School Ban For Afghan Girls, But Taliban Leaders’ Daughters Play Football, Study Medicine Abroad
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 April 2022
Girls arrive at their school
in Kabul on 23 March 2022 | Photographer: Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images
via Bloomberg
-----
• Muslims Vulnerable To Communal Violence And
Discrimination In India, Says US Human Rights Report
• Tunisia, France Seek To Protect Youth Against
‘Violent Extremism’
• Pakistan PM Thanks Modi For His Congratulatory
Message But Raises Kashmir Again
• Neither Army Nor Foreign Country Can Safeguard
Democracy In Pakistan: Imran Khan
South Asia
• UNHCR Expresses Concern Over Taliban Decree Banning
Girls From Schools
• Nearly 500 Ex-Afghan Officials Killed, Kidnapped By
Taliban: New York Times Report
• Iran asks Taliban to ensure safety of diplomatic
missions in Kabul
--------
North America
• India, US call on Pakistan to take 'immediate,
irreversible' action against terrorism
• India, US urge Taliban to follow UNSC resolution,
call for cessation of violence in Myanmar
• Hundreds of Iranian-Americans urge Biden to keep
Iran’s IRGC on US terror list
--------
Europe
• Just what the doctor ordered: Egyptian medics in the
UK enjoy first Iftar together for two years
• Mali arrests three Europeans for ‘terrorism:’ Army
--------
India
• Tontadarya Mutt Fair: Hindu Outfits Warn Of Protest
If Non-Muslim Traders Allowed Inside
• Raj Thackeray warns Maharashtra govt to act on
loudspeakers on mosques by May 3
• Lucknow: Loudspeaker ban flouted in Mahanagar,
action ordered
• Karnataka: Belur Temple Fair From Today, Non-Hindus Get
Nod To Set Up Stalls
• Khargone: Muslims being harassed, Jamiat chief
writes to Amit Shah
• Khargone: Cops beat up 70-yr-old Muslim woman after
barging into her house
• Appeal for help: Muslim vendor’s shop vandalised in
Karauli
--------
Pakistan
• Neither Army Nor Foreign Country Can Safeguard
Democracy In Pakistan: Imran Khan
• PTI not done with ‘surprises’, may reveal bigger one
at Lahore rally
• Christians Display Same Fasting Spirit As Their
Muslim Brethren; This Year They Happen To Observe Their Fasting Months Side By
Side
• 8 social media activists of Imran's party held for
campaign against Pak Army chief
• Big question mark hangs over Nawaz Sharif's return
to Pakistan after 'medical treatment'
• New Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif likely to visit Saudi
Arabia, China: Report
• Pakistan has emerged as transit hub for global
narcotic smuggling
• Imran Khan’s desperate bid to cling to power brought
Pakistan closer to civilian coup
• ECP to hear PTI leaders’ appeals against fines
issued during local govt polls
• Shehbaz wants to take his sweet time to form
‘consensus’ cabinet
--------
Southeast Asia
• Pancasila Values Emblematic Of Islamic Teachings:
Muslim Scholar
• COVID-19 Symptomatic People Must Avoid Tarawih At
Mosques: Task Force
• Foundation’s charity work ceased after I was charged,
Zahid tells court
• Teens Lured By Myanmar Syndicate Now Safe In Thai Hands
--------
Arab World
• Lebanon Disburses Funds To Temporarily Avert Bread
Crisis, Minister Says
• Renters across Lebanon face sky-high prices amid
worsening economic crisis
• Lebanon PM welcomes return of Saudi Arabia
ambassador, promises commitment to Riyadh
• Turkish charity distributes 3M bread loaves in Syria
• 8 million litres of Zamzam distributed to visitors
at Grand Mosque during first third of Ramadan
• How worsening water crisis threatens lives and
development in Iraq
--------
Mideast
• Despite Terror Wave, Israel Determined To Keep
Al-Aqsa Open For Ramadan
• Hamas hails Libyan national team’s refusal to play
against Israel regime
• Palestinian resistance factions warn Israeli
occupation against storming Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Erdogan highlights Importance of reading in Quran,
Islamic culture
• Iran Reiterates Need for End of War, Siege on Yemen
• Minister: Iran to Turn into Exporter of
Space-Related Services
• AEOI Chief: Iran Plans Production of 10kMW of
Nuclear-Powered Electricity
• Iran sends top rights defender, journalist back to
prison
• 'Iran open to public sector investments in nuclear
energy'
--------
Africa
• Again, Gunmen Kill Monarch In Taraba Mosque, Injure
Others
• MWL launches project for Ramadan baskets in Sudan
• Northern elders ask Buhari to resign, give reasons
• Erdogan plays to base with criticism of Tunisia
• Algeria accuses Morocco of killing three on edge of
Western Sahara
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
School Ban For Afghan Girls, But Taliban Leaders’
Daughters Play Football, Study Medicine Abroad
Girls arrive at their school
in Kabul on 23 March 2022 | Photographer: Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images
via Bloomberg
-----
Praveen Swami
13 April, 2022
New Delhi: Even as Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate
continues to deny education to girls beyond the sixth grade, more than two
dozen top Taliban leaders are educating their daughters at schools in Doha,
Peshawar and Karachi, sources familiar with the movement have told ThePrint.
The leaders include Health Minister Qalandar Ebad, Deputy
Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, and spokesperson Suhail
Shaheen.
Two daughters of Suhail Shaheen study in
state-regulated schools in Doha, home of the Islamic Emirate’s political
office, along with his three sons, a source familiar with the family said. The
older daughter, the source said, even played football for her school’s team.
Qalandar Ebad — a trained physician, with degrees from
the Nangarhar University and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad
— ensured a medical education for his daughter, who now works as a doctor in
Islamabad, sources said.
Stanikzai’s daughter, sources added, has completed her
medical education in Doha, following her high school education at a well-known
school.
ThePrint did not receive a response from spokesperson
Shaheen’s office, seeking comment on Islamic Emirate officials who were
educating their daughters overseas.
When they took over Afghanistan last year, authorities
in the Islamic Emirate — as the Taliban call the country — repeatedly promised
to open education for girls, but rolled back their decision hours after schools
reopened on 23 March.
“The leadership held its meeting recently and
discussed in detail the girls schools,” Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi said.
“They, however, decided to keep the schools closed until a further meeting.”
The Islamic Emirate has also removed women from
employment, and restricted their ability to travel without a male relative.
Last year, the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention
of Vice put up posters across Kabul, encouraging women to wear the
all-enveloping burqa, though no official order has been issued.
Islamic Emirate leaders claimed last year that, in
addition to problems related to curricula and uniforms, they lacked funding for
schools.
In January, though, the US special representative for
Afghanistan, Tom West, said it would pay all teacher salaries if schools were
reopened for girls.
Taliban children studying abroad
The children of several senior Islamic Emirate ministers
and civil servants, a diplomatic source said, are now studying at ‘Iqra’
schools — which offer a mixture of modern education with Islamic subjects — in
Peshawar and Karachi.
The daughters of at least four members of the
Taliban’s powerful military commission are believed to have studied at Iqra
schools, before the group seized Kabul last year.
Iqra schools — which combine religious-studies content
traditionally offered in seminaries with subjects like English, the sciences
and computers — aspire “to make Muslims and their children true Muslims”, the
trust administering them says.
The researcher Sabawoon Samim revealed in a report,
released earlier this year, that one Taliban commander even ran his own
Iqra-style school for girls in Quetta, complementing traditional madrassa subjects with classes in
mathematics, science and English.
In addition, Samim reported, top Taliban leaders were
taking educated second wives.
“The trend also goes along with some Taleban [sic]
officials and commanders devaluing their existing wives for being rural,
illiterate and ‘backward’ — not fit for the urban life some of them had
experienced during exile and that was awaiting them after the takeover of
Kabul,” Samim wrote.
The Taliban functionaries who are educating their own
daughters outside Afghanistan are thought to have spoken in favour of education
for girls inside the Taliban’s inner councils.
Shaheen and Stanekzai, one diplomatic source said, had
argued against the Islamic Emirate’s decision to shut down girls’ schools. Last
year, Shaheen said that Islamic Emirate policies had ensured that “girls are going to schools and they are
going to universities”.
The pro-education group is thought to have had the
support of Islamists with a seminarian background, like the Islamic Emirate’s
de-facto deputy head of state, Sirajuddin Haqqani. Haqqani, diplomatic sources
say, has the backing of Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar and Minister
of Defence Muhammad Yaqub.
Last week, a powerful coalition of Afghan clerics
backed calls for girls’ schools to be reopened, arguing that the education of
women had the support of Islamic law and scripture.
Resistance to girls’ education
The pro-education minority has, however, faced
resistance from Pashtun traditionalists of Afghanistan’s southern districts,
who dominate the government.
Traditionalists argue that development aid is being
used to blackmail the Taliban on girls’ education. They also claim that the
girls’ education issue is being used to blackmail the Islamic Emirate on
aid-related issues, and create divisions in its ranks.
Key opponents of girls’ education, diplomatic sources
say, include the Islamic Emirate’s head, Hibatullah Akhundzada, Chief Justice
Abdul Hakim, and Minister of Religious Affairs Nur Muhammad Saqeb.
Islamic Emirate conservatives have also expressed
concern around morality, like men teaching female students, as well as girls’
dress code and keeping students segregated in university.
Last year, Islamic Emirate Higher Education Minister
Abdul Baqi Haqqani appeared to suggest secular education was of little value to
the new regime, claiming modern studies were “less valuable” than clerical
instruction, and promising to hire teachers with “values”.
Education of girls has been a fraught issue in
Afghanistan, with efforts to institute it by King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s
and the pro-Soviet Union government that took power in 1978, leading to violent
resistance against both regimes.
Even after a democratic government was instituted
following 9/11, resistance against education for girls remained widespread in
swathes of rural Afghanistan.
In a review of education in Afghanistan, the United
Nations noted that the number of girls in higher education increased from
around 5,000 in 2001 to around 90,000 in 2018.
Even though some 16 per cent of schools took only
girls, in an effort to make education more acceptable to conservative parents,
just 36 per cent of secondary school teachers were women, and remained
concentrated in urban areas.
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Muslims
Vulnerable To Communal Violence And Discrimination In India, Says US Human
Rights Report
The report mentioned police shootings during
eviction of Muslim villagers in Assam’s Darrang district in September. | Sajjad
Hussain/ AFP
-----
April
13, 2022
The
US Department of State has noted that Muslims in India were vulnerable to
communal violence and discrimination. The state department made the observation
on the chapter on India in the “2021 Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices”, released on Tuesday.
The
report made mention about discrimination against minorities in India, instances
of extrajudicial killings, degrading treatment or punishment by police and
prison officials and arbitrary arrest and detention by government authorities
among other things.
“Despite
government efforts to address abuses and corruption, a lack of accountability
for official misconduct persisted at all levels of government, contributing to
widespread impunity,” it said.
The
report also flagged violation of human rights in arrests of activists in
connection to the Bhima Koregaon case, cases against Kashmiri journalists under
the Public Safety Act and detentions under the stringent Unlawful Activities
(Prevention Act).
Persecution
of Muslims
The
report noted incidents where Muslim men were paraded in public and forced to
chant “Jai Shree Ram” in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur and police shootings during
eviction of villagers belonging to the community in Assam’s Darrang district
last year.
“Muslim
communities continued during the year with cases of physical abuse,
discrimination, forcible displacement, and lynching for suspected cow
smuggling,” it stated.
The
reports also mentioned that the laws against religious conversions have
targeted Muslims. Bharatiya Janata Party-led state governments in Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have enacted anti-conversion laws since
last year to penalise “love jihad”.
The
pejorative term has been used by Hindutva outfits to push the conspiracy theory
that Muslim men lure Hindu women into marrying them with the sole purpose of
converting their brides to Islam.
“These
‘love jihad’ laws seek to make forced religious conversion by marriage a
criminal offense and have mainly targeted Muslim men attempting to marry Hindu
women,” the report stated. “Civil society groups criticized these laws as
violating constitutional protections on freedom of religion, but some survey
data suggested religious minority communities themselves sometimes expressed
support for anti-conversion measures.”
The
Citizenship Amendment Act and exclusion of Muslims from its provisions was also
observed in the report.
In
2019, Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, which provides an
expedited path to Indian citizenship for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi,
and Christian religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
“Following
passage of the Act, widespread protests against its passage and the exclusion
of Muslims from the statute occurred throughout the country, leading to
arrests, targeted communications shutdowns, bans on assembly, and deaths in a
few instances,” the report noted.
Arbitrary
detentions
The
report observed that detention laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act and Public Safety Act were arbitrary.
The
Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act) gives authorities the power to detain
persons for up to 180 days without charge in cases related to insurgency or
terrorism.
The
report noted that in 2021, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir saw an increase in the
application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Since 2019, the Jammu
and Kashmir administration has booked more than 2,300 persons in approximately
1,200 cases under the law.
“According
to human rights NGOs [non-government organisations], police used torture,
mistreatment, and arbitrary detention to obtain forced or false confessions,”
the report stated. “In some cases police reportedly held suspects without
registering their arrests and denied detainees sufficient food and water.”
The
report specifically mentioned the treatment meted out to 84-year-old Stan
Swamy, a Jesuit priest who was arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case. The case
pertains to caste violence in a village near Pune in 2018. Sixteen people were
arrested for allegedly plotting the violence.
Swamy
died at a Mumbai hospital, while in police custody, on July 5, nearly nine
months after he was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He
had suffered from multiple ailments including Parkinson’s disease, and had
contracted the coronavirus infection at the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai.
The
report noted that his bail petition submitted under medical grounds was
rejected on multiple occasions by the National Investigation Agency court.
The
report also mentioned that prosecutors had delayed starting the trial of
activist Umar Khalid.
Khalid
was arrested along with other activists, on September 14, 2020, after riots
broke out between the supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those
opposing the law in North East Delhi between February 23 and February 26 of
that year.
The
report said that the Armed Forces Special Power Act violated the Article 21 of
the Constitution which guarantees protection of life and personal liberty. The
Act gives Army personnel sweeping powers to search, arrest, and to open fire if
they deem it necessary for “the maintenance of public order”.
The
report also noted that the Public Safety Act, which is in force in Jammu and
Kashmir, permitted the authorities to detain persons without charge or judicial
review for up to two years without visitation from family members
“Authorities
in Jammu and Kashmir allowed detainees access to a lawyer during interrogation,
but human rights groups documented that police routinely employed arbitrary
detention and denied detainees access to lawyers and medical attention,” the
report stated.
‘Systemic
racial violence’ against Dalits
The
report pointed out that 50,291 crimes were reported against Dalits in 2020 – a
9.4% increase from 2019.
“Crimes
committed against Dalits reportedly often went unpunished, either because
authorities failed to prosecute perpetrators or because victims did not report
crimes due to fear of retaliation,” the report stated.
The
report noted that there were several reports of discrimination against Dalits
when it came to access to services, such as health care, education, access to
justice, freedom of movement, access to institutions, and marriage.
“Many
Dalits were malnourished,” it said. “Most bonded laborers were Dalits, and
those who asserted their rights were often victims of attacks, especially in
rural areas. As agricultural laborers for higher-caste landowners, Dalits
reportedly often worked without pay.”
