceives that the new government in Tripoli ticular, have generally welcomed the new executive body, During the marathon session in Geneva, Switzer - Some local politicians, political parties and their foreign will not be as hostile as its predecessor was to Cairo. This not necessarily out of love but just because their No. 1 land, on Feb. 5, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum power backers see this development as a zero-sum game belief has been emphasized by Menfi’s visit to benghazi enemy, outgoing Minister of interior Fathi bashaga, lost (LPDF) voted 39 to 34 to appoint abdul Hamid Dbeibah, in which there are winners and losers. This being said, on Feb. 11 and his meeting with Hifter, Cairo’s ally. Cairo his bid for prime minister. They also are not hostile to a businessman turned politician, to be prime minister the biggest winners and losers in Libya are not solemnly has recently been reaching out to Tripoli. On Dec. 28, Menfi, who has no record of being anti-militia. while appointing little-known diplomat Mohamed you - locals, but reach beyond the North african country. 2020, an Egyptian consular and security delegation held Hailing from eastern Libya, Menfi is seen in Tripoli nis Menfi as head of the three-member Presidential Foreign losers include Turkey, a long-time strong talks with GNa officials aimed at normalizing ties and as a GNa loyalist and as being “militia-friendly,” ac - Council, replacing the outgoing, dysfunctional nine- supporter of the GNa, supplying it with mercenary fight - reopening Egypt’s embassy in Tripoli, which has been cording to aboubaker agnona, who is closely associ - member council headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, who has ers, army trainers and weapons, and launching hundreds closed since 2014. indeed, some in Cairo — particularly ated with the Tripoli brigade, one of the top militias in been at the helm since 2015. of drone strikes against LNa forces throughout 2019 up top Foreign Ministry officials who lately supported Tripoli. Unlike outgoing bashaga, Menfi has never Dbeibah has three weeks to form his government be - to June 2020. at one point, the LNa’s codenamed “De - aguila Saleh, speaker of the Tobruk-based parliament, been openly hostile to armed groups in the capital and fore submitting it to the Tobruk-based parliament for ap - cisive battle” offensive was a few kilometers away from alienating Hifter in the process — might feel at a loss has never been on the record supporting the LNa, con - proval. The Presidential Council, on the other hand, has the center of Tripoli. but thanks to Turkish support, they since Saleh lost his bid for the Presidential Council pres - sidered to be first and foremost an enemy to the armed fewer executive powers, and Menfi is likely to act as a were repelled by the GNa. idency. However, Menfi appears reconciliatory toward groups in western Libya. ceremonial head of state in the interim period that should Speaking to al-Monitor on condition of anonymity both Saleh and Hifter, winning Cairo’s sympathy too. The biggest winner so far could turn out to be the end, if all goes according to plan, with national elections for security reasons, an LPDF member said, “Turkey has a former Egyptian diplomat in Libya who did not Libyan Muslim brotherhood that’s well-rooted in west - envisioned for Dec. 24. always been a serious problem.” according to him, if want to be identified told al-Monitor, “any new execu - ern Libya, particularly in Misrata, Dbeibah’s hometown. Dbeibah now has two main tasks: On the one hand, ankara is unhappy with the new executive setup, it could tive [authority] in Libya will be welcomed by Egypt. The Muslim brotherhood is the most sophisticated he will have to prepare for and organize general parlia - have the GNa and its supporting militias withdraw from both sides are better together than apart.” The diplomat and shrewd political organization in the country, with a mentary and presidential elections. On the other hand, the agreement, destroying it altogether. However, Turk - added, “Egypt, if not a winner … is certainly not a loser special talent for deal-making. Realizing they might lose he must unify the country’s divided institutions. ish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed in a in new Libya.” but Russia, the United arab Emirates and the final stage of elections in Geneva, they withdrew Since the war began in august 2014, Libya has had phone call to the new leaders on Feb. 7 the development, France, having aligned themselves with Hifter, are ob - their top nominee, chairman of the High Council of State two competing governments: the Government of Na - promising help for a “democratic and peaceful” Libya. vious winners at the expense of Cairo. Hifter will be - Khaled al-Mishri. by doing so, they stayed amiable to tional accord (GNa) based in Tripoli and recognized by according to the source, to ease Turkey’s worries about come closer to Moscow and abu Dhabi than Cairo. but all others. This will help their jockeying for influence in the UN as the only legitimate government, and the the new executive, the roadmap — adopted by the 75 del - he will not bypass it in any major moves he might be the formation of a new government, especially with Libyan government based in al-bayda in the east, but un - egates of the LPDF — bans any changes to Libya’s foreign contemplating. He will always need Cairo’s “support Dbeibah hailing from Misrata, the brotherhood’s strong - recognized by other countries. Consequently, all govern - relations without naming any country. The roadmap’s Para - given its proximity to eastern Libya where he is in con - hold in Libya. also, different local actors would now ment institutions in Tripoli have their counterparts in graph 10 of article 6 says “the executive authority shall not trol,” the Egyptian diplomat concluded. consider the Muslim brotherhood as “nice guys trying al-bayda, including the Central bank, the National au - consider any new or previous agreements” that could harm Once the voting ended, abdalla Othmane, a promi - to help Libya,” agnona said. diting bureau, the army, police and ministries. Libya’s foreign relations — implicitly referring to Turkey nent LPDF member and university professor, warned the Unless both foreign powers and their domestic prox - The conflict in Libya, which erupted after late leader since it is the only country that has signed a controversial, new executive body against relying on an international ies view the LPDF’s outcome as a win-win situation, lit - Moammar Gadhafi’s government was toppled in October long-term agreement with the GNa. legitimacy instead of a domestic one. tle is expected from the new interim executive authority, 2011 with NaTO help, has been difficult to settle thanks On Nov. 23, 2019, ankara signed a sea boundary de - Othmane is referring to the fact that the 75-member under pressure even before it takes office, by the looming to foreign inference and quarreling domestic politicians. marcation agreement with the GNa despite objections forum was not elected but was handpicked by UNSMiL Dec. 24 elections deadline. Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 KARACHI BUSINESS 09

CORPORATE CORNER DIAMER-BAShA CoNSUltANtS thREAtEN to StoP WoRK oVER DElAy IN PAyMENtS ISLAMABAD Company (DBDC), demanding clear - due to non-payments by client, project previous WAPDA projects, they added. AHMAD AHMADANI ance of overdue payment of Rs103.79 cash flows have dried up and they were "Dozens of meetings have taken million in accordance with terms of the under severe financial constraints to place over the last few months to satisfy ACED with financial con - agreement. "If payments to local JV continue their operations. WAPDA/DBDC for verification of rates. straints, a consortium of consult - firms and associates is not made within "Though foreign JV partners have However, the demands from ants engaged in the construction seven days from receipt of this letter, then been paid their invoices (that too with WAPDA/DBDC for other documenta - of Diamer-Basha Dam has consultants will be compelled to show delays much beyond the 30-day limit), tion have gone beyond limit," the letter the pace or even stop work in view of the payments of local JV partners i.e. read. "They have their own convoluted KARACHI: Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO - warned that it would stop work Fand claim all kinds of damages if over - clause 6.7 of the Consultancy Service NESPAK, ACE, MMP and associates interpretation of the phrase 'verification HBL (standing second from right), Muhammad Afaq Khan, Head Islamic Banking – HBL (standing first from left), due payment of Rs103,799,245 was not Agreement," the letter read. "Moreover, are still awaited," the letter stated. of rates', one which is illogical and never along with customers and other representatives of the made immediately. as a result of non-payment, the consult - The local consultancy firms attrib - applied in the history of WAPDA." bank at the inauguration of the HBL Islamic Banking According to details, National Engi - ants reserve the right to claim all kinds of uted the delay in payments to "unjusti - As per the letter, WAPDA/DBDC Commercial Centre, Trade Hub and Branch, on I.I neering Services Pakistan (NESPAK), damages, including, but not limited to, fied demands from DBDC" on account has "assumed the role of an investiga - Chundrigar Road. Associated Consulting Engineers (ACE) interest on delayed payments, extension of verification of billing rates of local tive agency" which was not their do - and MM Pakistan Pvt Ltd (MMP) -- of time and extended cost without preju - consultants. The local JV have fulfilled main and their ever changing demands local joint venture partners for the proj - dice to any other entitlements, and reme - all reasonable demands of DBDC and were not justified and unacceptable to ect, had last month written a letter to dies we may have under provisions of the provided documents verifying their the local JV partners. A WAPDA NEPRA chairman CEO/General Manager/Project Director contract and law of the country." billing rates, which were normally re - spokesman did not immediately respond launches KE Roshni Baji of the Diamer-Basha Development The local JV firms complained that quired and have proven sufficient for all to the queries from Profit. Women Ambassadors Programme Dubai Islamic Bank reports KARACHI: NEPRA Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi on Tuesday launched K-Electric’s women ambassador pro - gramme “Roshni Baji” at a ceremony at the Tipu Sultan Customer Care Centre of the company. This is a first-of- 34pc drop in profit its-kind programme in which the selected women will be - come ambassadors for safety and aiming to promote awareness for efficient usage of electricity along with NEWS DESK chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank, said. “The confi - conversion from hook connections within their communi - dence shown by investors, stakeholders and cus - ties. Saif Ullah Chattha, Honourable Vice Chairman & Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has reported a 34pc tomers alike towards the DIB Group is testament to Member - Punjab, Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Honourable drop in its full-year net profit as impairment the trust and dependability that it owns.” Member - Sindh, Rehmatullah Baloch, Honourable charges and operating expenses rose amid the coro - Customer deposits, as well as total assets of the Member - Balochistan, Engr. Bahadur Shah, Honourable navirus pandemic. bank, grew 25pc year-on-year to Dh205.9bn and Member - KPK and Huma Zafar, Head CSR from Net profit attributable to owners of the bank for Dh289.6bn, respectively. Net financing and sukuk NBP launches NEPRA joined the ceremony with Moonis Abdullah Alvi, the period ending December 31, 2020 declined to investments rose 26pc to Dh232bn. CEO K-Electric, Aamir Ghaziani, Chief Financial Offi - Dh3.29 billion ($895 million). Impairment charges “Our deliberate shift in strategy at the height of PayPak Debit Cards cer, Amer Zia, Chief Distribution Officer, Sadia Dada, more than doubled to Dh4.5 billion as the lender the pandemic and strong relationships enabled us to Chief Marketing and Communication Officer and other took a “prudent approach” to its loan book to protect tap into lower-risk sectors, primarily on government- NEWS DESK members of the KE Leadership. PR against unforeseen scenarios, the lender said in a related lending,” Adnan