ISLAMABAD, JUNE 22 /DNA/ – PepsiCo’s Millions of Meals program joined hands with the Ehsaas ration program to deliver millions of meals to those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak across Pakistan.

The MoU was signed at the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) headquarters. The signing ceremony was followed by a briefing to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of PepsiCo other companies that have partnered on this important initiative.

PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, have committed a funding of over $1.4 million to provide Millions of Meals to those in urgent need of nutrition.

PepsiCo Pakistan has partnered with on ground charitable organizations to execute the program. So far, over 5.2 million meals have been distributed with the help of some of the most respected charities in the country including; RIZQ and Association for Gender Awareness & Human Empowerment (AGAHE) in Punjab, Peoples Primary Health Initiative (PPHI) in Balochistan, The Orange Tree Foundation, Network of Organisations Working for People with Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP)  and Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) in Sindh and Al-Khidmat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

As economic activity is decelerated to combat the COVID-19 epidemic, an increasing number of people are faced with loss of income and earning opportunities. The daily wage workers are particularly vulnerable as they face an immediate loss of livelihood. In these circumstances the need for providing meals to underprivileged communities becomes the foremost requirement.

The Ehsaas Ration Program is run by the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division of the Government of Pakistan under the Prime Minister’s Ehsaas program to uplift marginalized people. Under the Ehsass Ration program a digital portal has been created for donors and for those in need of meals. The portal aims to connect genuine donors directly with those in real need.

Ehsaas was launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019. It is the biggest umbrella program launched in Pakistan to uplift marginalized people. Over 134 programs including the Ehsaas ration program have commenced under Ehsaas. Some of the other programs under Ehsaas include development of the National Socio-Economic Registry, One Window for social protection and livelihoods, The Kafalat Program that aims to drive digital inclusion for women, The Tahafuz Program that creates a safety net for those who suffered catastrophic events, undergraduate scholarship policy, initiatives on child stunting and The Ehsaas Amdan Program.

Furqan Ahmed Syed, CEO PepsiCo Pakistan and Afghanistan commented on the partnership, ‘In the wake of this unprecedented global crisis, PepsiCo is at the forefront of providing assistance to the most vulnerable communities across the world. Within Pakistan, our ‘Millions of Meals’ program has now reached out to communities in all provinces of Pakistan and is supporting them with the day to day nutrition needs. We are working with capable partners who are enabling us in accessing those in need. I am glad that other companies have stepped in and joined this important mission of making meals available to those in need. These are hard times for our country but we are a resilient nation and together we will overcome this challenge”.

As efforts accelerate worldwide to provide relief from the ravages of COVID-19, PepsiCo, and The PepsiCo Foundation have announced a more than $45 million initiative focused on helping people and communities most affected by this devastating virus. The company is funding vital support including protective gear for healthcare workers, testing and screening services, and is already in the process of distributing more than 50 million nutritious meals to at-risk populations by supporting food banks and other partners around the world.

ISLAMABAD JUNE 22 : Prime Minister Imran Khan defended his decision not to impose a complete COVID-19 lockdown once again, saying that Pakistan’s circumstances were different from Wuhan city and Europe.

Speaking about the havoc that the coronavirus has wreaked on Pakistan’s economy, the prime minister said that he had not been in favour of imposing a lockdown as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done.

PM Imran was addressing the ceremony for commencement of three Ehsaas initiatives, including Ehsaas Rashan Portal, Ehsaas Langar and Panagah App and PM’s COVID Relief Fund website, in the Federal Capital today.

The prime minister spoke about the damage that had been done to the economies of developed countries like Italy and the United States when they had to impose a complete lockdown, saying that long cues of people could be seen in America asking for food and charity.

“So it had to happen in our country [too],” he said. “And if provinces would have asked me I would never have allowed such a lockdown. Because when you are about to impose a lockdown, you should think about the effects your decisions will have on the masses,” he added.

The prime minister said that provinces should not have ordered a lockdown until they thought about the effects of that decision on the daily wagers and the poor.