Source:
Scroll
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Tunisia,
France Seek To Protect Youth Against ‘Violent Extremism’
Photo: AA.com
----
Yousra
Ounass
12.04.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia
and France on Tuesday discussed cooperation in the field of protecting young
people against "violent extremism."
This
came in talks between Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden and Gilles Kepel,
the special envoy of French President Emmanuel Macron.
During
the discussions, Bouden stressed the state's role in reducing social
disparities by dedicating structural reforms to educational institutions,
including at the university level, the Tunisian government said in a statement.
The
Tunisian premier underlined the importance of training youth “to facilitate
their integration into professional life, their involvement in society, and
protect them against the dangers of extremism, violent extremism, as well as
irregular migration."
According
to the statement, Kepel stressed on the need for countries along the
Mediterranean Sea, especially Tunisia, France and Italy, to exchange
experiences “on finding out the causes of the phenomenon of violent extremism
in our societies and ways to tackle them."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
PM Thanks Modi For His Congratulatory Message But Raises Kashmir Again
Pakistan PM / Image Source : PTI
-----
Apr
13, 2022
Pakistan
PM Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday again raised the Kashmir issue while thanking his
Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for his congratulatory message.
Sharif
tweeted Modi's message to say that Pakistan desires peaceful and cooperative
ties with India and that peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes, including
J&K, is "indispensable". While Modi had said that India desires
peace and stability in a region free of terror, Sharif said Pakistan's
"sacrifices" in fighting terrorism are well-known. "Let's secure
peace and focus on socio-economic development of our people," added Sharif
in his message.
This
is the second time in two days, since he was elected PM on Monday, that Sharif
raised the Kashmir issue.
While
some in India believe Sharif - the brother of former PM Nawaz Sharif, who
developed a good rapport with Modi - will be less hawkish than his predecessor
Imran Khan in recent times on relations with India, Indian government sources
warn against prejudging Pakistan's India policy under him. They said not much
should be read into Modi's message as the PM had also lost no time in
congratulating Khan in 2018.
Modi
had on Monday congratulated Sharif on his election as the PM and said India
desires peace and stability in a region free of terror so that "we can
focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of
our people". In his inaugural speech, Sharif had raised the issue of
nullification of Article 370 in Kashmir.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Neither
Army Nor Foreign Country Can Safeguard Democracy In Pakistan: Imran Khan
Imran Khan emphasised that no army or foreign
country could safeguard democracy in Pakistan.
------
Apr
12, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Imran Khan on Tuesday called for early general elections in Pakistan and
emphasised that no army or foreign country could safeguard democracy in the
country. In a video message posted on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's
official Twitter handle, days after he lost a no-trust vote in Parliament, the
former prime minister said that only the people of Pakistan can safeguard their
freedoms and the sanctity of democratic institutions.
He
emphasised that no army or foreign country could safeguard democracy in
Pakistan.
Pakistan
has struggled with political instability since its formation in 1947 with
multiple regime changes and military coups. No prime minister has ever
completed a full five-year term.
The
69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician also announced that on Wednesday he
will hold a meeting in Peshawar. "My first jalsa after being removed
through a foreign- instigated regime change."
"I
want all our people to come, as Pakistan was created as an independent,
sovereign state not as a puppet state of foreign powers," he said in a
tweet.
He
again claimed that a "grand conspiracy" had been imposed on Pakistan,
referring to the joint opposition's no-confidence motion which had resulted in
his ousting.
Khan
on Sunday had vowed to begin the "freedom struggle against a foreign
conspiracy" of regime change in Pakistan.
"Pakistan
became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again
today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change," he wrote on his
official Twitter handle on Sunday.
"It
is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty and
democracy," he had said.
Khan
has claimed that the Opposition's no-confidence motion against him was a
"huge foreign conspiracy against Pakistan."
The
former premier claimed he had evidence, stating a letter had been sent by
former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Asad Majeed after talks with
the US assistant secretary of state for South Asia.
In
response, the US categorically rejected Khan's allegations of a "foreign
conspiracy" plotted in Washington, saying there was "absolutely no
truth" to these claims.
Addressing
the National Assembly on Monday after his election as Pakistan's 23rd Prime
Minister, Shehbaz Sharif termed Khan's 'foreign conspiracy' claims as
"drama".
Sharif
said he will resign and go home if it is proved.
"Pakistan's
National Security Committee would be briefed on a controversial letter related
to the so-called foreign conspiracy," he said.
Khan
had alleged that the US was involved in a conspiracy to topple his government.
"I
will resign and go home if conspiracy is proved in letter controversy," Shehbaz
said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
UNHCR expresses concern over Taliban decree banning girls from schools
Apr
13, 2022
KABUL
(AFGHANISTAN): United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) has
expressed concern over the closure of secondary schools for Afghan girls and
their safety.
The
UN agency said that Afghan women are not being allowed to work and get
education while their safety concerns are mounting, Khaama Press reported.
"Afghan
girls are facing restrictions on travel, work, education, besides their
deteriorating safety situation in the country," said the UN agency, while
calling for the protection of human values and rights of women and girls.
The
envoys and representatives of the European Union, US, and the European
countries in a joint statement have also said that the international aid to
Kabul will depend on Afghanistan's ability to ensure access to education for
girls at all levels, said a media report.
In
the joint statement, the envoys and the representatives have said that the type
and scope of "international donor assistance will depend, among other
things, on the right and ability of girls to attend equal education at all
levels," reported TOLOnews.
The
joint statement further stressed that the progress towards normalized relations
between the Taliban and the international community will depend mostly on
Kabul's actions and delivery on commitments and obligations to the Afghan
people and to the international community.
Moreover,
during a briefing of the Diplomatic Corps on April 6, deputy special
representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mette Knudsen, highlighted that the
Taliban's decision to ban girls from attending secondary schools has negatively
impacted the attitude of the global community towards them.
The
Taliban have issued a decree banning female students above grade six from
attending their classes in schools. The girls were further told to stay home
until the Islamic Emirate announces its next decision.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Nearly
500 Ex-Afghan Officials Killed, Kidnapped By Taliban: New York Times Report
13
April, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], April 13 (ANI): The Taliban, after seizing power in Afghanistan,
have murdered or kidnapped about 500 former Afghan officials, military
personnel and those believed to have collaborated with the United States.
The
Taliban takeover in Afghanistan took place last August amid a complete
withdrawal of US troops, yet an investigation conducted by New York Times
revealed that about 500 former state officials and military personnel were
either murdered or forcibly disappeared within six months of the Taliban
resurgence, Sputnik reported.
Citing
New York Times investigation, Sputnik further reported that the paper confirmed
86 killings in Baghlan Province alone, with 114 people missing in Kandahar
Province. “The paper said the Taliban are exploiting the amnesty as a trap to
lure soldiers out of hiding.”
“They
summoned me to the police headquarters. I figured because of the amnesty they
might just ask a few questions…They started beating me and threw me in a well
while telling me, ‘You’ve fought against us for many years and killed so many
of our best people.’ I really believed that they were going to kill me. So many
of my fellow soldiers were also thrown into the water well. These brutalities
still continue to this day,” a former Afghan military commander, who claimed
anonymity told the NYT, according to Sputnik.
However,
the Taliban officials have denied killings, saying the allegations are baseless
and used as a propaganda tool by their opponents “in order to mislead the
opinion of the world” about the Taliban.
The
paper said that its staff conducted an investigation for seven months, using
various methods to verify the data, including forensic video examinations,
local media reports, and interviews with survivors, witnesses and family
members of the victims, Sputnik reported.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/nearly-500-ex-afghan-officials-killed-kidnapped-by-taliban-report/914445/
--------
Iran
asks Taliban to ensure safety of diplomatic missions in Kabul
12
April, 2022
Tehran
[Iran], April 12 (ANI): Iran has asked the Taliban regime in Afghnaistan to
ensure the security of its diplomatic assets in Kabul amid rising protests by
the people against deportations of Afghan refugees.
In
reaction to the protests, the spokesperson of Iran’s Foreign Ministry Saeed
khatibzada said, this is the responsibility of the Afghan government to ensure
the security of Iran’s diplomatic agencies in the country.
The
Afghan protesters are taking to the streets to protest against the alleged
ongoing ill-treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran by the country’s people and
police forces and several video clips have gone viral on social media
showcasing the same, the most recent one being the burning of the door of Iran’s
consulate in Herat province, according to The Khaama Press.
The
acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan summoned Iran’s ambassador to Kabul and
raised with him the issue of Afghan refugees in Iran on Sunday. the news agency
further reported.
Earlier,
Iran’s embassy in Kabul in a press release said that the ongoing ill-treatment
is a foreign conspiracy that is aimed at disturbing bilateral relations between
the two countries.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/iran-asks-taliban-to-ensure-safety-of-diplomatic-missions-in-kabul/913051/
--------
North America
India,
US call on Pakistan to take 'immediate, irreversible' action against terrorism
April
13, 2022 -
The
United States of America and India in a joint statement on Tuesday urged
Pakistan to take "immediate, sustained, and irreversible action" to
ensure that no territory under its control was used for terrorist attacks.
"[India]
strongly condemned any use of terrorist proxies and cross-border terrorism in
all its forms and called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, and
Pathankot attack, to be brought to justice," the statement — issued by the
US Embassy and Consulates in India — read.
It
was issued as a part of the fourth ‘2+2’ dialogue between India and the United
States, which ended yesterday in Washington DC. India’s external affairs and defence
ministers, S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh, held meetings with their their US
counterparts, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd
Austin.
Ahead
of the dialogue on April 11, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President
Joe Biden met virtually.
According
to The Indian Express, the 2+2 dialogue is a format of talks between the
foreign and defence ministers of India and its allies on strategic and security
issues. India holds dialogues on this format with four of its strategic
partners — US, Russia, Australia, and Japan.
"The
2+2 Ministerial is an important opportunity to advance our shared objectives
across the breadth of the US-India Strategic Partnership, including enhancing
our people-to-people ties and education cooperation, building diverse,
resilient supply chains for critical and emerging technology, scaling up our
climate action and public health cooperation, and developing a trade and
investment partnership to increase prosperity for working families in both countries.
It is also a chance to highlight the growing major defence partnership between
the United States and India," a statement issued by the US ahead of the
meeting had said.
In
the joint statement issued yesterday after the meeting, both countries called
for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those proscribed
by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee, such as al Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh,
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb ul Mujahideen.
"The
ministers committed to continued exchange of information about sanctions and
designations against terror groups and individuals, countering violent
radicalism, use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, and cross-border
movement of terrorists," it read.
India
further highlighted the importance of upholding international standards on
anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism by all
countries, consistent with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.
"The
ministers also reaffirmed their support for the early adoption of a UN
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) that advances and
strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause
or grievance justifies terrorism," the statement added.
Inclusive
Afghan government
India
also called on the Taliban to abide by the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) Resolution (2021), which demands that Afghan territory must never again
be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or
to plan or finance terrorist attacks.
It
urged the Taliban to adhere to these and all other commitments; respect the
human rights of all Afghans, including women, children, and members of minority
groups; and uphold freedom of travel.
"They
also emphasised the importance of an inclusive Afghan government and unhindered
access for the United Nations and its implementing partners to deliver
humanitarian assistance. The Ministers recommitted to close consultations on
Afghanistan to help facilitate an inclusive and peaceful future for all
Afghans."
Humanitarian
crisis in Ukraine
The
countries further discussed the "worsening humanitarian crisis in
Ukraine" and India demanded an "immediate cessation of
hostilities". It underscored that the contemporary global order has been built
on the UN Charter, respect for international law, and the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of all states.
"The
ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific in which
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states are respected, and
countries are free from military, economic, and political coercion," the
joint statement said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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India, US
urge Taliban to follow UNSC resolution, call for cessation of violence in
Myanmar
Apr
12, 2022
WASHINGTON:
India and the US have called on the Taliban leadership to abide by the UNSC
resolution which demands that Afghanistan's territory must never again be used
to threaten or attack any country or to plan or finance terrorist attacks.
In
a joint statement issued after the fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue,
the two countries' ministers urged the Taliban to respect the human rights of
all Afghans, including women, children and members of minority groups; and to
uphold freedom of travel.
The
fourth 2+2, the first under the Biden administration, was held in Washington on
Monday. The Indian side was led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
welcomed Singh and Jaishankar to Washington for the Dialogue. The Dialogue was
preceded by a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US
President Joe Biden.
“The
ministers called on the Taliban to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 (2021), which
demands that Afghan territory must never again be used to threaten or attack
any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or finance terrorist
attacks,” the joint statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said
on Tuesday.
They
also emphasised the importance of an inclusive Afghan government and unhindered
access for the United Nations and its implementing partners to deliver
humanitarian assistance.
“The
Ministers recommitted to close consultations on Afghanistan to help facilitate
an inclusive and peaceful future for all Afghans,” the statement said.
The
Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US'
complete troop withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. This
forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was backed by the US-led West, to
flee the country to the UAE.
The
Taliban insurgents stormed across Afghanistan and captured all major cities in
a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and
its allies melted away.
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his February report, said the situation
in Afghanistan remains precarious and uncertain nearly six months after the
Taliban takeover, as the multiple political, socio-economic and humanitarian
shocks reverberate across the war-ravaged country.
“The
Taliban is showing efforts to present itself as a caretaker government. The
movement, however, has yet to form governing structures that reflect the
country's ethnic, political and geographic diversity and include women. Efforts
are constrained by the lack of resources and capacity, as well as an ideology
that clashes in many ways with international norms of governance,” it said.
The
current Taliban regime in Kabul has not yet been recognised by the
international community as they have failed to address global concerns
regarding the formation of a truly representative and inclusive government in
the war-torn country.
The
hardline Islamists have also been urged to preserve the rights of women,
children and other national ethnic groups and minorities in Afghanistan.
The
ministers also called for the cessation of violence in Myanmar, the release of
all those arbitrarily detained, and a swift return to the path of democracy and
inclusive governance.
Myanmar's
military seized power on February 1 after overthrowing the elected government
led by Aung San Suu Kyi and declaring a state of emergency. Suu Kyi is among an
estimated 3,400 people still being held by the junta.
“They
also called for urgent implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus,” the
statement said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Hundreds
of Iranian-Americans urge Biden to keep Iran’s IRGC on US terror list
12
April ,2022
A
group of over 500 Iranian-Americans sent a letter to President Joe Biden on
Tuesday urging him not to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
from the US State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
“Removing
IRGC from the FTO list will be a blatant disregard to the hope and legitimate
struggle of Iranians in their struggle for freedom and dignity,” the Iranian
Professionals’ Ad Hoc Committee on Iran Policy said in their letter.
As
part of its negotiations with Iran over the nuclear deal, the US is considering
Tehran’s demand for the IRGC to be removed from Washington’s terror blacklist.
But
public backlash and recent criticism from the Republican Party and Biden’s own
political party have stalled the move.
Last
week, the top US military general, Gen. Mark Milley, said he did not support
removing the IRGC’s designation and voiced his belief that the Quds Force was a
terror group.
Although
Gen. Milley was asked about the IRGC, he said the Quds Force was a terrorist
organization. It is unclear whether he made the distinction on purpose or
whether the US is considering removing the IRGC and leaving the IRGC-Quds Force
designated.
A
State Department official said that Biden believes the Quds Force is a
terrorist organization.