Chilwan, Dubai Islamic Bank’s group chief executive, said. statement to the Dubai Financial Market, where its National Bank of Pakistan on Tuesday held a launch “This allowed us to grow our balance sheet … shares trade. Operating expenses climbed 16pc to event for NBP PayPak Debit Cards and Spend & and also ensured quality returns in the succeeding Shell Pakistan Dh2.7 billion. Win Campaign, organised in collaboration with quarters with minimal use of our capital whilst main - “The DIB franchise is capable of weathering Decagon Pakistan Pvt Ltd (Golootlo). NBP Cus - taining strong margins and healthy liquidity.” challenging situations and possesses the ability to tomers with PayPak debit cards issued by NBP will celebrates 5 years of The lender’s capital adequacy ratio increased by come out as a winner, as it has done in similar situ - now be able to swipe their cards at any of Golootlo’s 200 basis points to 18.5pc despite significant growth ations in the past,” Mohammed Al Shaibani, direc - 18,000 merchants and avail sizeable discounts as V-Power in Pakistan in financing assets. tor-general of the Ruler’s Court of Dubai and well as win fabulous prizes through lucky draws in - KARACHI: Shell V-Power is the premium fuel of - cluding cars, motorcycles, gold coins and smart fered by Shell Pakistan. It comes with technology that re - phones. The launching ceremony was attended by duces engine dirt and friction. With over 100 years of NBP President & CEO Arif Usmani, NBP Strategy experience in fuels research and development, Shell’s PM thanks overseas Pakistanis for and Business Analytics Group Chief Faisal Ahmed, scientists are behind the creation of Shell V-Power with SBP Executive Director Payment Systems Suhail Dynaflex Technology. Shell V-Power has a formulation Javaad, 1 LINK CEO Najeeb Agrawalla, Decagon that has powerful cleaning agents to prevent engine dirt. sending $500m through RDA Pakistan Pvt Ltd Chairman Majid Bashir and The fuel is especially designed to help reduce wasted en - Decagon CEO Fahad Mehmood. Speaking on the ergy through its friction reducing molecules. The fuel NEWS DESK Baqir said that accounts under RDA initiative were occasion, Arif Usmani, President & CEO NBP, was introduced in the Pakistani market in 2016, and this opened in 97 countries while most of the inflows stated, “NBP has made large strides in providing year marks its 5th anniversary in Pakistan. In the last 5 Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked overseas were recorded in Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPCs). state of the art digital products for their customers years, Shell has expanded its premium fuel network and Pakistanis for responding positively to the State Bank “Over $300m has been invested in NPCs,” said and launching PayPak EMV Debit Cards would fur - as of now, 198 Shell retail stations across Pakistan have of Pakistan’s Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA) by the governor, adding that the country is not only at - ther provide customers with the Domestic Payment Shell V-Power available for customers. PR sending $500 million in just five months. tracting investments from Pakistani expatriates, but Scheme.” Decogon Chairman Majid Bashir stated In a tweet on Tuesday, the prime minister said these RDAs will also become a more consistent, re - Golootlo is keen in bringing massive discounts to an that 87,833 accounts were opened from 97 countries liable and long-term source of foreign exchange. He increasingly broader audience and to create a unified Ufone launches around the world and “the momentum continues to said together with the government, the SBP is work - ecosystem, and extending the same with National rise with $243 million coming in the last six weeks ing on initiatives to provide attractive avenues of in - Bank, Pakistan’s largest public sector commercial first-ever eSIM alone”. Earlier on Friday, SBP Governor Dr Reza vestment and savings to overseas Pakistanis. bank is a major step in that endeavour. ISLAMABAD: Ufone has now eliminated the need for physical installation of SIMs with the introduction of eSIM for its customers. The Pakistani telecom operator SECP launches portal to expedite account opening process for firms has partnered with Giesecke+Devrient Mobile Security (G+D) to launch these SIMs across the country. Speaking ISLAMABAD time access to statutory records of com - duce the turn-around-time for opening of lic limited and companies formed for on this occasion, Ufone’s Spokesperson said, “Our cus - STAFF REPORT panies, thus enabling them to open cor - a corporate bank account or for availing not-for-profit objects. In due course, tomers are now readily adopting an environment-friendly porate accounts without seeking other banking services. On the other hand, data of foreign companies and limited way of living thus it is important for us to provide them In pursuit of its agenda to promote ease physically certified copies of statutory it will facilitate banks in carrying out due liability partnerships will also be linked with innovative solutions for day to day operations. By of doing business and digitalisation, the documents, said a press statement issued dili gence of their corporate customers, for and made available. using Ufone’s eSIM, customers can experience seamless Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday. account opening and other services. The SECP is planning to discon - services in a sustainable manner and avoid the use of of Pakistan (SECP) has launched a por - Through this portal, the banks can ac - Any bank can access the portal by tinue issuance of certified true copies in plastic SIMs. At Ufone, customer satisfaction and ease is tal for expeditious bank account open - cess and verify company information di - applying to the SECP for creating their physical form and consequently, banks the utmost priority. Therefore, every possible step is ing of newly registered companies. rectly from SECP’s records. The online user accounts. Initially, this facility is will only be able to access SECP’s being taken to ensure its convenience.” PR The online portal provides banks real availability of statutory records will re - being launched for private limited, pub - records through this portal.