“However, everyone panicked all at once. They were looking at Europe and Wuhan City in China, that were going through different circumstances. Our situation was totally different,” he added.

The prime minister spoke about how he was subjected to criticism for not imposing a complete lockdown across the country. “He [Modi] imposed the lockdown they [criticis] wanted me to impose. I thank God that I resisted pressure and didn’t do that,” he added, noting that there 34% of the people in India were facing hunger and extreme poverty according to research.

PM Imran praised Dr Sania Nishtar and her team for providing billions of rupees to people in a short span of time. He said that the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund will be used to provide relief to people who had been unemployed by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the government will add to each donation to ensure maximum relief reaches the masses.

The prime minister appreciated Dr Sania Nishtar’s initiative to bring together donors and the impoverished on a platform so that the government could not be involved in the middle.

By DNA

ATTOCK, JUNE 22 / DNA / = Police confiscated 300 kites, string rolls and other material used for kite flying.According to a police spokesman, On Monday the police also rounded up Two kite seller.

Police team of attock Kurd Area Police confiscated 300 kites, 04 string rolls and material used for kite flying and also arrested kite seller Ahmed Khan and Ali Raza. Police have registered case against the accused under kite-flying act.

Police on special directive of District Police Officer Khalid  Hamdani Monday launched a search operation in various areas in its jurisdiction.According to police sources, police contingent and other law enforcement agencies, jointly conducted search operation in attock khurd and surrounding of the attock khurd police station and searched 25 houses while more than 51 people were interrogated during the drive.

The search operation against criminals and proclaimed offenders were regularly being conducted in different areas of the district, he added.2 drug peddlers arrested: During continued drive against drug pushers and criminals, police have arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 03 Kg and 260 Gram narcotics from their possession. DNA

The world is on pins and needles, waiting for the magical drug to step into a post-Covid era leaving an awful chapter written in pain, sorrow and fear behind. A coveted slot next to Louis Pasteur, Edward Wright and Green Morton is vacant for another Messiah who would rescue millions from horrible lockdowns and thousands more from being ended up on ventilators.

In the absence of an effective vaccine, however, nations have been relying on lockdowns and confinements to counter the surge of virus. It has helped but at a very high cost. Two months long lockdowns have wreaked havoc on economies; crumbling markets and surging unemployment besides a number of other factors have caused an unprecedented global recession.

On the other hand, lockdowns have taken a serious toll on mental well-being of the people. Reportedly, psychological illnesses leading to suicides, domestic violence and separations among the people locked-in have multiplied. The world has realised that lockdown is not a permanent solution to virus; even benign and brief lockdown is not healthy as it is unnatural and contrary to man’s very make-up as a social animal.

Surprisingly, on the same planet, a community of 8 million people has been braving an inhuman lockdown since 5^th August, 2019 when RSS inspired BJP Government in Delhi annexed Jammu and Kashmir. The special and disputed status of the Indian Occupied Kashmir, recognised by international law and Indian constitution both, was changed unilaterally to a union territory of India ensuring unfettered powers to the Union Government to control the already besieged valley.

A comprehensive enslavement plan encapsulating sweeping administrative changes aiming at altering the demographic structure of the IOK and stripping its people of their rights was devised and enforced brutally. The constitutional rampage began with abrogation of Article 370, which accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir and continued with revocation of Article 35 (A); division of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; and most recently revision of Hereditary State Subject laws and implementation of Domicile Certificate Rules 2020. With these substantive and undemocratic changes, the IOK has been reduced to a colony ready to receive tens of thousands of Hindus poised to neutralise Muslim majority in the valley.

Since the start of the illegal annexation of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, the beleaguered people of Kashmir have been undergoing most brutal suppression by 900,000 Indian occupation forces. Communication black-out, night raids, physical torture, sexual assault, forced disappearances and indiscriminate use of pellet guns against the unarmed people raising voice for their legitimate right to self determination and liberation from perpetual tyranny of Indian fascism are a few cruel tactics employed by the ultra-national BJP Government to eliminate Kashmiris from international screen.

