Pakistan News Club

India would look into any &lsquo;specific&rsquo; info on Sikh separatist killing in Canada: Jaishankar

India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India has told Canada it was open to looking into any “specific” or “relevant” information it provides on the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">killing</a> of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Ottawa had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777075">credible intelligence</a> linking Indian agents to the murder, prompting an angry initial reaction from New Delhi, which denies the allegation.nAsked about the allegations at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York, Jaishankar detailed India’s response in diplomatic engagements.n“One, we told the Canadians that this is not the government of India’s policy,” he said. “Two, we told the Canadians saying that look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, you know, let us know — we are open to looking at it.”n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777230"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nIndia last week suspended new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country, citing what it called a deteriorating security environment.nIndia had been “badgering the Canadians” about its claims that organised criminals are based there, a reference to separatists like Nijjar, he said, adding that India had made “a large number of extradition requests”.n“The picture is not complete without the context,” he added. “You also have to appreciate that in the last few years, Canada actually has seen a lot of organised crime, you know, relating to, you know, the secessionist forces, organised crime, violence, extremism, they’re all very, very deeply mixed up.”nAllies of Canada, including the United States, have cautiously <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905">expressed</a> concern over the claims and urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation.nThe US ambassador to Canada told Canadian television that some information on the case had been gathered by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

September 27, 2023

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Iraq wedding fire kills over 100 as relatives identify bodies

A fire ripped through a packed wedding hall in northern Iraq late on Tuesday, killing more than 100 people in a Christian town that had survived occupation by the militant Islamic State group as authorities announced an investigation into the blaze.nFirefighters searched the charred skeleton of the building in Qaraqoush into Wednesday morning and bereaved relatives gathered outside a morgue in the nearby city of Mosul, wailing and rocking in distress.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1706890155519308064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1706890155519308064%7Ctwgr%5Ec73e7388506158bb3d9481bcfd55d1b9495805d6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1778138"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“This was not a wedding. This was hell,” said Mariam Khedr, crying and hitting herself as she waited for officials to return the bodies of her daughter Rana Yakoub, 27, and three young grandchildren, the youngest aged just eight months.nSurvivors said hundreds of people were at the wedding celebration, which followed an earlier church service, and the fire began about an hour into the event when flares ignited a ceiling decoration as the bride and groom danced.nNineveh province Deputy Governor Hassan al-Allaq told Reuters 113 people had been confirmed dead, with state media putting the death toll at least 100, with 150 people injured.nThe fire tore through a large events hall in Hamdaniya after flares were lit during the celebration, causing a fire in the ceiling, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said according to state media.nA video of the event, posted on social media but not yet verified by Reuters, appeared to show the flares suddenly catching a glittering ceiling decoration that burst into flames, as sounds of excitement turned rapidly to panic.nAnother video that Reuters has not yet verified showed a couple dancing in wedding clothes as burning material begins dropping to the floor.nMost residents of Qaraqoush, which is mostly Christian but also home to some members of Iraq’s Yazidi minority, fled the town when IS seized it in 2014. But they returned after the group was ousted in 2017.n <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>Soldiers and emergency responders gather around ambulances carrying wounded people after a fire broke out during a wedding at an event hall, outside the Hamdaniyah general hospital in Al-Hamdaniyah, Iraq on September 27. — AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n<h2><a id="charred-wreckage" href="#charred-wreckage" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Charred wreckage</h2>nThe Interior Ministry said it had issued four arrest warrants for the owners of the wedding hall, state media reported, and President Abdul Latif Rashid called for an investigation.nIn a brief statement, Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani called on the health and interior ministers to “mobilise all rescue efforts” to help the victims of the fire.n“We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn’t got stuck,” said Imad Yohana, a 34-year-old who escaped the inferno.nVideo from a Reuters correspondent at the site showed firefighters clambering over the charred wreckage of the building, shining lights over smouldering ruins.n <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>A view of the damage at the site following a fatal fire at a wedding celebration, in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq’s Nineveh province, Iraq, September 27. — Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>nPreliminary information indicated that the building was made of highly flammable construction materials, contributing to its rapid collapse, state media said.nEyewitnesses at the site said the building caught fire at around 10:45pm local time (1945 GMT).n“I lost my daughter, her husband and their three-year-old. They were all burned. My heart is burning,” a woman said outside the morgue, where bodies lay outside in bags as vehicles came to collect those that had been identified.nA man called Youssef stood nearby with burns covering his hands and face. He said he had not been able to see anything when the fire began and the power cut out. He had grabbed his three-year-old grandson and managed to get out.nBut his wife, Bashra Mansour, in her 50s, did not make it. She fell in the chaos and died.nSafety standards in Iraq’s construction sector are often disregarded, and the country, whose infrastructure is in disrepair after decades of conflict, is often the scene of fatal fires and accidents.nIn July 2021, a fire in the Covid unit of a hospital in southern Iraq killed more than <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1634860">60 people</a>.nAnd in April of the same year, exploding oxygen tanks triggered a fire at a hospital in Baghdad — also dedicated to Covid patients — that killed <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1620286">more than 80 people</a>.nLike many Christian towns in the Nineveh Plains, northeast of Mosul, Qaraqosh was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1120811">ransacked</a> by jihadists of the Islamic State group after they entered the town in 2014.nQaraqosh and its churches were slowly rebuilt after the group’s ouster in 2017, and Pope Francis visited the town in March 2021.

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2 men arrested in connection with Avastin eye injection scam, says Punjab health minister

Punjab interim Health Minister Dr Javed Akram said on Wednesday that two men had been arrested in connection with the Avastin injection scam. The eye drug is allegedly responsible for causing vision loss in diabetic patients across the province.n“No leniency will be shown to any suspect in the case,” he vowed.nSeveral diabetic patients in Lahore, Kasur and Jhang districts were administered Avastin injections to address retinal damage, but the doses led to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777732">severe infections</a>. The issue first surfaced when several cases of the drug’s reaction were reported from the Kasur district.nAccording to doctors, the patients developed a life-threatening disease, endophthalmitis, an inflammation of the inner coats of the eye, which led to loss of vision.nOfficial figures revealed that the purported contaminated drug severely affected the vision of 68 patients in the province since the scam surfaced. The Punjab government has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777629/punjab-govt-bans-injection-allegedly-responsible-for-loss-of-vision-in-patients-announces-free-treatment">slapped a ban</a> on the eye drug for an indefinite period across the province, besides launching a portal to collect data on the patients affected by the drug and provide them with treatment.nA high-level inquiry was also under way to find out the prime factors leading to vision loss among patients administered the injection in Punjab.nDuring a media talk today, the provincial health minister told journalists that two culprits had been arrested in connection with the injection scam but didn’t give details of the suspects.nHe said the incident was being probed from all angles and vowed to bring all elements involved in the scam to justice. “The Punjab government is under no pressure in this investigation,” Dr Akram clarified.nHe went on to say that surgeries of 15 patients out of the 68 cases surfaced so far had been conducted and the authorities were determined to bring back the vision of the patients.nDr Akram further stated that all points of sale of the allegedly adulterated eye drug had been sealed.n<h2><a id="special-inspections-of-hospitals-using-avastin-ordered" href="#special-inspections-of-hospitals-using-avastin-ordered" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Special inspections of hospitals using Avastin ordered</h2>nA day earlier, the Board of Commissioners of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778052/avastin-use-banned-for-indefinite-period">directed</a> the senior management of the commission to be prepared for special inspections of the hospitals where eye infection cases were reported due to the administration of Avastin injection to the patients.nThe directions were issued in an emergent meeting of the PHC Board of Commissioners (BoC) headed by chairperson retired Justice Muhammad Bilal Khan.nA representative of the PHC, who had attended the meeting of the recently formed committee by the government also attended the BoC meeting.nHe briefed the BoC regarding the proceedings of the meeting convened by both interim provincial health ministers — Prof Javed Akram and Dr Jamal Nasir.nThe BoC was informed that the issues related to import, compounding and dispensing of the dosage for eye patients will be investigated by the committee, while the PHC was asked to investigate the practices in the hospitals where the injection was administered.nAfter deliberations, the BoC directed the PHC senior management to make preparations for any action, especially, the inspections of the hospitals where the infections have been reported.nThe BoC also ordered inspections of these healthcare establishments to ensure implementation of the minimum service delivery standards, especially pertaining to infection protection and control, medication management, qualifications of the medics, and sterilisation of operation theatres.nThe BoC also ordered the issuance of an advisory for the affected patients to initiate complaints about these incidents. For this, they can also WhatsApp their complaints at 0306 0843500, for initiation of investigation by the PHC.

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Pakistan receives first shipment of Russian LPG: embassy

Pakistan has received its first shipment of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Russia, Moscow’s embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday, marking the South Asian country’s second major Russian energy purchase.nThe shipment, which the embassy said was delivered with Iranian help, comes after Pakistan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1759184">received</a> its first-ever delivery of Russian crude under a deal struck between the two countries earlier this year.nIn January 2023, a Russian delegation <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1732784">arrived</a> in Islamabad for talks to finalise the deal. During the three-day meeting, the countries decided to address all technical issues — insurance, transportation and payment mechanisms — to sign an agreement by late March this year.n“After consensus on the technical specifications approved, the oil and gas trade transaction will be structured in a way it has a mutual economic benefit for both countries,” a joint statement issued by the two sides had then stated.nIn a post on social media today, the Russian embassy said Russia delivered 100,000 metric tons to Pakistan through Iran’s Sarakhs Special Economic Zone.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/RusEmbPakistan/status/1706706533495480562"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe embassy said consultations on a second shipment were under way. It did not provide details on Iran’s involvement, and it was not immediately clear how much the LPG cost or if it was discounted.nPakistan has said it had paid for the Russian crude in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1759360">Chinese currency</a> but the value of the deal was never disclosed.nEnergy imports make up the majority of Pakistan’s external payments and discounted imports from Russia offer a respite as Islamabad faces an economic crisis with an acute balance of payments problem, risking a default on its external debt.

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InDrive expands operations to five new cities across Pakistan

Leading ride-hailing service InDrive on Wednesday announced that it is expanding operations to five new cities across Pakistan.n“In a move set to redefine the transportation landscape, InDrive is thrilled to announce its expansion into five new cities, including Larkana, Kāmoke, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, and Okara,” it said in a press release.nThe company said the expansion would look to provide “seamless, convenient, and reliable mobility solutions” to a broader audience across the country.nInDrive further stated that it was dedicated to bringing innovative transportation options to both urban centres and suburban areas.n“The launch of InDrive in these cities marks a significant milestone, further solidifying the company’s position as the go-to choice for modern, efficient, and budget-friendly mobility,” the press release said.nIt quoted the company’s public relations manager Sidra Khan as saying: “Our new service offers city residents the convenience of accessing transport from their homes, eliminating the need to venture out in search of it.nBoth drivers and passengers stand to gain significant benefits, including time saved and the elimination of challenges associated with street hailing. This service addresses issues such as locating rides during odd hours like early mornings or late nights.“nShe added that the ride-hailing service presented numerous benefits to drivers in small cities, including flexible opportunities, reduced unemployment, supplemental income, enhanced community connection, and positive contributions to the local economy.n“This expansion follows InDrive’s mission to connect people and places, while also contributing to the growth and development of the people in the region,” the press release concluded.

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Indian great-grandmother, 92, finally goes to school

An Indian great-grandmother aged 92 has learned to read and write after going to school for the first time and inspiring others to join her, media and officials said on Wednesday.nSalima Khan, born in around 1931 and who was married at the age of 14 — two years before the end of British colonial rule in India — had a lifelong dream of being able to read and write.nKhan, from Bulandshahr in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, said there were no schools in her village when she was a girl.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/timesofindia/status/1706953734151172149?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nSix months ago, she began studying alongside pupils eight decades younger than her, and she is accompanied on her way to class by her grandson’s wife.nHer story emerged after a video of her counting from one to 100 went viral on social media.n“My grandchildren used to trick me into giving them extra money as I couldn’t count currency notes,” she was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/khan-chachi-learns-to-read-at-92-inspires-a-village/articleshow/103970281">quoted as saying</a> by the Times of India.n“Those days are gone.” India’s literacy rate is around 73 per cent, according to the 2011 census.n“Her story reinforces the belief that the pursuit of knowledge is not limited by age,” local education officer Lakshmi Pandey told AFP.nVolunteers from a government education initiative had identified Khan as a potential student and encouraged her to go to school, Pandey said.nSchool headmistress Pratibha Sharma said teachers had been initially “hesitant” about embarking on teaching Khan but were won over by her “passion” for studying.n“We didn’t have the heart to refuse her,” Sharma told the Times of India.nSince she went to school, 25 women from her village have also started literacy classes, including two daughters-in-law, Sharma told the daily.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1706957010665877626?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nGuinness World Records <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-person-to-begin-primary-school">lists</a> the late Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge from Kenya as the oldest person to complete primary school, having enrolled in 2004 when he was 84.nA former Mau Mau guerilla fighter against British colonial forces, Maruge started school wanting to count money and read the Bible, and was later appointed “senior head boy”.

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Rupee upswing against dollar continues

The rupee maintained its momentum against the dollar in the interbank market on Wednesday, increasing by Rs1.06 according to the State Bank of Pakistan.nThe rupee has seen an upsurge in confidence as news of stringent administrative measures taken against black market dollar outflows to Afghanistan and Iran came to light.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777784"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nTrade for the dollar closed at Rs288.75 in the interbank, 0.36pc lower than yesterday’s close of Rs289.80.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/StateBank_Pak/status/1706992724828966953"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe rupee appreciated in the open market as well, rising by Rs1 against the greenback. The dollar was being traded at Rs290, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan.nKomal Mansoor, head of strategy at financial services platform Tresmark, credited the appreciation of the rupee to the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775848">unchanged interest rate</a> by the State Bank of Pakistan in the recent monetary meeting despite expectations of an increase in interest rate by 200 basis points.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zzTeefikXIM?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure>nShe said, “Significant correction in swaps, especially in the short tenors, has led to premiums declining from 18 per cent to near zero.”nThis, she added, sent exporters into a flurry “to sell-forwards in response to an appreciating rupee.”nFurthermore, banks engaged in forward-selling transactions to realise their own goals, “however, the bulk of the decline in swaps came from banks engaging in buy-sell transactions to generate dollar liquidity to fulfil import demand”.

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India resumes internet ban in restive Manipur after protests

India has reimposed an internet ban on the restive Manipur state after violent protests erupted following the circulation of photographs of two dead students killed during the months-long conflict, officials said.nMore than 150 people have been killed in the remote northeast state since armed clashes <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1750880">broke out in May</a> between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community.nThe far-flung state has fractured on ethnic lines with rival militia groups setting up blockades.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770980"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nA nearly five-month-long <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1751022">internet ban</a> was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://m.timesofindia.com/india/manipur-internet-ban-to-be-lifted-from-today-says-cm-biren-singh/articleshow/103882336.cms">lifted</a> last week, but was reimposed late Tuesday after dozens were injured during violent protests in the state capital Imphal.nOn Tuesday, police fired tear gas as hundreds of angry students marched following the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/ManipurTimes/status/1706362876469055764">release of photographs</a> of two dead bodies on social media, a 17-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man from the Meitei community, local media reported. The pair went missing in July.nThe internet was then cut to curb the “spread of disinformation, false rumours, and other types of violent activities through social media platforms”, a government order read.nBiren Singh, the state’s chief minister, said on late Tuesday that officers were investigating the deaths.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1765987"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nPrime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for his administration’s failure to end the violence in the state, which is governed by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).nHuman Rights Watch has accused the Manipur authorities of facilitating the conflict with “divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism”.nMallikarjun Kharge, leader of the opposition Congress party, on Wednesday accused the ruling party of turning Manipur “into a battlefield”, in a post on X.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/kharge/status/1706877810625671434"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>

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Avastin use banned for indefinite period

LAHORE: The Punjab government has slapped a ban on the use of Avastin injection for eye patients for an indefinite period across the province, besides launching a portal to collect data of the patients affected by the drug and provide them treatment facilities.nThe data collection through the portal launched by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department will help the government prepare a policy regarding the use of the injection.nProvincial health ministers Dr Jamal Nasir and Dr Javed Akram said this while addressing a joint press conference here on Tuesday.nThey said the ban was imposed as a high-level inquiry was underway to find out the prime factors <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777732">leading to vision loss</a> among patients administered the injection in Punjab.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n68 affected patients have surfaced in Punjab so farn</blockquote>nThey asked the affected patients to provide necessary information on the portal to get treatment and help the government in assessing the true impact of the drug’s reaction.nThey said that so far 68 patients affected by this injection have been reported in the province, for whom special beds have been allocated in the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Nishtar Hospital, Multan.nThe ministers said a new 10-member committee has also been constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi to analyse the situation caused by Avastin injection’s reaction.nThe committee will point out deficiencies and weaknesses at various levels in handling and use of the injection and prepare a comprehensive action plan to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.nPrimary Healthcare Minister Dr Jamal Nasir said this injection, available in the market in 100mg pack, was primarily meant for the treatment of colon cancer and its use for the treatment of eyes in diabetic patients falls under the category of “off-label” use, adding that the injection was neither fake nor locally manufactured.n“The diabetes patients require only 1.2mg dose and some people sell this injection in small syringes for this purpose,” Dr Nasir said.nHe said the injection should be kept at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius temperature and administered to the patient within six hours of opening the pack. However, he said, apparently due to increase in temperature its chemical composition changed and this might have happened because of not maintaining the required temperature during its transportation.nDr Nasir said that efforts were under way to arrest those who sold this injection in small syringes illegally, adding that the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has also been directed to trace the doctors and hospitals involved in this issue.nThe minister said that 11 drug inspectors in eight cities of Punjab have been suspended from service and an inquiry has been ordered against them for failing to check the illegal sale of the injection in small doses.nPunjab Specialized Healthcare Department Minister Dr Javed Akram said new members have been added to the committee constituted by the chief minister, including Professor of Microbiology Dr Sidra, Professor of Ophthalmology Dr Moin and Professor of Forensic Medicine Dr Allah Rakha.nHe said the committee would also inspect the premises where the injection was being packaged in small syringes and determine whether those places were suitable for the process or not.nApart from this, he said, the record of temperature maintained during shipment, off-loading and transportation etc of the “contaminated” lot of the injection would also be sought from Switzerland-based company.nDr Akram apprehended that it seemed good clinical practices had not been taken into account while using this injection for eye treatment. He said it was mandatory to seek consent of the patient in local language before administering the injection, adding that those responsible for this episode would be held accountable without any leniency.nPHC: The Board of Commissioners of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has directed the senior management of the commission to be prepared for special inspections of the hospitals where eye infection cases were reported due to the administration of Avastin injection to the patients.nThe directions were issued in an emergent meeting of the PHC Board of Commissioners (BoC) headed by chairperson retired Justice Muhammad Bilal Khan.nA representative of the PHC, who had attended the meeting of the recently formed committee by the government also attended the BoC meeting.nHe briefed the BoC regarding the proceedings of the meeting convened by both interim health ministers – Prof Javed Akram and Dr Jamal Nasir.nThe BoC was informed that the issues related to import, compounding and dispensing of the dosage for eye patients will be investigated by the committee, while the PHC was asked to investigate the practices in the hospitals where the injection was administered.nAfter deliberations, the BoC directed the PHC senior management to make preparations for any action, especially, the inspections of the hospitals where the infections have been reported.nThe BoC also ordered inspections of these healthcare establishments to ensure implementation of the minimum service delivery standards, especially pertaining to infection protection and control, medication management, qualifications of the medics, and sterilisation of operation theatres.nThe BoC also ordered issuance of an advisory for the affected patients to initiate complaint about these incidents. For this, they can also WhatsApp their complaints at 0306 0843500, for initiation of investigation by the PHC.nIn a related development, the Lahore police arrested a suspect, Bilal, from Arifwala, in connection with Avastin injection scam.nThe police said a case had been registered against the suspect by Faisal Town police.nA special police team investigating the case traced the location of the suspect at Arifwala and arrested him in a raid on a premises, with the help of local police, sources said.nPublished in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

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Former world sprint champion Schippers announces retirement

AMSTERDAM: Two-time world champion sprinter Dafne Schippers, known as the “Flying Dutchwoman”, announced her retirement on Tuesday, telling her social media followers “the race stops here”.nThe 31-year-old from the Netherlands won gold in the 200m at the 2015 World Championship in Beijing and again in London two years later. She was also the silver medallist in the 200m at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as she was pipped at the line by Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah.n“The race stops here. As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time,” Schippers wrote on Instagram.n“Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support. It has been a journey without regret.”nSchippers was never able to keep up her place among the top sprinters after being plagued by injuries. Persistent back problems bothered her in recent years and because of her injuries, she has not competed for a year.nPublished in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

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Pan helps China light up pool after first eSports medals

