FARUKH SHEHZAD

DOHA – Afghan government and Taliban representatives said on Wednesday they had reached a preliminary deal to press on with peace talks, their first written agreement in 19 years of war and welcomed by the United Nations and Washington.

The agreement lays out the way forward for further discussion but is considered a breakthrough because it will allow negotiators to move on to more substantive issues, including talks on a ceasefire.

“The procedure including its preamble of the negotiation has been finalised and from now on, the negotiation will begin on the agenda,” Nader Nadery, a member of the Afghan government’s negotiating team, told.

The Taliban spokesman confirmed the same on Twitter.

The agreement comes after months of talks in Doha, the capital of Qatar, encouraged by the United States, while the two sides are still at war, with Taliban attacks on Afghan government forces continuing unabated.

US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said that the two sides had agreed on a “three-page agreement codifying rules and procedures for their negotiations on a political roadmap and a comprehensive ceasefire”.

Taliban insurgents refused to agree to a ceasefire during the preliminary stages of talks, despite calls from Western capitals and global bodies, saying that that would be taken up only when the way forward for talks was agreed upon.

“This agreement demonstrates that the negotiating parties can agree on tough issues,” Khalilzad said on Twitter.

The Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 by US-led forces for refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden, the architect of the September 11 attacks on America. A US-backed government has held power in Afghanistan since then, although the Taliban have control over wide areas of the country.

Under a February deal, foreign forces are to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees from the Taliban.

US President Donald Trump has looked to hasten the withdrawal, despite criticism, saying he wanted to see all American soldiers home by Christmas to end America’s longest war.

The Trump administration has since announced that there would be a sharp drawdown by January, but at least 2,500 troops would remain beyond then.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday warned Nato against withdrawing troops prematurely and said it should “ensure that we tie further troop reductions in Afghanistan to clear conditions”.

UN envoy for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons welcomed the “positive development” on Twitter, adding that “this breakthrough should be a springboard to reach the peace wanted by all Afghans”.

Last month, an agreement reached between Taliban and government negotiators was held up at the last minute after the insurgents balked at the document’s preamble because it mentioned the Afghan government by name.

A European Union diplomat familiar with the process said that both sides had kept some contentious issues on the side to deal with separately.

“Both sides also know that Western powers are losing patience and aid has been conditional […] so both sides know they have to move forward to show some progress,” said the diplomat, requesting anonymity.

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The official says the enhanced measures have somewhat stabilized the situation

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says his government will not extend the weekend quarantine. “We may state a positive effect has been achieved. By the end of the weekend quarantine, November 30, we had 6,000 fewer cases over the previous week than was predicted,” he said at a government meeting on Wednesday, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

According to Shmyhal, the enhanced measures of the weekend quarantine have somewhat stabilized the situation and we see “the curve being flattened in terms of bed occupancy in hospitals.”

“This allows us to lift these very restrictions. Both on the weekend and during the week, the orange zone curbs will be applicable throughout the country,” the prime minister added.

Quarantine in Ukraine

• On November 11, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to introduce the so-called weekend quarantine starting from November 14.
• The government repealed the adaptive quarantine system and imposed a nationwide quarantine with curbs for all territories that were in effect in the previous version of the coronavirus quarantine in zones with the orange risk level.
• On November 17, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, did not back a draft resolution recommending that the Ukrainian government soften the restrictions imposed along with the so-called weekend quarantine.
• On November 25, the Cabinet admitted a strict quarantine might be introduced for the period of New Year’s holidays.

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 – Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has uploaded merit lists for merit-based programs offered in autumn 2020 semester including M.Sc Sustainable Environmental Design, M.Sc Public Nutrition and M Sc Mass Communication.

The university is dispatching admission information letter to the selected candidates at their postal addresses. The candidates may verify their admission from the university website (www.aiou.edu.pk).

Upon the special directives of the Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum, the process of finalization of admission into merit-based programs has been expedited to observe academic calendar of the University and to save precious time of the students.

It is pertinent to mention here that the university has offered admissions in various merit-based programs including PhD, M Phil, M Sc, MBA and BS programs. Merit lists for MA TEFL and M Sc Forestry Extension programs will be uploaded very soon.

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ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 – OIC ministerial standing committee on scientific and technological cooperation (COMSTECH), Islamabad and International Foundation for Science (IFS), Stockholm, Sweden have selected seventeen research projects from 10 OIC member states – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Togo and Uganda for the session 2020. A total funding of US$ 210,197 has been granted to these projects.