Emboldened by the initial deafening response of the international community, the siege of Kashmir wasn’t enough for Prime Minister Modi. Instead, it played favourably for providing him an opportunity to give free rein to his deep-seated hatred towards Muslims. Just four months after the colonization of Kashmir, another plot was hatched to reduce Muslims to second-grade citizens within their homeland. Longstanding fear of the Indian Muslims to become stateless within a state came true when the Citizenship Amendment Act, contrary to the 14^th Article of Indian Constitution, was introduced in December 2019 depriving only Muslims among all minorities from citizenship.

The discriminatory Act sparked nation-wide protests, confronted brutally by the Government, the protests resulted in the worst communal riots seen in decades in India. RSS trained bigots embarked on a killing spree butchering and torching Muslims and their property wherever seen. As many as 40 Muslims were murdered only in Delhi, whereas, hundreds were critically injured, houses burnt and razed to rubble.

This time, however, the Government remained unlucky to escape world’s eye. International community along with several Human Rights Organisations lambasted Indian Government’s discriminatory policies. Amnesty International termed CAA as a “bigoted law that legitimises discrimination on the basis of religion”. Human Rights Watch published an 82-page report “Discrimination Against Muslims under India’s New Citizenship Policy”, detailing how violence against Muslims was callously allowed to happen by the local administration. India’s spiralling discrimination against Muslims has received even harsher criticism in the ‘International Religious Freedom Report’ for 2019 released by the US State Department. The report says “Mob attacks by violent Hindu groups against minority communities, including Muslims, continued throughout the year” in India and “Issues of religiously inspired mob violence, lynching and communal violence were sometimes denied or ignored by lawmakers”.

British Parliament echoed with scathing criticism of Indian highhandedness towards minorities. In addition, six resolutions were tabled in the European Parliament highlighting discriminatory policies of Indian Government with reference to implementation of CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and the security lockdown and detentions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Regrettably, all this fell on deaf ears. Standing nonchalance, the Government’s agenda to completely disenfranchise Muslims in India by subjecting them to unprecedented religious persecution is continuing unabated. Under Government’s shadow, cow vigilantes are lynching Muslims with impunity on daily basis. Labelled as “Traitors” and “Cow Eaters” Muslims have become aliens in their own country while the Indian media continues to regale India as a secular state.

The quick succession of anti-Muslim events in Indian occupied Kashmir and India especially, during Modi’s 2^nd term as Prime Minister and the frenzy behind these activities is a matter of grave concern. Putting things into their right perspective, demolition of Babri Masjid in 1990, Gujrat progrom in 2002 when Modi was Chief Minister of Gujrat, annexation of Kashmir and the current escalated brutal persecution of Muslims in India reflect systemic cleansing of Muslims to achieve a long cherished objective of RSS to establish a ‘Brahminical State’ purported by Sadhvi Sarasvati that India would be ‘Hindu Rashtra’ by 2023. The flurry and scheme of events show that with the annexation of Kashmir, the march towards that end has entered the final and decisive phase.

Muslims have been once again, after 72 years, left with two choices: either to live under a perpetual Hindu domination and sustain aheavy curtain of painful saffron torture or leave the country. A large group of European Parliamentarians has already voiced a similar concern through a resolution tabled in the EU Parliament which reads that “CAA has the potential to create the largest statelessness crisis in the world” which would have catastrophic consequences for the entire region.

Equally worrisome is India’s heightened pursuit of regional dominance by destabilising and bleeding neighbouring states. Pakistan has long been a victim of Indian clandestine operations being carried out by RAW agents like Kulbhushan Jadhav who was arrested  in 2016 in Pakistan being involved in subversive activities. At the same time, India’s role of a peace spoiler, evident in the ongoing Afghan peace process, her consistent arms build-up and aggression on borders pose a continuous threat to the regional peace.