“There
is no distinction between the IRGC or the Quds force. They operate as one unit
to fund, promote and implement Khamenei’s agenda. The current designation is
justified and should remain intact,” said Kazem Kazerounian, a professor and
one of the main organizers of the letter.
The
letter to Biden said the IRGC was Tehran’s instrument for terrorism abroad and
repression of people on the streets of Iran.
“It
is not accidental that the Iranian regime has placed the demand of removing
IRGC from the terrorist list above any other issue. Such action by the US will
unleash this horrible group again - on the Iranian people and on the other
countries in the region,” said Dr. Shahin Toutounchi, a distinguished engineer
from Lattice Semiconductor Corporation.
Toutounchi
told Al Arabiya English that many of those who signed Tuesday’s letter and
their families had first-hand experience of the atrocities by the IRGC.
“It
is certainly noteworthy that IRGC has not shown the slightest indication of
good faith efforts in halting malign behavior or advancing democratic
institutions. To the contrary, the IRGC is playing a bigger role in creating
proxy naval terror units, employing UAVs for terror operations, and funding
terrorism around the globe,” the letter read.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Just
what the doctor ordered: Egyptian medics in the UK enjoy first iftar together
for two years
SARAH
GLUBB
April
13, 2022
LONDON:
Members of an organization for the Egyptian medical community in the UK got
together for their first iftar meal in two years. They had been forced to put
their annual Ramadan tradition on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Egypt’s
ambassador to the UK joined about 75 members of the Egyptian Medical Society at
the event, as they gathered at a restaurant in central London to break their
fast together.
“We
are trying to do more activities now because our organization was a bit quiet
during COVID and we didn’t do much,” Dr. Dia Kamel, the president of the
society, told Arab News.
“But
now we are trying to catch up and we’re trying to focus on helping the poor and
charitable work and how to (improve medical care) in Egypt and here as well.”
Almost
4,000 of about 7,500 Egyptian doctors who work in Britain are members of the
EMS. However the total membership of the society currently stands at about
6,000 because it also welcomes doctors from Arab countries, and some who work
in other professions.
The
society resumed its annual activities in July last year when pandemic
restrictions began to be lifted in England, after what Kamel described as a
“difficult” two years. Now he and the members are looking to the future.
“Our
goal (is) to bring together all Arab doctors working in the UK, as well as
Egyptians,” he said. “We are in the UK and we’re not based in our home country,
so we consider any Middle Eastern colleagues our friends; they are welcome.”
Kamel,
who is a pathology consultant and professor at Anglia Ruskin University in
Essex, said the EMS organizes charitable events and contributes in particular
to Egypt, in addition to the Arab world.
“We
organize several scientific events where Arab doctors meet and exchange the
latest information and ideas, especially with regard to licensing and
legalization and how they can practice safely in the UK, which is very
important,” he said.
After
serving as secretary of the EMS for five years, Kamel was elected its president
seven months ago. Under former leaderships, he said that only the most senior
members had a say in how the society was run, but he wants to open it up and
make it more democratic and inclusive so that all members, even the most
junior, have a say.
“I’m
trying to focus on all classes of Egyptian doctors who are working in the UK,”
he added. “At the same time we’ll try to focus on how to help and how to really
be influential in setting the standards in medical practice in many countries
in the Middle East including, of course, Egypt.”
The
society was founded in 1985 and its activities are predominantly based in and
around London. However Kamel said he plans to organize more events outside of
the English capital so that members can meet their colleagues working in the
North of England, in places such as Manchester and Hull, as well as in the West
Midlands.
The
EMS annual calendar of events kicked off this year by marking the Coptic
Christmas on Jan. 7, the day Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Each spring the society holds an afternoon tea gathering, and an iftar during
Ramadan. It also organizes a scientific conference and during the summer it
arranges a cruise along the River Thames.
In
between these big events the society organizes various other activities
focusing on food, poetry, music or art. It holds its annual general meeting in
November each year, when elections are held.
“We
are a registered charitable organization in the UK and we’re raising money to
help hospitals in the Arab world and poorer countries,” Kamel said. “We have
been to Sudan, we have been to Egypt several times, to Syria, and we even try
to send people on voluntary missions to help the people in the Middle East.”
Some
of the society’s projects are ongoing, he added, such as advising on COVID-19
protocols, while others are funded through auctions or gifts from wealthy Egyptian
donors, such as Egyptian-British businessman Assem Allam, former owner of
English Football League Championship club Hull City.
“We
try to focus on the charity work, how to help each other and how to educate
each other, and mainly to focus on the doctors working here and the doctors in
Egypt and in the Arab world,” said Kamel.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2062131/world
--------
Mali
arrests three Europeans for ‘terrorism:’ Army
13
April ,2022
Three
Europeans suspected of “terrorism” have been arrested in central Mali during
operations against extremists, the Malian army said Tuesday without giving
identifying details.
“The
Malian military detachment from Diabaly carried out the arrest on April 10,
2022, of five suspects including three European nationals,” the general staff
said in a statement.
The
statement did not identify the suspects, who were arrested in Diabaly, about
300 kilometers (185 miles) northwest of Bamako.
Ruled
by a military junta since August 2020, Mali has been in a political crisis
since 2012.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/04/13/Mali-arrests-three-Europeans-for-terrorism-Army
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India
Tontadarya
Mutt fair: Hindu outfits warn of protest if non-Muslim traders allowed inside
13th
April 2022
GADAG:
While Tontadarya Mutt administration officials are silent on allowing non-Hindu
traders from conducting business during the annual fair on April 15, some
pro-Hindu outfits have warned them that protests would be intensified if
non-Hindu traders are allowed.
The
mutt has been a sanctuary of peace and harmony and has given the opportunity to
all irrespective of their religion in fairs. Hindu organisations said
Siddalinga Swami was denied entry into a mosque two decades ago when he visited
all the religious places in Gadag, but he continued to spread the message of
communal harmony.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Raj
Thackeray warns Maharashtra govt to act on loudspeakers on mosques by May 3
Apr
12, 2022
THANE:
MNS chief Raj Thackeray issued a veiled warning to the state government,
Tuesday, asking it to ensure loud speakers installed atop mosques were removed
by May 3 and claimed his party would not budge from its stance till the matter
was resolved.
Thackeray
repeated his stance on the nuisance caused by the loudspeakers, installed on
mosques, at the public assembly in Thane barely a fortnight after his Gudi
Padwa address to party workers in Mumbai. He chided the state home department
for failing to implement the Supreme Court guidelines on the issue.
“I
request the state government to talk with the religious leaders and ensure that
the louspeakers from the mosques are removed by May 3. We are not opposed to
prayers but what is the need to cause inconvenience to others especially students,
the elderly and the ailing. If the state fails to act we will intensify our
drives and play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers also,” he said.
While
Thackeray launched a frontal attack on the NCP and its leaders, he surprisingly
dodged speaking about the Shiv Sena, with the exception of taking a veiled dig
at Sanjay Raut, during his hour long speech held in the core city area. Taking
a dig at those criticizing his party wave to be diminishing, Thackeray said
that these very people don't lose an opportunity to respond to his party's
actions.
He
also accused the state government to be deliberately deflecting from resolving
the reservation issue so that the polls to local bodies could get delayed.
He
raised questions on the frequent meetings between Sharad Pawar and prime
minister Narendra Modi and pointed out if there was a connection between these
meetings and raids conducted on the properties of Ajit Pawar and his close
relatives and other party leaders. Thackeray minced no words as he went on
verbally attacking NCP leaders Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad and even Chaggan
Bhujbal.
Speaking
about the reactions given by politicians over Enforcement Directorate raids,
Thackeray said even he had received summons in the past and he went to the
office and clarified his stance while taking a dig at those alleging
victimisation bt the centre.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lucknow:
Loudspeaker ban flouted in Mahanagar, action ordered
Apr
13, 2022
LUCKNOW:
The ban on playing loudspeakers after 10pm is being openly flouted in
Mahanagar, residents told mayor Sanyukta Bhatia during Lok Mangal Diwas on
Tuesday.
Residents
said loud music is played in weddings and functions at Kalyan Mandap in
Mahanagar even after 10 pm, posing inconvenience to people, especially elderly.
The mayor instructed the zonal officer concerned to ensure no one flouts the
ban and also penalise the violators. A Gomtinagar resident Ramsetu requested
the mayor to get a submersible pump installed at Vishwas Khand public park.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Karnataka:
Belur temple fair from today, non-Hindus get nod to set up stalls
Apr
13, 2022
HASSAN:
Two weeks after a Muslim trader was asked to vacate his shop from Chennakeshava
temple complex in Belur of Hassan district, the taluk administration has given
its nod for 15 non-Hindus to set up stalls during the two-day annual temple car
festival starting on Wednesday.
Sujay
Kumar, chief executive officer of Belur taluk municipal council, said there is
no rule or law to stop non-Hindu vendors from carrying out business during
temple fairs.
The
taluk administration has identified a huge parcel of land about 100 metres from
the temple where makeshift stalls have been set up for the temple festival.
Vendors will be allowed to operate their stalls on this land till April 18.
Some 60 stalls have come up on this parcel, and 15 of them are by non-Hindu
vendors.
The
officer said they held bidding through the e-procurement route nearly a month
ago. "Anyone can set up a stall by paying the prescribed fee," he
added.
Belur
temple executive officer Vidyulatha told TOI: "The muzrai commissioner's
office has directed that no officer, person or organisation is allowed to
interfere in any tradition, ritual or custom under Section 58 of Hindu
Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 2002. Hence, the chanting
of Quran verses will be conducted as mentioned in the Belur temple manual
before pulling the chariot on the day of Brahma Rathotsava."
The
12th-century Chennakeshava temple, which is administered by the Karnataka
muzrai department and is set to be recognised as a world-heritage site by
Unesco, courted controversy when it issued eviction notice on March 28 to a
lone non-Hindu vendor who has been running a shop on the shrine premises for
decades.
The
temple complex has 17 commercial shops. The notice has been served on the
Muslim vendor selling children's toys for more than 50 years. The shop has been
shut since. Regarding the eviction notice, Vidyulatha said she has not yet
received any direction from the commissioner yet.
Sources
said the Muslim vendor did not participate in the bidding process for setting
up a stall in makeshift area.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Khargone:
Muslims being harassed, Jamiat chief writes to Amit Shah
April
12, 2022
JAMIAT
ULAMA-I-HIND president Maulana Mahmood Madani on Tuesday wrote to Union Home
Minister Amit Shah, seeking his intervention to stop “harassment” of Muslims in
Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, where he has alleged that properties belonging to
Muslims were being “selectively razed”.
The
Khargone district administration on Monday demolished 45 “illegal structures”,
a day after the area witnessed communal clashes during Ram Navami procession.
“Please
allow me to draw your kind attention to a serious trend unfolding in the
country against the minority community, that is Muslims. Anti-Muslim provocation
by right-wing extremist groups has become a set pattern that is often followed
by mass violence. The latest being Ram Navami processions…, after which
violence was recorded from many places,” Madani said in his letter. “Among all,
Khargone in Madhya Pradesh perhaps is the most affected place where minority
community suffered a lot. Several homes and religious places were torched and
looted by anti-social elements.”
“It
is very unfortunate to see that after the outbreak of violence now local administration
is harassing the minority community. In a selective manner, properties
belonging to Muslims are being razed. People are homeless all of a sudden.
Under which laws properties of a suspect of any crime is allowed to be
demolished?”
Madani
said he has been informed that so far 16 houses and 29 commercial shops, mostly
belonging to Muslims, have been demolished. Among those arrested – 84 – he said
75 are Muslims.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Khargone:
Cops beat up 70-yr-old Muslim woman after barging into her house
12th
April 2022
Even
after Section 144 CrPC (banning assembly of four or more people) was imposed in
the riot-hit city of Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, police officials mercilessly
broke open the gates of Bilal Masjid on the wee hours of April 11 and barged
into the house of a 70-year-old woman whose home is situated right in front of
the mosque.
In
a video shared on social media, policemen can be seen storming into the mosque
and creating an atmosphere of fear. The old woman is heard requesting the men
to stop. She even calls them “beta” (son).
Shaken
by the events, the injured old woman said, “The policemen broke the fridge,
looted cash, and hit me.” According to her, the policemen severely thrashed the
women present in the house and took all the valuables. There were no male
members present at that time.
The
women are hospitalized. One is said to be critical.
What
happened in Khargone
Provocative
songs were played during a Ram Navami procession in Khargone, which reportedly
led to incidents of stone-pelting around 5 pm on Sunday. As per reports, 30
houses and shops were set ablaze and more than two dozen people were injured.
Reports
say that Khargone’s Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary was shot in
the leg. The matter calmed down a bit at around 9 pm, but violence flared up
again at 12 am.
Police
responded by launching a lathi charge and firing tear gas. Section 144 of CrPC
was imposed on the entire city.
Muslims
being targeted
Soon
after the incident, homes of Muslims accused of rioting and stone-pelting were
demolished in the city on April 11.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Appeal
for help: Muslim vendor’s shop vandalised in Karauli
12th
April 2022
Following
the anti-Muslim violence in Rajasthan’s Karauli district last week, a number of
small scale Muslim owned businesses were adversely affected.
One
of the victims of the Karauli carnage is Najmuddin who owns a small shop in
Boora Batasha Gali. On April 2 2022, Hindutva mob vandalised the shop and
looted a few of his items and burnt the rest of it. The aged shopkeeper has
three daughters and a son.
The
shop was the only source of income for the family of six. Now, with the shop destroyed,
there is little hope for Najmuddin and his family to get back to normalcy. A
little contribution to the fundraiser would bring respite to the family.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/appeal-for-help-muslim-vendors-shop-vandalised-in-karauli-2307388/
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Pakistan
PTI
not done with ‘surprises’, may reveal bigger one at Lahore rally
Ikram
Junaidi
April
13, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Calling for general elections at the earliest, the political committee of the
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday decided to hold public meetings and
conventions to mobilise masses.
It
was also decided that after the public gatherings in Peshawar and Karachi, a
surprise move will be announced during the one scheduled to be held in Lahore
one week later.
The
party also decided to boycott any meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National
Security, which may look into the cable that allegedly revealed a conspiracy to
topple the PTI government, and demanded the Supreme Court constitute an inquiry
commission on the matter.
The
meeting was chaired by PTI chairman Imran Khan and attended by all provincial
presidents of the party, Secretary General Asad Umer, Vice Chairman Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, and other leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry and Pervaiz
Khattak.
PTI
leader Dr Farrukh Habib, while briefing the media on the meeting, said Mr Khan
will address a public gathering to be held at Peshawar’s Ring Road on Wednesday
(today).
“On
April 16, another rally will be held in a ground adjacent to Mazar-i-Quaid in
Karachi and yet another on the 23rd at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore. In these
rallies, we will stress that the imported government is not acceptable, while a
surprise move will be announced during the public meeting in Lahore. We are
going to make a bigger move than what happened on Sunday (the deputy speaker’s
ruling). We have already resigned from the assembly and now the nation should
get the opportunity to elect its representatives,” he maintained.
Mr
Habib said conventions of the Insaf Lawyers Forum, women’s and youth wings will
also be held soon. He also condemned the action against PTI social media
activists and supporters, saying social media had always stood against the
malicious propaganda against the country and defended the institutions.