These projects have been granted in the fields of animal production, crop science, food science, forestry/ agroforestry, natural products and social science.

Project funding granted in this session ranges from US$ 7,000 to 15,000 each project. Four Pakistani scientists have won grants worth Rs. 7.806 million for their research projects in this session.

COMSTECH-IFS has so far financed 358 research projects in various disciplines of science and technology in 32 OIC member states by providing US$ 3.898 million funds.

The 358 research projects from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda have been financed under this program.

COMSTECH and IFS agreed in February 1998 to enter into a collaborative program to strengthen the capacity in developing countries which are members of OIC to conduct relevant and high-quality research in sciences related to the management, use and conservation of biological resources. The program is funded in equal parts by COMSTECH and IFS.

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It was also decided that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Nakhchivan University, Azerbaijan and Punjab University, Lahore to promote academic cooperation

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 – Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Punjab, Lahore & CGSS Management visited the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Pakistan and met with Ali Alizada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan.

During the meeting, various initiatives were proposed to enhance regional and academic connectivity as well as bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

It was agreed that the Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad will act as a bridge between the student fraternity of Punjab University and institutions in Azerbaijan for close academic linkages. Teacher, student exchange programs, and joint conferences to promote institutional cooperation were also discussed.

It was also decided that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Nakhchivan University, Azerbaijan and Punjab University, Lahore to promote academic cooperation.

Ali Alizada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan appreciated the role of CGSS in promoting Pakistan-Azerbaijan cooperation in the Education sector. He also agreed to link various universities in Azerbaijan with Punjab University, Lahore for initiating joint ventures.

The meeting was also attended by, Fouzia Ali, Assistant Professor, Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Lahore Lt Col Khalid Taimur Akram (Retd), Executive Director, CGSS.

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 – A delegation of Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, led by President Paul Moyi, met with Federal Secretary of Commerce Muhammad Saleh Ahmed Farooqi to discuss ways to improve trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Tanzania.

Pakistan and Tanzania Business Council should be formed, says Paul Moi, President, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Group Leader Sohail Altaf, Chairman Trade Promotion Committee RCCI Khursheed Barlas ,Executive Committee Member RCCI Fahad Barlas were present on the occasion. 

On the occasion, Commerce Secretary Muhammad Saleh bin Farooqi said that with better focus and more efforts, Pakistan could significantly increase its exports with Africa.

We are always striving to promote bilateral trade under Lok Africa in line with the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Advisor to the Prime Minister on Trade Abdul Razzaq Dawood.

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The Director General lauded the efforts of University of the Punjab and CGSS in enhancing Pakistan-China cooperation in education sector. He assured support in building institutional linkages and connecting universities of the two countries

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 - Professor Dr. Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Punjab University and Mr. Kahlid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad called on Director General China, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. During the meeting, Pakistan-China cooperation in education sector and educational linkages between the universities of two countries were discussed.

The Director General emphasized that it is imperative to build linkages between academia, think-tanks and policy circles. He underscored that China and Pakistan have cooperation in multifaceted areas including in the domain of education and Science and Technology. Highlighting the importance of Pakistan-China cooperation in education sector, he maintained that there are about 28,000 Pakistani students in China and similarly, there are ten Pakistan Study Centers and eleven Urdu Language Departments in prominent Universities of China.

Mr. Tipu underscored that Punjab University being one of the oldest institution in Pakistan,may explore the possibility of establishing a China Study Centre at the University. He underlined that Punjab University may also hold events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relation between Pakistan and China.

Professor Dr. Muhammad Saleem Mazhar apprised that University has approved the establishment of ‘Regional Integration Centre’ aimed at promoting connectivity and universities of the region. He briefed that a number of Pakistani students have learnt Chinese language at Confucius Institute and Institute of Language and Linguistic established at Punjab University. 

Similarly, the University has established two Centers of Excellence: Area Study Centre for South Asia and Pakistan Study Center, and scores of Chinese students have enrolled in PhD programs at the University of Punjab, he added. Pro Vice Chancellor highlighted that there is need to enhance teachers and researchers exchange program; joint seminars and streamline the admission policies of universities of both the countries.

Mr. Kahlid Taimur Akram maintained that CGSS is committed to promoting and facilitating the educational institutions, conducting roundtable discussions, interactive sessions and webinars.

The Director General lauded the efforts of University of the Punjab and CGSS in enhancing Pakistan-China cooperation in education sector. He assured support in building institutional linkages and connecting universities of the two countries.

