LAHORE: Expressing concern over allowing the inbound stranded overseas Pakistani passengers go home from airports, the Punjab Cabinet Committee to Combat Coronavirus Threat has decided to take up the matter with the federal government for quarantining the coronavirus-positive passengers on arrival.

Currently, three to four planes are bringing stranded Pakistanis and landing at different airports in the province and reports suggest that around 20 to 25pc stranded Pakistanis are being tested positive for the coronavirus.

The committee decided to go for fines varying from Rs500 to Rs5,000 on violators of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) only after an awareness campaign.

Cabinet body told up to 25pc passengers are Covid patients

The committee meeting, chaired by Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan at Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Thursday, was told that the federal government had issued directions to let the inbound passengers at Punjab airports go home without stopping them.

“This direction is playing havoc with the efforts to check the spread of coronavirus as the Covid-19 patients immediately infect their children and family members,” a source in the meeting told Dawn.

The source said the meeting was reported that most of the coronavirus cases were coming from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Explaining that India had completely closed flights to bring its stranded citizens back, though they were in much higher number than stranded Pakistanis, the committee was of the opinion that a way-out strategy must be planned so that the stranded Pakistanis should not propel the coronavirus spread in Punjab.

“This serious matter of quarantine of inbound Covid-19-positive Pakistanis will immediately be taken up with the federal government for discussion in the next National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) meeting,” the meeting decided, according to the source.

In order to check the local multiplication of the coronavirus due to non-observance of the SOPs by the general public as well as traders and shopkeepers, the committee entered into a heated debate and unanimously resolved to go for zero tolerance towards the violators. The committee discussed that the strategy of closing of few shops in a market was not yielding any results as the traders’ bodies and associations would confront the government to open the sealed shops.

“The government decided that on the charge of non-observance of SOPs, the complete market will be sealed,” a source said and added that the government was continuously asking the traders community to ensure observance of the SOPs as it was in the interest of their own businesses. However, complete disregard of the SOPs, including wearing of masks, sanitisation of hands and physical distance, was being observed by the civil administration.

With regard to the issues taken up with the transport owners, the cabinet committee was informed that the transport owners were asked to lower fares by 20pc while they were given relief in petrol prices by up to 35pc to ensure that they would observe physical distancing by utilising only 50pc seats in the public transport. However, the source said, the meeting was told that there were again blatant violations of the SOPs as well as charge of fares from the commuters.

The committee decided that fines should not immediately be imposed and directed that the policemen and traffic wardens should stop all those commuters not wearing masks and ask them to cover their mouth and nose with at least a handkerchief and women with their dupatta.

“This warning campaign will continue for a couple of days and then the government will go for imposing fines under the punishments explained by the Corona Ordinance,” an official toldDawn.

The corona ordinance punishments explain Rs500 fine for not wearing masks in public places; Rs500 for spitting in public places; Rs2,000 for violating home quarantine SOPs; and Rs2,000 for violating physical distancing by shopkeepers and commercial centres. For violation of physical distancing in public transport would entail Rs1,000 fine in buses, Rs5,000 in vans, Rs2,000 in cars and Rs500 in rickshaws.

The cabinet committee was briefed that there were 2,744 ventilators in the government and private hospitals across the province and 221 Covid-19 patients were on ventilators while 533 patients of other diseases were on ventilators, leaving 2,000 ventilators unoccupied to date.

Similarly, the committee was told that 9,276 beds had been dedicated for Covid patients and 2,765 beds of them were currently occupied while 6,511 beds were still available. It was stated that the Punjab government had so far conducted 259,254 tests, including 4,421 during the past 24 hours.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

LAHORE: Apparently in view of grain shortage in the country during the harvesting season, the federal government has announced importing wheat to make up for the lower local yield this year.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam says orders have already been placed for importing 0.5 million tonnes of wheat.

Mr Imam told a delegation of flour millers that to ensure food security, the government decided to import wheat and that most of the buying agreements in this regard had been signed for an early import, according to a meeting participant on Thursday.

The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) team that met the minister comprised its central chairman Asim Raza, Punjab chief Abdul Rauf Mukhtar and Tariq Sadiq.

The PFMA representatives told the minister that the flour supply in the market was satisfactory and keeping in view the wheat stock there’s no risk of wheat products’ shortage in the country.

They demanded inclusion of the private sector in wheat import and enhancing the import target to 1.0 million ton by the public sector only to stabilise the prices in the local market and avert any untoward situation in the future.

They sought an increase in the wheat import quota for the private sector, which was presently set at 0.5 million ton.

They also sought waiver of 6 percent duty and 2pc additional tax on the import at once, besides allowing millers to export wheat byproducts, arguing that the step would serve as an incentive for the local farming community to grow more wheat in the next season.

The meeting participant claimed that the minister assured the delegation of “positive steps” in response to their demands and making a decision in this regard at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the Natio­nal Locust Control Centre (NLCC) on Thursday.

During his visit, he was briefed by Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen Moazzam Ejaz about the efforts being undertaken to counter the locust threat.

According to a press release, the army chief appreciated the NLCC role in synergising national efforts in line with the National Action Plan. He reiterated that the army would make all possible resources available to help the civil administration in combating the locust threat. He further stressed that effective control operations were essential for ensuring food security in the country and in mitigating the negative economic impact. The government had already declared national emergency in this regard, the statement said.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

KASUR: The familiesas well as relatives of two patients could not attend their funeral and perform other rituals for being suspected carriers of Covid-19.

The deceased were later tested negative.

The local health authorities and administration forced the families to follow the SOPs on Wednesday.

People decried showing disrespect to the bodies due to the inefficiency of the administration and hurried burial (without waiting for the reports that came few hours later).

Three deaths in a day, two of them within half a kilometer, spread panic and the families of the deceased also avoided other rituals.

Attiqur Rehman, 55, of Kot Usman Khan locality, Tanvir Ahmed, 50, of Bhatta Sohandin locality and Muhammad Aslam of Khudian died at the DHQ Hospital on Wednesday. Rehman was brought to the hospital with asthma and temperature while Ahmed was rushed to the health facility with high blood pressure.

They were later shifted to corona isolation ward where already some people were quarantined for treatment.

The officials took samples of three suspected patients and Aslam was tested positive while the results of Rehman and Ahmed were being awaited. After their death, the health authorities and local administration did not allow the families to take the bodies home and perform rituals including bath and funeral procession.

