Seek God’s Forgiveness, Deoband Ulema Tell Muslim Woman Bhajan Singer, Farmani Naz; this is Against the Shariat
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 August 2022
Farmani Naaz, Bhajan Singer
----
• The School Discontinued the Practice of Reciting
Verses from Sikhism, Hinduism and Islam in the Assembly, after Controversy on
Islamic Verses Erupts
• Al Qaeda Leader Zawahiri Killed In US Drone Strike
in Afghanistan over the Weekend: Joe Biden
• Haqqani Network Tried To Conceal Al-Qaida Leader
Ayman Al-Zawahiri Was At Safe House in Kabul: Report
• Saudi Arabia Welcomes Announcement on Killing of
Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahri
India
• As Bangladeshi Terror Module Busted in Assam, Police
Reveal Arrested Madrasa Teacher Trained Students in Jihad
• Humanity above Manmade Barriers: Mosque and Temples
Unite To Raise Funds for Cancer
• NIA detains three for ‘links’ with handlers of
Islamic State
• Aligarh Muslim University to remove Pakistani
authors' books from syllabus
• NIA conducts searches at multiple locations across
country in two separate Islamic State-related cases
--------
North
America
• Blinken says Taliban ‘grossly’ violated Doha
agreement by sheltering Zawahiri
• How the CIA identified and killed al-Qaida leader
Ayman al-Zawahiri
• Ayman al-Zawahiri death: Did US use secret 'flying
ginsu' missile?
• Two Presidents, Two Al-Qaeda Leaders & Similar
Strikes: How US Followed Bin Laden's Blueprint to Kill Ayman al-Zawahiri
• US issues new Iran-related sanctions as nuclear deal
talks remain stalled
• US secretary of state backs EU proposal aimed at
salvaging Iran nuclear deal
• US mediator hopeful of Lebanon-Israel border
demarcation deal
--------
South Asia
• No Tolerance for Premarital Relationships; Taliban
Flogs Three People Accused of Adultery
• Taliban Condemns US Airstrike in Kabul That Killed
Al Qaeda Chief
• Joint Committee for Preventing Border Skirmishes to
be formed by Iran & Taliban
• Taliban accuses global community of violating Afghan
women’s dignity
• Request India and Pakistan to Resolve Issues and
Open Trade Vistas: Taliban Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani
• Myanmar violence, Ukraine war loom over ASEAN
meetings
--------
Arab
World
• Ayman Al-Zawahiri: From Cairo Physician to Al-Qaida
Leader
• Sharia Does Not Forbid Use of Visa Cards in
Purchases: Former Grand Mufti
• Thousands of anti-Sadr demonstrators protest
parliament occupation
• Al-Sadr movement rejects call for dialogue amid
protests in Iraq
• 86 Syrian civilians killed in July: Rights group
• Supporters of pro-Iran groups protest near Baghdad’s
Green Zone
--------
Pakistan
• Persecution of Ahmadiyya Community Continues In
Pakistan, PML-Q Issues New Eviction Diktat
• ECP Says Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of Imran Khan
Received 'Prohibited Funds' From 34 Foreign Nationals
• Pak Army Helicopter with 6 Senior Officers on Relief
Mission Feared Crashed In Balochistan Province
• Pakistan, Chinese armies ‘brothers in arms’: COAS
• TikTok Creator Portal launched in Pakistan
• Another batch of Punjab police officers marked for
‘Azadi March violence’ removed
• Pashtun Jirga Concludes another Round of Talks with TTP
In Kabul
• Bosnia deports first batch migrants back to Pakistan
--------
Mideast
• Iran Arrests Members of Israeli-Linked Baha'i Spying
Group
• Iran: N. Deal within Reach, Needs US Realistic
Approach
• Spokesman: Iran Believes Iraq’s Security Tantamount
to Regional Stability
• Afghanistan Promises to Respect Iran's Water Rights
• AEOI Chief Underlines Iran's Opposition to Military
N. Drive despite Capability
• Sweden Deprives Iranian Citizen Hamid Nouri from
Reading Persian Translation of Verdict
• Top IRGC Commander: US Political Territory Shrinking
• Israeli troops arrest West Bank militant,
Palestinian killed in raid
• Israel signals no change on nuclear policy as US
reaffirms anti-proliferation drive
--------
Africa
• Al-Mishri Re-Elected Head of Libya’s High Council of
State
• Algeria President Tebboune talks of joining
Russia-linked BRICS group
• Somalia, UN agencies call for efforts to promote
breastfeeding for child health
• Fuel truck explosion kills 7 in southern Libya
--------
Europe
• France Uses Controversial Law to Expel Moroccan Imam
Iquioussen
• Turkish foreign minister stresses importance of
peace, stability in Balkans
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Indonesia Muslim Scholars Congress Seeking to Raise
Awareness about Climate Change Impacts
• New Perak Mufti Wan Zahidi Intends to Continue
Predecessor Harussani’s Legacy
• US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Lands in Malaysia amid
China Rage: Report
• Tough to avoid 3-cornered fight for Malay parties,
says Khairuddin
• No ‘specific’ assets sold for EPF withdrawal
schemes, says minister
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/god-forgiveness-deoband-ulema-farmani-zawahiri/d/127631
--------
Seek God’s Forgiveness, Deoband Ulema Tell Muslim
Woman Bhajan Singer, Farmani Naz; This is Against the Shariat
Farmani Naaz, Bhajan Singer
----
Aug 2, 2022
MUZAFFARNAGAR: A Muzaffarnagar-based Muslim woman
singer, a former 'Indian Idol' contestant, has drawn the ire of Deoband Ulema
for singing a Shiva Bhajan that was a hit in this year's Kanwar Yatra. But
30-year-old Farmani Naz has stood her ground and said she sees nothing wrong in
doing what she's good at, more so as it helps her get additional money that she
can use for her ailing son.