MARKET DAILY Stocks extend rally with 492-point gain

KARACHI its annual results that are scheduled to be Share Index gathered 250.03 points, end - shares, respectively. performer, with NetSol Technologies Ltd STAFF REPORT announced tomorrow," a report issued by ing at 32,141.83. Sectors that drove the benchmark index (NETSOL +3.39pc), Avanceon Ltd (AVN Arif Habib Ltd read. The overall market volumes increased north included cement (+158.00 points), +1.19pc) and Pakistan Telecommunica - The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) contin - Reminiscent of yesterday, the bench - from 486.34 million shares in the previous banking (+128.01 points) and fertilizer tion Company Ltd (PTC +2.50pc) posting ued to head north on Tuesday, with the in - mark KSE-100 Index remained in the session to 514.04 million shares (+6pc). (+57.16 points). Among the companies, decent gains. dices accumulating gains all day long amid green throughout the day, marking its in - Average traded value also inched up 2pc, Lucky Cement Ltd (LUCK +114.93 points), Meanwhile, Interloop Ltd (ILP - positive sentiments. traday high at 46,884.53 after gaining from $155.6 million to $158.9 million. Habib Bank Ltd (HBL +51.49 points) and 1.00pc) announced its financial perform - "Cement, steel and technology sectors 508.94 points. It settled higher by 492.36 Hum Network Ltd (HUMNL +16.37pc), MCB Bank Ltd (MCB +45.72 points) re - ance for the second quarter of FY21. The led the market rally today, with cement sec - points at 46,867.95. Telecard Ltd (TELE +15.08pc) Maple Leaf mained the top contributors. company's sales appreciated 35pc YoY, re - tor witnessing brisk buying for the third Among other indices, the KMI-30 Cement Factory Ltd (MLCF +2.40pc) led Adding 2.70pc to its total market cap - sulting in 43pc increase in gross profit. consecutive session. Among banks, HBL Index accumulated 1,058.51 points to the volume chart, exchanging 55.47 mil - italization, the technology & communica - ILP's earnings per share improved from posted significant gains in anticipation of close at 77,752.13, while the KSE All lion, 55.45 million and 36.18 million tion sector ended as the session's top Rs1.05 in 2QFY20 to Rs1.75. Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 10 FOREIGN NEWS KARACHI Iraq rocket attack kIlls contractor, wounds us servIce memBer: us coalItIon

ERBIL three rockets landed near Erbil International In a statement, Blinken said he had AGENCIES Airport in the autonomous region late at reached out to Kurdistan Regional Govern - night. Reuters’ reporters heard several loud ment Prime Minister MasrourBarzani “to rocket attack at a US-led military explosions and saw a fire break out near the discuss the incident and to pledge our sup - base in Kurdish northern Iraq on airport. port for all efforts to investigate and hold ac - Monday killed a civilian contrac - US troops occupy a military base adja - countable those responsible.” tor and wounded five other people, cent to the civilian airport. Groups that some Iraqi officials say have including a US service member, A statement from the Kurdish interior links with Iran have claimed a series of according to initial reports, the US coalition ministry said a number of rockets were fired rocket and roadside bomb attacks against in Iraq said. towards Erbil and its outskirts around 9:30 coalition forces, contractors working for the It was the most deadly attack to hit US- pm local time and some people were coalition, and US installations — including led forces in almost a year in Iraq, where ten - wounded, but it offered no further details. the embassy in Baghdad — in recent sions have escalated between US forces, A group calling itself SarayaAwliya al- months. The last deadly attack to target the their Iraqi and Kurdish allies on one side and Dam claimed responsibility for the attack on coalition killed one British and two Ameri - militias on the other. the US-led base, saying it targeted the can personnel in March last year. The tension A coalition spokesman said on Twitter “American occupation” in Iraq. It provided between the United States and Iran sent the the attack hit coalition forces in the Kurdish no evidence for its claim. Middle East to the edge of a full-scale con - regional capital of Erbil, and that more de - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken frontation in January 2020 after a US drone tails would follow. said late Monday the United States was “out - strike killed Iranian military mastermind Kurdish security sources said at least raged” by the attack. QassemSoleimani in Baghdad.

Israel hints it may not engage Biden on Iran Myanmar military guarantees new nuclear strategy election; protesters block train services TEL AVIV AGENCIES NAYPYITAW prize winner Suu Kyi and the presi - to survive. Zaw Min Tun said a police - nored. The electoral commission had AGENCIES dent, Zaw Min Tun dismissed the sug - man had died of injuries sustained dur - dismissed the army’s complaints. Israel held out the possibility on Tuesday that it would not gestion they were in detention, saying ing a protest. Suu Kyi, 75, spent nearly 15 years engage with US President Joe Biden on strategy regarding Myanmar’s military junta guaranteed they were in their homes for their se - He said the protesters were starting under house arrest for her efforts to end the Iranian nuclear programme, urging tougher sanctions on Tuesday that it would hold an elec - curity while the law took its course. violence while the campaign of civil military rule. and a “credible military threat” against its arch-enemy. The tion and hand over power, denied its He also said Myanmar’s foreign disobedience amounted to the illegal She faces charges of illegally im - remarks by Israel’s envoy to Washington came at a touchy ouster of an elected government was a policy would not change, it remained intimidation of civil servants. porting six walkie-talkie radios and is juncture for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Up for re- coup or that its leaders were detained, open for business and deals would be “We will wait patiently. After that, being held on remand. Her lawyer said election next month, he has revived his hard line on Iran and accused protesters of violence and upheld. we will take action according to the on Tuesday police had filed a second while not yet having any direct communication with Biden. intimidation. The military will be hoping its re - law,” Zaw Min Tun said. charge of violating a Natural Disaster The new administration has said it wants a US return to a The junta’s defence of its February assurances will dampen the campaign of The army has given itself extensive Management Law. 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran — which former President 1 seizure of power and arrest of gov - daily opposition to its rule and to the search and detention powers and has The coup has prompted an angry Donald Trump quit, restoring sanctions — if the Iranians ernment leader Aug San Suu Kyi and ousting Suu Kyi and her government. made penal code amendments aimed at response from Western countries and recommit to their own obligations. Washington has also said others came as protesters again took to As well as the demonstrations in stifling dissent with tough prison terms. the United States has set some sanc - it wants to confer with allies in the Middle East about such the streets and as China dismissed ru - towns and cities across the ethnically di - TRAIN BLOCKED: tions against the generals. moves. “We will not be able to be part of such a process if mours spreading on social media that verse country, a civil disobedience Protesters milled onto a sun-baked But China has taken a softer ap - the new administration returns to that deal,” Ambassador it had helped with the coup. movement has brought strikes that are stretch of railway track earlier in the proach, arguing stability should be the Gilad Erdan told