The bodies were taken to the graveyard from hospital and buried in the presence of administration officials and few relatives.

When people learnt about their death due to coronavirus, the residents of the localities as well as kith and kin avoided visiting the families for condolence.

According to Muhammad Javid of Kot Usman Khan, no one from the locality visited the house of Rehman to condole.

Health Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Mubashar said the bodies of the suspects were buried with SOPs as it was not possible to keep the bodies in the morgue for days.

He said there was workload on the laboratory and there were chances that the reports could take days.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The capital administration sealed two commercial centres, 22 industrial units and more than 100 stores for violating standard operating procedures (SOP) introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Administration officials were sent out to monitor SOP implementation after a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases reported in the city. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat, assistant commissioners and magistrates went out separately to check various localities.

Mr Shafqaat observed violations in Bhara Kahu Market on Athal Chowk and New Aabpara Market, both of which were sealed, officials said.

Mr Shafqaat confirmed his visit to Bhara Kahu Market and New Aabpara Market and said he saw massive SOP violations, because of which he sealed entire markets.

He said people were seen visiting shops without wearing masks or gloves, and were not practicing social distancing. Public and private vehicles also violated SOPs, he said.

Administration officials conducted widespread inspections to monitor implementation of SOPs, which they said are being violated by people and businesses alike

TheRuralassistant commissioner sealed 17 shops in P.W.D. Market, Lohi Bher Market and Sihala Bazaar, and 13 people were fined for violating SOPs, while the Industrial Area assistant commissioner sealed five commercial entities in Karachi Company and I-8 Markaz.

The Secretariat assistant commissioner checked the Bari Imam area and sealed more than a dozen shops, as well as three fuel stations.

A survey of markets conducted by the administration and police revealed that most of the markets in Bari Imam and near Quaid-i-Azam University were open and the vast majority of people were not taking precautions to avoid contracting Covid-19 such as wearing masks and gloves.

SOPs are not being implemented at the Bari Imam shrine, which was opened to the public, and people are not practicing social distancing.

In Industrial Area, fruit and vegetable vendors and cart vendors selling green grocery items in Sangam Market in I-8/3 are not implementing SOPs either, officials said, adding that this is a very dangerous situation that will result in the coronavirus spreading even further.

A survey of kiosks and roadside outlets in the Sabzi Mandi area, I-10 Markaz and automobile markets in I-10/3 revealed that there was no implementation of SOPs.

No one is wearing masks or gloves or using hand sanitiser to protect themselves.

The same situation was observed in markets in the Koral area.

Officials told Dawn that most of the capital’s commercial centres and markets were opened because of the government’s decision, but none of these centres or shops are abiding by the timing restrictions. Many have stayed open past 7pm until late into the night.

Most commercial centres, markazes, markets and shops have not made any arrangements for social distancing either, and many people have been found in these areas ignoring SOPs.

Senior administration and police officers have been approached with requests to implement SOPs strictly, they said, as the situation is worsening day by day and will spiral out of control.

97 shops sealed, 18 arrested for violating SOPs

With at least 2,435 Covid-19 cases reported in Rawalpindi and 105 dead, the district administration has made it mandatory for shopkeepers and customers to wear masks and sealed 97 shops, imposed Rs225,000 in fines and arrested 18 people for violating SOPs on Thursday.

“All the traders associations in the district were informed of the SOPs before markets were opened, and they were asked to use masks, gloves and hand sanitiser and to ensure that customers also take these measures,” Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq told the media.

He said the district administration was working to implement SOPs and no negligence would be tolerated in this regard. Monitoring teams are visiting markets every day.

Mr Haq said there are 113 critical Covid-19 patients and 27 patients have been placed on ventilators, while another 1,246 are stable and isolated in their homes.

Apart from this, he said, the district administration is working to control profiteering and hoarding, and shopkeepers have been fined for charging high prices.

He said there is enough space in government-run hospitals to handle Covid-19 patients, and 3,000 people can be accommodated at one time. The provincial government has allocated Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) for Covid-19.

Of the 112 ventilators available in Rawalpindi’s four hospitals, 27 are in use at the moment, he said.

26 test positive for Covid-19

Five more people died from Covid-19 on Thursday and 26 tested positive.

A 45-year-old patient who lived in Mohammad Kashmirian died at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), while a 57-year-old resident of Mohallah Fazalabad died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

A 72-year-old ma died at the Military Hospital, and 85-year-old patient who lived near Radio Pakistan on Peshawar Road also died at the Military Hospital and a 65-year-old patient who lived in Chaklala Scheme III died at HFH.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday op­p­­osed the federal government’s policy of allowing people coming from abroad to go home without getting the result of their Covid-19 test.

Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab has suggested that returnees should not be allowed to go home until the result of their coronavirus test is received.

“Those who tested negative for coronavirus should be allowed to go home,” he said in a statement.

“Some 123 out of 246 people who arrived from Saudi Arabia recently tested positive for coronavirus. They should be kept in the isolation centres. Allowing the passengers to go home without waiting for their test result is a negative policy that will further spread the virus,” he said.

The adviser said that only those passengers who tested negative should be allowed to go home. He said now the Sindh government would trace the passengers who had tested positive to keep them in isolation centres.

He said coronavirus was spreading rapidly in the country due to poor policies of the federal government.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has made wearing face mask mandatory for entry to offices as the province recorded 21 deaths due to coronavirus and 517 new cases of the infectious disease on Thursday.

The provincial tally of fatalities due to the pandemic reached 521 while number of cases stood at 11,890, a report by health department said.

As cases and deaths due to the virus kept increasing for the past few days, the government made wearing face mask compulsory in government offices.

Lady Reading Hospital has decided to start limited OPDs for semi-emergency patients with strict adherence to social distancing measures and related SOPs from Monday.

A notification issued on Thursday said that it was notified in the best public interest that no person would be allowed to enter any government office without wearing a face mask in order to stem infection of coronavirus.

21 deaths and 517 new cases of coronavirus recorded in KP

The order issued by the administration department also instructed the line departments to display banners bearing the text “no mask, no entry”, at the entrance of offices. The notification circulated to administrative secretaries said that it was applicable to all the departments with immediate effect.

Of the newly died persons due to the pandemic, nine belonged to Peshawar where number of deaths reached 283, the highest by any district in the province as well as in the country.