Naz became an internet sensation with over 3.8 million
followers after she began singing to support her ailing son. On July 23, she
posted her rendition of the Bhajan 'Har Har Shambhu', which has garnered over
920,000 views so far. It was also extensively played by Kanwarias on their
march to Haridwar recently. Shortly after, she received flak from several
Deoband Ulema.
"Our religion does not allow us to sing Bhajans
of other religions. This is against the Shariat as well as the basic tenets of
Islam. But we live in a democracy and everyone has the right to do whatever
work they like," said Deoband-based Maulana Ishaq Gora.
Another Ulema, Mufti Asad Qasmi, said, “You can’t just
sing any kind of song if you follow Islam. Despite being a Muslim, Naz is
singing Bhajans. She should ask for forgiveness from god.”
Naz remained unfazed. “I sing to take care of my
four-year-old son, who has an ailment pertaining to his throat. I even had to
leave 'Indian Idol' in 2021 despite getting a ‘golden ticket’ because my child
had to undergo an operation. He’s all that matters to me and this is my means
to earning a livelihood. I don’t know which Maulana has a problem because no
one has approached me.”
Underneath her video on YouTube, she commented,
“Singing Aur Music Ka Koi Dharam Nahin Hota…Mohammed Rafi Saab Jaise Buland
Singers Ne Bhi Bhajan Gaye Hai. Sabhi Se Hath Jodkar Nevedan Hai Ki Koi Bhi
Singing Or Music Ko Dharam Se Na Jode (Music has no religion. Great singers
like Mohammed Rafi have also sung Bhajans. It’s my request to everyone to not
associate music with any particular religion).”
She said she was “fond of singing” even as a child but
her parents “disapproved” of her hobby.
“I was married off to a man in Meerut in 2017 but domestic
strife led to our separation. I eventually moved back to my native village
around two years ago to live with my mother. There, my brother, Farman Khan,
and his friend, Rahul, uploaded a video of me singing on YouTube. Lakhs of
people watched and liked it. We have made several such videos since then. I am
earning a good amount of money from it.”
Her mother, Fatima Begum, said, “My daughter is
talented and is raising her child on her own by singing songs. People always
object when they see a Muslim girl singing, but they don’t see that she has to
look after her son as well. She sings all kinds of songs, be it Bhajans or
Qawwalis. She also performs namaz. She is doing this for her livelihood.”
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
The School Discontinued the Practice of Reciting
Verses from Sikhism, Hinduism and Islam In the Assembly, after Controversy on
Islamic Verses Erupts
Representative Photo/ The
Week
----
August 01, 2022
A private school here stopped the recitation of
religious prayers in the morning assembly after a row erupted over allegations
that the students were being compelled to recite Islamic verses.
The school also said they have discontinued the
practice of reciting verses from different religions, including Sikhism,
Hinduism and Islam, in the assembly, and now only national anthem will be sung.
The school authorities clarified that prayers of all
religions were recited at the school during the morning assembly as part of the
'Sarva Dharma Samman' (all religions are equal) ideology.
The controversy erupted after a parent tweeted that
the students at Florets International School were compelled to recite the
'Kalma Tayyab' during the morning assembly following which the district
administration ordered a probe.
Assistant CP (Seesamau) Nishank Sharma told PTI that
after the tweet went viral, the information was shared with the district
magistrate and other senior officials, who were directed to look into the
matter.
Sharma, along with Additional City Magistrate-III
Jiyalal Saroj, reached the school and sorted out the issue amicably.
“We questioned the school managing director Sumeet
Makhija who clarified that prayers of all four religions were recited at the
school during the morning assembly as part of the 'Sarva Dharma Samman'
ideology," the ACP said.
Makhija noted that the school, established about two
decades ago, had been encouraging the recital of 'Gayatri Mantra', 'Gurubani'
and 'Duaa', which are part of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and other religious verses,
in the morning assembly to teach the students that all religions are equal.
The practice has been going on for over a decade, but
suddenly some parents and people affiliated with right-wing groups objected to
the practice, said ACM-III Saroj.
The school diary has verses of all major religions,
including Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam. There is surely no
intention of promoting any one religion, Makhija asserted.