Israel’s Army Radio. Netanyahu aides “Our objective is to hold an election crippling many functions of govern - day waving placards in support of the priority in its neighbour, where it has have privately questioned whether engaging with US coun - and hand power to the winning party,” ment. The unrest has re vived memories disobedience movement and blocking close contacts with the military. terparts might backfire, for Israel, by falsely signalling its Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, of bloody outbreaks of opposition to al - trains between Yangon and the south - China did, however, join other UN consent for any new deal that it still opposes. Israel was not spokesman for the ruling council, told most half a century of direct army rule ern city of Mawlamyine. Security Council members in calling a party to the 2015 deal. It has powerful advocates within the junta’s first news conference since that ended in 2011 when the military “Release our leaders immediately,” for the release of Suu Kyi. the US Congress, however, and Netanyahu’s threats to take overthrowing Suu Kyi’s government. began a process of withdrawing from and “People’s power, give it back,” the On Tuesday, its ambassador, Chen unilateral military action on Iran if he deems diplomacy a The military has not given a date politics. crowd chanted in live images broadcast Hai, said the situation was “absolutely dead end also figure into big-power planning. “We think for a new election but has imposed a While violence has been limited by media. not what China wants to see” and dis - that if the United States returns to the same accord that it al - state of emergency for one year. Zaw this time, police have opened fire sev - Crowds also gathered in the main missed rumours of Chinese involve - ready withdrew from, all its leverage will be lost,” Erdan Min Tun said the military would not eral times, mostly with rubber bullets, city of Yangon, including at the central ment in the coup as “completely said. “It would appear that only crippling sanctions — keep - hold power for long. to disperse protesters. Six people were bank, where protesters called for staff nonsense”. ing the current sanctions and even adding new sanctions — “We guarantee ... that the election wounded in the central town of to join the civil disobedience move - Chen, in an interview with media combined with a credible military threat — that Iran fears will be held,” he told the nearly two- Maungmya on Tuesday when police ment. posted on the embassy Facebook — might bring Iran to real negotiations with Western coun - hour news conference, which the mili - fired rubber bullets to break up a The army took power alleging that page, said China maintained friendly tries that might ultimately produce a deal truly capable of tary broadcast from the capital, protest over an arrested teacher, a wit - its complaints of fraud in a November relations with both the army and the preventing it breaking ahead (to nuclear arms).” The Biden Naypyitaw, live over Facebook, a plat - ness said. 8 general election, in which Suu Kyi’s former government and had not been administration has said it wants to strengthen and lengthen form it has banned. A woman who was shot in the head National League for Democracy party “informed in advance of the political constraints on Iran, which denies seeking the bomb. Asked about the detention of Nobel in Naypyitaw last week is not expected had won a landslide, were being ig - change”. Students in New Delhi protest against environmentalist’s detention

NEW DELHI dra Modi’s government faces allegations it AGENCIES is suppressing dissent. The government denies the charge and Students chanted slogans outside the Delhi says people are free to protest if it is done police headquarters on Tuesday demanding peacefully. Police said her detention was part the release of a 22-year-old environmentalist of the investigation into the violence that accused of sedition for an online document took place on January 26, Republic Day, in support of farmers’ protests. when thousands of farmers tore down barri - Police say Disha Ravi, a leader of the cades and reached the historic Red Fort and local arm of climate change campaigner raised Khalistan flags there. Greta Thunberg’s advocacy group, created “As far as Disha’s arrest is concerned, it and shared a “toolkit” or an action plan that was done as per the procedures. Law doesn’t was used to foment violence in Delhi last differentiate between a 22-year-old and a 50- month during the protests. year-old,” Delhi police commissioner S.N. Her supporters have denied she did any - Srivastava said. A lawyer for Ravi has de - thing illegal and said the toolkit was an in - clined to comment. Thunberg said on Mon - formation pack about the protests, which day that she had no comment on Ravi’s erupted late last year to demand a rollback arrest. Police also have arrest warrants for of three new agricultural laws, and was not two of Ravi’s two associates, Nikita Jacob designed to incite violence. and Shantanu Muluk. “The way the police took her away is il - Jacob, a Mumbai-based lawyer, has pe - legal,” said Prasenajit Kumar, a leader of the titioned a court, seeking to block her arrest. student group which tried to march to the She said in her petition that she was front gates of the police headquarters. trying to raise awareness about the plight Riot police were on standby and the pro - of farmers protesting against the deregula - testers were pushed back. tion of the produce market. There was no Her arrest in her hometown of Ben - question of inciting violence, she said. galuru on Sunday has stoked outrage and Muluk could not be immediately reached comes at a time when Prime Minister Naren - for comment. Wednesday, 17 February, 2021 KARACHI SPORTS 11 AxAr BAgS fIve-for on deBuT AS KoHLI’S men LeveL SerIeS wITH 317-run wIn CHENNAI England, struggling since the open - AGENCIES ing day, kept losing wickets after resuming on 53-3. Skipper Joe OCAL hero Ashwin Ravichandran Root departed for 33 soon INDIA 329 7ROHIT starred with ball and bat as India after lunch, falling to 161, RAHANE 67, PANT 58 thrashed England by 317 runs in the Patel. of the match. turn from day one and was criticised by the first innings and put on a key 96-run sev - second Test in Chennai to level the Left-arm wrist spin - NOT OUT, MOEEN 461288 AND Ashwin’s five some pundits. enth-wicket partnership with Ashwin on day series at 1-1 on Tuesday. ner Kuldeep Yadav 286 7ASHWIN 106, KOHLI 62, wickets to help bowl Opener Rohit Sharma hit an attacking three. The skipper failed to score in the first LLeft-arm spinner Axar Patel claimed a joined in to finish off out England for 134 161 to set up India’s big innings after they innings. five-wicket haul on his Test debut as Eng - the innings, taking MOEEN 4698, LEACH 461008 BEAT in the first innings in won the toss and elected to bat first. Returning England spinner Ali claimed land were out for 164 while chasing an un - Moeen Ali after he ENGLAND 134 7FOAKES 42 NOT response to India’s Sharma’s seventh Test ton and first eight wickets in the match. Jack Leach took likely 482 on day four. smashed 43 off 18 balls. OUT, ASHWIN 56438 AND 164 329 set the tone for against England raised the pitch of the re - six with his left-arm spin. Ashwin claimed eight wickets in the The last wicket part - the host’s dominance. turning Indian crowd – present in a stadium The third Test–a day-night match–will match and hit 106 with the bat as India nership of 38 between Ali 7MOEEN 43, AXAR 56608 England conceded a for the first time since the coronavirus pan - begin in Ahmedabad on February 24. It is bounced back from their crushing opening and Stuart Broad, unbeaten BY 317 RUNS lead of 195 and then strug - demic. not clear if fans will be allowed into the loss in the four-match series. on five, was England’s highest gled on a pitch that offered Virat Kohli played a part with his 62 in game.