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ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 - China’s smart classroom was acclaimed in Pakistan amid rising COVID-19 cases, Gwadar Pro reported on Wednesday.

“China’s smart classroom has improved our learning efficiency and enriched our learning methods and contents amid the pandemic,” noted Pakistani student Khan, expressing gratitude to the state-of-the-art facility.

With academic backing from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China, Pakistan’s Lahore University of Engineering and Technology (UET Lahore) successfully deployed the country's first smart classroom, namely, Weidong Smart Classroom last July.

Fully sponsored by China’s Weidong Cloud Education Group, it is also a flagship project of International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI).

Ever since the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan, 15,000 students from UET Lahore had conducted distance learning activities at home via the platform. As the second wave of coronavirus grips Pakistan, the smart classroom became an important aid to local teachers and students when it comes to distance learning.

“We used to lecture students one by one on IT, but this offline teaching was extremely inefficient, and some might be dissatisfied with our teaching.

With the help of China’s smart classroom, we could record our classes and share them with more students. Besides, we could interact with students during this pandemic time; it did help a lot,” said Pakistani IT teacher Naeem, adding that homework can also be given out online and the education continues from home.

As per student Khan, they can take lessons whenever and wherever they want, and they feel free to communicate with their classmates and teachers during the second wave of the coronavirus, which feared by global as well as local experts, is to worsen during winter.

More importantly, the recorded classes can be played repeatedly and different lectures are open to them, which means they are powered with more education resources.

According to operators from Weidong Cloud Education Group, as the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) is promoting institutions of higher learning to seek way towards the digital transformation, this project enables administrators, teachers, students and technicians to exchange ideas and communicate in the field of information and communications technology (ICT).

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The vaccine also has been tested in only a small number of children, none younger than 12, and there is no information on its effects in pregnant women

Pfizer and BioNTech say they've won permission on Wednesday for emergency use of their Covid-19 vaccine in Britain, the world's first coronavirus shot that's backed by rigorous science — and a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic.

The move makes Britain one of the first countries to begin vaccinating its population as it tries to curb Europe's deadliest Covid-19 outbreak.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the programme would begin early next week. Hospitals, he said, were already ready to receive it.

“It is very good news,” Hancock said.

Other countries aren't far behind: The US and the European Union also are vetting the Pfizer shot along with a similar vaccine made by competitor Moderna Inc.

British regulators also are considering another shot made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

British media have reported that hospitals in England have been told to get ready to start doing vaccinations for medical workers as early as next week.

Pfizer said it would immediately begin shipping limited supplies to the UK — and has been gearing up for even wider distribution if given a similar nod by the US Food and Drug Administration, a decision expected as early as next week.

But doses everywhere are scarce, and initial supplies will be rationed until more is manufactured in the first several months of next year.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called the UK decision a historic moment.

"We are focusing on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world," Bourla said in a statement.

While the UK has ordered enough Pfizer vaccine for 20 million people, its not clear how many will arrive by year's end. Adding to the distribution challenges, the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. Two doses three weeks apart are required for protection.

The UK government says frontline health care workers and nursing home residents will be first in line to get vaccinated, followed by older adults.

But UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned "we must first navigate a hard winter of restrictions to try to curb the virus until there's enough vaccine to go around".

Every country has different rules for determining when an experimental vaccine is safe and effective enough to use.

Intense political pressure to be the first to roll out a rigorously scientifically tested shot colored the race in the US and Britain, even as researchers pledged to cut no corners. In contrast, China and Russia have offered different vaccinations to their citizens ahead of late-stage testing.

The shots made by US-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech were tested in tens of thousands of people.

And while that study isn't complete, early results suggest the vaccine is 95 per cent effective at preventing mild to severe Covid-19 disease.

The companies told regulators that of the first 170 infections detected in study volunteers, only eight were among people who had received the actual vaccine and the rest had gotten a dummy shot.

"This is an extraordinarily strong protection," Dr Ugur Sahin, BioNTech's CEO, recently told The Associated Press.

The companies also reported no serious side effects, although vaccine recipients may experience temporary pain and flu-like reactions immediately after injections.

But experts caution that a vaccine cleared for emergency use is still experimental and the final testing must be completed.

Still to be determined is whether the Pfizer-BioNTech shots protect against people spreading the coronavirus without showing symptoms. Another question is how long protection lasts.

The vaccine also has been tested in only a small number of children, none younger than 12, and there is no information on its effects in pregnant women.

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Bollywood actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol has tested positive for the coronavirus, India’s Himachal Pradesh health secretary confirmed on Tuesday.