“From today, we have stopped reciting these prayers and
started singing only the national anthem," he said.
City's additional DM Atul Kumar told media that a
written complaint was received and the police were asked to investigate the
matter and take action accordingly.
The school also declared a holiday on Monday owing to
the controversy.
Source: The Week
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Al Qaeda Leader Zawahiri Killed In US Drone Strike In
Afghanistan Over The Weekend: Joe Biden
Osama bin Laden sits with
his adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian linked to the al Qaeda network,
during an interview with Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir (not pictured) in an
image supplied by Dawn newspaper November 10, 2001. Hamid Mir/Editor/Ausaf
Newspaper for Daily Dawn/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
-----
August 2, 2022
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US
strike in Afghanistan over the weekend, American President Joe Biden said on
Monday.
Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million
bounty on his head, helped coordinate the Sept 11, 2001, attacks that killed
nearly 3,000 people.
US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity,
said the United States carried out a drone strike in the Afghan capital Kabul
on Sunday morning at 6:18am local time.
"Now justice has been delivered, and this
terrorist leader is no more," Biden said in remarks from the White House.
"We never back down."
US intelligence determined with "high
confidence" that the man killed was Zawahiri, a senior administration
official told reporters. No other casualties occurred.
"Zawahiri continued to pose an active threat to
US persons, interests and national security," the official said on a
conference call. "His death deals a significant blow to al Qaeda and will
degrade the group's ability to operate."
There were rumors of Zawahiri's death several times in
recent years, and he was long reported to have been in poor health.
His death raises questions about whether Zawahiri
received sanctuary from the Taliban following their takeover of Kabul in August
2021. The official said senior Taliban officials were aware of his presence in
the city.
The drone attack is the first known US strike inside
Afghanistan since US troops and diplomats left the country in August 2021.
In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a
violation of "international principles."
The senior US official said finding Zawahiri was the
result of persistent counterterrorism work. The United States identified this
year that Zawahiri's wife, daughter and her children had relocated to a safe
house in Kabul, then identified that Zawahiri was there as well, the official
said.
"Once Zawahiri arrived at the location, we are
not aware of him ever leaving the safe house," the official said. He was
identified multiple times on the balcony, where he was ultimately struck. He
continued to produce videos from the house and some may be released after his
death, the official said.
In the last few weeks, Biden convened officials to
scrutinise the intelligence. He was updated throughout May and June and was
briefed on July 1 on a proposed operation by intelligence leaders. On July 25,
he received an updated report and authorised the strike once an opportunity was
available.
A loud explosion echoed through Kabul early Sunday
morning.
"A house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor. There
were no casualties as the house was empty," Abdul Nafi Takor, spokesman of
the interior ministry, said earlier.
One Taliban source, requesting anonymity, said there
had been reports of at least one drone flying over Kabul that morning.
With other senior al Qaeda members, Zawahiri is
believed to have plotted the October 12, 2000, attack on the USS Cole naval
vessel in Yemen which killed 17 US sailors and injured more than 30 others, the
Rewards for Justice website said.
He was indicted in the United States for his role in
the August 7, 1998, bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that
killed 224 people and wounded more than 5,000 others.
Both bin laden and Zawahiri eluded capture when US-led
forces toppled Afghanistan’s Taliban government in late 2001 following the Sept
11 attacks on the United States.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Haqqani Network Tried To Conceal Al-Qaida Leader Ayman
Al-Zawahiri Was At Safe House In Kabul: Report
Ayman al-Zawahri (left) at
a news conference with Osama bin Laden in Khost, Afghanistan. File | Photo
Credit: AP
-----
Aug 2, 2022
NEW YORK: Members of the dreaded terror group Haqqani
network tried to conceal that al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri who was killed
in a US drone strike was at a safe house in Kabul and restricted access to the
site, a media report said on Tuesday.
An American drone strike killed al-Zawahiri, a key
plotter of the 9/11 terrorist attacks who took over as the leader of al-Qaida
after Osama bin Laden's death, at a safe house in Afghanistan, President Joe
Biden announced on Monday.
Al-Zawahri was the No. 2 in al-Qaida when the group
conducted the September 11 terror attacks, and American officials considered
him a central plotter. While he lacked the charismatic leadership of bin Laden,
he profoundly shaped al-Qaida and its terrorist movements with his writing and
arguments.
"After the US drone strike that killed
al-Zawahiri, members of the terror group Haqqani network had tried to conceal
that the al-Qaida leader was at the house in Kabul, which reportedly was owned
by a top aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani, and restricted access to the site,” The
New York Times reported.
The report citing a senior administration official
said that according to one American analyst, the “house that was struck was
owned by a top aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani,” who is now the interior minister in
the Taliban government in Kabul.
The Haqqani network is an Islamist terror outfit
founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani, who emerged as a top Afghan warlord and
insurgent commander during the anti-Soviet war.
The report added that the United States had “multiple
intelligence threads” confirming that al-Zawahiri was killed in the strike.
