Tens of thousands of people have ignored Covid-19 restrictions and gathered for the funeral prayers of a firebrand cleric whose anti-blasphemy movement has struck fear into Pakistan's governments.
Khadim Hussain Rizvi died only days after paralysing the capital, Islamabad, with a sit-in to demand the expulsion of the French ambassador in the row over the Prophet Mohammed cartoons.
The vast gathering of his supporters on Saturday brought sections of Lahore to a standstill and appeared to be one of the biggest crowds ever seen in the Punjab city of more than 11 million people. Local observers estimated attendance could have run to several hundred thousand.
The scale of the gathering underlined the massive public support enjoyed by his hardline religious party, but also risked becoming a super-spreader event for the coronavirus, doctors warned.
Crowds massed in proximity, with few people wearing masks, as the country is battling a skyrocketing second wave of coronavirus cases.
Rizvi complained of difficulty breathing and fever for several days before dying on November 19, his aides said, but it was unclear if he had contracted Covid-19.
The 54-year-old had risen to prominence after the Asia Bibi trial, campaigning against attempts to reform Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws and demanding that she hang. His Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party also glorified Mumtaz Qadri, who was executed for killing the Punjab governor who wanted to help Ms Bibi.
The rallying call to defend the Prophet Mohammed's honour won huge support and the TLP quickly became notorious for its ability to hold the government to ransom by mobilising street protests.
It blocked a major Islamabad intersection for three weeks in 2017 calling for the sacking of the then law minister for omitting a reference to the Prophet Mohammed in a new version of the electoral oath. The minister was eventually removed. The TLP also brought much of the country to a standstill after Ms Bibi was acquitted in 2018. Its protesters blocked major roads, called for the deaths of the judges who quashed Ms Bibi's conviction and asked soldiers to mutiny against the army. Rizvi's rally earlier this month ended when the government agreed to put the expulsion of the French envoy to a decision by parliament.
Mohammad Amir Rana, director of the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, said the crowds at Rizvi's funeral were not surprising. “He had already expanded his support base and he has a huge following,” he said. “Due to his personal charisma and his one slogan narrative he was able to mobilise people.”
He said the movement will likely maintain significant influence, even after Rizvi’s death.
“It has exploited the issues of blasphemy and the honour of the Prophet and these are very close to the hearts of the people,” Mr Rana said.
Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Programme at the US-based Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, added: “The TLP will survive without Khadim Rizvi. Its support base is genuine, not manufactured. That said, the succession process shall be interesting, and perhaps fraught as well.”
Both Prime Minister Imran Khan and army staff head Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed their condolences. The Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, whose 2018 proposal to hold a cartoon contest of the Prophet Mohammed infuriated the TLP, instead tweeted: “Good riddance!”
Pakistan's coronavirus cases hit their highest levels since early July on Friday. The country had appeared on the cusp of a runaway outbreak earlier in the summer, only for cases and deaths to fall in August and September.
The respite has led to complacency, doctors warned, and social distancing precautions are being widely ignored. Mr Khan has repeatedly said he opposes a nationwide lockdown because of the economic damage, but provinces have been locking down individual neighbourhood hotspots.
The steep climb in cases and the lack of public attention to safeguards has led some doctors to predict Pakistan's second wave will be deadlier than the first. Mass gatherings have also been held recently for political campaign rallies.
“The situation is not good,” said Dr Qaiser Sajjad, secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association. He said wards were filling as they had in June and July and he was now regularly receiving panicked calls from people seeking care for relatives.
“I am worried that the next couple of weeks are going to be very dangerous for the people of Pakistan,” he said.
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
Persuasion
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Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