The provincial capital also detected 249 new patients, raising the count of its overall cases to 4423. Swat, the second highly endemic district after Peshawar, recorded three deaths, making number of people passed away due to the infection 50 so far.

Swat has also recorded 1,125 infected patients, the second highest number of cases after Peshawar. It detected 60 new patients during the last 24 hours, according to the report, which said that 26 more patients were diagnosed as Covid-19 positive in Abbottabad where total cases reached 364.

Abbottabad, the hardest-hit district in Hazara division, has so far registered 18 deaths due to the pandemic including two more during the last 24 hours.

The number of people passed away due to Covid-19 reached 18 with two new deaths and patients tally became 326 with detection of virus in 26 more people, said the report. It said that 71 more patients recovered from the pandemic, making the total number of recovered patients from the ailment 3,221.

Meanwhile, LRH, where OPD remained closed for the last two months due to Covid-19 pandemic, has decided to start examining semi-emergency patients in open space. However, normal patients will not be entertained at the hospital.

The decision to resume OPD was made in a meeting wherein after open discussion, it was concluded that about 30 patients would be examined per day. One specialty will hold OPD per day during which patients as well as hospital staff will adhere to precautionary measures to prevent Covid-19 infection.

Prof Suleiman Khan, the medical director of the hospital, made the decision after taking suggestions from heads of specialties, said the hospital spokesman. Triage in the hospital would continue at the hospital to see suspected Covid-19 patients as per protocol, he added.

The spokesman said that needy patients other than emergencies would be given medical treatment. Services for critically-ill and injured patients would continue at the accidents and emergency department as usual, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

KARACHI: As many as 1,667 new cases of coronavirus emerged and 20 patients succumbed to the virus over the past 24 hours, stated Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a press statement issued from CM House on Thursday.

He said that the highest number of 8,390 tests were conducted against which 1,667 new cases emerged that constituted 20 per cent of the tests.

“A total of 208,843 samples have been tested which produced 33,536 cases that came to 16.1pc of the total tests.”

Mr Shah said 20 more patients died lifting the death toll to 575, which came to 1.7pc of the total patients. He said that 366 patients were in critical condition, of them 66 were put on ventilator.

According to Mr Shah, at present 16,179 patients were under treatment and 14,910 of them were in home isolation, 99 at isolation centres and 1,170 at different hospitals.

He said that the recovery rate of the coronavirus patients in Sindh had come to 50.1pc. “Our 764 patients recovered overnight and returned to normal life. The number of patients recovered so far has reached 16,782,” he added.

Giving district-wise details, the CM said that out of 1,667 cases, Karachi had 1,311 new cases, of them 312 in East, 271 Korangi, 257 South, 241 West, 143 Central, and 87 Malir.

He said that Hyderabad had 42, Ghotki 38, Kashmore 32, Khairpur 25, Sukkur 24, Larkana 22, Shaheed Benazirabad 21, Dadu and Sujawal 11 cases each, Shikarpur 10, Badin eight, Jamshoro seven, Sanghar five, Jacobabad, Qambar, Umerkot, and Tando Mohammad Khan have three cases each, and Thatta, Mirpurkhas and Matiari have one case each.

The chief minister urged people to be careful and adopt precautionary measures to defeat the pandemic.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

"I won’t allow this on my watch," said an incensed chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Hafeez ur Rehman, talking to The Third Pole over the phone from the capital city of Gilgit. He was referring to the recent announcement by Prime Minister Imran Khan in which Khan talked about opening the tourism industry and directed the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and GB to prepare standard operating procedures in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The prime minister pointed out that the warm months were important for those whose livelihoods are linked to tourism and feared a continued closure could lead to more joblessness.

As coronavirus infections in the country spiked and fatalities increased following a relaxation of the lockdown on May 9, many were expecting an imposition of a stricter lockdown. In fact, two weeks before the government had eased the lockdown, the Punjab health department had warned of an unprecedented spike in the rate of infections in Lahore alone. "No workplace and residential area of any town is disease-free," it had warned.

In light of these apprehensions, this decision to further open tourism has raised eyebrows. Some have termed it "crazy" and "insane".

Putting communities at risk

"He [the prime minister] will be responsible for mass homicide," said Lahore-based Maria Umar, a social entrepreneur working for financial empowerment of women and who visits the mountainous regions of Pakistan religiously every year.

"Hunza is probably the one place that’s safe from Covid-19 and he [prime minister] is putting the lives of those people at risk by opening tourism. I want to go to the mountains and spend a week camping in Deosai, but what I need to do for myself and others is stay put where I am," she emphasised. "He is giving a false sense of security to others which is going to end ugly," Umar warned.

While some in the government will eagerly point to countries in Europe which are reopening tourism hotspots like Rome’s Colosseum and the leaning tower of Pisa, it is important to note that these countries have largely come down from their "peak phases" whereas Pakistan’s is a few weeks away.

Pakistan is now among the world’s top 10 countries when it comes to new daily deaths and cases.

Government's defence

Defending the prime minister’s announcement, Aftab Rana, chairman of the National Tourism Recovery Action Committee, said the decision was neither sudden nor out of the blue, but a "well thought-out" one.

"We have been meticulously working on developing a strategy to open up tourism now for the last three months," he said. He added that the idea is not to open the floodgates for tourists, but allow "controlled tourism" with strict health measures.

He said that stakeholders such as big and small hoteliers to restaurant owners, porters and transporters have been consulted by the government. Even shop owners, tour operators and guides were part of the decision-making, he said.

This was endorsed by Khushal Khan, Secretary Tourism of KP. "Once we get a nod, we will ensure through the district administration and the police that the SOPs (standard operating procedures) are enforced," he said.

Khan said crowding will be limited both in terms of occupancy in guest rooms and in dining areas of hotels as well as restaurants and no one will be allowed anywhere without masks and gloves. Social distancing and disinfecting guidelines will also be put in place. He said the signage, sign boards and pamphlets for the tourists to follow the rules have already been designed.

But GB’s chief minister Rehman remained unconvinced. "It is one thing to have these on paper; quite another to implement them on the ground," he said. "I oppose this emphatically."

Unfortunately, he said, his term will end on June 24.

Pakistan on the cusp of tourism boom

The fears expressed by Rehman and others in the travel trade are legitimate. Even in big cities in Pakistan, many of the SOPs in place for public gatherings, shops and mosques have been blatantly violated. Mask wearing and face coverings are far from the norm and commercial centres are crammed with people standing close to one another.