Al-Zawahiri was long believed to have been living in
Pakistan.
“That he was killed in Kabul is a testament to not
only the porous border between the two countries but also to al Qaida's
decades-long use of facilities, houses, buildings and compounds throughout both
countries,” the report said, citing a US official.
“And unlike the relatively sleepy city of Abbottabad,
Pakistan, where Bin Laden was killed by a commando raid in 2011, his successor
apparently spent the last weeks of his life right smack in the Afghan capital,”
it said.
The report further said that American intelligence
sources had learned earlier this year that al-Zawahiri's wife, daughter and
grandchildren had relocated to a house in Kabul.
“American intelligence agencies grew increasingly
confident that al-Zawahiri was at the house as well. As they did in the case of
Bin Laden, intelligence officials used different sources and methods to build a
so-called pattern of life that confirmed his presence,” the report said,
quoting officials.
“Once al-Zawahiri arrived at the location, American
officials were never aware of him leaving, and he was observed for sustained
periods on the balcony where he was ultimately struck,” it said.
Al-Zawahiri was killed by an R9X, a “Hellfire missile
armed with long blades aimed at killing targets with kinetic energy to minimize
major collateral damage.”
The US claims that the Taliban violated the peace
agreement by letting al-Zawahiri into the country. The Taliban claims the US
violated the peace agreement by conducting a strike.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Saudi Arabia Welcomes Announcement on Killing Of al-Qaeda
leader al-Zawahri
Ayman al-Zawahiri/ Image:
AP
----
02 August, 2022
Saudi Arabia welcomed the US announcement that a CIA
drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, the
foreign ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.
The US Department of State announced on Monday that
the US had killed al-Zawahiri, one of the world's most-wanted terrorists and a
mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, in a drone strike in Kabul.
On Tuesday, the Kingdom welcomed the announcement,
with the statement from the foreign ministry reading: “The Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia welcomed the announcement by US President Joe Biden of the targeting and
killing of the terrorist leader of al-Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri.”
The Saudi foreign ministry said he was “considered one
of the leaders of terrorism that led the planning and execution of heinous
terrorist operations in the United States, Saudi Arabia and a number of other
countries of the world.”
“Thousands of innocent people of different
nationalities and religions, including Saudi citizens, were killed,” the
statement said.
“The Kingdom's government stressed the importance of
strengthening cooperation and concerted international efforts to combat and
eradicate terrorism, calling on all countries to cooperate in this framework to
protect innocent people from terrorist organizations.”
In a press statement, US Secretary of State Anthony
Blinken said that US President Joe Biden last year committed to the American
people that, following the withdrawal of US forces, the United States would
“continue to protect our country and act against terrorist threats emanating
from Afghanistan.”
The statement added: “The President made clear that we
would not hesitate to protect the Homeland. With the operation that delivered
justice to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of of al-Qaeda, we have made good on
that commitment, and we will continue to do so in the face of any future
threats.”
“We were able to do so in this instance — and will be
positioned to do so going forward — as a result of the skill and
professionalism of our intelligence and counterterrorism community colleagues,
for whom the President and I are deeply grateful.”
The statement said that by hosting and sheltering the
leader of al-Qaeda in Kabul, the Taliban “grossly violated the Doha Agreement
and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory
to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries.”
It added: “They also betrayed the Afghan people and
their own stated desire for recognition from and normalization with the
international community.”
“In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or
inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan
people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection
of their human rights, especially of women and girls.”
“The world is a safer place following the death of
al-Zawahiri, and the United States will continue to act resolutely against
those who would threaten our country, our people, or our allies and partners.”
Egyptian-born al-Zawahiri took over al-Qaeda after
Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011, and had a
$25 million US bounty on his head.
A senior US administration official said al-Zawahiri
was on the balcony of a house in Kabul when he was targeted with two Hellfire
missiles, an hour after sunrise on July 31.
Source: Al Arabiya
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original story:
--------
India
As
Bangladeshi Terror Module Busted in Assam, Police Reveal Arrested Madrasa
Teacher Trained Students in Jihad
AUGUST
01, 2022
The
Morigaon module of Bangladesh-based Ansar Ul Bangla Team (ABT) operations in
Assam is emerging as one of the most vital and dangerous terror modules busted
by the Assam police and central investigating agencies so far.
After
19 students from the Jamiul Huda Madrasa were questioned by the National
Investigation Team (NIA) team probing the ABT module in Morigaon on July 31,
the Assam Police and the central agencies have interrogated the head of the
madrasa, Mufti Mustafa, who along with another suspect, is in police custody.
“The
investigation so far has been satisfactory. There is a common link with the
Bhopal ABT, Tripura and Barpeta operations of Ansar Ul Bangla. Financial links
have been established. Jihadi training material have been viewed in the
electronic device of Mufti Mustafa. We are now looking as to how many students
were shown these videos by Mufti and what influence does these have on the
students. Mustafa has been sharing these videos, which have operation and
training content of Taliban to motivate students at his madrasa. We are
examining other madrasas of the state too, however, it will be difficult to
divulge further,” said GP Singh, Special Director General of Assam Police.