Two ICC elite SA captain Quinton de Kock takes 'mental panel umpires health' break from cricket to officiate in

CAPE TOWN year in 2020, returned from Pakistan last ‘bubble’ life which he described as “unset - All the T20 matches will be played in HBL PSL AGENCIES week after leading South Africa in two los - tling”. He said then that he had mixed feel - Durban between February 19 and 29, with ing Test matches during which he struggled ings about touring Pakistan because of the players staying in a bio-secure environment. KARACHI South Africa captain Quinton de Kock will as a batsman and was criticised for his cap - frustrations of being confined to a bio-se - Although the country’s Test players STAFF REPORT take a ‘mental health’ break and skip a taincy. De Kock, South Africa’s regular cure environment. have had a week off since returning from forthcoming domestic Twenty20 tourna - white-ball captain, agreed to skipper the South Africa’s director of cricket Pakistan, the national T20 squad would International Cricket Council (ICC) elite ment on medical advice. Test side in a temporary capacity during the Graeme Smith said earlier on Monday that have to go straight into the ‘bubble’ after ar - panel umpires Michael Gough and Andrew Breetzke, chief executive of current season. all of the country’s contracted players riving from a series which ended on Sunday. Richard Illingworth will officiate in the the SA Cricketers’ Association, told ESPN - He acknowledged last month he was would play in the T20 tournament, as well “We are trying to manage these bubble lives sixth edition of the Pakistan Super cricinfo De Kock would take time off from feeling the strain of living in bio-secure as the remaining matches in a four-day that the players are spending time in, the League (PSL), starting from February 20. the game “for a few weeks”. bubbles which are a reality for international competition. But it later emerged that De mental health and welfare of players,” said The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) “SACA and Cricket South Africa will cricketers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kock and Faf du Plessis were not in the Smith. “But we need to do get our (national) confirmed that Aleem Dar and the British continue to support him through this Speaking after captaining South Africa squads announced by the country’s six fran - players playing. We’ve got a lot of growth duo of Gough and Illingworth from the process,” said Breetzke. to a home Test series win against Sri Lanka, chises. The reasons for Du Plessis’ absence to happen in our men’s game and for players ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will join De Kock, South Africa’s cricketer of the De Kock questioned the sustainability of was not known. to step up.” seven domestic umpires in the league. Foreign players representing the six franchises in the PSL have already started to arrive in Karachi, which will host the first leg of the matches. The seven local umpires include Ahsan Raza, Asif Werner ends goal drought as Chelsea jump to fourth with win over Newcastle Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Afridi, Imran Jawed, Rashid Riaz, Shozab Raza and Zameer LONDON Haider. The board has also hired a former AGENCIES member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, Roshan Mahanama, to officiate Timo Werner ended his Premier League goal drought as the in the 34-match tournament along with Chelsea forward sealed a 2-0 win against Newcastle that PCB’s Ali Naqvi, Iftikhar Ahmed, lifted the Blues into fourth place on Monday. Muhammad Anees and Mohammad Javed Werner netted late in the first half at Stamford Bridge Malik. The tournament opener between after setting up Olivier Giroud’s opener for Thomas defending champions Karachi Kings and Tuchel’s revitalised team. It was a cathartic moment for 2019 winners Quetta Gladiators at the Werner, who had gone 14 league games without a goal National Stadium will be umpired by since scoring against Sheffield United in November. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza, while Rashid The 24-year-old’s only goal in his previous 19 matches Riaz and Asif Yaqoob will be the third in all competitions had come against minnows Morecambe and fourth umpires respectively. Roshan in the FA Cup. Werner was heralded as one of the best Mahanama will be the match referee. young strikers in Europe after his £50 million ($69 million) move from Leipzig in the close-season. That hype has seemed misplaced during a difficult first Sale of tickets season in England, but his 10th goal for Chelsea capped a lively performance that hinted at better things to come. “As a striker you always want to score. The last month was hard. for HBL PSL I was not happy. Glad I scored today,” said Werner, who praised his compatriot Tuchel’s role in his performance. “It’s helped me that someone can scream at me in Ger - starts today man! He’s a really good guy and has a good idea of the foot - ball we want to play.” Tuchel added: “Timo was decisive NEWS DESK with an assist and goal. I’m very happy with that