HANGZHOU: Teen sensation Pan Zhanle swam a freestyle leg at world record pace to drive China to the men’s 4×100 metres medley relay gold at the Asian Games on Tuesday after the hosts claimed the first title at eSports’ official debut in the multi-sport event. nnTwo nights after becoming the first Asian swimmer to break the 47 seconds barrier in the 100 metres freestyle, 19-year-old Pan clocked an incredible 46.65 as China threatened the United States’ world record. nnPan’s time was 0.21 seconds faster than the 100m world record held by another 19-year-old wunderkind, Romanian David Popovici. nnWith world champion Qin Haiyang swimming the breaststroke leg in 57.63 seconds — faster than the Asian record — China won in three minutes 27.01 seconds, just outside the US world record of 3:26.78 from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. nn“We thought we would have to wait until next year to come close to the world record, so tonight we put in a really good performance,” said Qin, who owns the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke world titles. “There must be a higher goal. Our goal has always been to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics next year.” nnChina have ruled the Hangzhou pool — and the Games in general. Olympic bronze medallist Li Bingjie won the women’s 400m freestyle to add to the medal haul. nnHowever, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey has been a bulwark of resistance to China’s dominance. nnThe former British colony’s first Olympic swimming medallist stormed to victory in the blue riband 100m freestyle with an Asian record swim of 52.17 seconds, a day after taking the 200 title. nn“I haven’t swum a [personal] best time since Tokyo,” said 25-year-old Haughey, who took the 100 and 200 silvers at the Olympics. “It just proves that I’m not at my peak yet.” nnChina took four of the six golds on the night. The other went to Tomoru Honda, who stunned exhausted Japanese team-mate Daiya Seto in the 400m medley. nnCHINESE GAMERS RULEnnGaming is making its debut as a medal event in Hangzhou in what is seen as a major step towards Olympic status one day. nnAudiences of overwhelmingly young spectators have packed out the 4,500-capacity Hangzhou Esports Center in the hope of catching one of their heroes, especially South Korea’s Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. nnHe will lead the Koreans in League of Legends — and controversially earn an exemption from military service if they win gold. nnMedals are up for grabs in seven gaming titles, with China grabbing the first gold when they defeated Malaysia in the final of smartphone game Arena of Valor. Malaysia take home silver and Thailand bronze nn“The audience who loves eSports and the veterans in the eSports industry have been looking forward to this for a long time,” China’s captain Luo Siyuan said after his team’s historic victory. “I believe that eSports will develop more and more in the future.” nnUnderlining just how popular eSports is at the Games, it is the only competition in Hangzhou where tickets were allocated through an initial online lottery. nnChina’s place in the Games record books helped the home nation stretch their lead atop the medals table with golds in their usual strengths of gymnastics, table tennis and shooting to increase their overall tally to 53 at the end of three days of action. nnThey are way ahead of South Korea (14 golds), Japan (eight) and Uzbekistan and Hong Kong (both five). nnSECOND GOLDnnChina’s all-powerful table tennis squad swept past rivals Japan 3-0 in the women’s team final. They also claimed men’s team gold over South Korea by the same scoreline. nnIn artistic gymnastics, home favourite and twice world champion Zhang Boheng grabbed his second gold, adding the all-around individual title to his men’s team triumph on Sunday. nnUnbeaten in every rotation, Zhang stuck the landing in the horizontal bar to finish with a total score of 89.299, over two points clear of Japan’s runner-up Takeru Kitazono. nnBut China were dethroned by Japan in the men’s team sprint at the Chun’an Jieshou Sports Centre Velodrome on the first day of action on the cycling track. nnJapanese rider Yoshitaku Nagasako said his team thrived on the partisan crowd. “When I heard ‘China’ I just thought ‘Japan’. So the crowd was amazing,” he said. “I’m really proud to win this one.” nnChina’s women made no mistake in their team sprint final, beating South Korea to the title. nnIn other action, Hong Kong retained their men’s rugby sevens title when they beat South Korea 14-7 in the final, as hosts China won the women’s gold. nnROYAL TOUCH nnThe Games had a royal touch when Thailand’s Princess Sirivannavari Mahidol rode in on a horse named ‘Es Fangar’s Samba King’ in the dressage team event. nnWith Thailand finishing fifth — behind gold-winning India — the 36-year-old daughter of King Vajiralongkorn was unable to add a medal to the crown jewels nn“Luckily our father is supporting us,” said the princess, who played badminton at the 2006 Asian Games and competed in equestrian at the 2014 edition. “He knows that what drives my heart is horses and badminton.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

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Touchdown Hyderabad: Pakistan squad lands in India for World Cup

The Pakistan squad landed in India’s Hyderabad on Wednesday to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023.nThe national team flew to India via Dubai and landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. A video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) showed the squad exiting the plane.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/GhaffarDawnNews/status/1707049795016359978"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nConfirming the development, the Press Trust of India said this is Pakistan’s first visit to the neighbouring country in seven years. The Green Shirts previously traveled to India in 2016 for the T20 world cup.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1707052337850642653"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe Indian government had on Monday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777813">issued visas</a> for the Pakistan squad after multiple delays. The development came after the PCB wrote a letter to the International Cricket Council expressing concerns over the visa issue.nThe World Cup is scheduled to take place from Oct 5 to Nov 19 in India. Pakistan’s opening match in the tournament is set for Oct 6 against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, while the highly anticipated match against arch-rivals India will take place in Ahmedabad on Oct 14.nThe national team will play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3. Earlier, the team was scheduled to leave for Dubai on Sept 25 and stay there for two days.nThe 15-member squad for the mega tournament was announced last week by Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq. It notably <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777274">includes</a> bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was injured in the Asia Cup.nOther notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.nSquad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, (wicketkeeper) Mohammad Wasim, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama MirnReserve Squad: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

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US presses India to cooperate on Canada killing probe

The United States made clear on Friday that it expected the Indian government to work with Canada on efforts to investigate the possible involvement of New Delhi agents in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">murder</a> of a Canadian citizen in June.nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that Ottawa had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275/canada-has-indian-diplomats-communications-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-report">credible intelligence</a> linking Indian agents to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, prompting an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">angry reaction</a> from New Delhi, which denies the allegation.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1705338126338503126"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“We are deeply concerned about the allegations that Prime Minister Trudeau has raised,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in a press briefing. “It would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. We want to see accountability.”nThe White House has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905">spoken</a> of its concerns over the allegations, but Blinken is the most senior US official to have commented thus far.nTraditional Canadian allies, including the United States, appeared to take a cautious approach to the matter earlier this week. Political analysts said this was partly because the United States and other major players see India as a counterweight to the growing influence of China.n“We have been consulting throughout very closely with our Canadian colleagues, not just consulting but coordinating with them on this issue,” Blinken said.nDuring a press conference, Trudeau was asked about the allegations, and he repeated his call for the Indian government to cooperate.n“We are there to work constructively with India. We hope that they engage with us so that we can get to the bottom of this very serious matter,” Trudeau said.nOn Friday, Trudeau also said Canada shared its concerns with New Delhi some time ago.n“Canada has shared the credible allegations that I talked about on Monday with India. We did that many weeks ago,” Trudeau told reporters.nThe Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation into the Sikh separatist leader’s murder, CBC News reported separately on Thursday citing sources.nThe report said the intelligence included communications of Indian officials present in Canada, adding some of the information was provided by an unidentified ally in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://privacyinternational.org/learn/five-eyes">Five Eyes alliance</a>.nFive Eyes is an intelligence-sharing network that includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.nHowever, Trudeau has not provided any details about what Canada’s spy agencies have collected, and his office has not confirmed or denied the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275">CBC report</a>.nSenior Canadian government sources have said that Trudeau would not have spoken publicly without having a high level of confidence in the intelligence.

September 23, 2023

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China all set to open biggest-ever Asian Games in post-Covid era

HANGZHOU: After a year’s delay due to Covid-19, the biggest Asian Games in history, boasting about 12,000 competitors — more than the Olympics — officially open in Hangzhou on Saturday with hosts China eager to lift a country mired in economic gloom and athletes hoping to lay a marker before next year’s Paris Olympics. nnWith athletes including world and Olympic champions competing across a whopping programme of 40 sports from athletics, swimming and football to eSports and bridge, the Games will be China’s first mega-event since last year’s Beijing Winter Olympics, which were held under strict Covid protocols. nnFollowing the scrapping of China’s “zero-Covid” policy in late-2022, Hangzhou promises to be a more festive event and a welcome diversion from the property market woes and high youth unemployment that have dogged the domestic economy. nnFans, athletes and officials will move freely between shiny, new stadiums in Hangzhou and five other Yangtze River Delta cities in one of the country’s most prosperous regions. nnLike the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, local organisers will hope Hangzhou can showcase the nation’s strength and that home athletes will put China top of the medals table as they have done at the last 10 editions. nnGiven the quality throughout China’s 886-strong delegation, there should be little doubt of the latter, at least. nnThe Games’ novelty factor will instead lie in new competitions, even if some stretch the definition of sport to its limits. nnOrganisers have jumped aboard the Olympics’ youth push, adding breakdancing — or ‘breaking’ — to the programme a year out from its Olympic debut at Paris. nnEsports will be a medal event for the first time after being a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. nnCelebrity gamers like South Korea’s Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as ‘Faker’, will compete for seven esports golds across seven titles, including ‘League of Legends’ and ‘FIFA Online 4’. nnThe Games will be staged at 54 venues — 14 newly constructed — mostly in Hangzhou but also extending to cities as far afield as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres (180 miles) south. nnThe centrepiece is the “Big Lotus” Olympic stadium with a capacity of up to 80,000 where athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies will be staged. nnPresident Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and meet Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad there, along with other visiting leaders. Assad is making his first visit to ally China since the war erupted in Syria in 2011 nnThough organisers scrapped a controversial plan to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at Hangzhou, the continental bloc is riven with geopolitical tensions that could spill over in competition and in the stands. nnRelations between Japan and China have plunged since Tokyo released treated radioactive water from a wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, and the Japanese Olympic Committee said it hopes its athletes will “avoid any trouble”. nnNorth Korea is sending a nearly 200-strong team to Hangzhou, ending its isolation from global sport since the Covid-19 pandemic. nnThough women’s sport is effectively banned in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the nation will be represented by 17 female athletes in cycling, volleyball and athletics, funded by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). nnNine of the sports come with the additional prize of qualification for the Olympics including archery, boxing, breaking, hockey, sailing, tennis and water polo. nnHosts China have topped the medals table at every Asian Games since 1982 and are expected to do so again by the time the curtain comes down on October 8. nnThey should reign in swimming, with Qin Haiyang fresh from his heroics at the world championships, where he announced himself as the new undisputed breaststroke king. The 24-year-old swept all three men’s events and set a new world record in the 200m. nnChina’s butterfly queen Zhang Yufei will bid for a fourth gold in the pool at her third Asian Games to add to her two Olympic and two world titles. nnThe hosts’ newly crowned women’s world number one golfer Yin Ruoning will tee off in the individual and team events, five years after taking a team bronze for China at Jakarta. nnIn athletics, another of the most closely watched sports, India’s Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will defend his Asian Games javelin crown. nnHis nearest competitor should be world silver medallist Arshad Nadeem from arch-rivals Pakistan and the countries are also on a collision course in cricket and hockey. nnA feature of the Asian Games is that it includes sports that are a little more quirky than the Olympics. Xiangqi — also known as “Chinese chess” — and the ancient wrestling discipline of kurash are also on the menu. nnHangzhou, a city of 12 million people an hour’s bullet train from Shanghai, is famed in China for its ancient temples, gardens and its beloved West Lake. nnIt is also the unofficial home of China’s tech industry, notably the birth place of Jack Ma’s Alibaba. The Games will showcase some of the latest tech to come out of the city, including driverless buses, robot dogs and facial recognition.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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IHC to hear PTI chief&rsquo;s bail plea in cipher case on Sep 25

The Islamabad High Court has fixed for hearing the post-arrest bail plea filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771179">cipher case</a>, in which he is currently incarcerated at the Attock jail, it emerged on Saturday.nThe court will take up the petition on Sep 25 (Monday), and IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will preside over the proceedings.nThe court has issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present arguments in the case.nThe PTI chief was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768528">arrested</a> in the Toshakhana case on August 5, and while his detention was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772860">suspended</a> by the IHC on August 29, he remains incarcerated in the cipher case, bringing his days in jail to a total of 50 so far.nImran had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776210">approached</a> the IHC after the special court — established to hear cases filed under the Official Secrets Act — <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775831">rejected</a> the ex-premier’s plea seeking the same.nThe cipher case pertains to a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1769320/leaked-cipher-hints-at-us-pressure-over-russia-visit">diplomatic document</a> which reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power.nImran and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been attending hearings in the case, while PTI leader Asad Umar’s and former principal secretary Azam Khan’s involvement was supposed to be determined during the course of the investigation.nWhile Umar was granted pre-arrest bail last week, Imran and Qureshi were denied post-arrest bail, and their judicial remand — which was extended — will complete on September 26.n<h2><a id="imrans-petition" href="#imrans-petition" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Imran’s petition</h2>nImran had on Sep 16 filed the petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, through his lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar.nThe state and Interior Ministry Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokar are respondents in the case.nThe petition urged the IHC to grant Imran post-arrest bail till the final disposal of the cipher case “to meet the ends of justice”.nThe plea claimed that nearly 200 criminal cases have been filed against the former premier, out of which “almost 40 cases are [on] charges of corruption, murder, sedition, mutiny, foreign funding, NAB (National Accountability Bureau) reference and Toshakhana reference”.nIt argued that the PTI chief could not avail remedy under section 498 (power to direct admission to bail or reduction of bail) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).nThe petition alleged that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) operated at the behest of the then interior ministry. It added that the matter of the case not being registered by the foreign ministry had gone unnoticed by Special Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.n“Never before, history has witnessed the ‘arrest’ and ‘prosecution’ of a former prime minister (Imran) and a former foreign minister (Qureshi) under this law (Secrets Act),” the plea stated.nIt went on to cite past verdicts to argue that “straightaway arrests have been condemned in landmark authoritative judgments”. The petition asserts that the Secrets Act was “originally enacted to hold members of the armed forces (air, navy, army) accountable for violations and breaches of the law”.nIt contended that neither section 5 (wrongful communication, etc of information) nor section 9 (attempts, incitements, etc) of the Official Secrets Act were applicable in the cipher case, and neither does the law have “any remote relevance to the allegations detailed in the FIR”.nThe petition further stated that former interior minister Rana Sanaullah and the FIA have made “contradictory statements”, according to which, the “original cipher document is securely held in the custody of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.n“The petitioner’s primary concern was to prevent foreign interference in domestic political affairs,” it said.nThe plea went on to allege, “This is another like attempt, made by the state functionaries, to secure the straightway arrest of the petitioner after suspension of his sentence in Toshakhana reference.”.nIt further said that the respondents’ acts depict “clear mala fide, hostility, and vindictive motives to harm the petitioner in his office, career, person, reputation, and dignity”.nThe plea stated that the petitioner was ready to furnish reasonable surety to the entire satisfaction of the court and also undertook “not to abscond or tamper with the prosecution witnesses”.nAsserting that the PTI chief is “one of the few honest and dignified statesmen of Pakistan”, the petition recalled Imran’s cricket career and philanthropic contributions.nIt went on to contend that his “mandate and growing popularity it got from the masses became a threat to the already well-established political forces”. The plea added that state machinery was being misused with the sole objective of “political victimisation and score-settling”.n<h2><a id="the-cipher-case" href="#the-cipher-case" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>The cipher case</h2>nAccording to the FIR, a case has been registered against former prime minister Imran Khan and Qureshi under sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, read with Section 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).nThey have been accused of wrongful communication/use of official secret information and illegal retention of a cipher telegram (an official secret document) with mala fide intention, whereas the roles of former SPM Muhammad Azam Khan, former federal minister Asad Umar, and other involved associates will be ascertained during the course of the investigations.nIt said former PM Imran, former FM Qureshi and their other associates are involved in communication of information contained in secret classified document (cipher telegram received from Parep Washington dated March 7, 2022 to the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to the unauthorised persons (i.e. public at large) by twisting facts to achieve their ulterior motives and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.nThey held a clandestine meeting at Banigala on March 28, 2022 to conspire to misuse the contents of the cipher in order to accomplish their nefarious designs.nThe accused, Imran, with mala fide directed the former principal secretary, Azam Khan, to prepare the minutes of said clandestine meeting by manipulating the contents of the cipher message to use it for his vested interest at the cost of national safety.nMoreover, the numbered and accountable copy of the cipher telegram sent to the PM Office was deliberately kept by the former PM, with mala fide intention, and was never returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.nThe said cipher telegram (official secret document classified as such) is still in the illegal possession/retention of the accused Imran, the FIR claimed.

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ICC 2024 U-19 World Cup schedule announced

DUBAI: The matches schedule for the 15th edition of the ICC U-19 Men’s World Cup 2024 has been revealed as hosts Sri Lanka prepare to welcome the future stars of world cricket to the island nation for the first time since 2006.nnA total of 16 teams were set to compete for the silverware across 41 matches from Jan 13 to Feb 4, comprising 11 best-placed full member teams at the last edition and five teams who earned their World Cup spot through qualification — Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland and the US, said a press release issued by the ICC.nnOn the first day, Sri Lanka face Zimbabwe at the R. Premadasa Stadium, England play Scotland at the Colombo Cricket Club and New Zealand clash with Nepal at the P. Sara Oval.nnReigning champions India commence the defence of their crown against Bangladesh on Jan 14 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.nnIn a revised format, teams progressing from the group stages would enter a new Super Six stage, starting on Jan 24, where two groups of six teams will clash to determine the semi-finalists.nnIn the group listings, India are joined by Bangladesh, Ireland and the US in Group ‘A’; Group ‘B’ consists of England, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland; Group ‘C’ features Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Namibia while Group ‘D’ is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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India confiscates properties of top Sikh separatist in Punjab

India’s top investigation agency confiscated on Saturday the properties of a prominent Sikh separatist and close ally of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">killing</a> has sparked a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">diplomatic row</a> between India and Canada.nGurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer believed to be based in Canada, was designated as a terrorist by Indian authorities in 2020 and is wanted on charges of terrorism and sedition.nHe is also the founder of the US-based group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), whose Canada chapter was headed by Nijjar before he was gunned down by masked assailants in June near Vancouver.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776744"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe group, which has been banned by India, has been a vocal advocate for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan.nA diplomatic firestorm erupted this week with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying there were “credible reasons to believe that agents of the government of India were involved” in Nijjar’s death.nNew Delhi dismissed Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd”, tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions followed, and India has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777075/india-stops-processing-visas-in-canada-service-provider">stopped processing visa applications</a> by Canadians.nPannun jumped into the raging row and issued a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOuzhdRTtyA&ab_channel=WION">video</a> telling Canadian Hindus to “go back to India”, claiming they had adopted a “jingoistic approach” by siding with New Delhi.nIn an interview with an Indian news channel, Pannun said Nijjar had been his “close associate” for over 20 years and was like a “younger brother” to him. He also blamed India for Nijjar’s killing.n<h2><a id="heinous-crimes" href="#heinous-crimes" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Heinous crimes’</h2>nSoon after his interview was aired, the Indian government issued an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://new.broadcastseva.gov.in/digigov-portal-web-app/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&attachId=140712323&whatsnew=true">advisory</a> to news networks asking them to refrain from giving a platform to people accused of “heinous crimes”.nArmed with court orders, officials of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday confiscated Pannun’s house in Chandigarh, the capital of the Sikh-majority state of Punjab, it said in a statement.nThe NIA also confiscated agricultural land belonging to him in Amritsar, it added.nIt accused Pannun of “actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth” on social media “to fight for the cause of independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country”.nSikhism is a minority religion originating in northern India that traces its roots back to the 15th century and drew influences from both Hinduism and Islam.nThe Khalistan campaign was largely considered a benign fringe movement until the early 1980s, when a Sikh fundamentalist launched a separatist insurgency.nIt culminated with Indian forces storming the Golden Temple, the faith’s holiest shrine in Amritsar, where separatists had barricaded themselves.nIndia’s then-prime minister Indira Gandhi was subsequently assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards.nThe insurgency was eventually brought under control and the Khalistan movement’s most vocal advocates are now among the large Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada, Britain and Australia.nBut memories of the violence — in which thousands died ù still haunt India, which has outlawed the Khalistan movement and listed several associated groups as “terrorist organisations”.

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Sindh apex body finalises nitty-gritty of operation in riverine area

• 18 forward base camps, 400 check posts being set up n• Corps Commander Iftikhar asks Rangers to provide security for Ghotki-Kashmore bridge construction n• CS told to approach interior ministry for military-grade weaponsnKARACHI: The Sindh Apex Committee — a forum of civil and military officials — on Friday reviewed the law and order situation in riverine areas of the province, approved and finalised details of a massive operation to be launched by police and Rangers against dacoit gangs in affected districts of upper Sindh.nThe approval of an operation has been given multiple times. First, the then Murad Ali Shah-led cabinet had in March approved a grand operation clean-up in riverine areas. Then, the caretaker cabinet took up the matter in its meeting on Sept 14 and decided to launch a massive operation in riverine area and shutdown of internet services.nAnd on Friday, the 28th meeting of the Apex Committee approved yet another time a comprehensive joint operation with army and Rangers against dacoits in the riverine areas. However, this time the meeting had an in-depth discussion on the plan of the operation in the riverine area.nTalking to Dawn after the meeting, caretaker Home Minister retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz hoped that the operation would formally begin “within a week”.nThe meeting was chaired by caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Barar. It was attended by Corps Commander Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Rangers director general Maj Gen Azhar Waqas, Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar, caretaker law minister Omer Soomro, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon and others.nIt was told that the Rangers had been deployed along with police in upper Sindh districts and a crackdown on organised weapon smuggling had resulted in the seizure of the first cache of military-grade weapons in Ghotki.nThe IGP shared a comprehensive joint operation plan to clear hideouts in the riverine area in which army troops would provide aerial support.nThe meeting was told that 18 forward base camps were being established with 50 personnel each in the riverine areas of Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Sukkur. Around 400 police check posts were being established, while 3,200 policemen had already been deployed at 210 such posts.nThe CM was disappointed to know that dacoit gangs had stopped work to construct the Ghotki-Kashmore bridge. Upon which, the corps commander instructed the Rangers and police to reach the spot immediately and provide security to construction workers.nMilitary-grade weaponsnThe apex body was told that sophisticated military-grade weapons such as sniper rifles, grenade launchers, mortars, night vision devices, and drones were required for the operation.nHowever, it was disclosed in the meeting that a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the purchase of such weapons was pending approval with the interior ministry.nThe corps commander informed the meeting that the defence ministry had already given clearance for the provision of military-grade weapons to police and the interior ministry had to issue a formal NOC.nJustice Baqar directed the chief secretary to approach the interior ministry for the NOC on procurement of military-grade weapons from the army.nOperation against street crimenThe meeting was informed that 39,884 cases of street crime had been reported in 2013 which kept increasing to 85,502 in 2022, while 61,098 cases were reported this year.nAfter a thorough discussion, the apex body decided to launch a joint operation of police and Rangers against street criminals and drug mafia in the metropolis.nWhile the chief executive officer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation was present in the meeting, the Rangers director general briefed the apex body about an ongoing operation against illegal hydrants in the city.nHe said that 27 operations had been conducted across the metropolis in which 27 illegal hydrants had been dismantled and 43 persons were arrested.nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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Christian human rights activists &lsquo;briefly detained, tortured&rsquo; by police in Faisalabad