Singh
also said the police have other madrasas on radar and once evidence against
them are found, action will be taken.
The
Jamiul Madrasa has been sealed along with another one in Dhing in Nagaon
district of Assam for indulging in anti-national activities. One Hananul Islam
was picked up by the Barpeta police on July 31 on the suspicion of having links
with the ABT. With this, there have been nine arrests in Barpeta district alone
in the last four days.
Assam
chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had clarified that two madrasas have already
been sealed and more will likely be under the scanner. “Wherever we have got
complaints against madrasas and its teacher, we have taken an in-principle
decision that we will close them down and will ask the students to go to a
nearby school. In Assam, we do not have government madrasas.”
Sarma
stressed that the government has already shut down 750 madrasas but religious
madrasas will continue to operate.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Humanity
above Manmade Barriers: Mosque and Temples Unite To Raise Funds for Cancer
Patient
K.M.
Rakesh, Bangalore
02.08.22
When
a mosque in Kerala’s Malappuram district appealed for funds towards the
treatment of a cancer-stricken teenage girl, two neighbouring temples
immediately came forward to help, setting what the imam termed an example of
“how humanity can rise above manmade barriers”.
Together,
the temples and the mosque collected Rs 1.48 crore in just a few days, with
people across the district and elsewhere in the state contributing. The money
will help not just cancer patient Hanna, 18, but scores of other ailing people.
The
Alukkal Juma Masjid, Kuttipurathukavu Bhagavathy Temple and Narasimha Moorthy
Temple have been coexisting for decades just a hundred-odd metres from one
other in Kottakkal village.
“About
10 days ago, we informed the temple committees about the plight of Syedalavi
(auto-rickshaw driver and Hanna’s father) who has absolutely no means of
providing medical care for his daughter,” the imam of the mosque, Ismail Baqavi
Kottakkal, told The Telegraph on Monday.
“The
two temple committees immediately offered to help the family, providing a great
example of communal harmony and brotherhood.”
The
temples pitched in with Rs 50,000 and Rs 27,000 from their own coffers, formed
a joint committee with the mosque authorities, and issued an appeal for funds
for Hanna on various social media platforms.
Of
the money collected so far, with donations from members of all communities, Rs
70 lakh has been earmarked for Hanna who is undergoing treatment at a private
hospital in neighbouring Kozhikode.
The
remaining Rs 78 lakh was distributed on Monday among more than 60 beneficiaries
--- 12 from the village and the rest from across the state -- identified with
help from civil society organisations.
“The
beneficiaries of the cash donations we made today too were picked without
regard to their religion or caste,” the vice-chairman of the Bhagavathy Temple,
Arumukan Naduvathu, told this newspaper.
Arumukan,
a CPM member, said: “Members of Left parties, the Congress, Indian Union Muslim
League and the BJP came together to (donate money and) make this possible.”
The
imam said communal harmony had always been the hallmark of Kerala and Malappuram,
although the Muslim-majority district is frequently subjected to vilification
by some media outlets and Right-wing social media users who blow up stray
incidents in the area.
“I
know Malappuram gets a lot of negative press. But Hindus, Muslims and Christians
have lived here in harmony for centuries,” the Imam said.
“I
agree there are some communal elements on all sides who whip up certain issues.
But this fund-raising is an example of how humanity can rise above all such
manmade barriers.”
Ajith
Kottarathil, secretary of the Bhagavathy temple committee, too said Malappuram
abounded in examples of communal amity, adding that the speed with which the
funds were collected was nevertheless surprising.
“Everything
was so quick and in keeping with the urgency to raise funds for Hanna’s
treatment. This is a small village where arranging this kind of money is
impossible for most families,” he said.
“That’s
why all of us readily stepped in when the mosque committee informed us about
the child.”
He
said some people had donated gold jewellery.
Hanna’s
family members were at the hospital and could not be reached for comment.
Malappuram
had witnessed another example of communal amity on April 7 when the Sree
Mahavishnu Temple in Vaniyannur, near Tirur, organised an iftar gathering on
its premises for more than 200 Muslims.
This
was because, unlike other years, local Muslims had been unable to participate
in the annual community feast organised at the temple on its consecration day,
April 6. The feast was held during the daytime, and the Muslims were observing
the Ramazan fast.
So,
the following day after sundown, the temple served the traditional Kerala
vegetarian meal, sadya, to Muslims.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
NIA
detains three for ‘links’ with handlers of Islamic State
Aug
02, 2022
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained three people in Karnataka for
their alleged links with Islamic State (IS) handlers, an official in the know
of matter said on Monday. The detentions in Karnataka were part of a nationwide
raid conducted by the anti-terror agency on Sunday.
In
Karnataka, the raids were conducted in Bhatkal area of Uttara Kannada district
and two places in Tumakuru district. Officials of the state police said that
NIA had sought local police support in two cases.