Despite these violations of SOPs and the swelling cases and deaths, the government appears desperate to re-open travel to the mountains. Even pre-Covid-19, Prime Minister Khan was eager to boost tourism in the scenic northern areas, with many speculating that the October 2019 visit of Prince William and Kate Middleton would put Pakistan back in the spotlight as an attractive, safe tourist spot.

With Covid-19 and its resultant economic slowdown, it appears that the government’s hopes of generating revenue through Pakistan’s fledgling tourism industry were thwarted — revenue and jobs that it is not prepared to forego out of fear of the virus.

Rana insisted that the number of visitors to these places was significant to allow opening tourism. "Over 1.5 million domestic tourists visit GB, in these months; and 1.2 million visit places like Swat, Peshawar, Chitral, Abbottabad etc., annually. Imagine the impact these regions will feel without this form of income generation."

The chief minister of GB, however, had a different take: "We survived a decade without tourism when terrorists stalked our land; a year without tourism will not be a problem," Rehman said, adding that 90% of the citizens of GB were opposed to outsiders visiting their region at this time of the pandemic.

"Our health system is just not good enough to take the load if things go out of control," he said.

Poor healthcare

The statistics for healthcare infrastructure are indeed grim. According to a 2017 study by Amimah Fatima Asif, a medical officer at the district headquarter hospital in Skardu, emergency departments and mental health are among the most undermined and forsaken areas of healthcare, primarily in the far flung Gilgit Baltistan region.

"Another grave issue is that the doctor to population ratio in GB is alarmingly disproportionate i.e. 1:4100 whereas the national statistic is 1:1206," she wrote in the study, which was published in the Pakistan Journal of Public Health. "This statistical evidence testifies to the stark reality that healthcare in Gilgit-Baltistan is in an appalling state."

She added: "The DHQs, THQs, BHUs (government health centres at various levels), and dispensaries are of negligible benefit to the community since doctors are rarely available, a handful of laboratory investigations are being performed, there is a serious shortage of trained laboratory and operation theatre technicians and trained nursing staff, and no basic medicines are procurable. Accident and emergency departments are in [a] dismal state with limited availability of lifesaving drugs."

Tour operators oppose re-opening

Seema Alkarimi, a young woman from GB who started an AirBnB style startup called 'LetsHome', is among those opposed to the re-opening of tourism. Business was good for the two years since this started. But she has been refusing to book for destination weddings, 'corona vacations' and yoga retreats.

She fears the tourists will not follow the SOPs issued by the government and the local people hired to cater to them will fall sick.

"I’d rather lose customers and business than have my people fall sick," she said. Like the chief minister, she said there were "just not enough health facilities" in GB.

But even if tourism is re-opened, said Afshan Bano, who works in the hospitality industry, "holidaying here will just not be the same as it was pre-pandemic."

"For instance, we will not be able to give our guests the warm traditional welcome offering of the home-made bread and butter and the welcome drink," she said, adding they have to come up with a newer way that requires "minimal human touch".

With a decade of experience working with a five-star chain of hotels in GB as marketing and communications manager, Bano said: "Earlier, tourists would walk about freely around town, pick cherries from trees belonging to locals; many would get invited in for a cup of tea; or shown the inside of a home…all this will not happen. People are just too scared."

The same fear and trepidation is palpable in the hotel business too. "We will be taking a lot of precautions from the time a guest arrives at the airport till he leaves our premises — we already are. But what if a guest gets infected? All the blame will fall on us."

For now, Bano said, her hotel was holding on to the reservations and will book as soon as they get the GB government’s approval.

Header photo by Alamy

This article originally appeared on thethirdpole.net and has been reproduced with permission.

WANA: Mismanagement marred jirga of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe here on Thursday. It was convened by the administration to seek input of local tribes to stop targeted killing and other crimes in South Waziristan tribal district.

Deputy Commissioner Hamid Ullah Khattak chaired the jirga which was also attended by officers of the law-enforcement agencies and elders of Ahmadzai tribe. The district administration had convened the jirga at Wana’s Frontier Corps camp to devise a joint strategy to end lawlessness.

The area has witnessed sharp increase in crimes particularly targeted killings in recent days. The elders demanded ban on movement of vehicles with tinted glasses in the area. They asked the government to shift all offices, including camp office of South Waziristan deputy commissioner, from adjacent Tank district to Wana.

The jirga witnessed uproar when local leader of Awami National Party Ayaz Wazir proposed to empower the police to take decisive action against criminals and maintain peace in the area. He said that police should be empowered to raid houses for arrest of wanted persons.

His proposal infuriated the elders which caused mismanagement in the jirga. The elders said that raids by police on houses would be considered violation of local customs and traditions. They said police would not be allowed to enter homes.

Officials said that after differences the administration postponed the jirga. However, elders of Ahmadzai Wazir convened their own jirga in Wana on Friday (today).

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

PESHAWAR: The district administration of Peshawar on Thursday arrested 385 people, mostly traders, and sealed several pharmacies and superstores for not following the standard operating procedures enforced to prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a statement issued here, Umer Pharmacy, Naik Store and Esa Electronics on University Road, Chen-One and Macro Mart on Ring Road, Madina Express, Bilal Daewoo and Faisal Movers on GT Road and Afghan Market and Baba G Market in Qissa Khwani Bazaar were sealed, while owners of many shops were fined.

Officials of the administration and provincial transport authority checked passengers and transporters at the Motorway Toll Plaza and fined many of them for not wearing face masks. Some drivers were fined for overcharging commuters.

The officials warned that they won’t spare those ignoring SOPs.

Shops sealed, transporters, commuters fined in different parts of province

They checked more than 90 filling stations in the city and arrested managers of 18 of them for hoarding petroleum products and overcharging consumers.

Also in the day, the administration of Khyber tribal district sealed 11 shops for violating SOPs here.

A statement issued by the office of the deputy commissioner said a total of Rs16,500 fine was imposed on SOP violators, while warnings were issued to 148 shopkeepers for not wearing face masks.

It said 37 taxi drivers were also issued warnings for not wearing masks.

It said it was observed during visits to markets and taxi stands on Tuesday, only 50-60 per cent of the residents took protective measures against the virus, so it had been decided to intensify regular checking of crowded places.