Without
mentioning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the former state minister said it is
being said that an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National
Security will be held to get a briefing on ‘Lettergate’ – an alleged foreign
conspiracy against the recently ousted PTI government.
“However,
I want to mention that ‘Crime’ Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
earlier demanded the letter be presented and discussed in parliament after
which they were invited for a briefing to the parliamentary committee, but they
did not turn up. Even former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser invited
Shehbaz Sharif to read the letter, but he did not bother because he was part of
the conspiracy (allegedly mentioned in the letter) and was aware of the
contents of the document,” he claimed.
Mr
Habib announced that the PTI will not attend the parliamentary committee
meeting and demanded the Supreme Court establish an inquiry commission
comprising members that no one could raise a finger at to put an end to any
future foreign conspiracies.
“It
is a fact that in Pakistan, governments are toppled with up to Rs20 billion. We
have decided to contact the masses as it is necessary to hold general elections
for economic stability in the country. The election commission should ensure
fulfillment of its constitutional obligations,” he said.
He
further reiterated his party’s stance that it was clearly mentioned in the
letter sent by Islamabad’s ambassador to the US that Pakistan will face
consequences if the opposition’s no-confidence motion failed, and that is why
the National Security Committee termed it interference in Pakistan’s internal
matters.
He
said Prime Minister Sharif, during his address in the National Assembly, should
have explained how a hefty amount was allegedly transferred in the account of
his employee. He alleged that before becoming the premier, Mr Sharif replaced
the prosecutor and director of the Federal Investigation Agency, but no one
bothered to take suo motu notice nor did the courts open late at night.
Replying
to a question regarding an increase in the minimum wage and salaries and
pensions of government servants, the former minister said former premier Imran
Khan had already appealed to the business community to increase salaries and
also announced interim allowances for employees.
He
claimed that prices of edible items had suddenly increased at Utility Stores,
adding the PTI government had recorded a Rs3,800 billion tax collection and
left at a record Rs6,000bn in that head.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684771/pti-not-done-with-surprises-may-reveal-bigger-one-at-lahore-rally
--------
Christians
Display Same Fasting Spirit As Their Muslim Brethren; This Year They Happen To
Observe Their Fasting Months Side By Side
Naeem
Sahoutara
April
13, 2022
KARACHI:
Assis Fernandes sits in a small shop, selling ready-to-eat items whole day, but
he himself doesn’t take anything from dawn to dusk.
“When
you keep the fast, you abstain from all the good things. It also includes
eatables. Say its Qeema Paratha, Chana Puri and every other else you eat in the
breakfast”, explains Fernandes, a 69-year-old Goan Christian.
Mr
Fernandes runs a small shop selling ready-to-eat items specially made in Goan
style — a legacy he inherited from his parents, who were born in Southern
Indian state of Goa, which remained a Portuguese colony till 1960s.
Like
elsewhere in the world, the Christians are observing fasts during the holy
month of Lent, which is followed by the Easter Sunday — the day of resurrection
of the Jesus Christ.
This
year, Muslims and Christians happen to observe their fasting months side by
side
“In
Lent, we keep fasts for 40 days unlike our Muslim brethren who observe 30 days
of fasts during the holy month of Ramazan,” he tells Dawn.
“The
only difference is that our fasts duration is longer than those observed by the
Muslims”, he adds drawing a comparison between the fast of two religious
communities.
This
year, Muslims and Christians happen to observe their respective fasting months
side-by-side.
“This
happens after a cycle of many years. This is good,” said the tall and heavy man
clad in round neck T-shirt and pants and wearing thick spectacles.
“Sometime,
this used to happen, when me and my family were living in Muscat in 1989 or
so”, he reminisces.
Christians’
fasting day
Mostly,
the Christians are known to keep fast lasting for 24-hours. And while many
priests and others observe the daylong fast, Mr Fernandes says he keeps the
fast for around 12 hours.
“In
the morning, I just take a cup of tea and an egg. That’s it. Then, I break my
fast at around 9 O’clock by having a normal dinner,” he explains, adding that
their community does not make any special arrangements for keeping the fast and
breaking the fast compared to his Muslim neighbours, who he says are seen
making specially eating arrangements both for Sehri (predawn meal) and then for
Iftar (breaking the fast).
Mr
Fernandes says that fast does not only mean abstaining from eating food, but it
is equally a spiritual experience to observe as well.
“Let’s
say if people drink (alcohol) every day in other months. They will not take
alcohol during the Lent, and rather take the wine”, he says. “So, goes with the
meat. You don’t eat meat for it also reflects luxury”.
Spiritual
fast
Similarly,
it goes for the spirituality. “When, I am fasting I sing prayers at least once
during the day,” Mr Fernandes says. “Be it at home or in the church. It’s up to
you.”
Fernandes,
his 62-year-old wife Luciana Fernandes and their younger daughter Stephanie
Fernandes run a small shop that sells the readymade Goan food items.
The
food items includes sorpotel (a meat curry dish), prawn caldine (prawn curry
with coconut milk). Other items include Easter bunnies (with a mark of cross on
them), Easter bark and Easter eggs. “Sorpotel is a dish exclusively made for
the feast on special occasions like Easter, Christmas, birthdays, etc.”
The
family also sells trinkets for the women as well as faith-based jewellery like
rosaries that the mother and daughter make themselves.
Ms
Luciana is thin and clad in round-neck T-shirt over a long skirt — a dress
commonly adorned by the Goans living and roaming around in the downtown Saddar
neighbourhood.
As
we continue conversation in their shop sandwiched between two shops selling
firearms, a young Muslim man suddenly appears.
Wearing
shalwar kameez and donning a white prayer cap over his head, 29-year-old
Muhammad Shahid meets the Christian couple. Walking by limping due to some
ailment that leaves him disabled for any hard work, the vendor is here to
supply packets of ballpoint pens, as he regularly does.
Suddenly,
Ms Luciana does something unexpected.
While
she has been making rosaries at home for her Christian customers, this Ramazan
she has specially made tasbeehs for Shahid so that he can sell them and earn
some money ahead of Eidul Fitr.
She
hands over a bunch of tasbeehs, made from beads in different colours and
different sizes, to the vendor, telling him that he could sell the bigger one
for Rs150 each and the smaller one for Rs100 each.
After
the vendor leaves, Ms Luciana proudly says that she has asked the vendor that
the bigger tasbeeh has cost her Rs40 and smaller one for Rs30.
“I
have told him to return me the cost of the items only and keep the remaining
money with him, how much it may be. But, I will not even charge him for the
actual of the item.”
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684680/christians-display-same-fasting-spirit-as-their-muslim-brethren
--------
8
social media activists of Imran's party held for campaign against Pak Army
chief
M
Zulqernain
13.04.22
Eight
social media activists of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have been
arrested for allegedly running a vilification campaign against Pakistan Army
Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The
arrests were made by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday
in different parts of the Punjab province over targeting of the Army chief and
Supreme Court judges on social media.
Khan
was ousted as the prime minister after the joint opposition's no-confidence
motion against him succeeded on March 8. In the days that followed, a campaign
against Gen Bajwa appeared a top trend on Twitter.
According
to the FIA, it has received a list of 50 suspects involved in social media
campaign against the army chief and the apex court judges from the intelligence
agencies and eight of them have been taken into custody.
Hundreds
and thousands of tweets blames the SC chief justice and the army chief
responsible for the ouster of Khan at the behest of the US.
Khan's
close aide Asad Umar said in a tweet: "Petition challenging the harassment
of PTI social media activists has been finalized and will be filed in high
courts on Wednesday."
Meanwhile,
a meeting of Pakistan Army officials on Tuesday took note of the campaign
against the institution on social media and expressed complete confidence in
the leadership's "well-considered stance to uphold the Constitution and
the rule of law".
According
to a statement issued from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the 79th
Formation Commanders' Conference was held at the General Headquarters that was
attended by the army's corps commanders, principal staff officers and all
formation commanders and presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General
Bajwa.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Big
question mark hangs over Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan after 'medical
treatment'
Apr
12, 2022
LAHORE:
The jury is still out on whether deposed Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif
will return to Pakistan from London after Eid next month or once he gets a
clean bill of health from his doctors or a reprieve from the country's courts
in corruption cases pending against him, according to PML-N officials.
A
debate in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has begun on the
return of the party supremo and the three-time prime minister Sharif's expected
return after his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif became the new prime minister
of the country.
Although
PML-N parliamentarian Javed Latif has claimed that Sharif will return to the
country after Eid which will be celebrated in the first week of May, the party
spokesperson has asserted that nothing is final on Sharif's comeback till he is
declared fit to travel by his doctors.
"Mian
Nawaz Sharif will return to the country once his doctors in London declare him
fit to travel. Besides, the decision on it will be taken in consultation with
the party leadership," PML-N central spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb told
PTI on Tuesday.
Several
corruption cases had been launched by the government of ex-prime minister Imran
Khan against the 72-year-old Sharif since his ouster from office by the Supreme
Court in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case.
In
November 2019, Sharif left for London after the Lahore High Court granted him
four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment. He had given
an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan, citing his
record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as
he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors.
Sharif
was also given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was
serving seven-year imprisonment in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. The court has
declared him a proclaimed offender (PO) in the Toshakhana case.
"Mr
Nawaz's return to Pakistan largely depends on the relief he gets from courts in
corruption cases pending against him," a senior PML-N leader told PTI.
He
said if the deposed premier decides to return immediately, he will have to go
to jail in the Toshakhana case in which he has been declared a proclaimed
offender.
"Unless
Mr. Nawaz gets clean chit in a couple of cases against him here, he will not
return to create difficulties to his party-led coalition government," the
party leader said.
The
PML-N has virtually ruled out an immediate return of Sharif.
"Immediate
return of Nawaz will provide Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) an
opportunity to establish that he had no serious health problems and he was
waiting for the regime change to return," he said.
Khan
recently confessed that allowing Sharif to go abroad was a big mistake. The
ex-prime minister and his party men often claim Sharif faked his illness to
leave the country.
Another
PML-N leader said the 'appropriate time' for Sharif's return can be either just
before the next polls or after it.
"Nawaz
may return before polls to lead his party's campaign," he said.
Nawaz's
daughter Maryam, said the long journey of pain ended with the departure of the
Khan's PTI government.
"What's
your idea of earthly happiness? Mine is to be vindicated in one's own lifetime!
A long journey of pain, irreparable losses & arduous struggle ended in this
smile," she said in a tweet.
Sharif's
return to Pakistan has again made headlines in the country after ex-prime
minister Khan became the first premier in the country's history to be voted out
of power through a no-confidence motion held early Sunday.
The
joint Opposition's no-confidence motion, which required 172 votes in the
342-strong parliament to pass, was supported by 174 lawmakers on Sunday, ending
Khan's prime ministerial term and seemingly bringing an end to the protracted
political crisis in Pakistan.
Sharif
on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's decision to restore the National
Assembly after the deputy speaker dismissed a no-trust motion against Khan.
"People
of Pakistan are thanking God that this decision has been announced. The premier
made the common people of Pakistan starve," he said.
"I
would like to congratulate everyone in the country. People have gotten rid of
such a person who ruined the country. He made common people starve. The dollar
has reached 200 today and people are frustrated with inflation in the
country," he said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
New
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif likely to visit Saudi Arabia, China: Report
Apr
12, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Shehbaz Sharif is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia and China in his first
foreign trip after taking charge as Pakistan's new prime minister, according to
a media report on Tuesday.
Traditionally,
a Pakistani prime minister's first foreign visit has often been to Riyadh and
Beijing due to Islamabad's strategic relationship with both countries.
Sharif,
70, was sworn-in as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday following
Imran Khan's ouster a day earlier. Khan, head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
party, became the first Pakistani premier to lose a no-confidence motion in the
National Assembly.
The
Express Tribune newspaper, quoting a leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim
League Nawaz (PML-N), said that Sharif during his visit to Saudi Arabia will
perform Umrah and meet the Saudi leadership.
The
Sharif family maintains a close personal relationship with the Saudi royal
family as the latter played a central role in ensuring the safe exit of Nawaz
Sharif after the October 1999 coup.
Saudi
Arabia in the past has extended financial bailout packages to successive
Pakistani governments. Riyadh gave former prime minister Imran Khan's
government a $6 billion bailout package, the report said.
It
is unclear if Sharif will also seek financial assistance, given that Saudi
Arabia provided $3 billion dollars to Pakistan not long ago, it said.
After
the Saudi visit, Sharif is also expected to travel to China.
Sharif
is known to enjoy a good reputation amongst the Chinese leadership because of
his administrative qualities. During the previous PML-N tenure, Shehbaz played
a central role in accelerating China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
projects, the report noted.
China's
state media welcomed the election of Shehbaz as prime minister and commented
that given the Sharif family's previous engagements with Beijing, the new
premier would prove better for bilateral relationship than Khan.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
has emerged as transit hub for global narcotic smuggling
12
April, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], April 12 (ANI): Afghanistan is the prime source of opium supply
to the world drug markets and Pakistan is the transport hub with drug networks
operating from the country using its drug routes to reach international
markets, according to an article in Islam Khabar.
The
article said the geographical location of Pakistan makes it one of the
prominent drug transit points along the Southern route. It said Pakistan is
also depending on the narcotic trade for sponsoring terror in India.
Pakistan
shares 2400 kilometres of border with Afghanistan, which is largely porous. And
this has served a
transit
corridor for drug traffickers. Forty per cent of Afghan drugs transit Pakistan
before they reach the international markets.
Tonnes
of opiates and meth are trafficked from Afghanistan to the Torkham border
crossing, Ghulam Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, from where they are sent
to Lahore and Faisalabad, reassembled into huge consignments, the article said.
Then
they are transported to Karachi and Gwadar, and fishing vessels in Makran coast
are used for drugs transport to the South Asian markets. Balochistan has also
been an important drug transit route in Pakistan.
Islam
Khabar said around 60 alternative drug routes are working through the
Balochistan province alone, with major areas being Chaman, Noshki, Chagaghi,
Dalbandeen, Panjgor, Turbat, Gawadar and Jeewani.
It
said Pakistan’s political leaders and the armed forces have been two groups
with competing interests.
“The
political instability has only prolonged the drug trafficking in the country
and Pakistan has been a standard example of how the drug economy thrives when
there is a nexus between the drug lords operating in Pakistan and the
politicians, and between the drug lords and the army,” the article said.
“Most
of the time the drug lords enjoy immense political power. Both the politicians
and the army rely on the support of the drug lords to pursue their political
interests. It is common knowledge that no drug business can survive without the
tacit support of a section of the armed forces in Pakistan,” it added.
The
article said Meth is easily available to college students in Pakistan and there
are close to 27 million drug users in Pakistan, according to the country’s
anti-narcotics force. The spillover effect of the Afghanistan-Pakistan drug
trade is felt in the other countries in the region.
Islam
Khabar said that due to India’s close proximity to Afghanistan and Pakistan,
the narcotics that are produced in Afghanistan are smuggled into India via
Pakistan.
“Majority
of Afghan narcotics transited by road reach Punjab in India. On September 13,
2021, 3000 kg of heroin was seized in Gujarat’s Mundra port. On December 19,
2021, heroin worth 400 crores were seized, in the Indian waters off the Gujarat
coast. In Punjab’s Ferozepur a huge amount of heroin was confiscated on
December 26, 2021,” it said.