and he was working hard in the last few matches.” The sale of online tickets for the Tuchel is yet to lose in six games since replacing the was nodded off the line by Dwight Gayle. Werner just about scrambled it into the net from close- upcoming HBL Pakistan Super League’s sacked Frank Lampard in January, with five successive vic - WERNER RELIEF: Abraham was replaced by Giroud range, with his wait to celebrate delayed just a few seconds (PSL) sixth edition will start on tories in all competitions suggesting the former Paris Saint- after suffering an ankle injury in a challenge with Jamaal longer while VAR ruled there was no handball by Giroud Wednesday (today), according to a Germain boss could prove a shrewd appointment. Chelsea Lascelles. Werner was inches away from scoring when he before the goal. After exactly 1000 minutes and 31 shots, statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket are back in the Champions League places – the minimum stretched to reach Alonso’s header, but the German’s toe- Werner had a smile on his face at last. Board (PCB) on Tuesday. The cricketing requirement for a Blues boss – after climbing above West poked effort drifted just wide. Showing signs of emerging Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was preferred to body fixed the prices for 30 of the 34 Ham on goal difference. from his slump, Werner provided the assist for Giroud’s Edouard Mendy as the much-maligned Spaniard made only matches while the rates for tickets of Tuchel is also two points above his fellow German Ju - 31st minute opener. his fourth league start this season and his first since Octo - remaining four matches will be announced rgen Klopp, whose troubled champions Liverpool are lan - Moments after needing treatment for a cut lip, Werner ber. Kepa repaid Tuchel’s faith with a good stop from Jonjo later. Fans will be able to book tickets by guishing in sixth place. “Top four is the target and stays the whizzed past Emil Krafth with a clever shimmy and sent a Shelvey’s free-kick in the second half. Despite their revival visiting www.bookme.pk or calling its target, there are many team behind us chasing,” Tuchel said. low cross into the Newcastle area. under Tuchel, Chelsea are not the finished article and New - helpline at 03137786888. The prices of “We had many points to recover and it stays a big chal - Darlow could only push it out to Giroud and the French castle exposed a few flaws in their defence, only to find the tickets will be starting from as low as lenge because many games are coming. We are going to striker lashed home from 10 yards for his first goal in six error-prone Kepa in unusually obdurate form. Rs500. According to the guidelines of the play teams from the top and bottom, every game is difficult games. With Chelsea well on top, Werner finally got back Joe Willock flicked just wide from close-range, then National Command and Operation Centre and we will keep fighting.” Cesar Azpilicueta went close on the scoresheet in the 39th minute. drew a fine save from Kepa, who dived to his left to keep (NCOC), fans up to 20 per cent of stadium early on as his header beat Newcastle keeper Darlow but Mason Mount’s corner was flicked onto the far post and out the on-loan Arsenal midfielder’s header. capacity will be allowed for each match. CMYK wednesday, 17 February, 2021 PRayeR TimingS FAJR SUNRISE ZUHR ASR MAGHRIB ISHA newS 5:55 7:16 12:36 4:19 5:55 7:16 Pakistan Navy’s Govt rEfusEs to rENEw NAwAz’s PAssPort Aman 2021 exercise but rEAdy to fAcilitAtE his rEturN concludes with ISLAMABAD ‘graceful’ STaff RePoRT RASHEED SAYS AN ETD CAN BE ISSUED TO FORMER international S the passport of deposed PREMIER, IF HE WANTS TO RETURN prime minister and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif fleet review expired on Tuesday, the gov - fused to return. have their names in the no-fly list are ernment has refused to renew His party insists that despite being not issued passports, neither are they iAt but said it will issue a special certifi - summoned by the courts that declared renewed.” cate to enable his return if he so desires. him a proclaimed offender in separate Ahmed observed it was Islamabad In December, Minister for Interior corruption probes, the former premier High Court (IHC) that ordered Sharif to Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had announced will only return after the completion of return to the country. Separately, he told to cancel Sharif’s passport once it ex - his medical treatment. Arab News that the deposed premier did pired at midnight on February 16. After “The names of Nawaz Sharif and not wish to return to Pakistan of his own spending a year in prison, Sharif, 71, Maryam Nawaz are on the Exit Con - choice, not because of an issue with his secured a conditional bail in November trol List (ECL) since August 20, passport. “If he [Sharif] wants to return, 2019 to travel to London on the pretext 2018,” Ahmed said during a press we can issue an emergency travel doc - of medical treatment and has since re - briefing in Islamabad. “Those who ument (ETD) to him,” he said.