Meanwhile, the Mansehra district police claimed to have booked over 437 people under the National Action Plan.

A statement issued by the district police said besides the deployment of personnel at quarantine centres and ensured the enforcement of Covid-19 SOPs across the district, the police had also launched a crackdown on outlaws and achieved a record success during the last month.

It said a large cache of chars, heron and liquor was also seized and dozens of drug peddlers were held during a crackdown.

The police also arrested 14 people wanted for heinous crimes and seized unlicensed arms and ammunition from their possession.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court here has granted bail to a suspected militant commander charged with carrying out a terrorist attack on a checkpost which had left two police constables dead around a decade ago in Badhber area.

The court accepted a bail petition filed by the suspect, Gul Mat Khan, a resident of Khyber tribal district, who the prosecution claimed was a commander of proscribed Lashkar-i-Islam.

The prosecution alleged that the petitioner along with other militants had attacked Speen Qabar checkpost, which was jointly manned by personnel of police and Frontier Constabulary, with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers in 2010.

The attack had left two constables killed and several others injured.

An FIR of the occurrence was registered under 302/324/353/427 of Pakistan Penal Code, section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act and section 3-4 of Explosive Substance Act.

Advocate Shabbir Hussain Gigyani appeared for the petitioner and contended that his client was falsely implicated in the case. He argued that the investigation wing of police had failed to collect any evidence regarding his linkage to any terrorist organisation.

LAHORE: The city administration on Thursday sealed over 100 shops for violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Punjab government on Wednesday and warned to get tougher by the day if shopkeepers and people do not behave.

Explaining the activity, an official of the district administration explained: “Thursday was more of a warning shot. It was day first of implementation of the SOPs and the administration just wanted to convey its seriousness to traders. The severity and frequency of raids would certainly increase by the day if violations are reported.”

“The provincial government had a meeting with traders in the afternoon and it just wanted to get the message through. That is why administration along with police visited not only every nook and corner of the city but also its suburbs and conurbations as well. The spread of shop sealing explains the extent: 30 shops on Hall Road, 25 in Township, four in Garhi Shahu area and rest in Walled City, Anarkali and as far as Raiwind. The total 107 shops were sealed on the day,” he said.

The Lahore police, which assisted the administration, says that shops have only been sealed, no FIRs have been lodged or arrests made. The exercise was restricted to sealing of few shops and warning to others as it was aimed at “conveying the message” that government means business. “So, ensure sanitizers, masks and social distance. Otherwise, your business runs the risk,” he claimed.

Meanwhile,Minister for Industries and Trade Aslam Iqbal held a meeting with traders at the Town Hall and issued a list of policy contours: “Complete monitoring of markets will be ensured; I myself will conduct surprise visits; even if a single shop is found violating SOPs, the entire market will be sealed; no one would be allowed to keep shutter up after 7pm and no one will be allowed to continue business with half shutters down (a common occurrence reported from markets).”

Flanked by the Lahore Division commissioner, deputy commissioner, CCPO and other officers concerned, the minister said traders had assured “implementation of all SOPs” and they had been told about the financial cost of violations.

“The traders have been told in no uncertain terms that strict checking would be conducted at the entry points of markets and no one without mask would be allowed to enter the market. If a customer comes to shop without mask, the shopkeeper is supposed to provide one. The children and elderly would not be allowed in markets either. The traders are also supposed to immediately remove all encroachments in the markets to avoid rush and movement of customers.”

Denying “any proposal under consideration” to impose curfew or complete lockdown, the minister said though there was no such scheme on the table, it certainly becomes an option if traders or any other segments of society violate the SOPs. The traders assured complete cooperation to observe SOPs and also gave suggestions for better implementation.

Meanwhile, theGujranwala district administration reinforced lockdown due to rapidly increasing cases of corona and ignorance of SOPs by public till Sunday.

The main markets were closed by the district administration.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020

If a judge of the superior court has allegedly violated any law, is it a fit case for the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to enquire into his misconduct or must the SJC wait for the law to take its own course? Many questions come to mind. For example, can their lordships be tried like us? But why not? If my lords can be handed over a ticket for over speeding, why can’t the Federal Board of Revenue proceed against them if they haven’t filed their returns properly? But then, can a judge be tried for money laundering? How can the executive be given a license to prosecute judges; what if they are then persecuted on account of ulterior motives? Isn’t executive the largest litigant who has its own ball before the superior courts every day? What if a baseless finding is given against a judge? In that case, can he approach a court of law and then, how can a lower court independently decide such a case?

Looking at the example of India, we find that permission of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is required before a judge can be charged for corruption, but why just the chief justice? What if he doesn't like the judge? After all, independence of judiciary also envisages independence from your own colleagues as well.

Ahron Barrack in his book "judge in a democracy" states with utmost conviction that "a judge has no master except the law" and whilst most unlawful actions may be termed as misconduct, when both are surely separate, why can't they be tried separately? But how can they be tried separately when the code of conduct issued by SJC warrants "that a judge must at all times remain blameless"? Shouldn’t then the SJC be exclusively competent to enquire into all such aspects? But on what basis must the president form his opinion when no one else but only the SJC can conduct the enquiry? All these are some of the most captivating questions which have arisen out of the 184(3) proceedings filed by a sitting judge of the SC before the apex court and in a way also against the court (on account of allegations against SJC members). Simply put, it is the "the Supreme Court on trial" and all eyes are on it. The court is conscious of the fact that it has to maintain a higher threshold; how otherwise would one satisfy the public when they ask "who will watch the watchman?"

The question that really goes to the heart of the matter is where to draw the line between accountability and independence? Impeachment is the only method for removal of superior court judges embraced by some of the most developed countries in the world, including USA, Japan, UK Canada, Australia, India and other common law countries. It requires two separate trials, a factual trial by a body invariably comprising of experts including sitting or retired judges and thereafter a political question is tried by the legislature which requires a 2/3rd majority of total members present in most of these countries.

For instance, in India, five separate steps are required; at least 100 members from Loksabha or 50 from Rajiyasabha are required to initiate a motion, and if the chairman approves, he then sends it to a committee of three members (any sitting judge of the SC, retired judge of the SC, chief justice of any state) which he constitutes in consultation with CJI. In the event that the committee unanimously finds the judge guilty only then the matter proceeds for the trial on the political question, and at least a majority of total membership of both the houses and 2/3rd of the total members present is required for the motion to succeed. As if the protection was not enough, the Indian SC continues to reserve the power of judicial review even after the process is over.