“The
drug trafficking between Afghanistan and Pakistan is intrinsically linked with
the Islamist terrorist organisations operating in this region. The drug economy
has been the major source of funding for terrorism in the region. Pakistan is
also depending on the narcotic trade for sponsoring terror in India,” it said.
The
article said Pakistan has been using the illicit drug economy to sponsor terror
groups in India.
“The
drug-trafficking is going to be more problematic over the coming years with the
re-rise of Taliban and will pose an acute threat over the regional security in
South Asia. The Afghanistan narcotic challenge is of international concern,” it
said.
With
the control of Afghanistan, the Taliban has acquired control over the opium
cultivation in the country. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) November 2021 Report, Afghanistan accounted for around 85 per
cent of global opium production in the year 2020, and supplied to approximately
80 per cent of the world’s opium consumers.
The
total value of opiates (opium, morphine, and heroin) was 9 per cent to 14 per
cent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020. Methamphetamine and
cannabis are two other major drugs which have expanded production in
Afghanistan in recent years.
After
the Taliban takeover, the international sanctions, loss of foreign aid, and
economic contractions due to COVID-19 have led to a relentless increase in
opium cultivation.
When
the Taliban came to power in August 2021, its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
announced that they would ban the production and trafficking of illicit drugs.
But
a few months into the announcement, it does not seem that the Taliban has any
intention to ban poppy cultivation.
With
Afghanistan facing its worst humanitarian crisis due to economic collapse and
recurring droughts, the Taliban would not want to ban the drug which has funded
its insurgency against the US and NATO-sponsored previous Afghan government,
Islam Khabar said.
It
said the Taliban needs the drug money to keep control over their cadres.
Although drug production and consumption are un-Islamic, in their previous
regime the Taliban did not ban the production and trading of opium cultivation
for the longest time.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-has-emerged-as-transit-hub-for-global-narcotic-smuggling/913964/
--------
Imran
Khan’s desperate bid to cling to power brought Pakistan closer to civilian coup
13
April, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], April 13 (ANI): Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s
unscrupulous and desperate attempts to cling on to power by inciting his
followers to protest and rebellion was equivalent to a civilian coup, said a
media report.
Khan,
who became the first Pakistani Prime Minister to be ousted through a
no-confidence motion, had said that he would fight “till the last ball”.
However, the statement actually meant using every trick, irrespective of how
unethical and undemocratic it was, to cling on to power, reported Islam Khabar.
Moreover,
the former premier refused to accept the new reality in the country even after
his ouster as he opposed Shahbaz Sharif’s candidature for the Prime Minister’s
post, citing court cases against him, and also threatened to resign en masse
from the National Assembly if the demand was not met.
Khan’s
desperate attempts to stay in power followed by his unceremonious exit
suggested how he was following the former US President Donald Trump who too was
not ready to accept his defeat to the current US President Joe Biden. Khan,
too, in a similar manner, refused to accept his ouster, alleging collusion
between his political opponents and the US to topple his government.
Terming
the protests by his followers as the rejection of the new government by the
people, he claimed that the people of Pakistan have vowed to fight against the
“foreign conspiracy” and the “imported government led by crooks”.
Imran
Khan’s statement regarding Pakistan’s “sovereignty and democracy” is quite
contradictory to the actions he took to retain his power. The
cricketer-turned-politician, who his opponents have claimed, was chosen by
Pakistan’s powerful army made several desperate attempts to retain his power as
reportedly he even planned to sack Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
However, Khan’s conspiracy failed since the information about his plan was
intercepted by intelligence agencies, reported Islam Khabar.
Further,
there had been repeated attempts by the Khan-led government to obstruct the
no-trust motion, however, when it could not stop the motion from being tabled
in the Assembly, it colluded with the President of Pakistan and the Speaker to
dissolve the House. This attempt was also foiled by Supreme Court as it set
aside the rejection of the no-trust motion.
When
voting on the motion became inevitable, Imran Khan mulled the idea of imposing
martial law in the country, which would have led to the suspension of important
institutions, including courts, according to the media outlet, which further
notes his failure in this attempt as well.
After
all his attempts proved ineffective, Khan held his opponents responsible for
the political turmoil in the country as he alleged their connivance with the US
to topple the government. His praise for India as a “self-respecting nation”
further suggests that he doesn’t practise what he preaches, else he would have
followed the example of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who
peacefully relinquished his power twice when he fell short of a required
strength in the country’s Parliament. Vajpayee later returned to power with the
majority, however, Khan could not show the same statesmanship, reported Islam
Khabar.
Instead,
he refused to accept the defeat and threatened to gather his supporters out on the
streets. “I will not accept this imported government, I will take to the
street. Only people can bring me to power and I will come back with the help of
the people,” the media outlet quoted him as saying before voting on the
no-confidence motion.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ECP
to hear PTI leaders’ appeals against fines issued during local govt polls
Iftikhar
A. Khan
April
13, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will hear today (Wednesday) appeals
by senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former prime
minister Imran Khan, and some key public office-holders against the fines
imposed on them for violating the code of conduct during the recently-concluded
local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Other
appellants include KP Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, the
provincial assembly speaker, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, former federal ministers Shah
Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar as well as provincial minister Ameer Zeb Khan.
On
the other hand, the same ECP bench will be taking up the foreign funding case
against PTI today.
A
three-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan
Raja, will hear the appeals against imposition of fine by respective district
monitoring officers over the code of conduct violations.
Imran
Khan, KP chief minister top list of violators; foreign funding case to be taken
up today
The
PTI leaders claim that the fine imposed on them was against the law as an
ordinance allowing public office-holders to take part in the election campaign
still holds the field.
According
to a document prepared by the ECP, the PTI committed most violations of the
code of conduct during the campaign for local government elections in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa compared to other parties and independent candidates put together.
The
total number of reported violations of the code was 154, out of which PTI was
responsible for 87 (56.49pc), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), 10
(6.49pc); Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamaat-i-Islami, eight each
(5.19pc) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) four (2.59pc).
The
total number of violations of the code of conduct by other parties was 28 (18.18pc)
and those committed by independents was nine (5.84pc).
The
then prime minister, Imran Khan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood
Khan topped the list of those who repeatedly violated the code of conduct
despite warnings by the district monitoring officers.
Both
had addressed rallies in Lower Dir, Swat, Malakand and Mansehra on March 11,
16, 20 and 25, respectively, and were fined Rs50,000 for three of the four
violations.
According
to a summary released by the ECP, fines to the tune of Rs1.876 million were
imposed on violators.
The
revised code of conduct was prepared by the ECP for the second phase of local
government elections in consultation with political parties, allowing ordinary
lawmakers to take part in canvassing but barring public office-holders.
Meanwhile,
the same ECP bench will also hear the foreign funding case against PTI today
(Wednesday).
This
will be the first hearing following the ouster of Imran Khan from the office of
prime minister.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Shehbaz
wants to take his sweet time to form ‘consensus’ cabinet
Amir
Wasim
April
13, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif does not seem to be in a hurry to appoint his
cabinet apparently realising the fragile nature of the ruling alliance, and
wants to take along all his allies, particularly those who joined the former
opposition after quitting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) coalition
government.
Sources
in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) told Dawn that the leadership of both parties had decided to accommodate
all allied parties in the federal cabinet and give them the ministries of their
choice.
They
said the ruling coalition comprised eight political parties and four
independents, and since Mr Sharif had become the prime minister with a mere
two-vote margin, he did not want to start his stint in office with any
misunderstandings among the allies.
The
sources said the PPP, the second largest party in the ruling coalition, had
told Mr Sharif that they had no desire to join his cabinet and wanted to
support him from the outside. However, Mr Sharif is insisting the party join
him.
PML-N,
PPP want to take along all allied parties, give them ministries of choice
Talking
to reporters at an Iftar- dinner, Mr Sharif said he hoped the PPP would join
the cabinet.
“We
know the fragile nature of our alliance and we want to see the present
government succeeding. We don’t want to give an impression that we have come to
power only to get some portfolios or to enjoy perks and privileges,” said a PPP
leader, adding: “We want business.”
The
PPP leader, who is privy to the consultations on cabinet formation, said Mr
Sharif was insisting they join the federal cabinet, as he was of the view that
if the PPP remained out of it, it would send a wrong message to the public.
Talking
to a private TV channel, PML-N MNA from Faisalabad Rana Sanaullah, who
accompanied Mr Sharif during his meetings with the heads of all the allied
parties, said the new cabinet would be formed in the next couple of days with a
consensus.
Mr
Sanaullah claimed that during the meetings with Mr Sharif, the allies had not
made any demands, rather they had asked the premier to tell them how they could
facilitate him.
The
PML-N leader said when they were planning to table the no-confidence resolution
against Imran Khan, the first task before the joint opposition was to rid the
nation of the “incompetent” PTI government and, therefore, they had not
discussed any formula for the distribution of ministries after forming a
government. However, he said, it was decided at that time that they would make
all the decisions with a consensus.
It
may be recalled that the PPP is divided over the issue of joining the federal
cabinet under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A
senior PPP leader said they were more interested in getting constitutional
offices instead of cabinet portfolios. He said two constitutional offices had
already fallen vacant after the resignations of the National Assembly speaker
and deputy speaker, while they were also planning to remove Senate Chairman
Sadiq Sanjrani. The PPP was interested in the speaker’s office, the Senate
chairman and even the Presidency, as they were expecting a resignation from Dr
Arif Alvi.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684767/shehbaz-wants-to-take-his-sweet-time-to-form-consensus-cabinet
--------
Southeast Asia
Pancasila
Values Emblematic Of Islamic Teachings: Muslim Scholar
April
13, 2022
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Muslim scholar Dr Sukidi affirmed that the values contained in
Pancasila also reflect the values in Islamic teachings.
"We
can quote the first precept that mentions the One Godhead. It clearly
illustrates the value of monotheism of Islam itself. Likewise with the other
precepts," Sukidi noted while speaking during the Ramadhan Inspiration
series titled "Being a Muslim in the Middle of Disruption" posted on
the YouTube account of BKN PDI Perjuangan.
Sukidi
remarked that Muslims in Indonesia, which constitute majority of the Indonesian
population, should be able to embrace and protect other people, so as to create
harmony in the life of the nation and state.
He
also reminded the public to uphold the values of Pancasila when differences of
opinion arise, so that the Indonesian nation is not divided just because of
ideological differences, and Islam and Pancasila have several similarities amid
the diversity of society, he remarked.
"Islam
tends to be a tolerant religion and has a spirit of tolerance that encourages
its people to become good people and good citizens. We must not misinterpret
religious teachings, so that we become intolerant people, or those who do not
support progress," he affirmed.
Muslims
must also be inclusive and open to modernism, so they can keep up with changes,
he stressed.
"Indonesian
Muslims must be open minded and able to keep up with changes, especially the
development of science. We must be good Muslims in the midst of technological
progress, especially in the era of disruption due to the pandemic. We must
think globally but act local," he explained.
Sukidi
affirmed that the progress of a nation can be supported by the religion and
traditions of its people. Hence, Indonesian Muslims must develop a sense of
tolerance to one and all since this nation has diverse ethnicities, religions,
races, and customs.
Source:
Antara News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
COVID-19
symptomatic people must avoid tarawih at mosques: Task Force
April
13, 2022
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Head of behavior change at the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Sonny
Harry B. Harmadi appealed to people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 to not
partake in the congregational tarawih prayer at mosques.
"If
you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, it is better not to perform the tarawih
prayer at a mosque," he noted during an online talk show titled "Take
care of your heart, immunity and health in the month of Ramadan,” on Tuesday.
Harmadi
deemed it crucial for Muslims to ensure they are in good health before
conducting worship activities at mosques.
Moreover,
people are urged to continue wearing masks the right way.
"We
must wear masks, as we do not know about the condition of people next to us,
whether they had contracted COVID-19 or not," he stated.
In
addition, he appealed that the mosque congregation members bring their own
worship equipment and perform their wudu (ablution) at home.
The
task force also urged vulnerable groups, such as older adults and children, who
have not been vaccinated and people with comorbidities to conduct worship
activities at home.
Meanwhile,
mosque administrators are urged to ensure proper ventilation and air
circulation in the mosque.
He
noted that social distancing while praying could be adjusted by following the
level of public activity restrictions (PPKM) in the respective region.
For
the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the Ministry of Religious Affairs had
earlier issued a circular concerning health protocols during worship
activities. The circular regulates provisions related to congregational worship
activities, such as tarawih prayer, obligatory prayers, and Itikaf, that are
implemented by still taking into account the maximum capacity.
The
circular allows places of worship in regions with Level 1 PPKM to open at
100-percent capacity.
Source:
Antara News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Foundation’s
charity work ceased after I was charged, Zahid tells court
V
Anbalagan
April
13, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s Yayasan Akalbudi could no longer undertake
charitable activities locally and abroad as the funds in a trust account were
frozen after he was charged, the High Court heard today.
“Assistance
amounting to millions of ringgit could not be disbursed after I was charged,”
the former deputy prime minister told the court after he was questioned by
defence counsel Ahmad Zaidi Zainal.
Zahid,
who is also Umno president, was charged on Oct 18, 2018, five months after
Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over Putrajaya.
It
was also revealed earlier during the prosecution’s case that Yayasan Akalbudi’s
funds were held under trust by a legal firm, Lewis & Co.
The
Bagan Datuk MP is accused of 47 counts of money laundering and criminal breach
of trust involving millions of ringgit from Yayasan Akalbudi and accepting
bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister between 2013
and 2018.
Twelve
of the charges are for CBT, eight for corruption and the remaining 27 for money
laundering.
Today
is the first day of the defence’s case with Zahid opting to give evidence under
oath.
Reading
a witness statement and occasionally answering Zaidi’s questions, Zahid listed
out Yayasan Akalbudi’s charitable activities in his parliamentary constituency,
other parts of the country, and outside Malaysia.
Zahid
said the foundation, previously known as Yayasan Budi, was set up in 1997, and
initially, funds came from his income from business ventures.
He
said Yayasan Akalbudi not only assisted poor and needy Muslims but also
non-Muslims.
“I
am a true Malaysian though I am a Muslim. I assist people from other faiths
too,” he added.
For
example, Zahid said the foundation provided assistance to the poor in his
constituency during the Chinese New Year and Deepavali celebrations every year.
He
added that Yayasan Akalbudi was also involved in assisting minority Muslim communities
overseas to build or renovate mosques.
“We
built such places of worship in Yunan (China), Capetown (South Africa), Perth
(Australia), as well as in Narathiwat and Patani (Southern Thailand)” he said.
According
to Zahid, because the foundation’s charity work was well known, Yayasan
Akalbudi also received contributions from many individuals, including business
tycoons.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Teens
lured by Myanmar syndicate now safe in Thai hands
Danial
Azhar
April
13, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Two Malaysian teenagers who were lured by a criminal syndicate to
Myanmar are now safe in Thailand.
MCA
public services and complaints department head Michael Chong said Thai police
were currently watching over them.
He
said the pair would face a Thai court on May 10 because they had entered the
country illegally.
“The
Mae Sot district police chief has taken pity on them and has stood surety for
them until the court hearing,” Chong said at a press conference today, adding
that their parents would attend the proceedings in the town in western Thailand
near the border with Myanmar.
Also
at the press conference were the parents of the teenagers, who thanked the Thai
authorities and pleaded for the safe return of their sons.