Two human rights activists visiting Faisalabad from Karachi were allegedly briefly detained and tortured by police, it emerged on Saturday, following which police accused the duo of misbehaviour in its rebuttal.nThe incident was raised by lawyer and rights activist Jibran Nasir on Friday in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.nIn a post about what he dubbed “extremely alarming and condemnable action by Punjab police”, Nasir said two prominent human rights activists from Karachi, Pastor Ghazala Shafique and Luke Victor, were visiting Faisalabad to help Reverend Father Eleazar Sidhu.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705236098056704202"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nChristian priest Sidhu was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774049">shot at and injured</a> on September 3, according to the first information report (FIR) of the incident available with Dawn.com. The FIR stated that Sidhu — who served at Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil — was returning home from the church in the evening when an unidentified bearded man shot and injured him.nThe FIR also mentioned that he was leading prayers in the church on August 28 when someone wrote objectionable religious slogans against him on the outer wall of the church, which were whitewashed by police on his complaint.nA few days prior to the alleged incident, when he went to drop his son off at school, a few bearded people threatened him, saying, “As our written slogans have been deleted from the wall of the church, soon you will also be deleted,” the FIR said.nAccording to Nasir’s posts on social media, Sidhu was arrested, “unlawfully kept captive by local police and subjected [to] torture, being forced to state that the deadly attack on him after the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582/5-churches-many-homes-ransacked-in-faisalabads-jaranwala">Jaranwala incident</a> was self-inflicted”.nHe alleged that Sidhu was forced into giving a statement that he “shot himself so real culprits could remain safe”.nIn a subsequent post, he said Pastor Ghazala Shafique had been released but alleged that her phone was withheld by police.n“She contacted her family from someone else’s phone,” he said, adding: “She revealed that the police put a black cloth on Luke Victor’s face and took him and Pastor Vicky (Sidhu) away beating them both.”n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705243632457191643"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIn a third post, Nasir alleged that police personnel at Saddar police station in Faisalabad had “badly beaten up Luke Victor”.nNasir went on to say: “The interim Punjab chief minister, the interim prime minister, and the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan all visited Jaranwala to help victims. Luke did the same, but he wasn’t powerful and influential so Punjab police got to torture him.n“Pastor Ghazala is afraid that if only Luke is allowed to leave then police might torture and harm Pastor Vicky further.”n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705260301975724367"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582/5-churches-many-homes-ransacked-in-faisalabads-jaranwala">Jaranwala incident</a> referenced here took place on August 16, during which a violent mob of hundreds ransacked and torched nearly two dozen churches and attacked the residences of members of the Christian community and the office of the local assistant commissioner in the area. As per police and local sources, the violence erupted after some locals alleged that several desecrated pages of the Holy Quran were found near a house at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, where two Christian brothers resided.nIn yet another post, Nasir shared a video of Victor saying: “Video made of Luke Victor at Sadr Thana Faisalabad after his release. He had bruises all over his body. His crime is to help find the truth about Pastor Eliezer alias Vicky’s case who got shot a few days after the Jaranwala incident.”nVictor can be seen with welts on his neck and face.nNasir urged interim Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi to launch an inquiry into the matter.n“It only highlights how vulnerable the Christian community is and how they are completely at the mercy of the state authorities. While Luke and Pastor Ghazala have been released Pastor Vicky has been reportedly arrested by transposing him from complainant to accused in the very FIR Pastor Victor got registered against the attack on him,” he wrote on X.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705298689730683009"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIn the early hours of Saturday (today), Nasir shared a video statement by Pastor Ghazala Shafique on X, wherein she said the clip was recorded in Saddar police station.nShafique said Sidhu had been detained and that he and Victor were allegedly tortured by police. She further claimed that her and Victor’s phones, too, had been taken from them.n“Our only demand is that if there’s any case against him (Sidhu), tell us about it,” she said.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705300307377377607"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe timing of the video’s recording is not clear.nWhen Faisalabad City Police Officer Usman Akram Gondal was asked about Nasir’s allegations, he said: “It is absolutely wrong.”nThe official claimed that Sidhu had shot himself during the September 3 incident, saying that an FIR had been filed against him. “He has submitted a confessional statement and is on remand,” CPO Gondal told Dawn.com.nAs for Shafique and Victor, he said: “The two reached there and were trying to get him (Sidhu) out of there. They misbehaved with [police] and threatened the SHO (station house officer). The police had no choice but to stop them.”nThe police’s claim was reiterated in Sidhu’s termination letter issued by the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan (PCP) on September 13.n“This letter is to inform that as of September 13, 2023, you, Mr Eleazar Sidhu s/o Bashir Masih Sidhu … are no longer employed by the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan [henceforth referred to as PCP]. This decision is because of the facts that came to light during your conversation with multiple colleagues, friends, and family members regarding the incident of alleged shooting on your right arm dated September 3, 2023, in which you voluntarily confessed that this was a self-inflicted injury and you admitted to planning this whole act without any fear, duress or pressure.n“While we are refraining from jumping to any conclusions since the matter isnsub-judice, we reserve every right to sever your employment and to cut off any professional ties until the matter comes to its logical conclusion,” the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, read.nA press statement issued by the PCP on the same day, cited the findings of Sidhu’s first medical report and said: “It was revealed that the injury was likely self-inflicted based on the angle/trajectory of the bullet, bare minimum damage to skin, injury etc.”nThe PCP also raised multiple questions regarding the September 3 incident based on Sidhu’s “contradictory statements”.nThe PCP called on the “highest authorities”, including all the investigative agencies, to bring all the facts pertaining to the matter to light.n“Any person can lie or make up stories. However, facts and science do not lie. We demand that one black sheep should not spoil the reputation of the whole flock. Not every pastor or Christian desires to apply for asylum and leave his/her country. We demand that an open, fair and independent investigation be carried out and if Mr Sidhu, as per his initial confession, circumstantial evidence, witness corroboration, and contradictory statements regarding the whole incident is found guilty, he should be meted an exemplary punishment,” the PCP press statement said.nIt further said the “organisation or the leadership cannot and must not be held responsible for any ‘lone wolf’ or rogue actions of an employee that were not within the scope of his employment nor in furtherance of his job description”.nMeanwhile, a video of Sidhu has surfaced, which according to details collected by Dawn.com, was recorded two days ago — after he was allegedly forced into giving his confessional statement.nIn the video, a weeping Sidhu with a sling on his right arm, is seen claiming four of his associates, including a 15-year-old boy, had been detained by police and were being persuaded into giving statements that his injury was self-inflicted.nHe denies shooting himself and writing objectionable religious slogans on the church’s wall. Sidhu further claims that he was tortured by police and three police personnel have been staying inside his house all day long.nSidhu also alleged that he was not provided food and water in police custody.

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Students suffer as academic activities at Karachi University come to a halt

KARACHI: Academic activities came to a complete halt at Karachi University (KU) on Friday amid a stand-off between the administration and teachers over a prolonged delay in payment of the evening programme’s dues.nSources said no evening classes had been held on the campus for nine days while teachers decided to extend their boycott to the morning classes in a general body meeting of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) held a day earlier.nAccording to university officials, there are more than 46,000 students enrolled at the university right now.nIn a late evening development, the caretaker chief minister took notice of the KU teachers’ strike and directed boards and universities secretary to present a report on the matter. “The chief minister has asked KU teachers to continue academic activities on the campus. He has expressed willingness to resolve their grievances on a priority basis,” a CM House spokesperson said.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nCaretaker CM intervenes, asks protesting teachers to resume classesn</blockquote>nEarlier in the day, several students shared their reservations over the situation and said that teachers’ strikes would greatly harm their studies if allowed to continue.nSpeaking to Dawn, they said the time was crucial, especially for the students enrolled in the morning programme who were about to finish their last semester.n“We won’t be able to complete our courses in time, which might force many of us to stay at the hostel for a longer period. That would mean an increase in out-of-pocket expenditure that we have to manage and a delay in finishing our degrees and applying for the job,” a science student said, adding that it was a hard time for the majority of KU students representing the lower middle class.nSources said these concerns were raised during the Kuts general body meeting, and a few teachers suggested against opting for a complete strike or holding it for the time being. However, the majority opinion for a complete strike prevailed.nIn a press statement, Kuts stated that the classes’ boycott would continue if the problems were not sorted out.n“Teachers are forced to opt for the boycott. They have been telling the administration about their concerns over non-payment of the evening programme’s dues since February this year,” it said.nAccording to teachers, the total pending amount pertaining to the evening programme, which is run on a self-finance basis, is around Rs80 million. In addition, they are also deprived of their enhanced salaries.nMeanwhile, teachers’ associations across Sindh, including the Quaid-i-Awam Teachers’ Association (QUTA) Sindh, have extended their support to KU teachers.nIn a statement, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Sindh chapter stated that it had called for a meeting on Tuesday on the KU campus.n“We strongly support all the demands of Kuts and condemn the university administration for its continued failure to disburse due remuneration to its academic staff,” says the statement.nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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Pakistan&rsquo;s economy on edge of precipice, warns World Bank

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is in its tipping point crisis where it should decide to remain a laggard with 40 per cent population living below the poverty line under elite capture and policy decisions driven by strong vested interests of military, political and business leaders or change course to take off for a brighter future.nThis candid warning came from the World Bank ahead of the new election cycle for the upcoming government to make early choices while making it clear that international lenders and development partners could only advise with international experiences of successes and some financing but hard choices and course correcting decisions could only be taken within the country.nThe good sign, however, is that the countries with higher sustainable economic growth like India, Indonesia and Vietnam also made the right decisions at the time of crisis and were able to overcome similar challenges. “This may be Pakistan’s moment in making policy shifts,” said Najy Benhassine, Country Director for the World Bank in Pakistan, at a news briefing while <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/brief/reforms-for-a-brighter-future-time-to-decide">releasing</a> a set of policy notes for debate and discussions for finalisation before the new elected government comes in.nHe said Pakistan was in the middle of a human resource capital and economic crisis. “Policy decisions are heavily influenced by strong vested interests, including those of military, political and business leaders,” reads an overview of the Reforms For a Brighter Future: Time to Decide“ that Mr Benhassine released. He said Pakistan had been facing numerous economic hardships including inflation, rising electricity prices, severe climate shocks, and insufficient public resources to finance development and climate adaptation — when the country was among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nSays current model can’t reduce poverty as Pakistan has lowest per capita income in South Asia and highest out-of-school kids in the worldn</blockquote>n“It is also facing a ‘silent’ human capital crisis: abnormally high child stunting rates, low learning outcomes, and high child mortality,” Mr Najy said, adding that Pakistan’s economic model no longer reducing poverty and it was very concerning that poverty reduction successes until 2018 had been reversed since.nAnother World Bank official said Pakistan’s poverty rate for the middle-income line of $3.20 per day had declined to 34.3pc by 2018 from 73.5pc two decades earlier but had since increased to 39.4pc according to the bank estimates. Also, over 12.5 million people had additionally fallen below the poverty line measures by $3.65 per day income.nThe bank said Pakistan’s average real per capita growth rate was just 1.7pc between 2000 and 2020 — less than half the average per capita growth rate (4pc) for South Asian countries over the period and well below the average of comparator countries with similar economic structures. As a result, Pakistan’s per capita incomes have fallen behind. “While Pakistan’s per capita income was among the highest in South Asia during the 1980s, it is now among the lowest in the region.”nPakistan’s human development outcomes lag well behind the rest of South Asia and are roughly equivalent to those in many Su-Saharan African countries with the costs disproportionately borne by girls and women while close to 40pc of children under five years of age were stunted and had the largest number (20.3m) of out-of-school children in the world. Its growth model has resulted in periodic balance of payments crises driven by unsustainable fiscal and current account deficits that necessitated subsequent painful contractionary adjustments, slowing growth, reducing certainty and undermining investments.nThe bank proposed enhancing revenue mobilisation potential at 22pc of GDP against the existing rate of 9-10pc and said about 3pc of GDP could be immediately recovered by properly taxing properties and agriculture which could contribute 2pc and 1pc of GDP respectively. Simultaneously, expenditures could be reduced through reforms by 1.3pc immediately and about 2.1pc over the medium term and the funds so generated should be utilised in health, education and sanitisation outcomes.nMr Najy said the heavy government reliance on bank borrowing at high interest rates for deficit financing was also one of the key factors behind high inflation and should be arrested by reducing the government footprint in public sector entities that account for over 45pc of GDP, most of them loss-making and needing public money to stay afloat.nThe World Bank proposed shifting policies from underfunded, inefficient, and fragmented service delivery and social protection systems towards coordinated, efficient, and adequately financed service delivery, targeting the most vulnerable — in particular, to reduce abnormally high child stunting rates and to increase learning outcomes for all children, especially for girls.nIt also advised a shift from wasteful and rigid public expenditures benefiting a few, towards tightly prioritised spending on public services, infrastructure, and investments in climate adaptation, benefiting populations most in need.nMr Najy responding to a question on a common charter of economy among the political parties said while such a way forward could be welcome there was reasonable consensus on priorities and challenges among all stakeholders. These policy shifts with wider stakeholder support should be implemented by the new government in the first year in office for a base to build upon in subsequent years.nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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Work on Rawalpindi Ring Road launched without funds

RAWALPINDI: Though about two-third of the land required for Rawalpindi Ring Road is yet to be acquired, the construction work on the Rs30 billion project was on Friday morning startedby the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).nInterestingly, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has no funds for the construction work and has requested the caretaker Punjab government to release Rs4 billion. However, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatha said he was confident that the amount will be released in a day or two.nThe total length of the road is 38.3 kilometres, but the district administration has so far acquired land from Chak Beli Khan to Adiala, which is 12km. Land for the 26.3km portion of the road is yet to be acquired.nThe commissioner visited Gorakpur near Adiala and reviewed the work speed plan. Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Nabil Sindhu, Assistant Commissioner Cantonment Qandeel Fatima, RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa and Nespak representatives were present on the occasion.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nRDA requests Punjab govt to release Rs4bn, two-third of land yet to be acquired; commissioner says CM wants road ready in six monthsn</blockquote>nTalking to Dawn, Mr Chatha, who is also the project director, said the construction work had been started and FWO mobilised its heavy machinery.n“Though the completion time was set as one year, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed to complete the project within six months,” he said.nAbout the land acquisition, he said the district administration had already acquired land from Chak Beli Khan to Adiala Road which was 12km, and the remaining land will be acquired next week.n“We have Rs6.7 billion which the Punjab government had released last year and this amount would be used to acquire the remaining land,” he said.nHowever, he said the caretaker government had been requested for funds for the construction work, which will be released in a day or two.n“We imposed section 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act in the areas from Baanth to Thalian near the motorway and the acquisition of land will be started from Monday. We will purchase land from the locals at the market rate and 15 per cent extra amount will be given to the owners,” he said.nHe said the Land Acquisition Act’s section was imposed when the government wanted to get land for a public interest project and the landowners were compensated at the market rates. “We will compensate all the landowners at handsome rates,” he said.nTo a question about election commission’s restriction on new projects, the commissioner made it clear that the project was started last year but work on it could not be started.n“So, it is not a new project but an ongoing one and there is no restriction on such schemes before general elections.”nThe commissioner the Ring Road was a very important public welfare project. “Elements who were saying that the project had been canceled will be disappointed today. The RDA has a key role in the implementation of development projects,” he said.nHe said the mega project will reduce traffic gridlocks and facilitate movement of the residents of adjacent areas.nThe 38.3km Ring Road will have five interchanges at Baanth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thalian. An industrial zone will also be established around the road.nThe total cost of the project is Rs31.7 billion – Rs23 billion for construction and Rs6.7 billion for land acquisition.nDuring the PTI government, two routes were planned for the project and later work was started on the main carriageway from Baanth on Grand Trunk Road to Thallian on the motorway.nFormer prime minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the road at Thallian in March 2022. The FWO was awarded the contract.nThe PDM government temporarily halted the project and gave the go-ahead after carrying out a third-party validation of the route.nFormer prime minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed the authorities to seek a third-party consultant for validating the optimal route.nA joint venture of Turkish and Pakistani firms was tasked with selecting the route from Baanth to Thallian.After getting its report, Mr Sharif also laid the foundation of the road at Rawat on August 8 this year.nPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Shehbaz downplays speculations around London trip

• Mystery still surrounds ex-PM’s abrupt visit n• Says Nawaz will unveil plan to tackle poverty, improve economy at a rally upon returnnLONDON: A day after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777043/shehbaz-rushes-back-to-london-within-48-hours">arriving in London</a> on a visit seen as sudden and rushed, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met with his brother Nawaz Sharif and other N-league representatives at Stanhope House, and later said the meeting was called to discuss Mr Nawaz’s next legal and political steps.nSpeaking to reporters after a huddle with Mr Nawaz, party Vice President Maryam Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar, Mr Shehbaz said, “Nawaz Sharif will return to a resounding welcome in Lahore, and will then address the nation at a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan where he will present the party’s plan to tackle poverty, unemployment and improve the economic situation.”nWhen asked whether he had come to London to “give a special message” to Mr Nawaz as was widely reported in the media a day earlier, Mr Shehbaz said. “Our meeting discussed the legal and political next steps for Mian sahib.”n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1705265050435379437"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nHe said the country should look at the party’s performance from 2013 to 2017 “when Nawaz Sharif ended 20 hours loadshedding, mainstreamed CPEC, and invited billions in investment”.nHe said inflation in Mr Nawaz’s term was low, GDP growth was 6.5 per cent, and industries were flourishing.n“What happened in 2018<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1390816"> [Nawaz’s removal]</a>… the nation saw what a joke was played. The country was thwarted from racing to new heights and Nawaz’s mandate was stolen.”n“A poison was injected into our national discourse, which normalised the abuse of colleagues and mentors — it was taken to an unprecedented level.”nAhead of Mr Shehbaz’s London visit, which was planned a mere 48 hours after he got to Pakistan from a near one-month-long UK trip, it was speculated that Mr Shehbaz is returning to London to reportedly do damage control as the question why he dashed back to the UK was left unaddressed.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777263"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nHis visit comes days after videos of Mr Nawaz <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">calling for the accountability</a> of former army chief and ISI chief Gen Bajwa and Gen Faiz, repectively, were published by the London party headquarters on social media, with Mr Shehbaz’s visit being framed by some as carrying a message from the establishment to Mr Nawaz that such a stance was unacceptable.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776664"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThough Mr Nawaz clearly named the former generals, as well as former judges in his video clips, Mr Shehbaz at the presser did not take any names when he spoke about the “joke that was played on the nation” while referencing the removal of Mr Nawaz in 2017.nEarlier on Friday, during a meeting with party representatives Abid Sher Ali, Talal Chaudhry and Javed Latif, sources said discussions took place about the preparations and logistics of Mr Nawaz’s return, with the party being given instructions to focus its attention on a historic welcome.nThe subject of why Mr Shehbaz returned was raised by one party leader at the meeting, but sources said it was not given much importance by the Sharif brothers.nAfter the meeting, Maryam Nawaz Sharif spoke to the media and said, “It will be a historic reception.”nWhen asked if there is any truth to rumours that Mr Nawaz will perhaps not return, she said, “This happens in politics, and these rumours will die. I don’t pay much attention to rumours.”nShe said Mr Nawaz is in a very good mood that he is returning after nearly four years in exile. “In his 40-year career he has spent 11 in exile. I hope this is the last time he has to live in exile.’’nPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Thousands of ancient clay tablets returned from US to Iran

TEHRAN: Iran has received thousands of Achaemenid-era clay tablets from the United States in the fifth such instalment, following a drawn-out legal effort to repatriate the antiquities, said a statement posted on the presidency’s website late on Thursday.nn“After the two-year follow-up of the government… the Achaemenid tablets confiscated by the American government were returned to the country,” the statement said.nnThe 3,506 tablets were repatriated on the plane that also brought home the Iranian delegation from New York after it attended the United Nations General Assembly.nnThis is the fifth batch of such antiquities returned to Iran.nn“We hope that the rest of these tablets will be returned as soon as possible”, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday night after returning from New York.nnFound at the ruins of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Achaemenid Empire which ruled from the sixth to fourth centuries BC in southern Iran, the repatriated tablets display how ancient society was organised and its economy managed.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Nepra allows Rs3.28 tariff hike for six months

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Friday allowed the federal government to increase electricity rates by Rs3.28 per unit for all consumers across the country for six months — October 2023 to March 2024 — with additional revenue impact going beyond Rs200bn.nThe increase has been allowed under quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) mechanism to finance the additional impact of capacity charges due to currency devaluation, interest rate hike and other factors.nThe power division of energy ministry had originally sought Rs6.20 per unit adjustment for the fourth quarter of 2022-23 fiscal year for ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) to fill a Rs146bn financing gap within three months but later sought its staggered recovery at the rate of Rs3.55 per unit in six months amid public protests against skyrocketing tariff hike.nSubsequently, the power division also asked Nepra to allow application of similar rates on K-Electric consumers to ensure uniformity and reduce subsidy payable against them.nThe Nepra after public hearings and examination of data, however, “determined a positive adjustment of Rs135.584bn on account of variation in capacity charges, variable O&M, additional recovery on incremental sales, use of system charges, market operator fee and FCA impact on T&D losses for the fourth quarter of FY 2022-23”. It said its determination sent to the power division for formal notification and application of revised rates of Rs3.2814 per unit with effect from October 1, 2023.nWith the application of 18pc GST, the additional impact on Discos’s consumers would thus work out at about Rs160bn at the rate of Rs3.87 per unit. While the government or Nepra did not disclose the financial impact of application of same power rates on KE consumers, an official said that it would be little over Rs40bn, thus taking the total financial impact beyond Rs200bn.nThe regulator, however, made it clear that no quarterly adjustments would be passed on to Bl, B2, B3 and B4 industrial consumers to the extent of incremental sales till continuation of the package.nThis QTA additional charge is on top of up to Rs7.5 per unit increase in electricity rates that came into force with effect from July 1, 2023 with a financial impact of Rs890bn excluding 18pc GST and subsequent monthly fuel price adjustments.nOne of the key factors for the additional quarterly cost, according to distribution companies (Discos) and the power division team, was the 13pc lower electricity drawn by Discos than estimated by relevant authorities while setting the reference rates. It was reported that sale of 37,645 gigawatt hours (GWh) had been estimated for April-June 2023 period but only 32,661 Gwh could be sold.nPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Ukraine attacks Russian navy&rsquo;s HQ in Crimea

SEVASTOPOL: At least one Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday, and a major cyber attack interrupted internet services on the peninsula.nnRussia’s defence ministry said one serviceman was missing after the attack, revising its earlier statement that the man had been killed. Air defences had downed five missiles, the ministry said.nnUkraine’s military confirmed it had attacked the Russian Black Sea fleet’s headquarters.nn“On Sept 22 close to 12 noon (0900 GMT) Ukraine’s defence forces successfully struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet command in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” it said on the Telegram messaging app.nnThe Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said the attack had caused a fire and people were being urged to avoid the city centre where the navy building is located, with firefighters working and some roads closed.nnRazvozhayev said there were no civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure in his report on the incident on Telegram.nnUkraine has intensified attacks in the Black Sea and Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, as Ukrainian forces press on with a nearly four-month-old counter-offensive.nnUkrainian officials have described attacks on Russian military targets in Russian-held territory as legitimate.nnOleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s security council, said there were two options for the future of Russia’s Black Sea fleet — voluntary or forced “self-neutralisation”.nnIf it did not choose the voluntary option, it “will be sliced up like a salami”, he said on X.nnUkrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Crimea “will definitely be demilitarised and liberated”. nnMoscow says it will never give up the peninsula. Russian authorities said air defences downed another missile on Friday near the town of Bakhchysarai.nnSeparately, Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Crimea head Sergei Aksyonov, said internet service providers on the peninsula were under an “unprecedented cyberattack”, leading to interruptions in service. nnZelensky in CanadannUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy started an official visit to close ally Canada on Friday and got a warmer welcome than he received from some US politicians sceptical about providing more military aid.nnCanada is one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters in its war with Russia, and is set to announce during the visit that it is sending more weapons to Ukraine, according to a government official.nnIn public remarks ahead of a bilateral meeting in Justin Trudeau’s office, the prime minister told Zelensky the visit was “an opportunity for Canadians to express directly to Volodymyr, and through him to the Ukrainian people, how strongly and unequivocally we stand with Ukraine”.nnIn return, Zelensky said he had “a lot of warm words and thanks” from Ukraine for the military and humanitarian aid Canada had supplied.nnThe Ukrainian leader earlier said he would be talking to Trudeau about defence cooperation, and would sign treaties to strengthen economic ties.nnDozens of extra police were on duty on Friday in central Ottawa, and roads leading to Parliament Hill were blocked off.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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With another wicket down, PTI fate hangs in balance: Tareen