So much for independence of judiciary? Layers over layers, walls within walls and fort within forts. People may curiously ask why one organ of the state is excessively protected? The answer to this would only satisfy them once they understand that all those layers are not for the judges and what is impenetrable is not the judge but their own lis before the court.

Independence of judiciary is not for the judge but for the one who is judged. Would you ever lodge a complaint before a judge if you knew he was weak? When a litigant knocks on the door of the court, he believes that there is some higher authority which can fearlessly redress his grievance and whip the executive? But what if the executive could also whip the judge back? What would be the point of going to a fragile court if judges were themselves living in glasshouses which could be shattered by barely throwing stones at them. This is precisely why judges must be answerable to no one else but the SJC. But what basis can the SJC proceed with a complaint when no one else can even collect material against a judge and why should anyone surreptitiously snoop into the life of a judge when one cannot even spy against an ordinary citizen? No justice for the justices? These are some of the more difficult questions to answer.

Peter W. Hogg in his 5th edition of constitutional law of Canada considers judicial dependence as the worst form of "tyranny". It is for this reason that most countries have consciously protected judiciary from the executive’s reach. It can neither initiate nor has any role in the process of impeachment but merely to act as a post office.

Have we done enough to protect the faith of litigants then? Some might be quick to argue that "accountability by no one else but your own peers" ensures unparalleled independence of judiciary but then history corrects us; those who suspended Justice (retired) Iftikhar Chaudhry were also his own colleagues and perhaps all junior to him. Also, under Article 209, the president can single-handedly direct the SJC to initiate an enquiry or the SJC can do it on its own and be done with it. As opposed to the multifarious layers of protection inbuilt in the process of impeachment, we rely solely on the notion of "trial by your own colleagues". There’s an obvious void and thanks to the top court for stepping in and becoming the ultimate shield.

When must the apex court intervene though? Only when proceedings are tainted with malice or rather on ordinary grounds of judicial review? It would all be for nothing if one has to prove "malafides" in order to challenge a reference since you can hardly ever meet that threshold. Conversely, recourse to the Supreme Court on ordinary grounds of judicial review will open floodgates and virtually render SJC proceedings subject to an NOC from the SC in every single case. Either way, the choice is not without consequences. The former jeopardises the independence of judiciary and the latter makes accountability an unrealistic task. How do we achieve both? One can leave it to the legal wizards and their lordships wisdom.

The writer is a Barrister-at-law.

The world will witness a partial lunar eclipse tonight (Friday).

The penumbral lunar eclipse will begin around 10:45pm in Pakistan, peak at 12:24am and end in the early hours of June 6 at 2:04am.

According to The Guardian, "The full moon will clip the outer portion of Earth’s shadow, creating a penumbral lunar eclipse. This is much subtler than a total lunar eclipse, in which the moon appears to turn red as it passes through the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, situated right behind our planet."

Penumbral lunar eclipses are difficult to see by eye because only a portion of the sun’s light is blocked from reaching the moon.

The eclipse will be visible from most of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the East coast of South America.

Around three million jobs are expected to be lost in the "initial round" of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the finance ministry told the Senate in a written response submitted on Friday.

Out of the three million jobs, the industrial sector is likely to lose one million and the remaining two million will be lost in the services sector. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, the finance ministry said, estimated a loss of 18m jobs in agricultural, services and industrial sectors collectively.

The ministry had submitted a response to a three-part question by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, who asked about the estimated loss to the economy, increase in budget deficit, debt and dollar value, and the government's plan to cope with the challenges.

In its answer, the finance ministry also said the proportion of those living in poverty will increase from 24.3 per cent to 33.5pc.

The fiscal deficit is also expected to rise from the initial target of 7.5pc to 9.4pc of the gross domestic product due to revenue shortfall and an "increase in public spending due to fiscal stimulus package". The ministry added that the increase in debt burden will depend on the fiscal deficit.

Furthermore, exports may fall to $21-22 billion owing to low commodity prices and decreased economic activity in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and the Middle East. Before the pandemic, they amounted to $25.5bn.

Remittances are also expected to fall from $23bn to $20-21bn. Federal Board of Revenue may also not be able to achieve its target and tax revenue is expected to fall from Rs4,800bn to Rs3,905bn. Between April and June, the FBR is expected to incur a loss of Rs700-900bn.

The ministry also informed the Senate about the currency value, which depreciated by 7.5pc in March over February. The value of rupee against the dollar in February was Rs154.23 but in March, it decreased to Rs166.70. In April, the value of rupee had increased to Rs160.17 as the "volatility observed in domestic financial and foreign exchange markets [...] somewhat subsided", the finance ministry said.

Rupee value in May fell slightly to Rs163.10 in May, the report addded.

Before the pandemic, GDP growth for fiscal year 2020 was estimated as 3.24pc out of which:

• agricultural sector was expected to record a 2.85pc growth

• industrial sector was expected to record a 1.95pc growth

• services sector was expected to record a 4.04pc growth

However, the year posted a negative growth of 0.4pc out of which industrial sector recorded -2.64pc, agricultural sector 2.67pc and services sector -0.59pc.

The finance ministry also provided details of the relief package of Rs1,240 trillion that was announced "to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on economy and vulnerable sections of society".

The economic relief package covers emergency response, relief for citizens and business support, the ministry explained.

'Want to run PSM in partnership with private sector'

During today's sitting of the Senate, Minister of Industries Hammad Azhar told senators that the government wished to "run Pakistan Steel Mills in partnership with the private sector".

He was responding to questions about Economic Coordination Committee's decision to axe more than 9,000 employees of the PSM with a one-time severance cost of about Rs20bn. The decision was taken on the revised summary of the Ministry of Industries and Production on the basis of an updated “human resource rationalisation plan” in line with the instructions issued by Dr Shaikh on May 13. The previous plan envisaged laying off 8,000 employees with a cost of Rs18.74bn.

In today's sitting, Azhar blamed the previous governments for PSM's woeful financial situation, saying that the mill was shut down in 2015 and yet salaries were being paid to employees. The amount being paid in salaries, Azhar said, amounted to Rs35bn.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday reversed its decision to terminate 55 employees as a downsizing measure, days after it handed them a one-month notice period ending on June 30.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan in a statement today said "making changes is about timing and, on reflection, the process and communication needed to be better".