They
also urged the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok to provide assistance.
Chong
also said his department had received four other reports of human trafficking
cases in Myanmar, with some involving demands for ransom.
He
urged the families affected to lodge police reports, saying the authorities
were better suited to deal with the cases.
He
also implored the public to be mindful of fraudulent job offers and online
advertisements promising lucrative employment opportunities.
Last
Sunday, Chong said a Malaysian teenager was released by his captors following
pressure from the media.
The
family of the 15-year-old had forked out RM10,000 in ransom for his release and
with the help of Malaysian businessmen in Thailand, the teenager, along with
another teen, were saved.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Lebanon
disburses funds to temporarily avert bread crisis, minister says
12
April ,2022
Lebanon’s
government has agreed to disburse $15 million to temporarily resolve growing
bread shortages in the country, Economy Minister Amin Salam told Reuters, while
saying that the funds would only last a few weeks.
Long
lines had begun forming outside bakeries across the country since Monday after
industry insiders warned that the government had not extended a long-promised
credit line for the subsidized good.
“I’ve
been looking around since the morning but I couldn’t find any bread - there’s
none at all,” Mohammad Mustapha, one shopper in the southern city of Sidon,
told Reuters.
“I
have small children to feed, and it’s Ramadan,” he said, referring to the holy
month for Muslims in which day-long fasts are broken with evening meals.
Salam
said the government would disburse $15.3 million in credit to importers as a
“solution to the issue of subsidized bread.”
“This
will give us a period of about two to three weeks before we need to open
another credit line, which we had requested at $21 million,” Salam said.
He
said the government was not currently considering lifting bread subsidies and
would instead seek a $150 million agreement with the World Bank to improve food
security because in the long term “we won’t be able to subsidize anything, much
less bread.”
Lebanon
is heavily reliant on food imports and pays for them in dollars, which have
become increasingly difficult to obtain since its economy crashed in 2019.
Since
then, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value while food
prices have gone up more than 11-fold, according to the World Food Program.
The
bread shortage has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, which supplies most
of Lebanon’s wheat, and Beirut’s inability to store wheat reserves as its
largest silos were destroyed in the 2020 Beirut port blast.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Renters
across Lebanon face sky-high prices amid worsening economic crisis
12
April ,2022
Lebanese
citizen Rania Farah and her husband, sister-in-law, and three children moved
home twice because none of them can afford rent increases.
At
the beginning of 2020, Farah lived with her family in a rented apartment in the
area of Zouk Mosbeh, north of the capital Beirut, for 750,000 Lira a month –
the equivalent of $500 at the official exchange rate.
After
the currency crisis that erupted in late 2019 and the hyperinflation that
ravaged the country, Farah couldn’t attend to a rental increase of 1,000,000 LL
($667) imposed by the landlord and had to move.
She
found a smaller flat for 1,200,000 LL ($800) per month in a neighboring area.
She lived there until August 2021, when she received a lease renewal letter
stating a monthly rent increase.
“It’s
not easy to change homes thrice in less than two years when you have three
little children,” Farah told Al Arabiya English. “The third house we moved to
was in bad condition, but we couldn’t find a more affordable rent.”
“Not
only that, but we also had to transfer our kids to another school, one that is
close to our current flat, to avoid paying high bus fees. It was a major change
for them at all levels.”
Rental
prices across Lebanon have soared over the past year, with some tenants having
to move or pay a bigger slice of income to stay in their homes.
The
tiny Mediterranean country is dealing with what the World Bank has described as
one of the world’s sharpest economic depressions.
The
national currency has been in free fall since 2019, losing more than 90 percent
of its value. The official exchange rate is 1,500 to the dollar, while the
currency is changing hands on a parallel market at around 24,000. The minimum
monthly wage stands at 675,000 LL, translating to a meager $28.
Farah
still visits real estate websites now and then, hoping to find a better
property without success.
“Homeowners
and real estate agents post prices in US dollars, while most Lebanese people
get paid in Lebanese pounds,” she said. “My husband earns a salary of 4,000,000
LL; how will we be able to pay a rent of 2,000,000 LL a month and above? This
is insane.”
According
to Walid Moussa, president of the Real Estate Syndicate of Lebanon, there’s a
mismatch between rent prices and renters’ purchasing power.
“There’s
no right or wrong in this equation, only a difference of perspective,” Moussa
told Al Arabiya English. “A furnished apartment that used to be rented for $750
in 2019 is now rented for $300. This means that landlords and landowners have
lost around 70 percent in rental fees. We can’t, however, deny the fact that
$300 is considered a high amount for someone who doesn’t have a dollar income,
and that’s the case of the majority of Lebanese.”
Growing
demand amid shift to rentals
Surging
rental demand has been noticed over the past few years, and this il s due to
severafactors.
“The
appeal of rentals has recently grown as people have been priced out of the
housing market. It’s quite impossible nowadays in Lebanon to buy a house,” Moussa
explained. He also linked the soaring demand to the hikes in fuel prices.
“The
fuel shortage and the recent sharp increases in gasoline and diesel prices have
made commuting challenging. Today, more than ever before, employees want to
live near their offices.”
However,
the high demand does not eliminate the pricing issues and rental challenges.
Thirty-one-year-old
Firas Makhoul spent ten months looking for a furnished apartment near his
workplace in Hazmieh, a town located in the southern suburbs of Beirut. He
lived in the city of Byblos before moving.
“It
is very difficult to find an affordable flat in Beirut, especially that almost
all rentals are in fresh dollars, while wages are in Lebanese lira,” he said.
“I ended up renting a small old apartment in an aged building in Furn El
Chebbak for $600 a month. Luckily, I’m sharing it with three colleagues, or
else I wouldn’t have been able to afford the rental as it far outstrips my
salary,” he added.
The
monthly amount that Makhoul pays is still high, and he regards it as a heavy
financial burden. Still, he noted that it’s better than spending 2,000,000 LL
($1,333) per month on fuel, adding that advantages include not having to worry
about gas shortages and daily traffic congestions.
Lebanon,
a country that heavily relies on imports, has been grappling with shortages of
fuel, medicine, and basic goods as foreign reserves dwindle and the economy
contracts. It has led, among others, to hyperinflation, affecting all sectors,
including real estate.
Broker
and real estate agent Aziz Boutros sees that rental prices will continue to
rise due to an overwhelming demand versus squeezed supply.
“We’re
witnessing an increasing number of tenants, particularly among newlyweds, and
at the same time, several landlords quit the market, leaving supply shortages,”
Boutros noted.
Boutros
also mentioned that “we’re ahead of a high season, during which expats visit
Lebanon and rent houses for one or two months – which will inevitably affect
the prices and make rent accessibility harder for low-income tenants.”
“We
shouldn’t forget that, for many lessors, the rentals they get are their main
source of living. There are also the expenses that the landlords incur,
including very expensive maintenance costs.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
PM welcomes return of Saudi Arabia ambassador, promises commitment to Riyadh
12
April ,2022
As
Lebanon welcomed the return of the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Lebanese Prime
Minister Najib Mikati said that the country would distance itself from becoming
a “platform or a source of concern” to any Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
member, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday.
The
statement was made by the prime minister at an iftar banquet hosted by the
Saudi ambassador Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari in Beirut.
“This
is the significance of the month of Ramadan, the month of mercy and solidarity,
the occasion to strengthen the bonds of amicability that bind Lebanon to Saudi
Arabia, and the solidarity that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and HRH
the Crown Prince have been experiencing, hoping that it will be a new page
towards developing relations between the two countries,” Mikati was quoted by
SPA as saying.
Saudi
Arabia and Kuwait announced on April 7 that they would return their respective
ambassadors to Lebanon after being withdrawn late 2021.
Critical
comments made by former Information Minister George Kordahi on the war in Yemen
in October 2021 led the expulsion of Lebanon’s envoy to the Kingdom, recalling
its ambassador and banning all imports from Lebanon, dealing a new blow to the
country’s ailing economy.
Other
Gulf states that are historical allies of Lebanon, including the United Arab
Emirates and Kuwait, took similar punitive diplomatic measures.
However,
the latest replacement of the ambassador comes after Saudi Arabia’s foreign
ministry responded to appeals from Lebanese politicians and after Mikati said
his government was committed to taking the needed measures to enhance ties with
Riyadh and the Gulf.
The
Lebanese prime minister is expecting the reversed diplomatic move to stick
through a better relationship guided by “pillars and foundations, in addition
to a commitment to everything that protects Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
charity distributes 3M bread loaves in Syria
Cem
Genco
12.04.2022
HATAY,
Turkiye
A
Turkish charity has distributed at least three million loaves of bread in Syria
during the first 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the organization
said on Tuesday.
Cuneyt
Kilic, the vice chairman of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), said in a
written statement that they continued to provide support for Syrian families in
need.
The
bread was delivered from bakeries in Syria and Turkiye during the fasting
month, Kilic said, underlining that the IHH has continued to distribute fresh
food since the beginning of Ramadan.
Kilic
stressed that bread is among the most important needs of the families living in
camps, who he said the IHH provides loaves every day.
"We
will continue our support to those oppressed Syrians, who are spending their
12th Ramadan in war," he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkish-charity-distributes-3m-bread-loaves-in-syria/2561607
--------
8
million liters of Zamzam distributed to visitors at Grand Mosque during first
third of Ramadan
April
12, 2022
RIYADH:
Eight million liters of Zamzam have been distributed to visitors at the Grand
Mosque in Makkah during the first ten days of Ramadan.
The
eight million litres were distributed in three million single use bottles, and
through 25,000 containers dotted around the mosque, 250 back packs carried by
employees, 58 smart carts with a capacity of 80 liters each, and 33 special
carts each holding 100 bottles in the mataf areas.
More
than 100 employees have been deployed to the various entrances of the mosque,
of which 100 are in use at the moment, to welcome visitors, direct them, manage
crowd flow, and support security personnel in directing people from one section
to another when praying areas reach full capacity.
The
mosque has also been cleaned 100 times in the first third of Ramadan by 4,000
employees.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2061866/saudi-arabia
--------
How
worsening water crisis threatens lives and development in Iraq
April
12, 2022
DUBAI:
Across Iraq, water sources that have been taken for granted and relied upon
throughout centuries of hardship, chaos and drought are under threat. So too,
as a result, are the livelihoods of many people in the country who find
themselves facing unprecedented challenges in accessing one of life’s essential
resources.
A
combination of conflicts, corruption, mismanagement and regional political
disputes has left the people of Iraq facing chronic water shortages that are
having severe effects on the country’s agriculture, economy and the health of
its citizens, so much so that the viability of many communities is now in
question.
Over
the past five years Baghdad residents have grown used to the sight of islands
of land protruding along the Tigris River where once only its mighty waters
were visible. It is a phenomenon associated with rivers in which water levels
have dropped to record low levels as a result of decreasing volumes.
As
a result, a number of barren islands now dot the surface of one of the world’s
most storied waterways as it meanders meekly through the Iraqi capital, a
shadow of the swift, green torrent that helped sustain the ancient land through
the ages.
Salam,
who gave only his first name, is a taxi driver who has lived in Baghdad all of
his life. In years gone by he watched the Tigris roar through the city but he
said its flow has diminished over the years and now he can see the narrow
riverbed.
“I’m
doing better than most in the rest of Iraq,” he told Arab News. “My water
charges are still relatively affordable but I do have to buy a lot of drinking
water for cooking as I cannot use tap water, which is way too contaminated.”
He
has friends and relatives in Diyala, in central-eastern Iraq, and for them he
said it is a different story.
“My
farmer friends are struggling, so I often lend them money to get by. May God
help them,” he explained.
In
southern Iraq, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers combine to spill into the
fabled Mesopotamian Marshes, buffaloes drink from stagnant pools of polluted
water and farmers paddle traditional canoes through what used to be pristine
potable water but now more resembles industrial sludge.
The
supply of freshwater to the once mighty rivers has been restricted at their
sources by dams built in Turkey, which have blocked much of the flow of the
Euphrates and Tigris into Syria and Iraq.
The
two rivers supply 98 percent of Iraq’s surface water. Other water sources have
been stemmed in Iran, which means that the once-reliable volumes of water that
helped staved off famine and sickness, even during years of dire drought, are
now far from guaranteed.
In
2018, the UN classified Iraq as fifth in the world in terms of nations’
vulnerability to climate change. The effects have been clear over the past 15
years, with lower rainfalls and longer and hotter heat waves becoming more
frequent.
Studies
by the Iraqi government reveal that the country is now about 40 percent desert,
and the salinity of much of the land is too high for agriculture.
In
southern Iraq in recent years, water barely covers 30 percent of what were once
marshlands but are now being replaced by dry, cracked earth, a sight locals
were unaccustomed to.
The
effects of the changing climate are tangible: The 2020-21 winter season was one
of the driest on record in Iraq, marked by a reduction in water flow of 29
percent in the Tigris and 73 percent in the Euphrates. Rainfall has been
increasingly sporadic over the past 20 years.
For
now, however, the regional politics of water is a more pressing problem.
Finding ways to compel Ankara and Tehran to allow the Iraqi rivers to flow more
freely is a challenge that preoccupies Iraqi officials.
Toward
the end of 2021, Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani, Iraq’s minister of water resources,
announced he planned to file a complaint against Iran for cutting the water
supply at the border and causing a catastrophe in Diyala province. Iraqi
authorities said their country has only been receiving one-tenth of an agreed
quota. Meanwhile, the amount of water flowing from Turkey has diminished by
almost two-thirds in recent years.
A
report published by the Norwegian Refugee Council last year, titled Iraq’s
Drought Crisis, found that many farmers have fallen into debt in an attempt to
keep their livestock alive. It also revealed that one in two families in
drought-affected areas need food aid. At least seven million Iraqis are
affected by ongoing drought.
Farmers
urgently require drought-tolerant seeds and additional feed for their cattle,
goats and sheep to prevent further losses of livestock, according to Caroline
Zullo, Iraq’s advocacy adviser at the Norwegian Refugee Council.
In
the longer term, irrigation infrastructure for farmers must be established or
rehabilitated, alongside improved water resource-management plans on local and
national levels, Zullo told Arab News.
The
effects of the drought across governorates have been significant, including
crop and livestock losses, greater barriers to access to food, declining
incomes, and drought-induced displacement of vulnerable families.
The
effect of water scarcity on children, even in built-up, urban areas, has long
been a cause for alarm. A 2021 UNICEF report titled Running Dry stated that
nearly three out of five children in Iraq have no access to safely managed
water. Many households have been forced to dig wells to obtain water that is not
potable and, in some cases, unsafe even for necessities such as washing and
laundry.
Water
quality in the southern city of Basra is among the worst in the country,
according to many studies. A report published by Human Rights Watch in 2018,
titled Basra is Thirsty, stated that at least 118,000 people had been
hospitalized in recent months suffering from symptoms related to issues of
sanitation and water quality. At the time, the Basra health directorate urged
people to boil water before drinking it.
The
effects of water shortages on demographics in Iraq is evidenced by the
thousands fleeing urban areas to the outskirts of larger cities, which in turn
are struggling to cater for the needs of their new arrivals.
In
the Kurdish north of the country, heavy snowfalls in the mountains in January
have offered a reprieve so far this year. When winter turns to spring, the thaw
will help to replenish reservoirs and prevent water scarcity before the onset
of another fierce summer, where temperatures across Anbar province and deep
into the country traditionally settle into the high 40s Celsius between May and
mid-September.