The big question is, are we ready for another major crisis amid the Covid-19 pandemic? Instead, a consensus is emerging among leading European countries for a course correction and sculpt a coordinated strategy to save humanity from future crisis. Through an excruciating experience of Coronavirus pandemic, nations have learnt that any progress devoid of human element is no progress.

Post-Covid would be an era where state’s power would be determined by its capacity to protect the people from man-made and natural calamities, not in its power to inflict harm to humanity. Nations’ character would be primarily judged by its response to injustices around them; not by the quality of its infrastructure.

While the countries are now limping out of the lockdowns, 8 million people of Kashmir should not be left caged in, at the mercy of ferocious Indian occupation forces and fascist BJP Government. While the best efforts and billions of dollars are being invested to develop corona vaccine let the protracted wounds of humanity may not be neglected whose cures are already available.

Interestingly, vaccine for the world’s oldest dispute was invented a year after the emergence of the dispute in 1947. The UNSC passed a Resolution ensuring a fundamental right of self determination to the people of Kashmir by organising a plebiscite under UN auspices. The people of Kashmir are longing for the same vaccine which has been buried under the heavy piles of narrow political and economic exigencies.

Braving the long night of unprecedented oppression and torture, Kashmiris are still hopeful for a sunny day which would bring an end to their seven decades old legitimate freedom struggle. It is about time that world’s major nations reorganise their national agendas as stated by French President Macron while speaking about climate change “It’s clear that economy is no longer the priority.. when it’s a matter of humanity, women and men but also the ecosystems in which they live.” Let us put humanity on the top of our agendas before the lessons of the coronavirus pandemic be forgotten.

The vice-chancellor of the Institute of Business Administration in Sukkur, Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui, passed away Monday morning. He had been unwell for a while and according to reports was showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus. His first test report, however, was negative.

He had been tested for the second time but passed away before the report came out. His funeral will be held in Sukkur under virus SOPs given by the government.

Siddiqui, a former Sukkur commissioner, became the vice-chancellor of IBA Sukkur in 2004. He completed his Masters in Education from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro and then went on to serve as a civil servant.

Siddiqui was widely acknowledged for his efforts to provide low-cost but high-quality education to the youth of Sindh. The varsity is the only institute in the country where 70% of its students are studying on scholarships.

The news of his passing was met with sadness. An outpouring of love and prayers emerged on Twitter where the news broke.

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court challenging the appointment of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. Advocate Abdul Waheed Khan said Buzdar’s wealth declaration varies on his election nomination papers and oath-taking documents. He declared his wealth to be Rs25 million in his nomination papers but the affidavit for oath shows it be Rs761,000.

Buzdar has lied and he should be removed from the post under Article 62(i)(f) of the Constitution, says the petition. Article 62 (i)(f) is a provision requiring elected officials to be ‘sadiq and ameen’ or honest and righteous. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PTI leader Jahangir Tareen were disqualified under this clause.

The Punjab CM won the PP-286 seat during the 2018 General Election after which he was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly.

The court registrar, however, raised objections over the petition and returned it to the petitioner.

The registrar said Buzdar contested the 2018 election from Taunsa Sharif so the petition should be filed in the Multan bench.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Monday to review development projects in tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Briefing the media about the meeting, Information Minister Shibli Faraz quoted the prime minister as saying that the people of the tribal districts are close to his heart and that he wants early implementation of the development projects there.

The minister said the federal government has released its share of funds as decided in the agreement of 2018. He said a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the premier’s Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh to coordinate with the provinces and ensure availability of funds.

He expressed the hope that all these development projects in the merged districts will begin in the next financial year.

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Special Assistant Dr. Shahbaz Gil, and senior officials attended the meeting.

KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, and Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht also attended the meeting through video link.

RAWALPINDI, JUNE 22 / DNA / = Chief of the Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed  grief on demise of renowned religious scholar, Allama Talib Jauhari. May Allah bless the departed soul in eternal peace and give strength to the bereaved family, Aameen.” COAS