"As a responsible organisation, we have reviewed our decision and acted quickly to withdraw the notices," he added.

A PCB spokesman had earlier said that the decision of downsizing had not been taken due to financial constraints caused by the Covid-19 outbreak but it had been done as per the requirement of corporate norms since their was surplus staff in the organisation.

Khan, in his statement today, said "the vast overstaffing that the current Board has inherited remains a long-term sustainability issue for the PCB", adding that the cricket body would continue to "restructure and rationalise its staff numbers".

"The PCB will make necessary decisions in due course," he added.

The PCB has possibly the largest set up among the cricket boards of the world as far as its staff strength is concerned. Almost every chairman had made appointments to oblige friends and relatives and the staff strength is said to be approximately 800.

The incumbent PCB body has already cut down the staff strength to some extent by abolishing the regional body system, where nearly 260 employees including groundsmen, curators besides office clerks were working and getting some portion of their monthly salaries from the PCB besides from their respective regions.

Four weeks ago, with Eidul Fitr coming up and millions of people facing starvation as economic activity dwindled, Pakistan lifted a two-month-long coronavirus lockdown.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said despite rising infections and deaths, the country would need to learn to “live with” the virus to avert pushing tens of millions living on daily wages into destitution.

Now, a Reuters review of government data shows over 20,000 cases of the virus were identified in the three weeks before the lockdown was lifted, and more than double that figure were identified in the three weeks since.

To be sure, testing rates have also increased. But of those tested, the daily average of positive results climbed from an average 11.5 per cent in the three weeks before the lockdown was lifted, to 15.4pc on average in the subsequent three weeks.

The ratio is around 23pc this week, according to the data.

Pakistan has officially identified over 89,000 cases of Covid-19, with more than 1,800 confirmed deaths.

“Those numbers are concerning, since they do suggest there may still be widespread transmission in certain parts of the country,” said Claire Standley, assistant research professor at the Department of International Health at Georgetown University.

Experts say measures that could curb cases like limits on religious gatherings and crowded shopping areas and emphasising social distancing should be reinstated and some doctors are raising the alarm.

According to a letter seen by Reuters, a committee of experts backed by the local health department in Punjab told the provincial government the lockdown needed to continue.

The letter said random testing suggested more than 670,000 people in Lahore had likely contracted the virus, many of them asymptomatic.

Punjab Health Minister Yasmeen Rashid said the letter had not been disregarded, but set aside in light of the Supreme Court's decision that lockdowns should be lifted.

Most hospitals in Lahore are now full and are sending cases to Mayo Hospital, a public facility with more than 400 beds dedicated to Covid-19 cases, said Salman Kazmi, general secretary of the Young Doctors Association (YDA), who is treating coronavirus patients there.

Mayo Hospital CEO Asad Aslam, however, disputed claims that Lahore hospitals were saturated. “We can handle further burden of patients,” he said.

‘Herd immunity’

The government lifted the lockdown on May 9, about two weeks before Eidul Fitr. Transport and most businesses have re-opened but cinemas, theatres and schools remain closed.

There has been growing debate among experts globally on whether populous developing nations can afford comprehensive social distancing measures to contain the coronavirus while avoiding economic ruin.

Some officials have suggested “herd immunity” could contain the virus, a situation where enough people in a population have developed immunity to an infection to be able to effectively stop that disease from spreading.

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned countries that have “lax measures” in place against counting on herd immunity to halt the spread of Covid-19.

“The Pakistan government is setting itself up for a huge gamble but it's also a test case for herd immunity because South Asia has no other choice,” a senior European Union official who oversees South Asia told Reuters.

Yet even those advocating rolling back strict lockdowns in developing nations are alarmed at the teeming crowds in Pakistan's streets, shopping malls and mosques, the ramping up of domestic flights, and the movement of millions of people for the Eid holiday.

“It's not about this dichotomy between complete lockdown and fully open,” Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, a professor of economics at Yale University, told Reuters.

He said a smarter strategy would be to allow people out for core economic and public health activities, rather than a total relaxation of rules.

“There should still be complete bans on religious gatherings and social gatherings [...] those are things for which we need to see much better leadership,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that he wanted the Corona Relief Tiger Force volunteers to assist the government in its mission to tackle climate change and battle the locust invasion, in addition to aiding its response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

In a televised address to the volunteers, the premier said that the government required the volunteer's help on two more fronts apart from the virus; climate change and locusts.

"Locusts have attacked the nation after some 30 years. Not just us, but India, Africa and Somalia have also been badly affected by the invasion.

"They primarily target crops which can lead to famine. So for this we will ask you to collaborate with the administration on how to help those areas that have been affected."

The second thing, Imran said, was climate change. "Pakistan faces a huge threat from climate change. Eighty per cent of the water in our rivers come from glaciers.

"Our coming generations will face difficulties as the water level in rivers will recede."

He said that in an effort to combat this, he wanted the volunteers to participate in the government's Clean and Green Pakistan Campaign under which 10 billion trees will be planted.

"We will tell you how to clean areas. But the plantation that needs to be carried out during the rainy months, I want that you participate in that. We are currently developing a programme for that. I will require your assistance in that."

The premier also urged volunteers to keep an eye on utility stores.

"Transport services were shut down due to the lockdown and food prices skyrocketed as a result. However, we kept up supply to utility stores and got some very good feedback from the volunteers about what was needed at the stores."

He urged the volunteers to identify hoarders and inform the district administration. "You have to protect our people and help the vulnerable [...] we will keep making you aware of what your duties are."

'We can't afford to go back to another lockdown'

The premier said that the country cannot afford to go back to a lockdown, urging the public to follow the government's standard operating procedures (SOPs) for curbing the spread of the virus.

"It is important for you [Tiger Force] to ensure that people follow SOPs because we can't go back to another lockdown, this country can't afford it," he said.

"If we can slow down the [infection] curve because of SOPs, it will reduce pressure on hospitals."

He added that the country was already emerging from a difficult situation before the pandemic hit. "The purpose of reopening industries was to help the vulnerable. A lockdown for [the privileged] is not a problem, but it is a problem for the working class.

"How much more money can be distributed under the Ehsaas programme? That is why it is important for you to ensure the implementation of SOPs," he said.