LAHORE: Imran Khan’s PTI lost another wicket, this time a former member of the National Assembly from Punjab and party’s women wing president Munazza Hassan who joined Istehkham-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and made the decision public at a joint presser with IPP patron and former confidant of the PTI chairman, Jahangir Khan Tareen, on Friday.nAbout PTI’s future, Mr Tareen said: “It will be premature to say whether the PTI will be in elections or not. Certain things are being worked out in this regard and they will come to the fore very soon.”nSome senior leaders of PML-N, including former opposition leader Raja Riaz, believed PTI’s election symbol, bat, would not be on the ballot papers in upcoming elections.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/istehkamPK/status/1705202989110071513"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nMr Tareen, during the press conference, attempted to dispel the impression that his party was ‘king’s party’.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nMunazza Hassan joins Istehkham-i-Pakistan Partyn</blockquote>n“The establishment does not interfere in politics. We don’t need the support of the establishment but the people,” he said in reply to a question whether the military establishment would help the IPP win seats in polls. He, however, sounded confident regarding the polls taking place in January 2024. “Elections are indispensable for Pakistan and its economy. I am sure elections will be held and new government will remain in power for five years,” he said.nDisqualificationnResponding to a question about his life-time disqualification, he said he was eligible to contest polls as he was disqualified “only for an election term of five years”.n“The limit of disqualification of [PML-N supreme leader] Nawaz Sharif and mine was that of five years which have been completed,” he asserted.nSo far, he added, his party did not have any complaint against the ECP about level playing field, but the IPP wanted that it should be equal for all political players.nWhile the IPP has yet to be registered with the ECP despite being the new home of most PTI deserters, Mr Tareen said his party was doing homework and would contest election “with full preparations”.nAsked for reasons to part ways with Mr Khan, Mr Tareen said: “I got along with Imran Khan because he was working for Pakistan. Now my party will meet the expectations which the people had from him.”nThe IPP leadership says it has an agenda to give a new direction to politics and take the country forward with a strong economy.nSince his party also has an ‘excellent relationship’ with the Sharifs, Mr Tareen has yet to explain which party will be its rival in Punjab.nMeanwhile, he asked Mr Nawaz not to target former army chief (Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa) and chief justice of Pakistan.nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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US Senator Robert Menendez faces bribery charges over Egypt ties

NEW YORK: US Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and his wife have been charged with bribery offences in connection with their relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, federal prosecutors said on Friday.nnThe US Attorney’s office in Manhattan accused the defendants of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to seek to protect and enrich the businessmen, and benefit the government of Egypt.nnProsecutors said the bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a job with minimal requirements, a luxury vehicle and other things of value.nnMenendez, the chair of the influential US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and his wife Nadine Menendez, who has been married to the senator since 2020, face three criminal counts each.nnMenendez has been an important ally to fellow Democrat President Joe Biden as he has sought to reassert US influence on the world stage, something particularly crucial as Biden rallies support for congressional aid to Ukraine and Washington looks for ways to push back against a rising China.nnMenendez and his four co-defendants are expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Sept 27, a spokesman for the attorney’s office in Manhattan said. Menendez is up for re-election next year, and an investigation could complicate Democrats’ effort to expand their slim 51-49 seat majority in the 100-member Senate.nnMenendez and his wife face three criminal counts each: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Student union set to be revived at Quaid-i-Azam University

• Dictator Zia banned student unions in 1984 to quell uprisings n• CJP Isa lends support to syndicate’s decisionnnISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Friday lent his support to a decision to revive the Quaid-i-Azam University’s (QAU) students’ union, a move that, it is hoped, will pave the way for the revival of student unions in other universities as well. nnThe decision was taken during a syndicate meeting chaired by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, and attended by the chief justice of Pakistan, who is a member of the forum by virtue of his position. Justice Isa is the second CJP, after former chief justice Rana Bhagwandas, to have attended a QAU syndicate meeting.nnStudent unions were banned in 1984 by the dictator Ziaul Haq in an effort to quell student uprisings against his oppressive policies. The decision had left a significant vacuum in Pakistan’s political landscape. Four decades thence, the students at QAU seem poised to be the first to get their democratic rights back.nnAccording to a statement issued by the QAU, the syndicate had been discussing the engagement of students in positive and healthy activities when the matter came up. The Federal Education Secretary, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, expressed an opinion in favour of reviving the student unions. He was seconded by the chief justice, who observed that Gen Zia’s Martial Law Order had been repealed by an Act of Parliament in 1989. He also pointed to a 1993 Supreme Court judgement which, though it had disapproved of students’ indulgence in politics, also allowed for and appreciated the existence of elected bodies which address students’ issues and arrange co-curricular activities for them. The syndicate also factored in a unanimous resolution passed by the Senate in 2017 on the same subject into its decision. nnAfter discussion, the syndicate unanimously decided to revive QAU’s students’ union, which is an elected body representing all students of the university. A committee was also constituted to come up with a detailed proposal on the modalities of elections and other relevant issues. It will comprise a representative of the education ministry, the QAU Registrar, as well as the director of the university’s School of Law. The committee will study earlier practices and rules, as well as contemporary best practices from the wider world. It will submit its report to the syndicate in two weeks.nnInformed sources said that the chief justice had also urged that the union not be allowed to seek support on any ethnic, religious or political basis; rather, it should be a platform for the welfare and excellence of students and for the flourishing of democratic culture.nnHe also recommended that the union be modelled around Oxford University’s student union, which has graduated a number of world leaders. nnThough successive governments made several commitments for the revival of student unions, no practical steps were ever taken to this effect. nnIn 2017, the Senate, then headed by Mian Raza Rabbani, had approved a resolution and recommendation of the Senate Committee of the Whole for the revival of student unions, but the matter fizzled out. nnLater, during the PTI regime, then prime minister Imran Khan also expressed support for the restoration of student unions following protests across the country. However, once again, no practical step was taken in this regard.nnEnvironment and other concernsnnSources said that, during the meeting, the CJP emphasised environmental sustainability and directed the management to finalise a comprehensive environment management plan, which should include effective waste management and the sustainable consumption of water resources. nnThe CJP asked that the QAU be made a plastic, weapon and drug-free institute and also sought a report from the university administration on gender equality on the campus. Justice Isa also reportedly expressed concerns for the longstanding land issues plaguing the QAU and instructed the syndicate members to prioritise and expedite the resolution of all land-related challenges. nnThe sources said that the syndicate also discussed the use of unfair means by some students. University representatives also told the meeting participants that the university had sometimes faced political interference. nnThe sources said that the CJP had recommended that the administration should consider lodging police reports against such elements.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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UN calls upon Iran to drop &lsquo;demeaning&rsquo; law on Hijab

GENEVA: The UN called upon Iranian authorities on Friday to scrap a new law that dramatically increases penalties for women who flout strict Islamic dress code, describing it as “repressive and demeaning”.nThe United Nations rights office said it deeply regretted the passage of the Chastity and Hijab Bill, which threatens Iranian women who flout the strict Islamic dress code mandating head coverings and modest clothing with up to 10 years behind bars.nThe law “vastly increases jail terms and provides for crushing fines on women and girls who do not obey the compulsory dress code”, spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. In addition to long jail sentences and heavy fines, those found in breach could under the same bill be flogged and face travel restrictions.nUN rights chief Volker Turk reiterates that this draconian bill flagrantly flies in the face of international law, and that it must be shelved“, Shamdasani said.nThe push in Iran to step up penalties comes a year after a wave of protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly breaching the rules.nSince then, a growing number of Iranian women have been seen in public without hijab head scarves or observing the rules against clothes that are deemed too tight-fitting or otherwise revealing.nPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Weekly inflation hits 38.6pc

ISLAMABAD: The short-term inflation hit a new high for the third week in a row as the retail price of petroleum products soared, according to official data released on Friday.nThe short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), saw a year-on-year increase of 38.66 per cent for the week ending on Sept 21. This is the highest increase in three weeks because things are getting expensive every week.nAfter all, the oil price is going up. Oil prices have surged for the third consecutive fortnight under the caretaker government, triggering a hike in transport fares. The cost of moving goods has also risen due to the higher fuel prices.nThe retail price of petrol was increased by 8.51pc and diesel by 5.54pc during the week under review.nTo meet the local demand, Pakistan has been relying on imports of essential vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes and various others from Afghanistan. However, some relief was seen in the prices of tomatoes, and a few vegetables after the Torkham border with Afghanistan was reopened.nThe short-term inflation remained elevated. It, however, rose 0.93pc from the preceding week.nOf the 51 items in the SPI basket, prices of 22 goods soared, 11 dropped and 18 remained unchanged compared to the previous week.nDuring the week under review, the items whose prices increased the most over the same week a year ago were: electricity charges for Q1 (118.16pc), gas charges for Q1 (108.38pc), cigarettes (94.69pc), rice basmati broken (88.43pc), chillies powder (84.84pc), sugar (81.98pc), rice Irri-6/9 (81.04pc), wheat flour (73.70pc), gur (72.86pc), tea Lipton (65.28pc), gents sponge chappal (58.05pc), salt powdered (56.48pc), gents sandal (53.37pc), powdered milk (43.33pc) and garlic (43.10pc).nThe biggest rise week-on-week was in the price of chicken (8.49pc), garlic (5.19pc), onions (3.02pc), shirting (1.81pc) and matchbox (1.42pc).nIn May, the SPI stayed above 45pc for three weeks after hitting an all-time high at 48.35pc on May 4.nThe rupee depreciation, rising petrol prices, sales tax and electricity bills are among the key contributors to this inflationary trend. According to the latest IMF forecast, the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the current fiscal year is projected to be 25.9pc from the previous year’s 29.6pc.nMeanwhile, a decrease was also observed on a week-on-week basis in prices of tomatoes (11.11pc), sugar (3.57pc), bananas (2.03pc), potatoes (1.89pc), wheat flour (0.77pc), gur (0.62pc), mustard oil (0.45pc), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (0.31pc), cooking oil 5 litre (0.20pc), pulse gram (0.18pc) and tea Lipton (0.17pc).nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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IHC suspends FIA notice to Bushra Bibi

ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court has suspended FIA’s notice to former first lady Bushra Bibi in connection with the audio leaks probe.nnThe notice was issued to Ms Bibi after she purportedly featured in a telephonic conversation, the recording of which was leaked on social media. She was asked to appear before a JIT to confirm if it was indeed her voice in the audio.nnOn Friday, Justice Babar Sattar took up the petitions of Ms Bibi against the order.nnSardar Latif Khosa, Ms Bibi’s counsel, argued that the FIA had summoned the former first lady for a voice match test.nnHe pointed out that since the matter was sub judice, the FIA’s summons might be suspended.nnJustice Sattar perused the reports filed on behalf of the interior ministry, defence ministry and the PTA.nn“[N]one of the divisions of the Federal Government or Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) have addressed all the questions posed to them, including … as to which agencies possess the capacity to undertake electronic surveillance…” the judge observed.nnThe court gave “one more opportunity” to the Prime Minister’s office, interior and defence ministries to file reports, warning that in case of failure, the court will “implead intelligence agencies and telecom operators to seek responses from them”.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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UK police seek more information in Sara Sharif case

<figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>AN undated photo of Sara Sharif released by the Surrey Police in London, on Friday.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure>nLONDON: Surrey Police on Friday released two images of 10-year-old Sara Sharif taken prior to her <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770731">death</a> with the hope that “more people will come forward with information”.nThe images show Sara, who was found dead in her family home in Woking, Surrey, wearing the hijab. One appears to be a passport style photo, with the other an image of the young girl outdoors.nThe photos show how investigators believe she may have been dressed in the months before she died.nA month earlier, it was reported that, according to her stepmother Beinash Batool, Sara was pulled out of school after being “bullied for wearing the hijab”.nDetective Superintendent Mark Chapman of Surrey Police said: “We have released these new images this week in the hope that it will prompt more people who knew Sara and her family to come forward.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SurreyPolice/status/1705157211738030557"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“We are grateful to everyone who has already contacted us, and I would like to stress that any information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, is reviewed by the investigation team and further enquiries carried out if appropriate.n“I would urge anyone who may have information and hasn’t yet come forward to reach out to us.”nAccording to news reports, flyers have been put up in Woking train stations and taxi stands with regard to Sara Sharif, the information police are seeking.nA court was informed on Tuesday that 10-year-old Sara Sharif suffered a “constellation” of injuries, culminating in her untimely death.nSara’s father Urfan Sharif, aged 41, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 28, made their appearance at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday following their return from Pakistan on Sept 13, when they were apprehended at Gatwick Airport.nThe trio will face a six-week trial for her murder next year, with a date provisionally set for Sept 2, 2024. A plea hearing will take place on Dec 1. The charges against them include the murder of Sara and causing or permitting the death of a child.nPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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SC orders probe into &lsquo;fake&rsquo; appointments in Sindh Education Department

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ordered the Sindh chief secretary on Friday to constitute an inquiry committee within 10 days to investigate an alleged fake appointment scandal in the Sindh Education Department (SED).nnThe committee will scrutinise the entire recruitment process of the provincial education department while verifying the authenticity of appointment letters issued to 56 petitioners whose jobs were subsequently revoked by the department shortly after their hiring.nn“In our considered view, before declaring the appointments illegal or taking any action against the petitioners, a drastic action should have been taken against the responsible persons who committed illegality, if any, at the departmental level,” observed Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar in a judgement he wrote.nnJustice Mazhar was a member of a three-judge Supreme Court bench, which also consisted of Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali that had taken up an appeal against the Nov 28, 2022, Sindh High Court (SHC) judgement.nn<blockquote>n Instructs Sindh chief secretary to form inquiry committee within 10 daysn</blockquote>nnThe SHC had rejected the petitioners’ plea on the grounds that they had failed to prove their appointments were made through a competitive process and their documents were also not found to be genuine. Moreover, the petitioners were employed on a contractual basis; therefore, the principle of master and servant applies and they have no right to approach the court.nnDuring the hearing, the SC was told that the appointment letters of all the petitioners were found to be forged in an earlier inquiry. Besides, no record of the petitioners was available in the concerned office since these were made without the approval of the district recruitment committee (DRC). The former district education officer (DEO) managed these illegal appointments.nnIn response, the SC set aside the high court verdict and ordered the chief secretary of Sindh to appoint an inquiry committee comprising additional secretary of Education Sindh, additional secretary of SGA&CD Sindh and deputy secretary (law) of the School Education and Literacy Department Sindh within 10 days.nnIn the judgement, Justice Mazhar observed that the beneficiaries of the appointments cannot be blamed alone because primarily the authority who issued appointment letters in the recruitment process was bound to be punished first instead of the petitioners who commenced their duties after receiving appointment letters.nnThe judgement obligated the inquiry committee to issue notice to all 56 petitioners, as well as departmental representatives, for joining the inquiry proceedings.nnThe committee will allow the petitioners to produce relevant documents so that it may be verified whether the petitioners joined the appointment process in terms of the advertisement and after appearing and qualifying the aptitude test, the appointment letters were issued to them after complying with codal formalities.nnIf the appointment letters are found to be fake after due satisfaction, then what punitive action was taken against the person responsible for the fake recruitment process and how the petitioners who joined recruitment process in response to the advertisement are responsible.nnThe committee will also call for the entire record of recruitment process questioned in the present proceedings to examine the authenticity of appointment letters issued to the petitioners. The committee will complete the inquiry within 90 days from the date of constituting the inquiry committee, the result of which will be communicated to the petitioners in writing. The petitioners may avail appropriate legal remedy in accordance with the law if found to be aggrieved and dissatisfied with the result of inquiry, the judgement said.nnReferring to the complaint that no salary has been paid to the petitioners after joining service for the period they actually performed their duties, the committee will also examine this aspect and if salary is found due during the period the petitioners actually served, the same will be paid after fulfilment of requisite codal formalities within a month of the conclusion of the inquiry.nnThe SC also ordered its office to send a copy of the order to the Sindh chief secretary and advocate general for compliance.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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Third daughter&rsquo;s birth: Woman jumps off LGH second floor

LAHORE: A distressed woman jumped off the second floor of the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) on Friday morning, days after she delivered a baby girl. nnThe initial inquiries suggested that it was the birth of the third daughter of the woman, Sidra Afzal (22), and she took the extreme step to avoid ‘comments or taunts’ of her relatives for not giving birth to a boy. nnThe LGH admin officials said the incident took place when Sidra was under treatment at the labour room of the hospital. They said she jumped from the window, received critical injuries and was shifted to the Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences (PINS) in critical condition. nnAn LGH official said Sidra had given birth to her girl on Sept 18 in a private hospital of Kasur and it was her third daughter born through C-section. He said she was brought to the LGH by her family members when her condition got critical. Early on Friday, he added, Sidra went to use the washroom from where she jumped down from the window and got multiple critical injuries. nnLGH Medical Superintendent Prof Nurdat Sohail said after coming from Kasur, the doctors had got her tests done and reached a decision to reoperate her at the LGH. He said around two-litre water and blood was sucked from her belly during a procedure. Keeping in view her health conditions and complications, she was shifted to intensive care unit where two women attendants were also allowed to stay with her for her care. nnThe MS said Sidra was again shifted to the labour room when her health improved on Sept 20. nnQuoting sources, he said because of the birth of third consecutive daughter, Sidra was depressed and she took this extreme step and jumped off from the window. nnPostgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Prof Al-Fareed Zafar formed a five-member committee, headed by Prof of Urology Dr Khizar Hayyat Gondal, to probe into the matter and bring the facts to the public. nnHe said police were being engaged to further investigate the matter.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Sharmeen&rsquo;s project gives 19 filmmakers wings to fly

KARACHI: The 10 films of 20 to 30 minute duration had their own merit, but getting to know the stories, challenges and struggles of the 19 talented female filmmakers, who so beautifully brought their subjects to the big screen, also deserve thunderous applause.nAll of them stole the show at the closing ceremony celebrating the successful conclusion of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Patakha Pictures’ largest filmmaking grant and mentorship programme ‘Stories from Southern Pakistan’, here on Friday.nThis Rs10 million project, supported and funded by a grant from the US Consulate General in Karachi, aimed to empower, uplift and encourage the next generation of Pakistani women in film to create documentaries that push boundaries and start important conversations.nIt was a project very dear to the two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker’s heart, who shared how she also used to dream of becoming a filmmaker back in 2002, just like the emerging female filmmakers. “Patakha means firecracker. Through the venture I wanted to give others the wings to fly,” she said about Patakha Pictures.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nDocumentaries made by female filmmakers from Sindh, Balochistan captivate audiencen</blockquote>nHaving a baby, dealing with the death of an uncle, overcoming personal misfortunes, and what not? Nothing could come in the way of the 19 very driven and aspiring women from Sindh and Balochistan as they went about shooting their films. Working in pairs, over several months, they also honed their skills and crafted their documentaries while also attending online filmmaking workshops, and in-person editing sessions with Noé Mendelle and Jesse Ericka Epstein.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://images.dawn.com/news/card/1188258"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe former is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, and Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute and the latter, a Sundance Award-winning documentary filmmaker, and VMA Affiliated Faculty, at Emerson College.nThe two-minute excerpts of the films had the audience captivated with their compelling subjects, unique perspectives, filming and clever editing.nNiswan-Nama by Zehra Nawab and Mariam Paracha explored the work of Tehrik-i-Niswan, a female-led performing arts troupe using theatre as a tool of activism. The story of this group is told through its members, including its founder, the graceful classical dancer Sheema Kermani.nTalking about her experience, one of the filmmakers, Zehra Nawab, said they were initially looking to tell the story of the artists and theatre performance. “But as we entered their space we gained a better understanding of the organisation and its work,” said Zehra, who in her beautiful green sari and a flower in her neatly tied bun, also looked like she had become a big fan of Ms Kermani.nEquipped with the tools and techniques to film their documentary, Nayyar – An Art Story, it was very clear from the start for Ayessha Quraishi to use her art teacher as her subject. Her partner here was also none other than Shalalae Jamil, the daughter of the subject Nayyar Jamil. Together they very ably traced the artistic career of Nayyar Jamil who had begun her journey as a painter and continued on to become a teacher, shaping and guiding innumerable students over multiple decades.nOf them Rani Wahidi, the filmmaker of Sculpted Defiance with her partner Mashal Baloch, had the audience in utter awe when she announced that she was entirely self-taught. “I never went to school because I am from Afghanistan where the Taliban were not in favour of educating girls. I taught myself the alphabet from hearing other children recite ABC. I taught myself how to read from pieces of newspaper, which I found in the trash, but I educated myself,” she beamed.nThe rest of the 19 women filmmakers included Alina Rizwan, Alina Azhar, Aqsa Abdul Qadir, Amatullah Saeed, Kainat Thebo, Ayesha Abro, Zainab Asif, Aimen Khan, Mahwish Saeed, Saira Baloch, Rani Wahidi, Mashal Baloch, Yamna Waqar, Nafeesa Ali and Zainab Younas.nSpeaking on the occasion, US Consul General Conrad Tribble said that he felt honoured to meet the filmmakers. “We are immensely proud to have supported this filmmaking project and to have helped in bringing the ambitions of the filmmakers to life,” he said.nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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ML-1 cost being revised as officials head to Beijing