Iraq’s
central government remains weak and is therefore no match for powerful
neighbors at the negotiating table. Five months after a national election, the
country is still nowhere close to choosing a new president and prime minister
or forming a government. If and when the political impasse ends, a weak and
fractious government will still require international support to deal with a
daunting challenge such as water security.
Rahman
Khani, the head of the Kurdish Regional Government’s water resources and dams
department at the agriculture ministry, said outdated methods are hindering the
country’s water-management systems.
“We
also suffer from pollution and traditional irrigation methods,” he told Arab
News. “The solution is to reform internal water management, construct dams, and
use modern irrigation technology, in addition to putting pressure on
neighboring countries to release fair amounts of shared water.”
Looking
to the future, experts say more must be done to help Iraq’s most vulnerable
people.
“With
drought conditions expected to continue and even worsen, farming communities
are at risk of further crop failure, which could result in more displacement if
action is not taken,” Zullo told Arab News.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2062071/middle-east
--------
Mideast
Despite
terror wave, Israel determined to keep Al-Aqsa open for Ramadan
Ben
Caspit
April
12, 2022
The
current wave of terrorism sweeping Israel could easily spur violence along
several other fronts.
But
for now, Israel is handling the latest spate of attacks (four significant
attacks in three weeks) the way it did six years ago with a similar wave of
attacks perpetrated by lone attackers unaffiliated with major organizations.
The state is avoiding collective punishment, differentiating between the
terrorists and the general Palestinian population, allowing Palestinian
laborers with valid permits to cross into Israel for work and avoiding actions
that might send others into the pool of potential terrorists.
The
goal is to avoid escalation, to contain violence, to prevent unrest on other
fronts and, most importantly, to keep Jerusalem’s holy sites from blowing up
during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan and the upcoming Jewish Passover and
Christian Easter celebrations.
Aside
from ever-present threat of violence in east Jerusalem, and specifically the
Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif compound, the potential for conflagration is
always high in the Gaza Strip. Tensions are simmering in the West Bank, particularly
the Jenin region. Hezbollah in Lebanon remains a potential keg of dynamite, as
do the mixed Jewish-Arab towns within Israel which were engulfed in violence
last May.
Israel’s
formal and less-formal allies in the Middle East have conveyed similar, clear
messages in recent weeks — essentially that they accept Israel's right to
self-defense against the Islamic State organization, and against terrorists
from among Israel’s Arab population and Palestinian members of Hamas and
Islamic Jihad. However, the allies have
urged Israel to maintain freedom of worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque (on Temple
Mount compound), Islam’s third holiest site, where any perception of Israeli
aggression risks igniting the entire Muslim world.
The
previous succession of terror attacks occurred in 2015-2016. Then-Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet included two young politicians, Naftali
Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. Both are now in the hot seat, Bennett as prime
minister and Shaked as his loyal lieutenant and minister of interior.
Netanyahu’s basic instinct was to use maximum force on all fronts, but he
accepted the recommendations of security experts in favor of pinpointed,
measured responses that did not affect most of the Palestinian population.
Bennett and Shaked, ideologically to Netanyahu’s right, were unhappy at the
time with his decision.
Six
years on, the security recommendations remain the same, but Bennett is now at
the helm and opposition leader Netanyahu is positioning himself as the hawk on
Bennett’s right. Bennett’s initial instinct was to order an aggressive military
operation similar to a massive raid 20 years ago on the Jenin refugee camp, a
hotbed of anti-Israel activity. Then, just like Netanyahu, Bennett eventually
accepted the experts’ opinion.
Troops
and Shin Bet security agents have been operating recently in Jenin, from where
the terrorists in two of the four recent attacks (in Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak)
hailed. But unlike the broader 2002 operation, they are working methodically,
carrying out detentions to glean intelligence, and foiling imminent terrorist
attacks. For the first time in a long while, the military is no longer hesitant
about entering the Jenin area, demonstrating its resolve by mounting raids in
broad daylight and not just under cover of darkness.
Bennett's
government is also allowing West Bank Palestinians to continue working in
Israel, rather than sealing off the crossings in response to terrorism, as was
often the case in the past. Tens of thousands of Palestinians with permits (and
apparently an equal number of unlicensed ones) work daily in Israel and in the
Jewish settlements in the West Bank, constituting one of the main pillars of
the Palestinian economy. Israel has also restored work permits for Palestinians
from Gaza, allowing some 15,000 to work in the communities surrounding the
enclave. The pay difference is immense — NIS800 ($250) monthly, on average, for
a Palestinian working in Gaza or the West Bank, compared with NIS8,000 ($2,500)
in Israel.
Israeli
security officials say remittances from workers in Israel provide a living for
as many as 50% of the Palestinians. “The economy is one of the reasons for the
relative calm in the past decade, despite occasional disruptions by terrorism,”
a senior Israeli military official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.
“Our interest is for as many Palestinians as possible to work here. Our interest lies in raising their standard
of living, in having a water desalination plant in Gaza, in an expanding
Palestinian middle class in the West Bank. It is almost more in our interest
than in theirs.”
Under
previous Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman, the agency objected vehemently to
allowing Gaza residents to work in Israel, arguing that some of them were being
recruited by Hamas to convey messages and instructions to terrorists in the
West Bank, and some were vulnerable to blackmail by Hamas.
But
Argaman’s successor, Ronen Bar, is leading a different approach, and Israel has
significantly increased the number of work permits for Gazans. “This is a policy
of calculated risks,” a senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor on
condition of anonymity. “The Gazans’ work in Israel undoubtedly has a
restraining effect on the Strip. We should strive to increase the numbers,
while taking appropriate security precautions.”
The
latest terror wave shows signs of abating. In the night hours of April 11, a
Palestinian man was shot and killed after he tried to stab an Israeli policeman
in the southern town of Ashkelon. The army operations continue in Jenin, thwarting
anti-Israel attacks. All eyes are now on Al-Aqsa, which has been relatively
calm since the start of Ramadan on April 2. This could obviously change at any
moment.
Source:
Al Monitor
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hamas
hails Libyan national team’s refusal to play against Israel regime
April
13, 2022
Hamas
Sports Department hailed the Libyan national fencing team for refusing to play
against the Israeli team and for withdrawing from the World Fencing
Championship in Dubai.
The
department expressed, in a press statement on Tuesday, its gratitude for the
Libyan support for Palestinians by refusing to face the Israeli team,
especially that they reached a World Cup final, confirming that Libya and
Palestine have always maintained a strong relationship.
“Facing
Israeli players is considered a breach of the agreed-upon Palestinian and Arab
boycott standards and also a contribution to whitewashing the crimes of the
Israeli occupation,” the department added.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinian
resistance factions warn Israeli occupation against storming Al-Aqsa Mosque
April
13, 2022
The
Palestinian resistance factions on Tuesday warned the Israeli occupation and
the Zionist rapists against storming Al-Aqsa Mosque, desecrating it, and
slaughtering in it on the so-called “Easter holiday.”
The
resistance factions confirmed in a press statement issued after their weekly
meeting in Gaza today, Tuesday, that “the enemy leadership bears full
responsibility for the repercussions of this dangerous Judaization step.”
During
their meeting, the factions discussed the developments on the Palestinian
arena, as they saluted the Palestinian people in all areas of their presence,
especially in Jenin, the heroism and revolution that is still facing the
brutality of the occupation.
In
the statement, the factions mourned with pride the heroic martyrs who rose
during the past days in the continuous battle against the occupation, and And I
blessed the heroic operation carried out by the heroic martyr Raad Hazem in the
occupied Tel al-Rabee, which exposed the fragility of the occupation entity and
the falsity of its security force.
Source:
ABNA24
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Erdogan
highlights Importance of reading in Quran, Islamic culture
April
13, 2022
A
book fair is held in Istanbul and Ankara during the holy month of Ramadan every
year that hosts hundreds of publishers and showcases celebrated writers and
scholars on a wide range of subjects, including Islamic literature, arts, and
culture.
Inaugurated
by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the 18-day book fair aims to promote
love for books and bring the publisher, the author and the reader together.
Organized
for the 39th time by the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation, the Book and Culture Fair
opened in three different locations: two in Istanbul and one in Ankara.
Between
April 9 and 27, the event will be held in the courtyard of Ahmet Hamdi Akseki
Mosque in Ankara and the courtyards of the Buyuk Camlica Mosque and Fatih
Mosque in Istanbul.
The
fair was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
With
the participation of over 100 publishers in a closed area of approximately
2,500 square meters, the venue becomes a place for various cultural activities,
as well as talks and autograph programs.
This
year, the fair has devoted a special area to foreign language publications and
publishers for the first time, gaining international recognition.
“I
am pleased that our fairs, which have been suspended for two years due to the
pandemic, have started again this year,” Erdogan said at the opening ceremony
at the Buyuk Camlica Mosque Complex in Istanbul.
“Our
civilization was built on the order ‘Read, ‘O Prophet,’ in the Name of your
Lord Who created. We have a culture that puts the Quran above everything else.”
Erdogan
said book reading is a natural instinct of every Muslim and history is witness
to it.
“There
is nothing more natural than the members of such a civilization being book
lovers. In our history, there are monumental names such as Avicenna, such as
Ghazali, who fit nearly 500 works into their 50-60-year life, and it is worth a
lifetime for us to properly read and understand even the ones that have
survived to the present day. The phrase 'the pen is mightier than the sword'
indicates the importance our ancestors placed on reading and writing, whose
greatest qualification was to make conquests and establish states,” he said.
The
first of these fairs was held in Ankara in 1983. The following year it was held
both in Ankara and Istanbul.
The
purpose of this fair was to make the mosque courtyards functional as they were
in the past and to bring together the publisher, writer, and reader during the
month of Ramadan. It was also aimed at encouraging a love for books and
instilling the habit of reading books in every part of society.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Reiterates Need for End of War, Siege on Yemen
2022-April-12
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with Yemeni Ambassador to Tehran
Ibrahim Mohammad Mohammad al-Deilami.
He
stressed the need for complete removal of the blockade against Yemen and
establishment of a permanent ceasefire in the country.
Amir
Abdollahian hailed the resistance of the Yemeni people against the Saudi-led
coalition attacks, and expressed concern about the critical situation in Yemen.
He
underscored that lifting siege on Yemen and establishinf a permanent ceasefire
will pave the way for Yemeni-Yemeni talks to determine their own destiny.
The
Iranian top diplomat also stated that the Yemeni people will decide their own
destiny with vigilance and resistance spirit.
Al-Deilami,
for his part, appreciated the position and the support of the Iranian
government and nation for Yemen, and briefed Amir Abdollahian on the temporary
ceasefire and the latest developments in Yemen.
The
UN announced on April 1 that the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which
has been bombarding the country since 2015, and Yemen’s National Salvation
Government had agreed on a two-month ceasefire that would come into effect one
day later and could be renewed with the consent of the parties.
UN
special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said at the time that the aim of the
ceasefire “is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from the
humanitarian suffering, and most importantly hope that an end to this conflict
is possible.”
In
a statement on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh
expressed hope that the ceasefire could be a prelude to the complete lifting of
the siege and the establishment of a permanent truce in line with efforts aimed
at finding a political settlement.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010123000587/Iran-Reieraes-Need-fr-End-f-War-Siege-n-Yemen
--------
Minister:
Iran to Turn into Exporter of Space-Related Services
2022-April-12
Iran
will turn into one of the main exporters of space services both in region and
Islamic countries, Zare’pour told reporters on the sidelines of his presence in
the meeting of the Parliament’s Industries and Mines Commission on Monday.
He
called implementation of different phases of the national information network
as one of the main programs of his ministry, and stated, “With the planning
made in this regard, it was decided to implement about 70% of the national
information network in the current year in 1401 (started March 21, 2022).”
Zare’pour
also pointed to the planning adopted in the ICT ministry in the field of
digital economy, and noted, “We are trying to add one percentage point to the
share of digital economy in the total gross domestic product (GDP) in the
current year.”
"We
have several satellites at hand for launching into the orbit. Islamic Republic
of Iran should soon become one of the exporters of space services to the region
and Islamic countries, because we are one of the top 10 countries that can
build homegrown satellites. These satellites are also launched with a
domestically-produced launcher,” he added.
The
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force successfully launched a
new reconnaissance satellite named 'Nour-2' into the orbit in March.
'Nour-2'
satellite was sent to the space on the back of the home-built launcher Qassed
(messenger) and was placed into the orbit at an altitude of 500 km.
The
satellite is tasked with reconnaissance, and was placed into the orbit after
480 seconds at the speed of 6.7 km/s.
'Nour-1',
the first military satellite of Iran, was successfully launched and put into
orbit by the Qassed carrier in April 2020. It was placed into the orbit at an
altitude of 425km.
Zare'pour
said after the launch that the first signals from Iran’s new reconnaissance
satellite, Nour-2, have been received.
The
first signals from Nour-2 was received, Zare’pour wrote on his instagram page.
He
referred to the successful launch of Nour-2 satellite, developed by the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) experts, saying that grounds have been paved for
launching satellite into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Zare’pour
noted that Nour-2 is a reconnaissance satellite which is to revolve around the
earth every 90 minutes.
In
July, the IRGC Aerospace Force released images taken by Nour-1, showing
al-Udeid base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of US forces.
The
images taken through mosaicking method by Nour-1 Satellite, which was launched
successfully on April 22, were high resolution and showed the US biggest
airbase in the Middle-East in Qatar which hosts nearly 13,000 American forces.
The
IRGC launched the satellite aboard Qassed (Carrier) satellite carrier during an
operation that was staged in Dasht-e Kavir, Iran’s sprawling Central desert.
The Launcher Qassed is a three-stage launcher using compound solid-liquid fuel.
In
relevant remarks in March, Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi lauded the
IRGC for launching a new satellite into orbit, and stressed continued efforts
to further advance space technology in his country.
Acquiring
the advanced technology to put a satellite into space was “very invaluable and
a source of pride”, Rayeesi said, addressing a cabinet meeting in Tehran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010123000455/Miniser-Iran-Trn-in-Exprer-f-Space-Relaed-Services
--------
AEOI
Chief: Iran Plans Production of 10kMW of Nuclear-Powered Electricity
2022-April-12
Eslami
wrote on his twitter page on Monday that the Document would hopefully be an
effective step towards removing obstacles and developing the nuclear industry.
He
added that the Document, which sets goals for the country’s nuclear industry
for the next 20 years, deals with different dimensions of nuclear technology in
order to bring Iran a good world status in this regard.
Eslami
said that the production of 10,000 megawatts of nuclear-powered electricity as
well as the construction of a 360-megawatt power plant in Darkhovin, which will
be built by Iranian scientists, are among other goals of the Document.
He
also referred to Iran’s Nuclear Technology Day that was marked on April 20,
saying that on the occasion of the national event, nine nuclear achievements
were unveiled, which included radiopharmaceuticals, plasma, lasers and control
systems.
He
referred to President Rayeesi’s comments on the Nuclear Technology Day, who
described the nuclear technology as the forerunner of the country’s scientific
progress, and called for maintaining that status of the nuclear technology
through creativity and innovation.
Eslami
said, in line with the president’s remarks, “we should take important measures
to advance nuclear technology and powerfully continue research in peaceful nuclear
technology”.