'Covid-19 cases were not traced back to mosques'

Prime Minister Imran also said that none of the country's coronavirus cases were traced back to mosques, despite the government's critics stating otherwise.

"We were the only country in the Muslim world that said we would not bar Taraweeh prayers and would keep mosques open. We decided that whoever goes to the mosques, will have to follow SOPs."

Quoting the example of Sialkot, he said: "There weren't enough police officials in Sialkot to stop the public from going to mosques, so our Tiger Force went and raised awareness.

"Our critics said that the virus will spread from mosques [but] we did not see any cases emerge from there and today the world is opening mosques with standard operating procedures in place. This was an achievement for the force," he said.

A TURKISH drama series brimming with tribal intrigues, blood, murder, and conquest — all wrapped in pious religious idiom — has taken Pakistan by storm. Filmed in Anatolia, Dirilis: Ertugrul is a 150-episode fictional account of Ertugrul Ghazi, father of the Ottoman Empire’s founder. As of yesterday (Friday), the YouTube count for the 30th Urdu-dubbed episode had already clocked up 5.5 million views on Pakistan Television.

Even those who made Dirilis are astonished — and hugely pleased — at its tumultuous welcome. Tribal Turkmen fighting for a homeland can’t be expected to capture the imagination of millions in some far-off country. But Pakistan is different. Transfixed, entire families are spending evenings watching it together. They think it is wholesome entertainment and genuine Islamic history.

What history? This is a free-wheeling caricature of 13th-century Anatolia of which we know next to nothing. Facts are not important, says Mehmet Bozdag, the man who wrote and produced the series. To quote: “There is very little information about the period we are presenting — not exceeding 4-5 pages. Even the names are different in every source. The first works written about the establishment of the Ottoman State were about 100-150 years later. There is no certainty in this historical data… we are shaping a story by dreaming.”

That this serial is frankly propagandistic and ideologically motivated is beyond doubt. It has been manufactured for a purpose. But what purpose?

Faked history fuels revivalist dreams, creates false hopes, & suggests the way forward is through the sword.

If it seeks to project Islam as a religion of peace and to counter Islamophobia, then the very opposite is achieved. The first scene of the first episode begins with sword-making and sword-sharpening in the background of nomadic tents. The tribe’s adversaries are Christians and Byzantines whose bloodied bodies lie scattered here and there after every fight. The hero, Ertugrul Ghazi, not only beheads several Knight Templars but also former associates from his tribe, such as Kurdoglu Bey, who he suspects of disloyalty.

Should we be surprised if IS-like organisations find this inspirational? Is glorifying the sword glorifying Islam? Islam can surely be represented in ways more positive than putting a spotlight on power struggles within a tribal society. Far better, for example, would be to build upon Turkish scholars like Ali Qushgi, Taqi-al-Din, or Al-Jazari. Without Islam’s early scholars the colorful tapestry of Muslim culture — and Turkish culture as well — would have been far poorer, its claim to being a great world civilisation weak and unconvincing.

I suspect Dirilis’s real goal is less about Islam and more to vent Turkish nostalgia for a long-lost empire. Production demanded massive funding by the Turkish state. A horse farm was created, together with a special zoo-like area for the sheep, goats, nightingales and partridges that appear on the show. A Hollywood stunt team was hired to train actors for the movie’s staged fights. Erdogan and his family have repeatedly visited the filming site.

Understandably, from within the bastions of Sunni Islam the reaction to this blockbuster has been fiercely negative. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have condemned and banned the series, and Egyptian authorities have issued a fatwa decrying this “insidious attempt to re-impose Turkish tutelage” over Arab countries formerly under Ottoman rule. Currently, Saudi Arabia is reportedly funding a $40m counter series called Malik-e-Nar of which trailers have already been produced. Though inadequate it does make the point: Arabs cannot celebrate Turkish imperialism.

Most peoples don’t like invaders, but Pakistan’s psyche is somehow special. Perhaps overwhelmed by Erdogan’s aggressive style, Prime Minister Khan proudly tweeted that Turks had ruled India for 600 years. Historians will raise their eyebrows — this is between quarter-true to half-true only. But it must be rare for a prime minister to hail imperial rule over his land.

Khan is not alone. Pakistan celebrates all post-eighth century invasions beginning with Mohammed bin Qasim’s conquest of Sindh in 712 AD. Urdu novelist Nasim Hijazi’s books, devoured by millions, are an ode to the Arab conquest of India. Like filmmaker Mehmet Bozdag, Hijazi’s strength lay in creating imagery unconstrained by facts.

How should one look at ancient invasions and imperial conquests? To laud or vilify them is equally irrational. India is a stunningly clear example of just how much a society can degenerate if it does that. Hindu revivalism is fixated upon the wicked foreign invader who shattered the seraphic heaven of Mother India. Suddenly all Muslims and Christians became unwelcome. As Narendra Modi’s right-hand man recently declared, foreigners are termites infesting a poor man’s grain store.

But do Hindutva’s mindless ideologues not know that all human civilisation began in Africa and there is no such thing as son of Indian soil? That every single human society on earth today is the result of countless conflicts, wars, and foreign invasions over tens of thousands of years? That even precision DNA tests cannot tell the difference between Hindus and Muslims? These basic lessons are for all, not just Pakistan’s rulers.

A mature attitude towards ancient foreign invasions would be to simply accept them clinically as facts of history. They should be investigated and absorbed without either glorification or condemnation. Doing otherwise is utterly pointless. No one living today can be held responsible for the actions, good or bad, of his or her ancestors. Moreover the mists of time have forever hidden true facts from view.

The creators of Dirilis: Ertugrul want us to wallow in the past glories of others and celebrate imperialism. Hook, line and sinker, we are mindlessly swallowing their proffered bait. This poisonous substance can only reinforce the dangerous delusion that going forward actually means going backward.

Instead, the way forward is to ask that Pakistaniat spring from Pakistan’s native soil. It must be rooted in the diversity of all our peoples and historically formed cultures. The year 1971 showed decisively the limits of pan-Islamism. Aping Saudi culture failed to create a viable Pakistani identity; aping Turkey won’t get us much further. Instead a strong national identity can emerge only if Pakistan embraces pluralism, accepts that Punjab is just another Pakistani province, and helps all citizens achieve a sense of belonging based upon a commitment to equality and justice.

The writer teaches physics in Lahore and Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2020