Qureshi arrives in Egypt on two-day visit PTI to emerge victorious

ISLAMABAD STaff RePoRT in Senate polls: PM NEWS DESK Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has arrived in Cario for a two-day visit to ISLAMABAD The Pakistan Navy’s Multinational Maritime Exer - Egypt after leaving on Tuesday morning TLTP cise Aman-21 concluded on Tuesday with a upon an invitation by his Egyptian coun - “graceful conduct” of the International Fleet Re - terpart, Sameh Shoukry. The purpose of Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed hope that the view (IFR), a press release by the military’s media the two-day visit to the brotherly country Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would emerge as a vic - wing said. President Arif Alvi attended the event is to hold in-depth discussions with his torious party in the Senate elections, scheduled to be as the chief guest and was received by Chief of Shoukry on bilateral relations. Upon ar - held on March 3. The premier said this while chairing a the Naval Staff (CONS) Admiral Muhammad rival in Egypt, he was warmly received at meeting of the government spokespersons. Amjad Khan Niazi. Other officials present on the Cairo airport by Assistant Foreign Minister The meeting discussed the current political situation occasion included Minister for Maritime Affairs of Egypt Tariq Al-Wasmi, Charge d’Af - and the Senate elections while the spokespersons were Ali Zaidi as well as Minister for Defence Produc - faires at Pakistan’s Embassy in Cairo Shah briefed on the government’s decisions. tion Zobaida Jalal, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Nazar Khan and senior officials. Besides The meeting also discussed the matter pertaining to Ali Shah, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Commit - holding discussions with the Egyptian For - the issuance of the ticket to Yousuf Raza Gilani, the joint tee Gen Nadeem Raza and Chief of Army Staff eign Minister and other senior officials for candidate of the opposition alliance. Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, among others. Military the promotion of bilateral relations and co - Speaking on the occasion, the premier said the ruling officials, ambassadors, high commissioners, de - operation in diverse areas, Foreign Minis - party will easily win the Senate elections as the party has fence and naval attaches of various countries also ter Qureshi will also hold a special given tickets to the best candidates. “The PTI will easily attended the event. Several operational manoeu - meeting with the business community in win the Senate elections. The party has broken the tra - vres and drills were held during the IFR, which Cairo. During the visit, he will also visit dition of giving Senate tickets to billionaires,” he added. also features an “impressive fly past” by the Pak - the Headquarters of the Arab League in The PM further said that the expenditure of the istan Navy, Pakistan Air Force as well as partici - Cairo and hold a meeting with the secre - Prime Minister Office (PMO) has been reduced from wherein sources in the ruling party had told Pakistan pating foreign aircraft, followed by man and tary-general (SG) of the Arab League. The Rs506 million to Rs243 million during the PTI govern - Today that the party leaders had conveyed to the prime cheer-ship by participating ships. The exercise visit of Foreign Minister is expected to ment’s tenure, adding that parliamentarians are standing minister reservations of the party’s lawmakers and the came to an end with ships of Pakistan Navy and further strengthen bilateral relations be - with the party despite their reservations. allied parties over wrong selection of the party’s candi - participating countries forming the traditional tween Pakistan and Egypt. According to a Commenting over the Pakistan Democratic Move - dates for March 3 elections. Aman formation “to signify unity and collective statement by the Ministry of Foreign Af - ment’s (PDM) proposed long march, the prime minister Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan today ex - resolve”. President Alvi congratulated the Navy fairs (MoFA), the visit comes on the back went onto say that the long march of the PDM would pressed his gratitude to the overseas Pakistanis for re - on hosting another successful Aman event, reaf - of the meetings held between Prime Minis - also fail like its public rallies. sponding so strongly to the State Bank of Pakistan’s firming the country’s “resolve for promoting ter Imran Khan and Egypt President Abdel While the premier is quite optimistic, internal bick - (SBP) Roshan Digital Accounts and sending $500 mil - peace and security”. He also thanked the partici - Fattah Al-Sisi. The visit will include de - ering and criticism by the leaders of the PTI had forced lion to the country in just five months. pating naval forces for “displaying their commit - tailed consultations with Egyptian counter - Prime Minister Imran Khan a day earlier to once again “Momentum continues to rise with $243 million ment to collaborative maritime security despite part officials and with leading Egyptian review the party tickets awarded for the upcoming Sen - coming in last six weeks alone,” Imran Khan said in a Covid-19 pandemic”. He expressed the hope that businessmen and members of the Pakistani ate elections. tweet posted on his social media account. The prime the Aman exercise will pave the way to regional community, it had said earlier. A meeting of the Parliamentary Board of PTI was minister in his tweet also mentioned the opening of peace and security “with combined efforts by all held under the chairmanship of the premier on Monday, 87,883 Roshan Digital Accounts from 97 countries. stakeholders”. US firm discovers Indian spyware targeting Pakistan army

AGENCIES tract data from users. “SunBird has been disguised as applications that Two malware programs on an Android-based plat - include Security services, such as the fictional Google form with ties to the Indian military have been spy - Security Framework, Apps tied to specific locations ing on Pakistan Army, a US-based cybersecurity (Kashmir News) or activities (Falconry Connect and company said. Mania Soccer), Islam-related applications (Quran Ma - In a report, dated February 10, Lookout Inc., a Cal - jeed),” the report said. ifornia-based provider of mobile security solutions, The majority of applications appear to target Mus - said it has discovered the two malware — Hornbill and lim individuals, the report added. SunBird — which are used by a cyber group named Both malware, which is circulated as fake Android Confucius that first appeared in 2013 as “a state-spon - apps, can access users’ call logs, contacts, images, sored, pro-India actor primarily pursuing Pakistani and browser history, and they take screenshots and photos other South Asian targets.” with the device camera. “Targets of these tools include personnel linked to Some major targets included an ”individual who Pakistan’s military, nuclear authorities, and Indian elec - applied for a position at the Pakistan Atomic Energy tion officials in Kashmir,” the statement said. Commission, individuals with numerous contacts in “Hornbill and SunBird have sophisticated capabil - the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), as well as officers re - ities to exfiltrate SMS, encrypted messaging app con - sponsible for electoral rolls (Booth Level Officers) tent, and geolocation, among other types of sensitive located in the Pulwama district of Kashmir”, the information,” it added. analysis found. Confucius had created in the past malware for Win - “The data included information on victims in Eu - dows operating systems, but the group has been known rope and the United States, some of which appear to be developing mobile malware since 2017 when the spy - targets of spouse ware or stalker were. It also included ing app ChatSpy was created. data on Pakistan nationals in Pakistan, India, and the While SunBird has a remote access function United Arab Emirates (UAE) that we believe may be that can execute commands on a device by an at - targeted by Confucius APT campaigns between 2018 tacker, Hornbill is a surveillance tool that can ex - and 2019,” the detailed report added.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: [email protected]