He
also said that the AEOI will put on its agenda commercializing the country’s
nuclear achievements, which was raised by President Rayeesi.
In
relevant remarks last week, Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
(AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said that the country planned to build several other
nuclear power plants in different parts of Iran, including Darkhovin in
Khuzestan province.
The
Iranian government has put on its agenda building the 360MW-Darkhovin plant,
Kamalvandi said.
He
added that the European states have also accepted the fact that building
nuclear plants is inevitable.
Kamalvandi
underlined the importance of building nuclear power plants, saying it is an
essential part of the country's needs.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
sends top rights defender, journalist back to prison
12
April ,2022
Iranian
authorities on Tuesday sent leading rights defender Narges Mohammmadi and
photojournalist Alieh Motalebzadeh back to prison after briefly allowing them
out for medical reasons, family and activists said.
Iranian
intelligence agents raided Mohammmadi’s house in Tehran to arrest both women
for their return to jail, Mohammmadi’s husband Taghi Rahmani wrote on Twitter.
Motalebzadeh,
a photojournalist, is vice-president of the Press Freedom Defense Association.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
HRANA news agency said both had been transferred to Qarchak women’s prison,
southeast of Tehran, where conditions are routinely condemned by activists.
There
is particular concern about the health of Mohammadi, who suffers from a heart
condition.
Before
being arrested, Mohammadi told the Washington Post newspaper that human rights
should be a “priority” in the West’s negotiations with Iran.
But
she also argued that economic sanctions against the country imposed by the West
had backfired, saying they had “weakened Iranians economically more than they
weakened the Iranian regime.”
Mohammadi
was sentenced to eight years and over 70 lashes on national security charges in
January.
She
was released from prison in October 2020 but then arrested in November 2021 in
Karaj, outside Tehran, while attending a memorial for a man killed during
nationwide protests two years earlier.
Amnesty
International at the time condemned Mohammadi’s arrest as “arbitrary” and
described her as a “prisoner of conscience targeted solely for her peaceful
human rights activities.”
Mohammadi,
who has long campaigned against the use of the death penalty in Iran, had
before her latest arrest been working with families seeking justice for loved
ones who they say were killed by security forces in the 2019 protests.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Iran
open to public sector investments in nuclear energy'
Syed
Zafar Mehdi
12.04.2022
TEHRAN,
Iran
Iran
is open to public sector investments from regional countries in the field of
peaceful nuclear energy, a senior official of Iran’s nuclear agency told
Anadolu Agency.
Pejman
Shirmardi, Deputy Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI),
said Tehran welcomes public sector companies from countries in the region to
enter the field.
"Iran's
capacity in the field of nuclear medicine is improving," he said on the
sidelines of the National Nuclear Technology Day.
Shirmardi
noted that Iran’s atomic organization has a medical tourism plan in place.
"We
are also launching a therapy project in Alborz province, where patients from
other countries in the region can visit," he added.
On
Sunday, Iran marked the National Nuclear Technology Day by showcasing the
latest achievements in the area of nuclear energy.
On
April 9, 2016, the country started enriching uranium at the industrial level
for the first time. Ever since then, the day has been observed as National
Nuclear Technology Day.
Shirmardi
said Iran has the capacity to transfer technology to different countries in the
region and use their capacity in return.
Echoing
the words of senior Iranian government officials, including President Ebrahim
Raisi, the AEOI official said Tehran is not looking at the non-peaceful use of
nuclear energy, citing a decree by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
in which he has banned the production of a nuclear bomb.
"All
our activities have been, are, and will be peaceful," Shirmardi said,
adding that Tehran has in recent years been subjected to "the most severe
sanctions in history".
He
said it was natural for Iran to invest in different areas of nuclear energy to
address the country’s needs in the fields of health, agriculture, and the
environment.
The
AEOI unveiled a total of 77 new nuclear achievements during the National
Nuclear Technology Day, including uranium silicide fuel pellets for the Tehran
Research Reactor, cold plasma technology for pistachio detoxification, and
cancer treatment, radionuclide terbium-161 for local tumor treatment, and
stable zirconia powder for various industries.
The
agency chief, Mohammad Eslami, also announced three strategic plans to generate
10,000 MW of nuclear power, expand the use of radiation technologies and build
a fully-indigenous 360,000 MW power plant in Darkhovin.
Different
generations of Iranian-made centrifuges were also on display during the
ceremony.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
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--------
Africa
Again,
gunmen kill monarch in Taraba mosque, injure others
By
Charles Akpeji
13
April 2022
Gunmen
have killed a district head in a mosque at Maisamari town of Sardauna Local
Council of Taraba State.
The
Guardian learnt that many worshippers were injured in the attack, which
occurred at about 7:25p.m. on Monday, during the Ishaa prayers.
It
was gathered that the gunmen, who came in their numbers, stormed the mosque
during the prayers and started shooting sporadically.
A
source from the community said, but for
timely intervention of the people from the community who thronged out en-mass
to confront the gunmen, more casualties
would have been recorded.
He
said: “The residents of the community came out in their large numbers to
confront the gunmen, which forced them to flee into the surrounding mountains
of the town. “
“The
residents were courageous enough to come out when the shooting started and
forced the gunmen to escape, hence nobody was abducted by the gunmen and
normalcy has since returned to the town.”
Meanwhile,
the killed monarch, Alhaji Abdulkadir
Maisamari, has been buried yesterday
morning according to the Muslim rites.
Contacted,
spokesperson for the state command,
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, but he did not give the details as he
was still expecting additional information from the Divisional Police
Officer (DPO) in the area.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/again-gunmen-kill-monarch-in-taraba-mosque-injure-others/
--------
MWL
launches project for Ramadan baskets in Sudan
April
12, 2022
KHARTOUM
— The Muslim World League (MWL) — Sudan Office — inaugurated Tuesday, in
Khartoum, the Ramadan Baskets Project in Sudan, in the presence of the Saudi
Ambassador to Sudan Ali Bin Hassan Jafar, Commissioner-General of Humanitarian
Aid Najm Al-Din Musa, and the families benefiting from the program.
Ambassador
Jafar stressed in a speech on this occasion that the program comes in
implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Salman and the Crown Prince, to boost charitable work in Ramadan.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Northern
elders ask Buhari to resign, give reasons
April
12, 2022
By
Seun Opejobi
The
Northern Elders Forum, NEF, on Tuesday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to
immediately resign from his position.
NEF
said Buhari has failed to address the issues of killings, kidnappings, and
general insecurity in the country.
Dr.
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Director, Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, made the call
in a statement he issued.
Baba-Ahmed
said the Nigerian constitution allows the President to step down if he can’t solve
the challenges confronting the country.
He
said: “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari does not appear to have
answers to the challenges of security to which we are exposed. We cannot
continue to live and die under the dictates of killers, kidnappers, rapists and
sundry criminal groups that have deprived us of our rights to live in peace and
security.
“Our
constitution has provisions for leaders to voluntarily step down if they are
challenged by personal reasons or they prove incapable of leading.
“It
is now time for President Buhari to seriously consider that option, since his
leadership has proved spectacularly incapable of providing security over
Nigerians. Our Forum is aware of the weight of this advice, and it is also
aware that we cannot continue to live under these conditions until 2023 when
President Buhari’s term ends.
“Killers
and other criminals appear to have sensed a paralyzing vacuum at the highest
levels of leadership, and they grow more confident and acquire more competence
in subverting the State and our security.
Source:
Daily Post
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/04/12/northern-elders-ask-buhari-to-resign-give-reasons/
--------
Erdogan
plays to base with criticism of Tunisia
Fehim
Tastekin
April
12, 2022
Non-interference
in domestic affairs and ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood have been two
major conditions that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced in his
fence-mending quest with Egypt and other Arab countries, leading him to tone
down his rhetoric on regional issues in the past couple of years. Yet the
Tunisian president’s decision to dissolve parliament has prompted a fresh
outburst by Erdogan, fueling diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Erdogan’s
condemnation was meant as support for his close friend Rachid Ghannouchi,
speaker of the dissolved assembly and leader of the Brotherhood-affiliated
Islamist Ennahda party. “We see the developments in Tunisia as the smearing of
democracy. The dissolution of a parliament of elected representatives is … a
blow to the will of the Tunisian people,” he said April 4.
Erdogan
spoke out after several days of silence following President Kais Saied’s March
30 decision to dissolve parliament, which he had suspended last year. Tunisia
should stick to its election roadmap, Erdogan said, stressing that the
political transition in the country could succeed “only through an inclusive
and meaningful dialogue in which all segments of society, including parliament,
are involved.”
Erdogan’s
criticism generated a harsh response from Tunis. Foreign Minister Othman
Jerandi called his Turkish counterpart to reject Erdogan’s comments, and his
ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador. “Tunisia expresses its astonishment
at the Turkish president's statement … these comments are unacceptable,"
the Foreign Ministry said. “Tunisia affirms its keenness on close relations
with friendly countries but adheres to the independence of its decision and
rejects interference in its sovereignty or the choices of its people," it
said. And Saied, referring to Tunisia’s Ottoman past, said his country was no
longer an Ottoman province and “not waiting for orders from any authority.” The
Tunisian people, he added, “will say their word away from any interference.”
Saied
had suspended the parliament and the immunity of its members and dismissed the
government in July 2021 following a wave of anti-government protests. Soon
after, he issued a decree expanding his executive powers. In February, Saied
dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and appointed a temporary replacement
for the body. He had criticized the council for delaying investigations into
political assassinations in the wake of the 2011 popular rising that had led to
Ennahda’s ascent to power, protecting figures affiliated with Ennahda and
impeding efforts to stamp out corruption.
In
a countermove March 30, more than a half of the suspended parliament’s members
held an online session to vote through a bill repealing the president’s
extraordinary executive decrees. Saied immediately convened a meeting of the
National Security Council, at which he announced the dissolution of the
legislature for what he called a “coup attempt.” The deputies faced a probe on
charges of conspiring against state security.
Under
a roadmap that Saied announced last year, Tunisia is expected to hold a
referendum on a draft new constitution on July 25 and then parliamentary polls
in December. Tired of corruption of economic woes, many Tunisians had initially
supported Saied’s moves, but the president has come under mounting criticism
that he is becoming a new autocrat.
Ennahda,
which was part of the government that Saied dismissed and had the largest
number of seats in parliament, has said it will boycott the referendum and the
elections.
Given
Ennahda’s ideological affinity and close ties with Erdogan’s Justice and
Development Party, the political crisis in Tunisia holds the potential to hit
Turkish-Tunisian relations. The Brotherhood’s ouster in Egypt in 2013 had
opened deep rifts between Ankara and Cairo, which have yet to be healed. Ankara
and Tunis had so far refrained from steps that could cause lasting damage to
their ties. But now that Ennahda faces the risk of political isolation as a
result of the transformation that Saied seeks, Ankara is growing concerned that
it could lose Tunisia as well.
Meanwhile,
the U-turns that Ankara has recently made to ease tensions with regional
countries have disappointed Erdogan’s Islamist supporters. Hence, he might have
felt compelled to break his silence on Tunisia in a bid to refresh his
leadership credentials, both at home and abroad.
In
a string of backpedaling moves, Erdogan has reconciled with the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), which he had accused of financing the 2015 coup attempt in
Turkey; forced the Brotherhood’s Istanbul-based TV channels to tone down their
criticism of Cairo; and accorded a warm welcome to Israel’s president in
Ankara. Eager to reconcile with Saudi Arabia as well, Turkey last week halted
the trial of 26 Saudi nationals over the gruesome murder of Saudi dissident
Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul and handed the case over to Riyadh.
Yet
Erdogan’s criticism of Saied might make things even harder for Ghannouchi, who
has been accused of using his role as parliament speaker to collude with Turkey
and Qatar and advance the Brotherhood’s transnational agenda. Tunisian
anti-terror police questioned Ghannouchi April 1 on charges of having plotted
against state security. Erdogan’s criticism, widely seen as an attempt to save
Ennahda, might backfire also by influencing skeptics to back Saied’s
roadmap.
That
Tunis responded sternly to Erdogan while mostly fudging over the reactions of
other countries indicates that the row has domestic political implications.
Erdogan is seen as a leader who could embolden Ennahda, and his comments
rekindled debates targeting the party. Arab media accompanied their coverage of
Erdogan’s comments with the following remarks of Ghannouchi: “We are not
isolated from the world. We have inter-parliamentary relations and friends
around the world. We are in contact with all parties with whom we share
objectives.” While Ennahda’s ties with Turkey and Qatar are constantly evoked,
some media outlets have gone as far as to report the outlandish claim that the
Brotherhood had asked the Turkish military to intervene to overthrow Saied.
Al
Arab newspaper opines that Erdogan has bowed down to Egypt, the UAE and Saudi
Arabia and is now extending a helping hand to Ghannouchi to reburnish his image
as the defender of Islamist causes. According to the paper, he has reverted to
his old style of interfering in Arab domestic affairs by replacing Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with Saied as his target.
Zouhair
Maghzaoui, secretary-general of Tunisia’s People’s Movement party, sees Turkey
as the “last card” of Tunisia’s Islamists in their quest for external support.
“Erdogan’s statements are part of his Muslim Brotherhood ties in the region and
in response to demands by the Ennahda movement, given that Tunisia is the last
stronghold of Islamists in the region,” he said. For Tunisian analyst Nabil
Rabhi, Erdogan “wants the Brotherhood's
return to power.”
In
defiant remarks April 9, Ghannouchi said Tunisia was in the grips of “an
unprecedented crisis reinforcing a dictatorial regime that has seized all
power.”
The
row has triggered also calls to boycott Turkish goods in Tunisia. Some
observers argue that Tunisia should review or freeze its 2004 free trade
agreement with Turkey because it has favored Turkish interests. Turkish goods
have flooded the Tunisian market and dealt blows to local producers, they note,
stressing that Tunisia’s trade deficit with Turkey is the third largest after
its trade deficits with China and Italy.
Turkey’s
diplomatic tensions with Tunisia could cast a pall also on its efforts for
normalization with Arab heavyweights.
Source:
Al Monitor
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/erdogan-plays-base-criticism-tunisia
--------
Algeria
accuses Morocco of killing three on edge of Western Sahara
12
April ,2022
Algeria
accused Morocco on Tuesday of “targeted killings” of three people, after press
reports of a deadly attack by Morocco on the edge of the disputed Western
Sahara.
Media
linked to the Polisario independence movement reported a Moroccan air strike
early Sunday against trucks close to the border between the desert territory
and Mauritania, killing three people of unknown nationalities.
The
alleged killings could not be independently verified, and neither Morocco nor
Mauritania have commented.
“Algeria
vigorously condemns Morocco's targeted killings, with sophisticated weaponry,
outside of its internationally recognised borders,” Algeria's foreign ministry
said in a statement.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
It
said those killed were “innocent civilians from three countries in the region”,
without adding details.
The
ministry accused its neighbour of “repetitive acts of state terrorism” that
could have “serious implications” for regional security.
Algeria
last November accused arch-rival Morocco of killing three Algerians on a desert
highway in the Western Sahara.
Morocco
considers the former Spanish colony an integral part of its own territory, but
Algeria backs the Polisario, which has long sought an independence referendum
there.
Tensions
have escalated there since the Polisario declared a 30-year ceasefire null and
void in November 2020.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------