ISLAMABAD: China is reported to have agreed to a revised cost of $6.6bn for Mainline-1 (ML-1) — the 1,872km Karachi-Peshawar railway track — and would submit a modified design plan for the project to Pakistan latest by October 31.nInformed sources told Dawn that Communications Secretary Khurram Agha who heads the Pakistani side of CPEC’s Joint Working Groups (JWG) of Aviation, Railways and Infrastructure and Railways Secretary Mazhar Ali Shah would travel to Beijing at the weekend to attend the JWG meeting on Monday for finalisation of the cost estimated and associated matters.nFormal announcement for the agreement is expected when caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar visits China on October 18 to attend annual events relating to One-Belt and Road Initiative. The sources said ML-1 costs were estimated at around $9.8bn previously but the Chinese side had shown some flexibility and some design changes had helped reduced costs and some other portions of the project would be developed by the Pakistani side itself in due course.nDuring the upcoming visit of PM Kakar, the two sides are also expected to take up four proposed projects for implementation that had been delayed between 2018 and 2022. Formal negotiations on the four projects including Mirpur-Muzaffarabad-Mansehra Motorway, Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and Babusar Top would also be held during the JWG meetings next week.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nModified design to be shared with Pakistan by end of Octobern</blockquote>nInformed sources said the then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had persuaded the Chinese leadership for revival of these projects last year as the latter also had agreed to fast-track processing of ML-1 project. However, since no significant progress could be achieved since then, these projects would now be processed through the Special Investment Facilitation Committee (SIFC) — a civil-military forum on investment — and would be taken to maturity stage by the caretaker government.nThe developments were discussed at a meeting held on Friday to review work on CPEC projects. An official statement said caretaker minister for planning and development Mohammad Sami Saeed, who presided over the meeting, asked all the ministries and divisions “to expedite the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects”.nThe minister was apprised about progress on CPEC projects, particularly since July when the 12th JCC meeting was held. Representatives of various ministries and divisions gave detailed briefings about work on projects in energy, infrastructure, IT sectors, Gwadar international airport, special economic zones (SEZs) and other key areas.nIn the early harvest projects of CPEC, six mega infrastructure projects including Havelian-Thakot section of KKH, Multan-Sukkur (M-5) Motorway, Hakla-D.I.Khan Motorway, Optical Fibre Cable, Eastbay Expressway & Orange Line Metro Train, were completed. Also, work on different sections on the western alignment of CPEC is under implementation, which is expected to be completed by next year.nThe meeting was informed that the JWG on infrastructure would meet next week to review the projects.nThe minister asked the relevant ministry to expedite work on Rashakai, Dhabeji, Moqpondass and Bostan special economic zones; Allama Iqbal Industrial City; ICT Model Industrial Zone; Industrial Park on Pakistan Steel Mills land; Mirpur Industrial Zone; Mohmand Marble City and special economic zone.nAlso at the meeting, a briefing was given on the upcoming Belt and Road Forum to be held in China.nPublished in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023

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Khursheed Shah advises PML-N not to seek action against Bajwa, Faiz

PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has advised the PML-N against seeking action against former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid and not to engage in such confrontations.nThe remarks from the senior PPP leader come in the backdrop of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s recent hard-hitting <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">statement</a>, in which he held the two officials responsible for his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1348191">removal from power</a> in 2017 and the country’s ongoing crises.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1348191"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>n“(Former) chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa were tools [of the former army chief and his spy chief]. Their crime is bigger than a murder offence. Giving them pardon will be an injustice to the nation. They don’t deserve pardon,” Nawaz said, vowing to hold them accountable.n“These ‘characters’ who unleashed economic misery on the people of Pakistan will have to face accountability,” he added while delivering an address via a video link from London earlier this month.nLikewise, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777248/pml-n-voted-for-extension-in-return-for-help-with-imran-problem-rana-sanaullah">assailed</a> former generals Bajwa and Hamid earlier this week, declaring them “national criminals” and demanding action against them.n“The way the PML-N brought Gen Pervez Musharraf to justice, it will do the same to [both men],” he said.nSanaullah sought “strict accountability” of former generals and judges, saying that it was a policy statement on behalf of the party.nIn an interview on DawnNewsTV show ‘Doosra Rukh’ on Friday, Khursheed Shah was asked about Nawaz’s statement, to which he said the materialisation of the PML-N’s plan of going after the two former military leaders seemed “very difficult”.n“Did anyone touch the man who was sentenced under Article 6 of the Constitution? He was later hospitalised, and subsequently transferred to Dubai,” Shah remarked, referring to late military dictator Musharraf.n“Let’s refrain from engaging in such conflicts,” he advised the PML-N, further noting that “politicians often find themselves entangled in such situations”.nHe stressed the need to direct attention towards guaranteeing fair elections, managing increasing inflation, adhering to the Charter of Democracy and establishing good governance traditions.nHe expressed the PPP’s ongoing interest in cooperation and institution-building, emphasising that all institutions upheld the primacy of parliament.n“We should refrain from emotionalism or resorting to political invective,” he added.nHe also claimed that the PPP had faced “significant pressure” to join the erstwhile ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement.n“Initially, we proposed that we would vote [in favour of the no-confidence motion against ex-PM Imran Khan] but won’t join the government thereafter. But we were told [by the then-opposition] that if we won’t become part of the government, they wouldn’t proceed with the vote of no-confidence,” he said.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777037"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nOn the PPP <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775477">demanding a level playing field</a> in elections from the PML-N, Shah maintained that some of those associated with Nawaz’s party were part of the incumbent caretaker government. “That is why we made this demand on them.”nHe also said it seemed the “actual prime minister” was the Establishment Division’s secretary, not caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. “The one who runs the Establishment Division, he is the prime minister”.nAsked whether the impression was right that the announcement of Kakar’s appointment as the interim PM was made after then-PM Shehbaz and former opposition leader Raja Riaz were “handed chits” with the caretaker premier’s name written on it, he replied in the affirmative.

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Asian Games: Pakistan reach volleyball quarter-finals

HANGZHOU: Pakistan overwhelmed South Korea in straight sets to advance to the quarter-finals of the Asian Games men’s volleyball competition on Friday.nPakistan recorded nine blocks and three aces in a 25-19, 25-22, 25-21 win in their round of 12 match at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium in Shaoxing on the western outskirts of Hangzhou.nPakistan will now face Qatar in their last-eight clash with the winner advancing to a semi-final against Iran.nPakistan had a height advantage against the Koreans as they took a 9-5 lead early in the first set, the middle-blockers shutting their opponents’ spikes and helping them seize the initiative.nPakistan middle blockers’ quick hits and cross-court shots shook up Korea’s defence in the second set. South Korea pulled even at 14-14 on Pakistan’s turnovers, but ended up dropping the set after failing to cut off Pakistan’s assaults.nThe third set was tighter affair but Pakistan eventually took an 11-7 lead and eventually sealed the tie.nPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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PM Kakar in US calls for world alliance to keep in check & rough behaviour & of India

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has called for the formation of an international alliance to keep in check the “rough behaviour” of India after the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">murder</a> of a Sikh leader in Canada <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275/canada-has-indian-diplomats-communications-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-report">left relations</a> between New Delhi and Ottawa in tatters.nAddressing a news conference at the Pakistan Mission in New York on Friday, the prime minister gave examples of how Pakistan had been a victim of such <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1590333">state-sponsored terrorism</a> and had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1726154">shared evidence</a> at different global and multilateral forums about the role of the Indian state.nTerming it as a first-of-its-kind event after World War I, Kakar said an Asian country staged a murder on Canadian soil and its impacts were being felt across the Western countries who now realised how India was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1674696">persecuting</a> its minorities like Christians, Sikhs, and Muslims.nHe also gave an example of how the state of Pakistan ’effectively responded“ to the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582">Jaranwala incident</a> but a similar incident like the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767774">Manipur violence</a> saw the Indian state act as a “spectator” and “accomplice” in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768523">violence</a> that killed hundreds of people.nThe premier added that he as well as Chief justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa who was yet to assume the role, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771008">visited</a> Jaranwala and tried to mitigate the situation.nPM Kakar stated that the persecution of Muslims being carried out in India-Occupied Kashmir was aptly described as “genocide”, which he also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777295">mentioned</a> in his address at the 78th UN General Assembly a day ago.nHe stated that thousands of Kashmiris had been killed and women were raped, besides the extrajudicial killing of innocent Kashmiris.n<h2><a id="imf-very-appreciative-of-govts-steps" href="#imf-very-appreciative-of-govts-steps" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>IMF ‘very appreciative’ of govt’s steps</h2>nPM Kakar also termed his discussion with the IMF managing director <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777063/imf-chief-urges-pakistan-to-tax-the-rich-protect-the-poor-on-sidelines-of-unga">very constructive</a>, adding that he hoped that the upcoming mandated government would carry on the economic plan.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777449"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nTo another query, he said the caretaker government had conducted an administrative intervention against the sugar and wheat mafias with effective measures.n“There was no dearth of these commodities in the country as different edible items were readily available,” he said, adding that prices of certain commodities were linked with international prices and that the caretaker government was striving to provide relief to the masses.n“The IMF was very appreciative of the interim government’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1474211">steps</a> over illegal trade of dollars,” he added. “IMF did not demand anything, rather the caretaker government was giving them confidence and would abide by the agreements.”nThe premier said the newly elected government would further negotiate with the IMF according to their manifesto.n<h2><a id="meetings-with-business-community-in-us" href="#meetings-with-business-community-in-us" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Meetings with business community in US</h2>nShedding light on Pak-US ties, PM Kakar said both countries had very constructive historical ties which would be further strengthened. “The Pakistani diaspora was contributing to the US and playing their role in community building.”n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1705093697606488131"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe prime minister stressed that Pakistan had an exclusive identity and it should be seen through its prism rather than any regional or other contexts.nIn reply to a question, the interim premier said that he also held meetings with different business bodies in the US that showed interest in the economic revival plans in Pakistan, including privatisation and the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774983">Special Investment Facilitation Council</a>.n<h2><a id="afghanistan-iran" href="#afghanistan-iran" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Afghanistan, Iran</h2>nThe interim prime minister said they had multifaceted engagements with the Afghan interim government and hoped the outcome of these engagements would be beneficial for the two countries.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1773093"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nIn reply to a question, PM Kakar said Pakistan would take all steps to protect its territory and people whenever any need arose. He further said Pakistan respected the territorial sovereignty and integrity of Afghanistan.nTo another question, the premier stated that there were around five million refugees in Pakistan, out of which around 2.8m were legal while the rest were without any legal document.nTherefore, the government had decided to repatriate them and an administrative intervention was being made for the purpose, the prime minister added.nRubbishing the notion of an isolated Pakistan, PM Kakar said that during his interactions with world leaders, they had found a growing interest in Pakistan. He also highlighted his engagements on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.nMeanwhile, about his <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704183935482351816">meeting</a> with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the premier said both leaders discussed mutual priorities and held beneficial negotiations.n<h2><a id="ecp-did-not-ban-any-party" href="#ecp-did-not-ban-any-party" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘ECP did not ban any party’</h2>nTo another question, PM Kakar replied that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was mandated to hold the general elections and the final date would be announced soon.nHe said all registered political parties had the right to take part in the polls as the ECP did not ban any party from the process. The prime minister assured that the caretaker government would carry out fair treatment to all the political parties.nRubbishing the notion of any victimisation, the premier said anyone involved in the violence against the state would be dealt with under the law of the land as Pakistan was a sovereign state.n<h2><a id="russia-ukraine-war" href="#russia-ukraine-war" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Russia-Ukraine war</h2>nOn the matter of the Russia-Ukraine war, PM Kakar said Pakistan wanted constructive engagement with Russia and both countries had immense potential for enhanced economic cooperation.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1766112"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nHowever, he highlighted that Pakistan did not favour a military solution to any conflict and instead advocated dialogue for settlement.

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Seven Caribbean nations to host T20 World Cup

LONDON: Seven Caribbean countries will host matches at next year’s T20 World Cup, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the ICC announced on Friday.nnThe ICC awarded the hosting of the event, to be held in June 2024, to the West Indies and the United States in November 2021.nnDominica, Guyana, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines have also been named as hosts.nn“The matches will again give cricket fans the unique experience of enjoying cricket in the Caribbean,” said ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice.nnNext year’s tournament will be the first edition of the event to include a record 20 teams.nnMatches will also be held in New York, Florida and Texas.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

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Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&rsquo;s death

• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposednWASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.n“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.n“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.nAsked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUS ‘closely involved’nBut since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.nReuters quoted a senior Canadian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, including on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.nThe evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.nIn Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.n“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.nResponse from world capitalsnBut while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.nBritish Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.n“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIn Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.n“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.nAustralia & Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK & New Zealand.nCentre-stage at UNGAnNijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.nMichael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.nHe noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.n“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nMurtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.n“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.nThe Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“n“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.nTensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.nTrudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.nCanada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.nIndia exposed, says BilawalnCommenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.n“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?n’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.n“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.n’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure>nAmjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this reportnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

September 20, 2023

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CJP Isa meets lawyers today for strategy to clear backlog

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa will meet representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association on Wednesday (today) to deliberate on how to clear the backlog of thousands of cases pending in the top court.nPBC Vice Chairman Haroon Rashid confirmed that CJP Isa, who assumed office on Sunday, is convening a meeting on Wednesday (today) to deliberate upon issues related to the administration of justice.nAccording to the sources, the agenda of the meeting includes a discussion on the formation of benches, pending cases, speedy administration of justice, and fixation and hearing of cases. Besides, the proposals for early hearing of cases that are urgent in nature have also been sought. At present about 57,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court.nPreviously, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan regularly updated the statistics of the pending cases. However, during the tenure of former CJP Umar Ata Bandial, who was also the chairman of the Law and Justice Commission, the statistics regarding the backlog of the judiciary were removed from the website.nThe judiciary is criticised for a huge backlog of cases the number of which has surpassed two million in superior and lower courts.nPBC Vice Chairman Rashid said that the apex court can clear the backlog by constituting more benches. He pointed out that at present there are two or three regular benches to hear the cases.n“Sometimes, four and very occasionally, five benches had been formed,” he said, adding that with the existing strength, the CJP could form six regular benches to hear the cases which would reduce the backlog. He further said that the Supreme Court in the past wasted much-needed time on political cases.n“The political cases could be disposed of in a couple of hearings as the apex court has to interpret the question of law,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court took months to decide even simple matters. He hoped Justice Isa would streamline the affairs of the apex court for expeditious disposal of the cases.nSeparately, the Pakistan Bar Council also condemned the registration of a case against advocate Akhtar Hussain.nAccording to a statement issued by the PBC, Mr Hussain has been charged with protesting against state institutions. The statement said that the senior lawyer participated in a peaceful protest, which was organised against massive inflation. “The registration of FIR against him is illegal and unlawful…” the statement added.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Bilawal blames PML-N for lop-sidedness of election arena

• PPP chairman says PDM should have resolved the issue themselves; n• Khursheed Shah takes aim at ECP over wholesale transfers in all provinces, except PunjabnLAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday spoke in no uncertain terms when he said that his party’s complaints regarding an ‘uneven playing field’ were directed at its erstwhile ally, the PML-N.n“Our demand for a level playing field is from the PML-N. We have empowered President Zardari to address the complaint and he must be given time for this purpose,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari told the media after condoling with senior journalist Imdad Soomro over the death of his father.nHe added that it would be better if this issue is resolved by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties between themselves.nRegarding the Election Commission’s (ECP) alleged discrimination in allowing development projects in Punjab, but banning the same in Sindh, he said the law was clear on development funds, federal, provincial and local budgets.n“If schemes have been approved and are budgeted, they should be allowed to continue. Perhaps it [the ECP’s ban] would not have been so concerning had it been a question of 90 days only, but the election date has not even been announced yet,” he said.n“It cannot be so that budgeted schemes are not allowed to continue in Sindh while federal projects are,” he said.n“The caretaker government in Punjab has even taken a new initiative, which is to provide interest-free loans to judges so that they can buy plots. This puts a moral, legal and constitutional obligation on the ECP to ensure that there is a level playing field in the centre as well as the provinces.”nThe PPP chairman said that if there is to be no further development on new or ongoing schemes in Sindh, then it should be the same in other provinces as well.nMeanwhile, in a related development, the ECP wrote to the Sindh chief secretary yesterday to clarify that it had not placed any bar on key projects that had been approved before the dissolution of the provincial assembly.nAnswering a question about the impact of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest on elections, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the common man is concerned only with the historic price hikes and not with who is behind bars and who is not.n“They have to choose between sending their kids to school, acquiring healthcare for their elders or paying power bills,” he said. “They need hope and to know that their vote will truly be counted and that their true representatives will be negotiating with the IMF in an effort to provide them relief.n“When it comes to the question of the PPP being able to achieve this feat, the party’s history has proved that it is able to do so. The PPP helped the country not only stay afloat but prosper during the global recession of 2008,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.nAs regards PML-N chief <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775482">Nawaz Sharif’s return</a> to the country, Mr Bhutto-Zardari told a questioner that this had been a longstanding demand of the PPP and that if a date has now been announced by the PML-N, his party welcomes it. “As far as legal cases are concerned, we are ready to face ours and we are sure they are too,” he added.nGripe over wholesale transfersnAfter the PPP chairman’s diatribe against their erstwhile coalition partners, senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah also blamed both the PML-N and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not providing a level playing field to the PPP.n“We are not being given a level playing field and without it, the supremacy of parliament is impossible,” Mr Shah said during an appearance on Geo News on Tuesday.nHe reiterated the party’s gripe that certain bureaucrats with close affiliations to the PML-N had been inducted into the caretaker cabinet. “Everybody knows who is Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad,” he added.nMr Shah also lamented that wholesale postings and transfers had been made in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Paktunkhwa, but nothing similar had happened in Punjab. “Removed chief secretaries and inspectors general of police of the three provinces have so far not been posted anywhere. But the ECP is turning a blind eye,” he added.nPML-N leader Khawaja Asif, however, claimed that reports suggested the Sindh chief secretary was taking directions from the PPP, and several officials had been transferred on the party’s diktat.nHe also tried to dispel the impression that senior bureaucrats who had previously worked with the PML-N necessarily had leanings towards the party.n“Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad were senior bureaucrats who had served not only the PML-N government, but many other regimes as well,” he said.nSyed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this reportnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the
New York Times

Under the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an NYT report.

Any treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.

n

Move part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabia

An agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.

Discussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

During his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.

The US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement

The separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.

The Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.

The US president’s push for a Saudi-Israel deal is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.

But American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.

In a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.

The State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, NYT said.

In recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.

A majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.

The Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.

Democratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently killed hundreds or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.

Michael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told NYT the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.

The arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.

Because of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Timeline for PIA privatisation agreed

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Privatisation Commission on Tuesday discussed privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and agreed a clear timeline for the purpose.
The meeting, presided over by Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hasan Fawad, was held to meet the target set by the caretaker prime minister and the federal cabinet for PIA’s privatisation.
The privatisation minister held detailed discussions with different stakeholders, including the PIA management and the aviation division focusing on restructuring of PIA leading to the privatisation process.
However, no details of the proposed timeline, were mentioned in the press release issued by the Privatisation Commission.
Earlier, Mr Fawad held a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar and discussed important economic and fiscal matters and exchanged valuable insights and ideas on the privatisation agenda.
The Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) at its meeting on September 6 had decided to form a technical committee for the resolution of bottlenecks in the way of privatisation and restructuring of PIA, and had asked the aviation division to work with the privatisation commission to present a detailed action plan to the CCoP with clear timeline framework in a sequence.
The PIA is fully dependent on the government, the finance ministry and credits from the financial institutions to meet its operational requirements.
The airline has recently negotiated fresh credit facilities from financial institutions under the government of Pakistan guarantee limit.
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Heavy rain in Lahore causes urban flooding again

LAHORE: Lahore received hours of heavy rain on Tuesday, resulting in urban flooding across the city. The downpour, which began at about 5am disrupted daily life for residents, leading to school closures, office delays and transportation chaos. 
While the rain brought a change to the weather, it simultaneously posed challenges, bringing the city to a standstill in some areas. 
The Met Office data showed that the highest rainfall was recorded in the airport area, with 193mm of rainfall while Tajpura received 190mm, Nishtar Town 174mm, Gulshan-i-Ravi 162mm, Gulberg 158mm, Johar Town 135mm and Iqbal Town 126mm. 
The heavy rain led to inundation of low-lying areas, impeding the movement of citizens. Neighborhoods like Gulberg, Barkat Market, Kalma Chowk, Model Town, Faisal Town, Johar Town, Garden Town, and Township experienced severe flooding. The road from Barkat Market to Kalma Chowk remained closed for traffic for hours. Additionally, major arteries of the city, including Lower Mall, Jain Mandir, Anarkali, Mall Road, Walton Road, MG Chowk, GC University turnaround, Data Sahib, Timber Market, GPO Chowk and Lytton Road, were submerged under water, leading to severe traffic congestion. nn The rainwater entered homes and shops and about 100 electricity feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) tripped, leaving many areas without power for hours. 
The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the district administration officials claimed that rainwater had been drained from most areas of the city. 
Wasa MD Ghufran Ahmad said the officials were working to clear some of the low-lying areas while the commissioner was visiting different areas to monitor working of disposal stations. 
Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Qureshi issued directives to all deputy commissioners across the province, urging them to be vigilant. nn Rescue 1122 reported three people, including two women, sustained injuries when the roof of their two-storey house collapsed near Old Airport due to the rain. Furthermore, during the past 24 hours, Lahore saw 304 traffic accidents, resulting in injuries to 317 individuals. nn Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Mustansar Feroze stated that additional traffic police personnel were deployed on the roads to assist citizens during the rain. 
Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued directives to ensure the drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas. 
The Met Office has predicted more rainfall for Punjab in the next 48 hours. 
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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11.7m women added to voter list, but vast gender gap remains

ISLAMABAD: The gender gap among voters has reduced with the addition of 11.74 million, compared to 9.28m male voters, to the electoral rolls since 2018 general elections, bringing the total number of registered voters in the country to around 127m from the erstwhile 106m.nThe latest statistics <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/ECP_Pakistan/status/1703997055847588193">released</a> by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday showed that the difference between men and women of voting age stands at around 10m in country where women make up 49pc of the population.nMore than 21m voters have been added to the electoral rolls since the last general elections, as the number of women jumped from 46.73m in 2018 to 58.47m at present and the number of men swelled from 59.22m in 2018 to 68.50m, according to the data collected till July 25, 2023.n <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Total voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure>nThe official data shows the number of registered voters in the country in 2018 was nearly 106m, including 59.22m men and 46.73m women voters. This difference of 12.49m, however, further increased to an all-time high of 12.72m next year when 62.55m men and 49.83m women were eligible to cast vote.nA major drop in the gender gap was witnessed last year when the total number of registered male voters fell from 66.50m to 66.40m, while the number of women jumped from 54.69m to 55.78m.nAccording to latest data the gap has slid further to touch 10.03m, with the number of men and women increasing to 68.50m (54 per cent) and 58.47m (46pc), respectively.n <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Gender-wise breakdown of voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure>nAn age-wise comparison of the latest figures shows there are around 57.1m youth aged between 18 and 35, making up 45pc of those who are eligible to vote. In addition, the number of voters in the age bracket of 36 to 45 years comes to 27.79m (21.88pc). If seen together, the two age groups comprise 84.81m voters, or two-thirds of the total 127m.n <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Age-wise breakdown of voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure>nPunjab residents make up the largest chunk of eligible voters — 72.31m (56.9pc) of all voters — while Balochistan with 5.28m makes up 4.2pc of all registered voters.nSindh ranks second, contributing 26.65m voters — 21pc of the total. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which now includes the merged districts of erstwhile Fata, is not far behind with almost 21.69m voters, who amount to almost 17.1pc of the total voters. Islamabad has slightly more than a million voters.n <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>District-wise breakdown of voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure>nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&rsquo;s death

• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposednWASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.n“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.n“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.nAsked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUS ‘closely involved’nBut since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.nReuters quoted a senior Canadian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, including on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.nThe evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.nIn Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.n“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.nResponse from world capitalsnBut while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.nBritish Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.n“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIn Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.n“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.nAustralia & Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK & New Zealand.nCentre-stage at UNGAnNijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.nMichael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.nHe noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.n“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nMurtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.n“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.nThe Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“n“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.nTensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.nTrudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.nCanada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.nIndia exposed, says BilawalnCommenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.n“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?n’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.n“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.n’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure>nAmjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this reportnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Burnley earn first point in draw at Forest

NOTTINGHAM: Burnley earned their first point since returning to the Premier League but were left frustrated by a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Monday after having a late goal ruled out.nnVincent Kompany’s side soaked up some early pressure and then took the lead after 41 minutes with a superb finish by Zeki Amdouni after good work by Luca Kolesoho.nnBurnley grew in confidence and looked comfortable in the opening stages of the second half but were rocked when Callum Hudson-Odoi curled in a superb 61st-minute equaliser.nnForest sought to maintain the momentum but it was Burnley who thought they had re-taken the lead when Lyle Foster slotted in Sander Berge’s low cross but the goal was disallowed for a harsh-looking handball against Berge.nnThere was worse to come for Foster who was sent off in stoppage time for an elbow.nnThe draw lifted Forest to eighth place in the table with seven points from their five games while Burnley are 19th with one point from their four games.nnBurnley will feel they should be celebrating their first win as the decision to disallow Foster’s goal looked harsh, with referee Robert Jones deciding to rule it out after being invited by VAR to look at the pitch-side monitor.nnBerge had brushed off Forest defender Scott McKenna all too easily before cutting the ball back for Foster but his arm has brushed against the ball as he raced into the area.nn“Even the defender who was in the duel with Sander didn’t see anything,” Kompany said as he watched back the incident.nn“What do you want me to say? I really can’t do anything about it, I don’t feel anger I’m just proud of the team.”nnForest began the game full of confidence after their impressive start to the season and pinned Burnley back in the opening stages with Hudson-Odoi forcing a save from visiting keeper James Trafford.nnIt was Burnley who went ahead though and it was no surprise that the pacey Kolesoho who was the creator, racing past Gonzalo Montiel down the left and pulling the ball Amdouni to smash home a low shot from the edge of the area.nnKolesoho set up another chance for Burnley early in the second half but Charlie Taylor volleyed off target.nnForest’s equaliser was worth the wait as Hudson-Odoi, making his Premier League debut for Forest, picked the ball up on the left and cut in before curling a right-foot shot into the net off the inside of the far post to give Trafford no chance.nnBoth sides had chances for victory but a draw was just about the right result, although Burnley’s frustration was underlined by Foster’s elbow into the chest of Ryan Yates which resulted in him being shown a red car after a VAR check.nn“It’s a moment of inexperience and something you can’t excuse, but at the same time he has played his heart out for the team,” Kompany said.nnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the New York Times <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/biden-saudi-defense-treaty.html">reported</a>.nUnder the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.nCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an NYT report.nAny treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nMove part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabian</blockquote>nAn agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.nDiscussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.nDuring his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.nThe US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770922"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.nThe Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.nThe US president’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758215/s-arabia-israel-should-normalise-ties-blinken">push for a Saudi-Israel deal</a> is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.nBut American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.nIn a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1703023427332768190"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, NYT said.nIn recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.nA majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.nThe Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.nDemocratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771383">killed hundreds</a> or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.nMichael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told NYT the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.nThe arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.nBecause of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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ANP leader found dead in Balochistan&rsquo;s Kuchlak

QUETTA: The central leader of Awami National Party (ANP) and provincial president of National Lawyers’ Forum, Advocate Arbab Ghulam Kasi, was found dead in Kuchlak area, some 25 kilometres from the provincial capital, on Quetta-Chaman Highway, on Tuesday night.nOfficials said the body of the ANP leader was found in an abandoned area of Killi Sheikh Jamal Atozai in a mysterious condition.nThe people of the area spotted the body and informed the Kuchlak police about the presence of the body.nAfter receiving the information, police rushed to the area and took the body of the ANP leader into custody and shifted it to Quetta Civil Hospital.n“The body was lying near an abandoned gas station while a pistol was also found near the body of the ANP leader,” Abid Mengal, a senior police officer, said.nHospital sources said the deceased suffered a bullet injury close to his ear that proved fatal.nPolice officials were in a fix over the cause of the ANP leader’s death, saying that “it seems to be a case of suicide”.nHowever, family sources said it was not a suicide case and told police that Arbab Ghulam Kasi left the house around 4pm, saying he was going to Quetta.n“Arbab Ghulam Kasi cannot commit suicide,” the family members told police. They said that Arbab Ghulam Kasi was receiving threats from unknown people.n“We are investigating the incident and will reach a conclusion after completing the investigation,” a police officer told Dawn, adding that the body of the ANP leader had been handed over to his family members and party leaders.nArbab Ghulam Kasi is the second ANP leader who was killed in Kuchlak area.nTwo years ago, another senior leader of ANP, Obaidullah Kasi, was killed by unknown armed men after kidnapping him and his body was found in the Kuchlak area. Mr Obaidullah Kasi was a close relative of Arbab Ghulam Kasi.nMeanwhile, ANP’s provincial president Muhammad Asghar Achakzai and other party leaders have strongly condemned the killing of Mr Kasi and demanded immediate arrest of his killers.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Timeline for PIA privatisation agreed

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Privatisation Commission on Tuesday discussed privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and agreed a clear timeline for the purpose. nnThe meeting, presided over by Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hasan Fawad, was held to meet the target set by the caretaker prime minister and the federal cabinet for PIA’s privatisation. nnThe privatisation minister held detailed discussions with different stakeholders, including the PIA management and the aviation division focusing on restructuring of PIA leading to the privatisation process. nnHowever, no details of the proposed timeline, were mentioned in the press release issued by the Privatisation Commission.nnEarlier, Mr Fawad held a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar and discussed important economic and fiscal matters and exchanged valuable insights and ideas on the privatisation agenda.nnThe Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) at its meeting on September 6 had decided to form a technical committee for the resolution of bottlenecks in the way of privatisation and restructuring of PIA, and had asked the aviation division to work with the privatisation commission to present a detailed action plan to the CCoP with clear timeline framework in a sequence.nnThe PIA is fully dependent on the government, the finance ministry and credits from the financial institutions to meet its operational requirements.nnThe airline has recently negotiated fresh credit facilities from financial institutions under the government of Pakistan guarantee limit.nnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Spain&rsquo;s World Cup-winning rebels report for training under sanctions threat

MADRID: Some of the rebel players from Spain’s World Cup-winning women’s squad who had threatened to boycott the national team in a push to stamp out sexism at the football federation (RFEF) on Tuesday reported for training under the threat of being sanctioned.nMisa Rodriguez, Olga Carmona, Oihane Hernandez, Eva Navarro and Tere Abelleira, who had previously said they would not play for the team until further changes were applied at the Spanish football federation (RFEF), arrived at a hotel near Madrid’s airport and were seen departing by coach for the airport to travel for a training camp near Valencia.nThe five were named in the squad ahead of a Women’s Nations League match against Sweden on Friday by new coach Montse Tome despite signing a statement last week calling for more heads to roll at the RFEF beyond former President Luis Rubiales and former manager Jorge Vilda.nJenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of the scandal, after Rubiales grabbed her head and kissed her on her lips, sparking fury over sexist attitudes toward women footballers, on Monday, accused the RFEF of trying to divide and manipulate the players.nShe said they did this by threatening them with legal and economic consequences if they refused to play.nShould they refuse the call-up, the players could face fines of up 30,000 euros ($32,000) and the suspension of their federation license for two to 15 years, according to Spain’s Sports Act.nTwo sources close to players said they were expecting the whole squad to report in view of the threat of sanctions.nAsked as she arrived at the hotel whether she was happy to have been selected for the team, Misa Rodriguez replied: “No.”nPlayers including Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas on Monday shared a statement on social media platform X that said the players had told the RFEF they did not want to be considered for selection and that they were “studying the possible legal consequences we are exposed to by the RFEF by putting us on a list to which we had asked not to be selected.”nHermoso was not on the squad list announced by new coach Montse Tome on Monday, which included 15 of the 23 cup-winning players.nTwenty of those on Monday’s squad list had signed a statement on Friday saying they were not satisfied with the departure of Rubiales and coach Vilda and called for more sackings at the federation.nHermoso, who according to Tome was not selected in order to protect her, on Monday offered her support to team-mates “who have been caught by surprise and forced to react to another unfortunate situation caused by the people who continue to make decisions within the RFEF.”nVictor Francos, head of the state-run national sports agency, said on Monday the government would have no option but to apply the sanctions as stipulated in the law.n“If the players do not show up, the government must apply the law. I’m sorry to say so, but we must do what we have to do,” Francos told SER radio station.nSpain is set to make its debut in the Women’s Nations League against Sweden in Gothenburg on Friday before playing against Switzerland in Cordoba on Sept 26. The Nations League will determine which teams from Europe qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.nThe government supports the players’ push for changes in the RFEF but also wants Spain to qualify for the Olympic Games, spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said on Tuesday.n“We want there to be changes, for them to be quick, for the confidence of the players to be restored and, most importantly, what we want is to see them play and see them win,” Rodriguez said.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Heavy rain in Lahore causes urban flooding again

LAHORE: Lahore received hours of heavy rain on Tuesday, resulting in urban flooding across the city. The downpour, which began at about 5am disrupted daily life for residents, leading to school closures, office delays and transportation chaos. nnWhile the rain brought a change to the weather, it simultaneously posed challenges, bringing the city to a standstill in some areas. nnThe Met Office data showed that the highest rainfall was recorded in the airport area, with 193mm of rainfall while Tajpura received 190mm, Nishtar Town 174mm, Gulshan-i-Ravi 162mm, Gulberg 158mm, Johar Town 135mm and Iqbal Town 126mm. nnThe heavy rain led to inundation of low-lying areas, impeding the movement of citizens. Neighborhoods like Gulberg, Barkat Market, Kalma Chowk, Model Town, Faisal Town, Johar Town, Garden Town, and Township experienced severe flooding. The road from Barkat Market to Kalma Chowk remained closed for traffic for hours. Additionally, major arteries of the city, including Lower Mall, Jain Mandir, Anarkali, Mall Road, Walton Road, MG Chowk, GC University turnaround, Data Sahib, Timber Market, GPO Chowk and Lytton Road, were submerged under water, leading to severe traffic congestion. nnThe rainwater entered homes and shops and about 100 electricity feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) tripped, leaving many areas without power for hours. nnThe Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the district administration officials claimed that rainwater had been drained from most areas of the city. nnWasa MD Ghufran Ahmad said the officials were working to clear some of the low-lying areas while the commissioner was visiting different areas to monitor working of disposal stations. nnPunjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Qureshi issued directives to all deputy commissioners across the province, urging them to be vigilant. nnRescue 1122 reported three people, including two women, sustained injuries when the roof of their two-storey house collapsed near Old Airport due to the rain. Furthermore, during the past 24 hours, Lahore saw 304 traffic accidents, resulting in injuries to 317 individuals. nnChief Traffic Officer (CTO) Mustansar Feroze stated that additional traffic police personnel were deployed on the roads to assist citizens during the rain. nnCaretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued directives to ensure the drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas. nnThe Met Office has predicted more rainfall for Punjab in the next 48 hours.nnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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UN chief Guterres wants institutional reform to cope with changing world

• In ‘Ukraine-centric’ opening, Biden and Zelensky call on nations to deter Russia’s aggression n• PM Kakar meets Iranian president, attends GDI forumnUNITED NATIONS: Antonio Guterres had some strong words for participating nations as the United Nations General Assembly got under way on Tuesday, calling for sweeping changes to multilateral institutions, including reforms in the UN Security Council, and a restructuring of global financial systems.nAlthough major figures such as US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky focused primarily on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.n“Our world is becoming unhinged. Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond,” the UN secretary-general said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1704160396112810001"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nHe opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.n“The world has changed. Our institutions have not. We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions don’t reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem,” he said, calling on world leaders to show and not merely more words to deal with the worsening climate emergency, escalating conflicts, dramatic technological disruptions and a global cost-of-living crisis that was increasing hunger and poverty around the world.nIn his speech, US President Joe Biden focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning the world: “If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?”n“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” he said, calling on nations to stand with Ukraine against Russian invaders.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1704204019437089024"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nWearing his trademark military fatigues, Volodymyr Zelensky also joined the annual UN General Assembly and said that Moscow had to be pushed back so the world could turn to solving pressing global challenges.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1704196787727216825"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nPakistan contingentn <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US climate envoy John Kerry and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are seen in the audience during US President Joe Biden’s speech; while (right) caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar sits alongside the Pakistan contingent.—AFP/INP</figcaption>n </figure>nMeanwhile, the Pakistan contingent at the UN, led by caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar, held a number of meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA.nAccording to the PM Office, he held a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, where the two discussed the possibilities of enhancing cooperation in the economic domain.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704183330961510486"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nSeparately, the caretaker PM also participated in a high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative Cooperation Outcomes.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704191990269665526"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&rsquo;s death

• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposednWASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.n“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.n“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.nAsked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUS ‘closely involved’nBut since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.nReuters quoted a senior Canadian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, including on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.nThe evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.nIn Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.n“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.nResponse from world capitalsnBut while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.nBritish Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.n“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIn Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.n“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.nAustralia & Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK & New Zealand.nCentre-stage at UNGAnNijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.nMichael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.nHe noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.n“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nMurtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.n“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.nThe Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“n“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.nTensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.nTrudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.nCanada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.nIndia exposed, says BilawalnCommenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.n“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?n’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.n“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.n’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure>nAmjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this reportnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&rsquo;s death

• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposednWASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.n“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.n“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.nAsked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUS ‘closely involved’nBut since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.nReuters quoted a senior Canadian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, including on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.nThe evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.nIn Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.n“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.nResponse from world capitalsnBut while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.nBritish Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.n“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIn Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.n“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.nAustralia & Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK & New Zealand.nCentre-stage at UNGAnNijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.nMichael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.nHe noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.n“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nMurtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.n“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.nThe Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“n“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.nTensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.nTrudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.nCanada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.nIndia exposed, says BilawalnCommenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.n“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?n’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.n“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.n’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure>nAmjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this reportnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Aamir says lack of planning hurt Pakistan in Asia Cup

KARACHI: Emphasising that lack of planning led to disaster for Babar Azam and his men in the Asia Cup, former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail on Tuesday said the green-shirts must develop the habit of striking the iron while it is hot.n“Lack of planning dented Pakistan’s campaign in Sri Lanka for which the captain and the entire team management should share the blame equally,” Aamir said while talking to Dawn from Lahore.n“We should have won the [close] Super Four match against Sri Lanka. At the same time, we should acknowledge that India played outstanding cricket throughout the Asia Cup and were well-deserved winners.”nMoreover, Aamir insisted, Pakistan must develop the acumen to strike at the right time to win big contests.n“Pakistan missed the killer instinct in the Asia Cup. After restricting India to 66-4 [in group stage match], our team should have gone for the kill but unfortunately our spinners struggled to make inroads,” he recalled. Openers and spin bowling, Aamir reckoned, were the areas which Pakistan needed to work on.n“Our openers and spinners could not do well in the Asia Cup for which the support staff should be held responsible. The spinners, particularly in the middle overs, should have given the team breakthroughs, which they could not,” he said.nAamir, who worked as a TV commentator during the Asia Cup, said spin would determine Pakistan’s position in the World Cup starting in India on Oct 5.n“Spinners will have a major role on most Indian pitches during the World Cup,” the former left-handed opener underlined. “Therefore, I think how our spinners bowl, mainly during the middle overs, plus the way our batters handle the opponent team’s spinners will specify Pakistan’s position at the World Cup.n“In this regard, the way the available resources are utilised timely will be the key. Our batters and spinners should complement each other; both should know their targets whether the team is chasing a target or defending a total,” the 57-year-old stated.nAccording to Aamir, Pakistan were definitely among the World Cup favourites along with England, Australia, India and Sri Lanka, and need no major overhaul before the ODI showpiece. “No wholesale changes [in the team] are required. Having said this, it will be a matter of managing the first-choice players and the bench players who will be required in case frontline campaigners fail to click at the big stage.”nWhen asked to comment on all-rounder Shadab Khan who has been criticised widely for a string of poor shows particularly with the ball should be retained for the World Cup, Aamir, who also worked as national chief selector, said the leg-spinner required guidance.n“Shadab has performed well for Pakistan and should not be replaced in haste [just before the World Cup],” he said. “If he could not bowl well in the Asia Cup [or before that], the root cause of the dip in form be looked into and he should be guided by the support staff accordingly.n“To me, Shadab is gripping the ball very tightly which is locking his wrist and as a result he is not getting the spin and delivering [unintentional] full-pitched balls,” Aamir, a member of the 1992 World Cup-winning team, highlighted.nCommenting on Pakistan’s struggling batting department, the former Test cricketer agreed new faces in ODIs were required.n“Yes, both [Test batters] Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel should be selected to the World Cup squad; both of them possess solid technique.”nOn whether wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan should be kept at number four in ODIs, Aamir said, “Yes, he is doing a fantastic job at this position, tackling spinners smartly in middle overs. There is no need to change.”nInjuries have hit the Pakistan camp badly recently, frontline fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf being the prime victims.nIn this regard, Aamir feels Dr Faisal should be brought back by the PCB.n“Dr Faisal, who is a very efficient physio and holds vast experience, should be recalled by the PCB. He can definitely handle the matters better. Players in the past were also satisfied with his work,” Aamir said.nOn being asked to comment on Babar’s leadership which was slammed — at times strongly — during crucial stages of the Asia Cup, Aamir had his own view.n“Babar was made [national] captain prematurely, but cannot be abruptly removed from the position. Now after a couple of years, he at a crucial stage needs help and guidance,” he said. “On his part, Babar as a leader must be proactive to overcome the challenges at the big stage.”n‘PAKISTAN LACK TECHNICAL ACUMEN’nMeanwhile, another former Test skipper and batting legend Javed Miandad said Pakistan cricketers lacked basic techniques due to which they struggled in tough competitions, including the Asia Cup.n“The current Indian team played very well to win the Asia Cup. Most of their cricketers have better techniques which they acquire at club and academy levels which their system working on solid footing provides. Whereas in Pakistan many players at the top level lack in technical sphere,” Miandad said when he was approached by Dawn for his comments on Pakistan team’s dismal show in Sri Lanka.n“Same is the case with England which made overhauled their cricketing system in recent years, and it is now producing top-class homegrown players.”nOn current Pakistan batters’ frailty against top-level spin, Miandad, the master of Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup, said the country must improve its grassroots cricket to overcome this fault.n“As I said, we are currently short of technically sound players. School, college, university and club cricket produced world-class players in Pakistan for decades. These levels simply no more exist in our system. As a result, our players at the international stage struggle to perform.”nResponding to a query on Pakistan’s World Cup prospects, Miandad had a brief but clear response: “The players need to be strong [mentally]. This will help them a lot.”nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the New York Times <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/biden-saudi-defense-treaty.html">reported</a>.nUnder the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.nCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an NYT report.nAny treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nMove part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabian</blockquote>nAn agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.nDiscussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.nDuring his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.nThe US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770922"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.nThe Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.nThe US president’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758215/s-arabia-israel-should-normalise-ties-blinken">push for a Saudi-Israel deal</a> is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.nBut American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.nIn a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1703023427332768190"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, NYT said.nIn recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.nA majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.nThe Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.nDemocratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771383">killed hundreds</a> or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.nMichael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told NYT the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.nThe arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.nBecause of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the New York Times <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/biden-saudi-defense-treaty.html">reported</a>.nUnder the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.nCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an NYT report.nAny treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">nMove part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabian</blockquote>nAn agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.nDiscussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.nDuring his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.nThe US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770922"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.nThe Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.nThe US president’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758215/s-arabia-israel-should-normalise-ties-blinken">push for a Saudi-Israel deal</a> is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.nBut American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.nIn a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1703023427332768190"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, NYT said.nIn recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.nA majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.nThe Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.nDemocratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771383">killed hundreds</a> or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.nMichael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told NYT the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.nThe arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.nBecause of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Pakistan open volleyball campaign at Asian Games with victory

HANGZHOU: Pakistan’s volleyball team opened their Asian Games campaign with a credible straight-sets win over Mongolia in Hangzhou on Tuesday.nWhile the opening ceremony of the Games — taking place from Sept 23-Oct 8 — does not take place until Saturday, several sports began on Tuesday, including football, volleyball, beach volleyball and cricket.nPakistan won their opening Pool ‘D’ tie 25-17, 25-19, 25-20 with Murad Khan Junior playing an influential role with his powerful serves and strong attacks at the net. They face Chinese Taipei next on Wednesday.nThe first event of the day was a clash between Indonesia and Mongolia in the women’s T20 cricket competition, which Indonesia won by 172 runs after bowling out Mongolia for just 15 runs.nMongolia’s women were making their debut at an international tournament and were given a harsh lesson as Indonesia made 187-4 in the Twenty20 preliminary-round match.nIndonesia’s total included 49 extras, 38 of them wides by the Mongolian bowlers. In reply, an outclassed Mongolia were out for 15 in 10 overs.nMongolia’s coach David Talalla said he was proud of his young team — their average age is just 19 — given their very limited resources and experience of the sport.nMore than half of his players had never even left Mongolia before and this was their first experience of a grass wicket, having been used to an artificial pitch at home.nMongolia’s kit is second-hand from Australia, and their four bats donated by a French ambassador whose wife is English and a cricket fan, said Talalla, who is working for free.n“I know we’ve only made 15 runs but none of our girls have played the game for longer than two years and we know what a technical game it is,” said Talalla.n“We’ve only got a squad of 12 — that’s all we could afford to bring,” added Talalla, saying all of his players were in tears afterwards.n“The whole idea is the longer picture — cricket in Mongolia, who would have thought it?” he said. “Even myself, I’ve only been in the job here for five weeks as a high-performance coach but six months ago, I didn’t even know they played cricket in Mongolia. I think most of the world didn’t.”nIn men’s football, North Korea returned to major international competition for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic with a 2-0 win over Taiwan. North Korea closed its already tight borders in early 2020 following the Covid outbreak and skipped the Tokyo Olympics, which were pushed back to 2021 because of the pandemic. The country was then banned from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for failing to take part in Tokyo.nBut North Koreans are competing at its first multisport event since the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018.nRivals South Korea began their quest for a third men’s Asian Games gold in a row with a 9-0 demolition of Kuwait. Attacking midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong, who plays for Stuttgart in Germany, hit a hat-trick.nThere was home delight as China began their Games football campaign with a 5-1 thumping of India.nAsian Games men’s football squads are made up of under-23 players but teams are allowed three older players.nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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Root to get World Cup practice against Ireland