The
first raid in the state was reported in Tumkuru where a college student was
taken in for questioning by the NIA. The suspect was identified as Sajid
Makrani, a native of Maharashtra. He is a third-year student in an Unani
college in Tumkuru, said police.
“Around
20 officials raided his house at 4 am. The raid lasted for about six hours,
following which he was taken to Bengaluru. He was questioned till 9 pm and
later released after issuing a notice to appear before NIA for questioning in
New Delhi,” said an official in the know of the developments.
It
is alleged that the student was in touch with the IS handlers. The nature of
his alleged involvement with IS remains unknown.
Police
have also taken in the owner of the house — identified as Rangaswamy — where
Sajid and four others were living on rent.
The
second raid took place in Bhatakal, where the central agency detained two
brothers and served them notice to appear for inquiry in Delhi. Abdul Muktadir
and his brother Mohammad, residents of Bhatkal main road were taken into
custody at 5 am on Sunday.
The
duo was taken to Manki in Uttara Kannada for interrogation. “They run a
printing shop. They were questioned for getting in touch with IS handlers. They
have also translated some Islamic state literature from Arabic to local
languages, including Kannada and had posted the same on social media,” an
official said.
The
raids come after sleuths of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested one Adil
alias Zuba from Tamil Nadu’s Salem last week. This arrest was based on details
provided by the first suspect, Akthar Hussain, 23,a native of Assam, who was on
a central intelligence agency’s watch and was taken in custody on July 24 by
the CCB from Bengaluru’s Tilak Nagar area.
An
officer, who didn’t want to be named, said the suspects were in touch with
Al-Qaeda members using an instant messaging application. “The accused had tried
to establish contacts in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. They were also attempting
to approach the Muslim youth on social media and motivate them to carry out
activities on their behalf,” said the official.
“We
have found evidence that they were in touch with Al-Qaeda and wanted to be
suicide bombers. We are now trying to verify the claim and the central agencies
will be roped in for the same,” said the officer.
According
to Bengaluru police commissioner, Pratap Reddy interrogation of the suspects is
underway. “Following the inputs from central agencies, the arrest was made. We
have collected evidence regarding members of the radicalised groups in
Bengaluru. An FIR has been registered in connection with the case. We can’t
reveal any more details as of now. We will provide the details after we present
the facts before the courts,” said Reddy.
CCB
officials meanwhile said that Akthar has been booked under Section 121 of the
Indian Penal Code on charges of waging war against the country and under the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. “We are working closely with the central
agency to probe if there are more links to this network,” he said.
The
prime suspect Akhtar was allegedly radicalised after watching videos and
browsing radical content. After his arrest, the CCB produced him before a
special court, which remanded him to 10 days of police custody.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Aligarh
Muslim University to remove Pakistani authors' books from syllabus
Siraj
Qureshi
Agra
August
1, 2022
Aligarh
Muslim University (AMU) managing committee has decided to remove the books of
Pakistani authors Maulana Abul Ala Maududi and Syed Qutub from the syllabus.
These
books were included in the syllabus of the Department of Islamic Studies. These
books were taught in AMU’s BA and MA classes.
A
senior AMU staff told India Today that "This decision has been taken in
response to a recent letter that was written by social activist and academician
Madhu Kishwar, along with some other academicians, to PM Modi, in which the
books of these authors were demanded not to be taught to the students. The
academicians had not just named the AMU, but also the Jamia Milia Islamia and
Hamdard Universities, claiming that all these universities had books written by
Pakistani authors in their curriculum."
Some
academicians have also alleged that Maulana Maududi, an Islamic scholar, was
known for his anti-Hindu statements and to have books written by such a
disputed character in the curriculum was in itself courting controversy.
Source:
India Today
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NIA
conducts searches at multiple locations across country in two separate Islamic
State-related cases
August
1, 2022
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sunday conducted searches at 13 locations
across six states in a case related to Islamic State conspiracy to spread
terror in the country.
“NIA
conducted searches at 13 premises of suspects in 6 states viz. Bhopal and Raisen
districts in Madhya Pradesh; Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Ahmedabad districts in
Gujarat; Arariya district in Bihar; Bhatkal and Tumkur City districts in
Karnataka; Kolhapur and Nanded districts in Maharashtra; and Deoband district
in Uttar Pradesh in the case pertaining to activities of ISIS. The case was
registered suo-moto by NIA on 25.06.2022 under sections 153A & 153B of IPC
and sections 18, 18B, 38, 39 & 40 of UA(P) Act,” a statement from the NIA
read.
The
agency said searches have led to seizure of “incriminating documents/material”.
The
NIA Sunday also conducted searches in Trivandrum district in Kerala in a case
pertaining to the arrest of one Sathik Batcha alias ICAMA Sathik, who was
arrested along with four others in Tamil Nadu in February this year.
According
to the NIA, the accused had hatched a conspiracy for threatening the general
public and police officials and also attempted to murder police personnel
during the checking of their Scorpio car when they were intercepted on February
21, 2022.