Later, the actor took to Twitter to inform fans and followers about the diagnosis. He also requested people who have come in contact with him to get themselves tested. He is quarantining at his Manali home.

“I got a coronavirus test done and the report has come out positive. I am in isolation and my health is fine. I request all those who came in contact with me in the last couple of days to isolate themselves and get themselves tested,” he tweeted in Hindi.

Deol had undergone shoulder surgery in Mumbai and was recuperating at a farmhouse near Manali in Kullu district. He got tested in Manali before returning to Mumbai. The actor was asymptomatic and quarantining at his Manali home.

The news came a few hours after Deol and his family announced the sequel to his 2007 movie Apne.

The Deol family decided to bring three generations of actors on-screen with Dharmendra, Bobby Deol, Sunny and his son Karan Deol in Apne 2. The announcement was made on Tuesday through Sunny’s social media accounts.

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ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 - Rebuking the Punjab government for not “properly” handling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) public meetings, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed authorities concerned to take stern action against opposition leaders, including the lodging of first information reports (FIRs), if they hold a public meeting in Lahore on Dec 13 and violate coronavirus-related preventive guidelines.

Presiding over a federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister decided to give permission to the PDM to hold a public meeting in Lahore but was unhappy with the way the Punjab government had “handled” the opposition during preparations for the PDM rally in Multan on Nov 30.

A participant of the meeting told Dawn that the prime minister was of the view that the Punjab government had half-heartedly made attempts to stop people from attending the Multan rally though it did not give permission to the PDM leaders to hold the public meeting.

He quoted the prime minister as saying the “Punjab government mishandled the issue; as a result the opposition’s protest continued for three to four days instead of a one-day jalsa”.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz, in a post-cabinet meeting press conference, said the government would lodge FIRs against the organisers of public meetings and leaders of political parties for violating coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines.

“The government would not stop the people from participating in the coming political gathering of PDM in Lahore. However, action would be taken against those who instigate the people to violate the health guidelines,” he said.

“When something illegal is committed, a case should be filed. The opposition is acting illegally by holding public meetings this is why they should be held accountable,” he said.

The minister said public gatherings amid the second wave of coronavirus pandemic not only posed grave threat to the lives of the people, but were also a violation of the court orders that had imposed ban on such activities.

In an official press release issued by the Prime Minister Office, Mr Khan said holding public meeting was contempt of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that had ordered against holding public meetings during the epidemic.

Mr Faraz said holding public meetings was also a violation of the government’s instructions and the SOPs formulated in light of the recommendations of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

According to the press release, Prime Minister Khan expressed worry that 67 people had died because of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest figure of deaths reported during the second wave of the Covid-19 in Pakistan.

The information minister said the opposition parties with their political gatherings were damaging the economy.

The United States with a population of 320 million could not have controlled coronavirus, he said. On the other hand, Pakistan did well by successfully tackling the virus, keeping the economy moving and protecting the livelihoods of people.

Mr Faraz said despite the over-burdened healthcare system in the country, the government had tackled the first wave of the virus in a very effective manner by improving government hospitals’ infrastructure and successfully implementing the SOPs.

He appealed to the people to stay away from the opposition’s public gatherings and follow the guidelines of the NCOC, which were based on the experts’ recommendations and scientific studies.

“The opposition’s activities are not favourable to the businesses and national progress at a time when economy is on an upward trajectory, industry is being revived and the people are getting job opportunities,” he added.

Mr Faraz said it was unfortunate that the PDM leadership held a public meeting in Multan despite reservations expressed by the government and state institutions.

The minister said he would again like to extend his gratitude to the people of Multan for staying away from the PDM rally. “The show was a ‘complete failure’ as out of 2.5 million residents of the city, only 10,000 to 15,000 people, including 3,000 activists from Sindh, attended the gathering which means people of Multan have rejected the opposition,” he added.

He said venomous speeches by the PDM leaders, particularly by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, were an attempt to cover loot and plunder of national wealth by them.

Responding to a query, he said the government was not afraid of the opposition’s public gatherings as ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was the biggest crowd puller political party of the country.

The minister said the coronavirus-related restrictions had nothing to do with democracy. “Almost the entire world has been grappling with the pandemic and even many countries have imposed curfew or complete lockdown,” he said. The PDM leaders claimed to be public representatives but they negated the very essence of democracy by endangering the people’s lives through public gatherings, he added.

Mr Faraz rejected the claim of PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz that she did not have any property in London or even in Pakistan.

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