LONDON: England batsman Joe Root will face Ireland in Wednesday’s One-day International series opener as he eyes extra practice ahead of the World Cup.nnWith England’s World Cup defence set to get underway in India on October 5, Root is the only member of the World Cup squad taking on Ireland.nnRoot asked to be added to the squad at his home Headingley ground, targeting one more innings to find the form that eluded him in the recent matches against New Zealand.nnHe scored 39 runs in four innings against the Black Caps, who will also take on England in the opening game of the World Cup in Ahmedabad.nnRoot’s presence is welcome for Zak Crawley, standing in as white-ball captain for the Ireland series in place of the resting Jos Buttler.nn“I love spending time with Rooty. To have him in the side as a batsman and former captain is going to be tremendously useful for me and the team,” he said.nn“It’s great having him here. Especially so for me as captain, because I can lean on him for that kind of stuff. I played under him for a long time and stood next to him at slip when he was Test captain.nn“It’s great to have him in the team and I will look to him. He’s a great cricket brain and experienced guy.nn“No-one works harder than Joe, that’s why he’s the best. We all try to emulate him as much as we can. He’s a great person to learn from and a role model for us all. I hope he gets what he needs from it too.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

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UN chief Guterres wants institutional reform to cope with changing world

• In ‘Ukraine-centric’ opening, Biden and Zelensky call on nations to deter Russia’s aggression n• PM Kakar meets Iranian president, attends GDI forumnUNITED NATIONS: Antonio Guterres had some strong words for participating nations as the United Nations General Assembly got under way on Tuesday, calling for sweeping changes to multilateral institutions, including reforms in the UN Security Council, and a restructuring of global financial systems.nAlthough major figures such as US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky focused primarily on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.n“Our world is becoming unhinged. Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond,” the UN secretary-general said.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”>n <a href=”https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1704160396112810001″></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nHe opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.n“The world has changed. Our institutions have not. We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions don’t reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem,” he said, calling on world leaders to show and not merely more words to deal with the worsening climate emergency, escalating conflicts, dramatic technological disruptions and a global cost-of-living crisis that was increasing hunger and poverty around the world.nIn his speech, US President Joe Biden focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning the world: “If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?”n“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” he said, calling on nations to stand with Ukraine against Russian invaders.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”>n <a href=”https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1704204019437089024″></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nWearing his trademark military fatigues, Volodymyr Zelensky also joined the annual UN General Assembly and said that Moscow had to be pushed back so the world could turn to solving pressing global challenges.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”>n <a href=”https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1704196787727216825″></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nPakistan contingentn <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US climate envoy John Kerry and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are seen in the audience during US President Joe Biden’s speech; while (right) caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar sits alongside the Pakistan contingent.—AFP/INP</figcaption>n </figure>nMeanwhile, the Pakistan contingent at the UN, led by caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar, held a number of meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA.nAccording to the PM Office, he held a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, where the two discussed the possibilities of enhancing cooperation in the economic domain.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”>n <a href=”https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704183330961510486″></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nSeparately, the caretaker PM also participated in a high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative Cooperation Outcomes.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” lang=”en”>n <a href=”https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704191990269665526″></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nPublished in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

September 19, 2023

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Jamaat-i-Islami protests against fuel price hike at multiple points in Karachi

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Tuesday staged protest demonstrations against the massive fuel price hike and surge in electricity tariff at around 15 locations in Karachi with scores of its supporters and workers taking to the streets on their vehicles.nThe JI protest followed closely on the heels of the government’s recent increases in electricity tariffs and petroleum product prices that triggered widespread condemnation from civil society and opposition political parties.nLast week, the interim government had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775833">implemented</a> an unprecedented increase in petrol prices by Rs26.02 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs17.34 per litre, resulting in petrol now costing Rs331.38 per litre and HSD priced at Rs329.18 per litre.nLikewise in July, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had raised the national average tariff by around <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1764798">Rs5 per unit</a>, pushing the base unit power tariff from Rs24.82 to Rs29.78. On August 22, the government had once again sought to raise the power rate by <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771830">Rs3.55 per unit</a>.nParticipants parked their vehicles on the roads at various points in the city to protest against the recent fuel price hike.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/KarachiJamaat/status/1704142972453810348"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nSouth Deputy Inspector General of Police Asad Raza told Dawn.com that JI protesters parked their vehicles at designated roads, keeping them stationary for roughly half an hour before clearing the road for traffic.nAccording to a press release issued by the party, traders’ leaders belonging to various market associations, including All Karachi Tajir Ittehad President Antique Mir and others, also joined the protest.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/KarachiJamaat/status/1704143304307155107"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nAddressing a gathering on the bustling Sharea Faisal, JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman issued a stern warning that the party intended to stage similar protest demonstrations at 100 locations throughout the city in the future, in opposition to the surging prices of petroleum products and electricity.nHe claimed that “thousands” had turned out on the party’s call.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/NaeemRehmanEngr/status/1704197674046501282"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nCriticising the government, he said the caretaker government appeared to be an extension of the previous coalition government, which he lambasted as a “cruel regime”.nRehman questioned why Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar “lacks the authority to reduce prices but seems to possess the power to order price hikes”.nHe elaborated on how the significant increase in electricity and petrol prices had inflicted “great hardships” on the people.nRehman told the gathering the JI had ensured unobstructed passage for ambulances and vehicles from other emergency response departments during the protests.nHe emphasised that “peaceful and coordinated resistance” was the only viable path forward for the oppressed segments of society.nRehman called upon those in positions of power to include feudal lords in the tax system and provide relief to the impoverished masses.

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Illegal appointments cases: Lahore court sends Elahi on judicial remand

A Lahore court rejected the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment’s (ACE) request for PTI President Parvez Elahi’s physical remand in two cases pertaining to illegal appointments on Tuesday and instead sent him on 14-day judicial remand.nElahi is among several PTI leaders and workers who have been arrested amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI leadership following the violent riots in the country after Imran’s first arrest on May 9.nHe has been arrested multiple times since June 1 in several cases, with the count of his arrests <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776336/parvez-elahi-shifted-to-lahore-after-12th-arrest">exceeding 12</a> since then, according to the tally provided by one of his lawyers.nHis <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776558">latest arrest</a> was made yesterday by the Punjab ACE in a case involving the appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as his principal secretary during his tenure as the chief minister. The ACE alleged that the appointment of Bhatti was not in accordance with the law.nAnti-corruption officials presented him before a district court today where judicial magistrate Imran Abid presided over the proceedings.nElahi’s counsels, Amir Saeed and Rana Intizar, objected to the ACE’s request for their client’s remand.nSaeed, in particular, objected to the ACE lawyer’s contentions for the PTI leader’s physical remand.n“The prosecutor’s arguments do not pertain to the case in which they have come to seek his remand,” he contended.nAt that, the ACE’s lawyer said they were seeking Elahi’s remand in two cases — one pertaining to Bhatti’s appointment and the other relating to alleged illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.nElahi was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1757833/respite-for-yasmin-rashid-but-liberty-eludes-parvez-elahi">initially arrested</a> in the case of recruitments to the Punjab Assembly on June 3. The case pertained to illegal recruitments of 12 Grade-17 officers in the provincial assembly, with Elahi being accused of getting the results of the testing service changed to select the candidates of his choice.nElahi’s lawyer, Intizar, told the court today that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had already approved the PTI leader’s protective bail in the case.nBut the ACE’s lawyer contended that the case of illegal appointments to the assembly was “a big scandal” and Elahi’s remand was needed for interrogation.n“The record of recruitments has to be recovered. Billions of rupees taken by Parvez Elahi in bribes have to be recovered,” the lawyer said.nAt one point, Elahi’s counsel Intizar argued that the LHC had barred authorities from arresting his client in any case. “Yet, he was arrested several times in violation of court orders.”nHe further said Elahi was in the ACE’s custody when the first information report (FIR) of the alleged illegal appointments at the Punjab Assembly was registered against him.n“The FIR is based on mala fide. No inquiry was conducted before the case was registered,” he argued, urging the court to dismiss the ACE’s request for Elahi’s remand in both cases.n“Both the cases are based on mala fide. [Elahi] should be discharged in these cases,” he said, adding, “All of Parvez Elahi’s problems would be resolved if he holds a press conference today.”nThe lawyer contended that Elahi was facing “false cases”.nAfter arguments by both sides, the court reserved its decision on the ACE’s request. It later dismissed the request and sent Elahi on 14-day judicial remand.nFollowing the court ruling, Elahi appealed to the court that he be sent to Adiala Jail. But ACE officials objected to it and said he should be kept at a prison in Lahore.nHowever, the judge directed the official to shift Elahi to Adiala Jail.n<h2><a id="timeline-of-arrests" href="#timeline-of-arrests" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Timeline of arrests</h2>nAfter May 9, Elahi was first taken into custody on June 1 from outside his Lahore residence by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Gujrat for allegedly taking kickbacks in development projects.nThe next day, a Lahore court discharged him in the case but only for the ACE to re-arrest him in a case registered in the Gujranwala region. In this case, Elahi was accused of causing a Rs100 million loss to the national exchequer and receiving kickbacks during his time as the Punjab chief minister.nA day after his re-arrest, a Gujranwala court also discharged Elahi in two corruption cases, including the one in which he was detained on June 2. But freedom still eluded him as he was again re-arrested by anti-graft officials in a case pertaining to “illegal recruitments” in the Punjab Assembly.nWhile Elahi remained in custody, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated another inquiry against him on June 9 over his alleged involvement in embezzlement in development projects in Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin.nOn June 12, a sessions court set aside a judicial magistrate’s decision of Elahi’s acquittal in the illegal appointments case. The Lahore High Court (LHC), however, suspended the lower court’s order a day later, and a judicial magistrate again sent him to judicial lockup.nThe PTI leader finally secured relief from an anti-corruption court in Lahore on June 20 but could not be released from jail as orders for his release were not delivered to the prison administration.nThe same day, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked him, his son Moonis Elahi and three others on charges of money laundering. Subsequently, the next day, the FIA took him into custody from jail and he was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the money laundering case.nOn June 25, a special court in Lahore granted Elahi bail in the case, but he was again arrested by the FIA outside Camp Jail in connection with another money laundering case the very next day. In this case, the FIA alleged that Elahi handed over Rs50m to a woman via a frontman for money laundering.nCome July, a Lahore anti-terrorism court dismissed Elahi’s post-arrest bail plea as not maintainable in a case of attacking a police team that raided his house to arrest him in an inquiry by the ACE.nOn July 14, the LHC restrained police and the ACE from arresting the former Punjab chief minister in any undisclosed case while hearing his plea seeking details of all cases registered against him.nAnd Lahore Banking Crimes Court issued Elahi’s release orders in the money laundering case on July 15 — a week after it allowed his post-arrest bail. But he was not set free as police said he was booked in a terror case. The said case was registered at Lahore’s Ghalib Market police station under terrorism provisions.nA day later, the Lahore deputy commissioner issued a 30-day detention order under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) for Elahi, resulting in his detention at the city’s Camp Jail.nUpon the completion of the MPO detention on Aug 14, the Lahore NAB team took Elahi into custody from the Adiala Jail — where he was taken on July 19, reportedly on administrative grounds — in yet another graft case. The NAB alleged Elahi received bribes/kickbacks in exchange for getting the “contracts of road schemes of Gujrat Highways Division awarded to favourite/hand-picked contractors”.nFifteen days later, the LHC directed NAB to release him and barred authorities from arresting him in any case, but Islamabad police arrested him anyway. Police said he was held under 3-MPO on a magistrate’s orders. The order said Elahi should be detained for 15 days.nThe detention order was suspended by the IHC on Sept 6 but Elahi was arrested yet again by the police the same day. The arrest was made in a case pertaining to clashes between Islamabad police and PTI workers outside the Judicial Complex on March 18.nOn Sept 15, an Islamabad anti-terrorism court granted him bail in the riots case, but he was re-arrested by the ACE a day later in connection with a case pertaining to the Lahore Master Plan 2050.nThe surety bonds for the bail were not submitted yet; hence, his client had not been released from the Adiala jail and subsequently taken into custody by the ACE, Elahi’s lawyer said.nOn Sept 17, a Lahore anti-corruption court discharged him in the Lahore Master Plan 2050 case. But he was again arrested as the court allowed the Lahore ACE one-day transit remand Mr Elahi to take him back to Adiala Jail for his subsequent production before an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad in a case relating to the May 9 riots.nYesterday, Elahi was re-arrested yet again — this time by the Punjab ACE in a case involving the appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as his principal secretary.

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US embassy says working to reduce visa appointment time for Pakistanis

The United States Mission to Pakistan on Tuesday said it was taking measures to bring down the visa appointment wait time for Pakistanis while the demand for US visas was the highest it had ever been.n“More than 10,000 Pakistani visa applicants originally scheduled for 2024 at the US Consulate General in Karachi are now receiving notices that their appointments have been rescheduled in 2023, some as early as next week,” the US embassy in Islamabad said in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://pk.usembassy.gov/reducing-visa-appointment-wait-times-for-the-pakistani-people/">statement</a>, adding that it was expediting thousands of non-immigrant visa appointments as the first measure to meet “unprecedented demand”.nJayne Howell, the head of US visa operations in Pakistan, said the move would reduce wait time by three to six months.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/usembislamabad/status/1704104437768192245?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe US Mission advised applicants that if they had a visa appointment in the next few months at the US Consulate General in Karachi, they could check their e-mails and log in to their accounts at the embassy’s website to confirm their expedited appointment time.nMoreover, it said to create added flexibility for Pakistani travellers, visa applicants could rebook appointments, at either the Consulate General in Karachi or the US Embassy in Islamabad.nThe embassy hoped that this would allow applicants “more freedom and flexibility to find a convenient date, time and location”.nLastly, it said that beginning from September 25, the Consulate-General would begin accepting new interview waiver applications for some applicants who were previously issued US visas. Applicants could check <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://ustraveldocs.com/pk/">ustraveldocs.com/pk</a> to determine whether they were eligible, print out a confirmation letter and submit their application materials to a drop box without the need for an appointment, it added.nThe mission said the US Embassy was already accepting interview waiver applications for qualified applicants.n“Taken together, these steps demonstrate how deeply the United States values the relationship between our two countries.n“Our goal is to facilitate legitimate travel to the United States as quickly and efficiently as possible — because we know how important it is to stay connected with family, to strengthen business ties, study, and make cultural connections with the United States,” it said.

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In tit-for-tat move, India expels Canadian diplomat after PM Trudeau links Delhi to Sikh leader&rsquo;s murder

India said on Tuesday it had expelled a Canadian diplomat with five days’ notice to leave the country, just hours after Ottawa <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">expelled</a> the South Asian nation’s top intelligence agent and accused it of a role in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">murder</a> of a Sikh separatist leader.nThe development was the latest in an escalating row between the two nations, with Canada saying on Monday it was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder in British Columbia in June.nThe Canadian high commissioner, or ambassador, in New Delhi had been summoned and told of the expulsion decision, India’s foreign ministry said in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/37126/India_expels_a_senior_Canadian_Diplomat">statement</a>.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“The decision reflects the government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” the ministry added.n“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days.”nEarlier on Tuesday, India <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/37125/India_rejects_allegations_by_Canada">dismissed</a> the Canadian accusation as “absurd and motivated” and urged it instead to take legal action against anti-Indian elements operating from its soil.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1703963275329974582"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n<h2><a id="canada-expels-indian-envoy" href="#canada-expels-indian-envoy" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Canada expels Indian envoy</h2>nIndian retaliation came after Canada said on Monday that it was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia in June.nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an emergency statement to the House of Commons that any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen was “an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure>nHardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.n“Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India” and Nijjar’s death, Trudeau said.nHe said he had raised the murder directly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775114">G20 summit in New Delhi</a> last week, and urged the government of India to “cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter”.n“Canada has declared its deep concerns to the top intelligence and security officials of the Indian government. Last week at the G20, I brought them personally and directly to Prime Minister Modi in no uncertain terms,” he said.nCanada also expelled India’s top intelligence agent in the country on Monday, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/melaniejoly/status/1703941038375584223">said</a>, without providing details. The Indian high commission in Ottawa did not respond to requests for comment.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/wpxbBoC0Qgc?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure>n“Allegations that a representative of a foreign government may have been involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen here in Canada, on Canadian soil… are totally unacceptable,” Joly said.n“Therefore, today we have expelled a senior Indian diplomat from Canada,” she added without naming the diplomat.nGurpatwant Singh Pannun, Nijjar’s lawyer, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/18/hardeep-singh-nijjar-canada-india/">told</a> The Washington Post that he believed Nijjar was targeted for organising a planned nonbinding referendum in Canada on whether to create an independent Sikh state in Punjab to be called Khalistan. Pannun called on Trudeau to expel the Indian high commissioner in Canada.nTrudeau’s comments mark a significant escalation in tensions between Canada and the world’s largest democracy, with New Delhi unhappy over Sikh separatist activity in Canada.nModi conveyed his strong concerns to Trudeau at the G20 summit over recent demonstrations in Canada by Sikhs calling for an independent state.nCanada has the largest population of Sikhs outside the Indian state of Punjab, with about 770,000 people reporting Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census.nKhalistan is an independent Sikh state whose creation has been sought for decades. A Sikh insurgency killed tens of thousands of people in India in the 1980s and early 1990s before it was suppressed by tough security action.nHowever, New Delhi has been wary of any revival, with a particular focus on small groups of Sikhs in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States, who support the separatist demand and occasionally stage protests outside its embassies.n<h2><a id="us-australia-express-deep-concern-over-canadas-accusations" href="#us-australia-express-deep-concern-over-canadas-accusations" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>US, Australia express ‘deep concern’ over Canada’s accusations</h2>nThe United States and Australia expressed “deep concern” over Canada’s accusations, while Britain said it was in close touch with its Canadian partners about the “serious allegations”.n“We have been in close contact with our Canadian colleagues about this. We’re quite concerned about the allegations. We think it’s important there is a full and open investigation and we would urge the Indian Government to cooperate with that investigation,” a senior State Department official said.nHe said US authorities had been in close contact with their Canadian counterparts about allegations the Indian government was involved in the murder and urged India to cooperate with the investigation.nIndia has been particularly sensitive to Sikh protesters in Canada with some Indian analysts saying Ottawa does not stop them as Sikhs are a politically influential group there.nIn June, India criticised Canada for permitting a float in a parade depicting the 1984 assassination of late prime minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards, perceived to be glorification of violence by Sikh separatists.nOttawa paused talks this month on a proposed trade treaty with India, just three months after both said they aimed to seal an initial deal this year.nModi did not hold a two-way meeting with Trudeau at the G20 summit, despite similar meetings with other world leaders. Days earlier, metro stations in the Indian capital were vandalised with pro-Khalistan graffiti.n<hr />nAdditional input from APP.

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ICC charges 8 with corruption attempts during 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 League

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has charged eight individuals for allegedly attempting to “corrupt the matches” during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 League, according to a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/3690344">press release</a> issued by the organisation on Tuesday.nThe statement added the council took action on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for different breaches of the latter’s Anti-Corruption Code for participants.nIt said the ECB had designated the ICC as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO) for the tournament regarding its anti-corruption code.nThe details of the individuals charged for the offences are as follows:n<h1><a id="krishan-kumar-chaudhary-co-owner-of-a-team" href="#krishan-kumar-chaudhary-co-owner-of-a-team" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Krishan Kumar Chaudhary (co-owner of a team)</h1>n<ul>n<li>nArticle 2.4.5 – Failing to disclose to the DACO (without unnecessaryndelay) full details of any incident, fact, or matter that comes tonthe attention of a participant that may evidence corrupt conductnunder the Anti-Corruption Code by another participant.</li>n<li>nArticle 2.4.6 – Failing or refusing, without compellingnjustification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by thenDACO in relation to possible corrupt conduct under the code.</li>n<li>nArticle 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying a DACO investigation intonpossible corrupt conduct under the code.</li>n</ul>n<h1><a id="parag-sanghvi-co-owner-of-a-team" href="#parag-sanghvi-co-owner-of-a-team" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Parag Sanghvi (co-owner of a team)</h1>n<ul>n<li>nArticle 2.2.1 – Placing bets on the results, progress, conduct ornother aspect of international and domestic Matches.</li>n</ul>nSanghvi was also charged under Article 2.4.6.n<h1><a id="ashar-zaidi-batting-coach" href="#ashar-zaidi-batting-coach" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Ashar Zaidi (batting coach)</h1>n<ul>n<li>nArticle 2.1.1 – Being party to an attempt to fix, contrive orninfluence improperly matches or aspects of matches in the Abu DhabinT10 2021.</li>n<li>nArticle 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing,nenticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionallynfacilitating any participant to breach Article 2.1.</li>n<li>nArticle 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the DACO full details of anynapproaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct undernthe code.</li>n</ul>n<h1><a id="rizwan-javed-domestic-player" href="#rizwan-javed-domestic-player" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Rizwan Javed (domestic player)</h1>n<ul>n<li>nArticle 2.1.3 – Offering a reward to another participant in exchangenfor that player engaging in corrupt conduct.</li>n</ul>nFurthermore, Javed was charged with Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.4, 2.4.4 and 2.4.6 as well.n<h1><a id="saliya-saman-domestic-player" href="#saliya-saman-domestic-player" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Saliya Saman (domestic player)</h1>nCharged with Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.3 and 2.1.4.n<h1><a id="sunny-dhillon-assistant-coach" href="#sunny-dhillon-assistant-coach" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Sunny Dhillon (assistant coach)</h1>nCharged with Articles 2.1.1, 2.4.4 and 2.4.6.n<h1><a id="nasir-hossain-bangladesh-player" href="#nasir-hossain-bangladesh-player" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Nasir Hossain (Bangladesh player)</h1>n<ul>n<li>nArticle 2.4.3 – Failing to disclose to the DACO receipt of a giftnworth over $ 750.</li>n</ul>nAdditionally charged with Articles 2.4.4 and 2.4.6.n<h1><a id="shadab-ahamed-team-manager" href="#shadab-ahamed-team-manager" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Shadab Ahamed (team manager)</h1>nCharged with Article 2.4.6.n“Six of the charged — Krishan Kumar Chaudhary, Parag Sanghvi, Azhar Zaidi, Rizwan Javed, Saliya Saman and Sunny Dhillon — have been provisionally suspended and all have 14 days from September 19, 2023, to respond to the charges,” the press release reads.