“The
accused persons were also involved in inciting hatred for secession of a part
of India and had intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of India by forming outfits like ‘Khilafah Party of India’, ‘Khilafah Front of
India’, ‘Intellectual Students of India (ISI)’ and associating themselves with
the proscribed terrorist organisations ISIS/Daesh and Al Qaeda,” the NIA said
in a statement.
The
case was earlier registered by Tamil Nadu police and later taken over by the
NIA.
Source:
Indian Express
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North
America
Blinken
says Taliban ‘grossly’ violated Doha agreement by sheltering Zawahiri
02
August, 2022
The
Taliban “grossly” violated the Doha Agreement by hosting and sheltering
al-Qaeda’s top leader Ayman al-Zawahri, the US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said on Monday.
The
US killed leader al-Zawahri in a strike in Afghanistan over the weekend,
President Joe Biden said on Monday, the biggest blow to the militant group
since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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How
the CIA identified and killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
Aug
2, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US strike in Afghanistan over
the weekend, the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin
Laden was killed in 2011.
Zawahiri
had been in hiding for years and the operation to locate and kill him was the
result of "careful patient and persistent" work by the
counter-terrorism and intelligence community, a senior administration official
told reporters.
Until
the US announcement, Zawahiri had been rumored variously to be in Pakistan's
tribal area or inside Afghanistan.
Speaking
on the condition of anonymity, the official provided the following details on
the operation:
*
For several years, the US government had been aware of a network that it
assessed supported Zawahiri, and over the past year, following the United
States' withdrawal from Afghanistan, officials had been watching for
indications of al-Qaida's presence in the country.
This
year, officials identified that Zawahiri's family - his wife, his daughter and
her children - had relocated to a safe house in Kabul and subsequently
identified Zawahiri at the same location.
*
Over several months, intelligence officials grew more confident that they had
correctly identified Zawahiri at the Kabul safe house and in early April started
briefing senior administration officials. Jake Sullivan, National Security
Advisor, subsequently briefed President Joe Biden.
"We
were able to build a pattern of life through multiple independent sources of
information to inform the operation," the official said.
Once
Zawahiri arrived at the Kabul safe house, officials were not aware of him
leaving it and they identified him on its balcony - where he was ultimately
struck - on multiple occasions, the official said.
*
Officials investigated the construction and nature of the safe house and
scrutinized its occupants to ensure the United States could confidently conduct
an operation to kill Zawahiri without threatening the structural integrity of
the building and minimizing the risk to civilians and Zawahiri's family, the
official said.
*
In recent weeks, the president convened meetings with key advisors and Cabinet
members to scrutinize the intelligence and evaluate the best course of action.
On July 1, Biden was briefed on a proposed operation in the White House
Situation Room by members of his cabinet including CIA Director William Burns
Biden
"asked detailed questions about what we knew and how we knew it" and
closely examined a model of the safe house the intelligence community had built
and brought to the meeting.
He
asked about lighting, weather, construction materials, and other factors that
could affect the success of the operation, the official said. The president
also requested analysis of the potential ramifications of a strike in Kabul.
* A
tight circle of senior inter-agency lawyers examined the intelligence reporting
and confirmed that Zawahiri was a lawful target based on his continuing
leadership of al-Qaida.
On
July 25, the president convened his key Cabinet members and advisors to receive
a final briefing and discuss how killing Zawahiri would affect America's
relationship with the Taliban, among other issues, the official said. After
soliciting views from others in the room, Biden authorized "a precise
tailored air strike" on the condition that it minimize the risk of
civilian casualties.
Source:
Times Of India
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Ayman
al-Zawahiri death: Did US use secret 'flying ginsu' missile?
Aug
2, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Notorious al-Qaida head Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by two missiles fired at
his Kabul home -- but pictures showed no sign of an explosion, and US officials
say no one else was harmed.
That
points to the use again by the United States of the macabre Hellfire R9X, a
warhead-less missile believed equipped with six razor-like blades extending
from the fuselage that slices through its target but does not explode.
Never
publicly acknowledged by the Pentagon or CIA -- the two US agencies known to
undertake targeted assassinations of extremist leaders -- the R9X first
appeared in March 2017 when al-Qaida senior leader Abu al-Khayr al-Masri was
killed by a drone strike while traveling in a car in Syria.
Photos
of the vehicle showed a large hole through the roof, with the car's metal, and
all of the interior, including its occupants, physically shredded. But the
front and rear of the car appeared completely intact.
Up
until then, Hellfire missiles -- fired by drones in targeted attacks -- were
known for powerful explosions and often extensive collateral damage and deaths.
Since
2017, a handful of other finely-targeted attacks show similar results.
Details
of the mysterious weapon leaked out, and it was dubbed the "flying
ginsu," after a famous 1980s television commercial for ostensibly Japanese
kitchen knives that would cut cleanly through aluminum cans and remain
perfectly sharp.
Also
called the "ninja bomb," the missile has become the US munition of
choice for killing leaders of extremist groups while avoiding civilian
casualties.