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American prisoners freed by Iran land in US after swap deal

A plane carrying five Americans freed by Iran landed in the United States on Tuesday, a day after they were swapped for the release of five Iranians held in the US and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds, in a deal between the arch enemies.nCNN <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/iran-prisoner-release-americans-feed/index.html">reported</a> the plane had landed. The report did not provide further details.nIt followed a carefully choreographed exchange, agreed upon after months of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1697004">Qatar-mediated talks</a>, that was triggered on Monday when the funds that had been blocked in South Korea were wired, via Switzerland, to banks in Doha.nAfter the transfer was confirmed, the five US prisoners plus two relatives took off on a Qatari plane from Tehran, at the same time as two of the five Iranian detainees landed in Doha on their way home. Three Iranians chose not to go to Iran.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1748778"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe deal removes a point of friction between the United States, which brands Tehran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which calls Washington the “Great Satan”.nBut it is unclear whether it will bring the two adversaries, which have been at odds for 40 years, closer on any other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme and its backing for regional militias or the US military presence in the Gulf and US sanctions.nThe freed Americans include US-Iranian dual citizens Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businessmen, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist who also holds British nationality. Two of them have not been publicly identified.nUS President Joe Biden welcomed the returning prisoners home but his administration also announced fresh US sanctions.n“We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region,” he said on Monday.nIranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, called the swap a humanitarian action. “It can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken,” he added.nRelations between the United States and Iran have been especially bitter since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and toughened US sanctions.nWashington suspects Iran’s nuclear programme may be aimed at developing nuclear arms, a charge Iran denies.nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the door open to nuclear diplomacy, but suggested nothing was imminent.nUS analysts were sceptical about prospects for progress.n“The prisoner swap does likely pave the way for additional diplomacy around the nuclear programme this fall, although the prospect for actually reaching a deal is very remote,” said Henry Rome of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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Elon Musk says X could charge all users &lsquo;small monthly payment&rsquo;

Online platform X could introduce a monthly fee for all users, its owner Elon Musk said on Monday, citing the need to cut down on bots.nThe tech tycoon has made multiple changes since <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1718145">taking over</a> the site for $44 billion in October last year when it was known as Twitter.nHe has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1717313">fired</a> thousands of employees, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1717964">introduced</a> a paid premium option, cut content moderation, and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1723008">reinstated</a> formerly banned accounts, including that of former US president Donald Trump.nHe said in July the platform had lost roughly half its advertising revenue.nBots — accounts run by computer programmes rather than humans — are common on X, where they can be used to artificially amplify political messages or racial hatred.nDuring a talk with Musk on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the question of online anti-Semitism, and how X could “prevent the use of bots — armies of bots — to replicate and amplify it”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1703823935060451628"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nMusk replied that the company was “moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system.”n“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he said.n“Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny — call it a tenth of a penny — but if somebody even has to pay a few dollars, some minor amount, the effective cost of bots is very high.n“And then you also have to get a new payment method every time you have a new bot.”nThe conversation, which was broadcast on X, came as the Tesla tycoon is mired in a row with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a US-based Jewish organisation.nMusk has accused the ADL of making unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism that have scared away advertisers and hurt his company’s revenue and has threatened to sue for billions of dollars.

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Shaheen Shah Afridi weds Shahid Afridi&rsquo;s daughter Ansha in Karachi

The wedding ceremony of Pakistan team pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi with Shahid Afridi’s daughter Ansha Afridi took place in Karachi on Tuesday night.nThe couple had exchanged their wedding vows in a private nikkah ceremony earlier this year.nSkipper Babar Azam also attended the wedding function and was captured in social media videos embracing the speedster. Other notable sports personalities and athletes also attended the event.nAzam congratulated Shaheen on the occasion in a post on social media platform X.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258/status/1704204111305134548"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nEarlier in the day, Shaheen shared a picture of himself with the skipper, both seated, and captioned it “family”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/iShaheenAfridi/status/1704097254569566284"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nShaheen and Ansha had <a href="https://images.dawn.com/news/1191480">tied the knot</a> in a beautiful daytime nikkah in Karachi on February 3.nThe reception was held for the couple at the DHA Golf and Country Club after their nikkah and attended by a lot of Shaheen’s teammates from the national cricket team.nShaheen’s wedding is one in a long line of cricket weddings this year.nShadab Khan had announced in January that he <a href="https://images.dawn.com/news/1191430/another-one-off-the-bachelors-list-cricketer-shadab-khan-announces-hes-now-a-married-man">got married</a> in a nikah ceremony and requested people to respect his family and wife’s privacy while sending prayers and love for all.nBefore him, Shan Masood also married Nische Khan in a grand wedding ceremony in Peshawar in January. Haris Rauf <a href="https://images.dawn.com/news/1191319">got married</a> to Muzna Masood Malik in a daytime nikah ceremony in Islamabad last December.

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Joe Biden warns against appeasing Russia as Zelensky takes UN stage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took centre-stage at the United Nations on Tuesday where US President Joe Biden warned the world against trying to “appease” Russia’s “naked aggression”.nWearing his trademark military fatigues, Zelensky joined the annual <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776694">UN General Assembly</a> for the first time since the war and listened intently as Biden urged solidarity against Russia’s invasion.nRussian President Vladimir Putin — who did not come to New York — is expecting that the world “will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence”, Biden said.n“But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Biden said.n“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”nBiden won applause from the chamber when he called for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but several prominent world leaders decided to miss this year’s UN session, including from China, and allies Britain and France.nZelensky is set to meet leaders less friendly to Ukraine’s cause, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has said previously that Ukraine shared blame for the war and faulted the billions of dollars in Western military aid to Kyiv.nLula, who casts himself as a neutral mediator, told the General Assembly that “work needs to be done to create space for negotiations.” “A lot is invested in weapons and very little in development,” Lula said.nZelensky, who until recently only travelled in utmost secrecy, will on Wednesday take part in a special session on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, where Russia is a permanent member wielding a veto over any binding actions.nHe is also due to stop in Washington.nVisiting a New York hospital treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers on Monday, Zelensky said that the United Nations still provides “a place for Russian terrorists”.n<h2><a id="dire-climate-crisis-warnings" href="#dire-climate-crisis-warnings" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Dire climate crisis warnings</h2>nRussia has met overwhelming criticism at the General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion, but the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1775484"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.n“Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,” Guterres said.n“Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world — the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst.”n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1771747"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nIn similarly dark language, Biden used his speech to highlight the flooding as well as wildfires in North America and Europe and drought in the Horn of Africa.n“Taken together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof our world,” Biden said in the excerpts.nZelensky will use his UN trip to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who have both maintained relations with Russia — as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key ally.nAddressing a reception to mark Germany’s 50 years in the United Nations, Scholz voiced alarm about the “new rifts opening up in the world”. “Imperialism is once again showing its ugly face,” he said.n<h2><a id="managing-us-china-tensions" href="#managing-us-china-tensions" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Managing US-China tensions</h2>nBiden in his speech offered reassurances about the intense competition between the United States and China, which has spurred warnings that the world could face a new Cold War.n“When it comes to China, I want to be clear and consistent. We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries, so it does not tip into conflict,” Biden said.nChinese Vice President Han Zheng met on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the second high-level meeting within days between the powers aimed at keeping tensions in check.nOne meeting that is definitely not expected at the United Nations is one between Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.nThe hardline Iranian leader headed to the United Nations just as Iran and the United States <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776734/american-prisoners-freed-by-iran-land-in-us-after-swap-deal">completed a swap of five prisoners each</a>, after Biden worked to unblock $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozen in South Korea.nBiden, facing domestic criticism for the deal with the arch-enemy, vowed at the United Nations to do all to keep the clerical state from developing a nuclear weapon.

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American prisoners freed by Iran land in US after swap deal

A plane carrying five Americans freed by Iran landed in the United States on Tuesday, a day after they were swapped for the release of five Iranians held in the US and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds, in a deal between the arch enemies.nCNN <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/iran-prisoner-release-americans-feed/index.html">reported</a> the plane had landed. The report did not provide further details.nIt followed a carefully choreographed exchange, agreed upon after months of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1697004">Qatar-mediated talks</a>, that was triggered on Monday when the funds that had been blocked in South Korea were wired, via Switzerland, to banks in Doha.nAfter the transfer was confirmed, the five US prisoners plus two relatives took off on a Qatari plane from Tehran, at the same time as two of the five Iranian detainees landed in Doha on their way home. Three Iranians chose not to go to Iran.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1748778"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe deal removes a point of friction between the United States, which brands Tehran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which calls Washington the “Great Satan”.nBut it is unclear whether it will bring the two adversaries, which have been at odds for 40 years, closer on any other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme and its backing for regional militias or the US military presence in the Gulf and US sanctions.nThe freed Americans include US-Iranian dual citizens Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businessmen, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist who also holds British nationality. Two of them have not been publicly identified.nUS President Joe Biden welcomed the returning prisoners home but his administration also announced fresh US sanctions.n“We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region,” he said on Monday.nIranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, called the swap a humanitarian action. “It can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken,” he added.nRelations between the United States and Iran have been especially bitter since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and toughened US sanctions.nWashington suspects Iran’s nuclear programme may be aimed at developing nuclear arms, a charge Iran denies.nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the door open to nuclear diplomacy, but suggested nothing was imminent.nUS analysts were sceptical about prospects for progress.n“The prisoner swap does likely pave the way for additional diplomacy around the nuclear programme this fall, although the prospect for actually reaching a deal is very remote,” said Henry Rome of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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Joe Biden warns against appeasing Russia as Zelensky takes UN stage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took centre-stage at the United Nations on Tuesday where US President Joe Biden warned the world against trying to “appease” Russia’s “naked aggression”.nWearing his trademark military fatigues, Zelensky joined the annual <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776694">UN General Assembly</a> for the first time since the war and listened intently as Biden urged solidarity against Russia’s invasion.nRussian President Vladimir Putin — who did not come to New York — is expecting that the world “will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence”, Biden said.n“But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Biden said.n“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”nBiden won applause from the chamber when he called for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but several prominent world leaders decided to miss this year’s UN session, including from China, and allies Britain and France.nZelensky is set to meet leaders less friendly to Ukraine’s cause, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has said previously that Ukraine shared blame for the war and faulted the billions of dollars in Western military aid to Kyiv.nLula, who casts himself as a neutral mediator, told the General Assembly that “work needs to be done to create space for negotiations.” “A lot is invested in weapons and very little in development,” Lula said.nZelensky, who until recently only travelled in utmost secrecy, will on Wednesday take part in a special session on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, where Russia is a permanent member wielding a veto over any binding actions.nHe is also due to stop in Washington.nVisiting a New York hospital treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers on Monday, Zelensky said that the United Nations still provides “a place for Russian terrorists”.n<h2><a id="dire-climate-crisis-warnings" href="#dire-climate-crisis-warnings" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Dire climate crisis warnings</h2>nRussia has met overwhelming criticism at the General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion, but the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1775484"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.n“Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,” Guterres said.n“Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world — the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst.”n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1771747"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nIn similarly dark language, Biden used his speech to highlight the flooding as well as wildfires in North America and Europe and drought in the Horn of Africa.n“Taken together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof our world,” Biden said in the excerpts.nZelensky will use his UN trip to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who have both maintained relations with Russia — as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key ally.nAddressing a reception to mark Germany’s 50 years in the United Nations, Scholz voiced alarm about the “new rifts opening up in the world”. “Imperialism is once again showing its ugly face,” he said.n<h2><a id="managing-us-china-tensions" href="#managing-us-china-tensions" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Managing US-China tensions</h2>nBiden in his speech offered reassurances about the intense competition between the United States and China, which has spurred warnings that the world could face a new Cold War.n“When it comes to China, I want to be clear and consistent. We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries, so it does not tip into conflict,” Biden said.nChinese Vice President Han Zheng met on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the second high-level meeting within days between the powers aimed at keeping tensions in check.nOne meeting that is definitely not expected at the United Nations is one between Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.nThe hardline Iranian leader headed to the United Nations just as Iran and the United States <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776734/american-prisoners-freed-by-iran-land-in-us-after-swap-deal">completed a swap of five prisoners each</a>, after Biden worked to unblock $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozen in South Korea.nBiden, facing domestic criticism for the deal with the arch-enemy, vowed at the United Nations to do all to keep the clerical state from developing a nuclear weapon.

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Joe Biden warns against appeasing Russia as Zelensky takes UN stage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took centre-stage at the United Nations on Tuesday where US President Joe Biden warned the world against trying to “appease” Russia’s “naked aggression”.nWearing his trademark military fatigues, Zelensky joined the annual <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776694">UN General Assembly</a> for the first time since the war and listened intently as Biden urged solidarity against Russia’s invasion.nRussian President Vladimir Putin — who did not come to New York — is expecting that the world “will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence”, Biden said.n“But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Biden said.n“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”nBiden won applause from the chamber when he called for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but several prominent world leaders decided to miss this year’s UN session, including from China, and allies Britain and France.nZelensky is set to meet leaders less friendly to Ukraine’s cause, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has said previously that Ukraine shared blame for the war and faulted the billions of dollars in Western military aid to Kyiv.nLula, who casts himself as a neutral mediator, told the General Assembly that “work needs to be done to create space for negotiations.” “A lot is invested in weapons and very little in development,” Lula said.nZelensky, who until recently only travelled in utmost secrecy, will on Wednesday take part in a special session on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, where Russia is a permanent member wielding a veto over any binding actions.nHe is also due to stop in Washington.nVisiting a New York hospital treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers on Monday, Zelensky said that the United Nations still provides “a place for Russian terrorists”.n<h2><a id="dire-climate-crisis-warnings" href="#dire-climate-crisis-warnings" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Dire climate crisis warnings</h2>nRussia has met overwhelming criticism at the General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion, but the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1775484"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.n“Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,” Guterres said.n“Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world — the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst.”n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1771747"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nIn similarly dark language, Biden used his speech to highlight the flooding as well as wildfires in North America and Europe and drought in the Horn of Africa.n“Taken together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof our world,” Biden said in the excerpts.nZelensky will use his UN trip to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who have both maintained relations with Russia — as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key ally.nAddressing a reception to mark Germany’s 50 years in the United Nations, Scholz voiced alarm about the “new rifts opening up in the world”. “Imperialism is once again showing its ugly face,” he said.n<h2><a id="managing-us-china-tensions" href="#managing-us-china-tensions" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Managing US-China tensions</h2>nBiden in his speech offered reassurances about the intense competition between the United States and China, which has spurred warnings that the world could face a new Cold War.n“When it comes to China, I want to be clear and consistent. We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries, so it does not tip into conflict,” Biden said.nChinese Vice President Han Zheng met on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the second high-level meeting within days between the powers aimed at keeping tensions in check.nOne meeting that is definitely not expected at the United Nations is one between Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.nThe hardline Iranian leader headed to the United Nations just as Iran and the United States <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776734/american-prisoners-freed-by-iran-land-in-us-after-swap-deal">completed a swap of five prisoners each</a>, after Biden worked to unblock $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozen in South Korea.nBiden, facing domestic criticism for the deal with the arch-enemy, vowed at the United Nations to do all to keep the clerical state from developing a nuclear weapon.

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American prisoners freed by Iran land in US after swap deal

A plane carrying five Americans freed by Iran landed in the United States on Tuesday, a day after they were swapped for the release of five Iranians held in the US and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds, in a deal between the arch enemies.nCNN <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/iran-prisoner-release-americans-feed/index.html">reported</a> the plane had landed. The report did not provide further details.nIt followed a carefully choreographed exchange, agreed upon after months of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1697004">Qatar-mediated talks</a>, that was triggered on Monday when the funds that had been blocked in South Korea were wired, via Switzerland, to banks in Doha.nAfter the transfer was confirmed, the five US prisoners plus two relatives took off on a Qatari plane from Tehran, at the same time as two of the five Iranian detainees landed in Doha on their way home. Three Iranians chose not to go to Iran.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1748778"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe deal removes a point of friction between the United States, which brands Tehran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which calls Washington the “Great Satan”.nBut it is unclear whether it will bring the two adversaries, which have been at odds for 40 years, closer on any other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme and its backing for regional militias or the US military presence in the Gulf and US sanctions.nThe freed Americans include US-Iranian dual citizens Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businessmen, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist who also holds British nationality. Two of them have not been publicly identified.nUS President Joe Biden welcomed the returning prisoners home but his administration also announced fresh US sanctions.n“We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region,” he said on Monday.nIranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, called the swap a humanitarian action. “It can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken,” he added.nRelations between the United States and Iran have been especially bitter since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and toughened US sanctions.nWashington suspects Iran’s nuclear programme may be aimed at developing nuclear arms, a charge Iran denies.nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the door open to nuclear diplomacy, but suggested nothing was imminent.nUS analysts were sceptical about prospects for progress.n“The prisoner swap does likely pave the way for additional diplomacy around the nuclear programme this fall, although the prospect for actually reaching a deal is very remote,” said Henry Rome of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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American prisoners freed by Iran land in US after swap deal

A plane carrying five Americans freed by Iran landed in the United States on Tuesday, a day after they were swapped for the release of five Iranians held in the US and the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian funds, in a deal between the arch enemies.nCNN <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/iran-prisoner-release-americans-feed/index.html">reported</a> the plane had landed. The report did not provide further details.nIt followed a carefully choreographed exchange, agreed upon after months of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1697004">Qatar-mediated talks</a>, that was triggered on Monday when the funds that had been blocked in South Korea were wired, via Switzerland, to banks in Doha.nAfter the transfer was confirmed, the five US prisoners plus two relatives took off on a Qatari plane from Tehran, at the same time as two of the five Iranian detainees landed in Doha on their way home. Three Iranians chose not to go to Iran.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1748778"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe deal removes a point of friction between the United States, which brands Tehran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which calls Washington the “Great Satan”.nBut it is unclear whether it will bring the two adversaries, which have been at odds for 40 years, closer on any other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme and its backing for regional militias or the US military presence in the Gulf and US sanctions.nThe freed Americans include US-Iranian dual citizens Siamak Namazi, 51, and Emad Sharqi, 59, both businessmen, and Morad Tahbaz, 67, an environmentalist who also holds British nationality. Two of them have not been publicly identified.nUS President Joe Biden welcomed the returning prisoners home but his administration also announced fresh US sanctions.n“We will continue to impose costs on Iran for their provocative actions in the region,” he said on Monday.nIranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, called the swap a humanitarian action. “It can certainly be a step based upon which in the future other humanitarian actions can be taken,” he added.nRelations between the United States and Iran have been especially bitter since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and toughened US sanctions.nWashington suspects Iran’s nuclear programme may be aimed at developing nuclear arms, a charge Iran denies.nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the door open to nuclear diplomacy, but suggested nothing was imminent.nUS analysts were sceptical about prospects for progress.n“The prisoner swap does likely pave the way for additional diplomacy around the nuclear programme this fall, although the prospect for actually reaching a deal is very remote,” said Henry Rome of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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Joe Biden warns against appeasing Russia as Zelensky takes UN stage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took centre-stage at the United Nations on Tuesday where US President Joe Biden warned the world against trying to “appease” Russia’s “naked aggression”.nWearing his trademark military fatigues, Zelensky joined the annual <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776694">UN General Assembly</a> for the first time since the war and listened intently as Biden urged solidarity against Russia’s invasion.nRussian President Vladimir Putin — who did not come to New York — is expecting that the world “will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence”, Biden said.n“But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Biden said.n“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”nBiden won applause from the chamber when he called for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but several prominent world leaders decided to miss this year’s UN session, including from China, and allies Britain and France.nZelensky is set to meet leaders less friendly to Ukraine’s cause, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has said previously that Ukraine shared blame for the war and faulted the billions of dollars in Western military aid to Kyiv.nLula, who casts himself as a neutral mediator, told the General Assembly that “work needs to be done to create space for negotiations.” “A lot is invested in weapons and very little in development,” Lula said.nZelensky, who until recently only travelled in utmost secrecy, will on Wednesday take part in a special session on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, where Russia is a permanent member wielding a veto over any binding actions.nHe is also due to stop in Washington.nVisiting a New York hospital treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers on Monday, Zelensky said that the United Nations still provides “a place for Russian terrorists”.n<h2><a id="dire-climate-crisis-warnings" href="#dire-climate-crisis-warnings" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Dire climate crisis warnings</h2>nRussia has met overwhelming criticism at the General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion, but the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1775484"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.n“Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,” Guterres said.n“Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world — the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst.”n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1771747"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nIn similarly dark language, Biden used his speech to highlight the flooding as well as wildfires in North America and Europe and drought in the Horn of Africa.n“Taken together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof our world,” Biden said in the excerpts.nZelensky will use his UN trip to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who have both maintained relations with Russia — as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key ally.nAddressing a reception to mark Germany’s 50 years in the United Nations, Scholz voiced alarm about the “new rifts opening up in the world”. “Imperialism is once again showing its ugly face,” he said.n<h2><a id="managing-us-china-tensions" href="#managing-us-china-tensions" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Managing US-China tensions</h2>nBiden in his speech offered reassurances about the intense competition between the United States and China, which has spurred warnings that the world could face a new Cold War.n“When it comes to China, I want to be clear and consistent. We seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries, so it does not tip into conflict,” Biden said.nChinese Vice President Han Zheng met on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the second high-level meeting within days between the powers aimed at keeping tensions in check.nOne meeting that is definitely not expected at the United Nations is one between Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.nThe hardline Iranian leader headed to the United Nations just as Iran and the United States <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776734/american-prisoners-freed-by-iran-land-in-us-after-swap-deal">completed a swap of five prisoners each</a>, after Biden worked to unblock $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozen in South Korea.nBiden, facing domestic criticism for the deal with the arch-enemy, vowed at the United Nations to do all to keep the clerical state from developing a nuclear weapon.

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