That
is apparently what happened with Zawahiri.
A
US official told reporters that on the morning of July 31, Zawahiri was
standing alone on the balcony of his Kabul residence, when a US drone launched
the two Hellfires.
Apparent
photographs of the building show windows blown out on one floor, but the rest
of the building, including windows on other floors, still in place.
Source:
Times Of India
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Two
Presidents, Two Al-Qaeda Leaders & Similar Strikes: How US Followed Bin
Laden's Blueprint to Kill Ayman al-Zawahiri
AUGUST
02, 2022
The
US announced killing Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the world’s most
wanted terrorists and a mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, in a
drone strike in Kabul.
A
senior US official said Zawahiri was on the balcony of a house in Kabul when he
was targeted with two Hellfire missiles, an hour after sunrise on July 31, and
that there had been no US boots on the ground in Afghanistan. Biden said he
gave the final go-ahead for the high-precision strike and said justice has been
delivered.
Despite
a $25 million US bounty on his head, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was
apparently hiding in Afghanistan at a home in Kabul following Taliban’s
takeover. However, the US government had not given up its pursuit of one of the
planners of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the heir to Osama bin Laden.
The
officials described the operation as meticulously planned as that which killed
bin Laden in his Pakistan hideout in 2011.
DEATH
IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO LADEN
The
missile attack to kill the Al-Qaeda chief was similar to the operation to
eliminate Osama bin Laden. Laden, the Al-Qaeda commander, was killed in a
dramatic night-time raid by US helicopters and troops on his hideout in
Abbottabad near Pakistani capital, Islamabad in 2011.
Bin
Laden had been living in seclusion for at least five years in Abbottabad before
he was killed in a firefight, shot in the head, following which his body was
recovered and buried at sea.
However,
this time the strike was carried out without any ground support. The strike
involved a US drone, armed with two precision-guided Hellfire missiles, which
were launched at 6:18 am Sunday, Kabul time.
The
missiles appear not to have been ordinary Hellfires, whose high explosives
could have destroyed the home. The post-strike photographs of the building
showed only a few windows on one floor blown out, and the rest intact.
Obama
said that no civilian was killed in the strike and there were no deaths among
the family members.
The
so-called “flying ginsu" missile has been used a half-dozen or more times
by US forces to kill other jihadist group leaders without hurting bystanders.
TWO
DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTS
In
2011, President Barack Obama announced Osama bin Laden in a military operation
in Afghanistan.
In
a televised address, the US President said, “It was nearly 10 years ago that a
bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in
our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory… Today, at
my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that
compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the
operation with extraordinary courage and capability… After a firefight, they
killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”
Obama
invoked the horrors of the 9/11 attacks and reiterated that revenge has been
taken.
“We’ve
disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense… And around
the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of
al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot,” Obama
added.
On
the other hand, announcing the death of the second al-Qaida leader, President
Joe Biden in a televised address said, “This terrorist leader is no more… He
will never again, never again, allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist safe
haven because he is gone and we’re going to make sure that nothing else
happens.”
He
expressed hope that the killing of the al-Qaida leader brings “one more measure
of closure" to families of the victims of September 11, 2001, attacks on
the US.
Obama
got a second term as a Democrat President in 2012 and a significant credit for
the success goes to the killing of Bin Laden in 2011.
Biden,
who has been witnessing wavering support, especially post Covid-19 pandemic,
would also look to carry out the success to make way for a second term.
TACTICAL
OPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN
The
missile attack to kill Zawahiri was carried out a time when the US had already
withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan in 2021 following Taliban takeover.
The
attack was to be carried out through missile with no ground support. Therefore,
the security officials studied the construction of the home, aiming to hit
Zawahiri without threatening the building’s structural integrity and minimize
risk to civilians.
Defence
and intelligence officials finalized the plan in June and presented it to Biden
in the White House on July 1, using a detailed model of the residence, as was
done before the bin Laden raid. Biden asked detailed questions on the
structure, weather issues, and the risk to civilians, the official said.
Finally,
on July 25, Biden, still ill with Covid-19, made the decision. It took place
with key cabinet officials joining the final briefing, like in April, 2011
White House meeting where president Barack Obama decided to deploy US special
operations troops to enter Pakistan and get bin Laden.
At
that time Biden was vice president, and he expressed doubts. The risks of
things going wrong were high, bin Laden had not been clearly identified, and
relations with Pakistan could be at stake.
Source:
News18
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US
issues new Iran-related sanctions as nuclear deal talks remain stalled
01
August, 2022
The
US announced on Monday new designations against companies and a vessel for
violating Iran-related sanctions as talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal
remain at a standstill.
Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson
admitted that the sanctions were part of a pressure campaign to get Iran back
into full compliance with the now-defunct Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA).
“Until
such time as Iran is ready to return to full implementation of its commitments,
we will continue to enforce sanctions on the illicit sale of Iranian petroleum
and petrochemicals,” he said.
The
companies sanctioned were allegedly used by Iran’s Persian Gulf Petrochemical
Industry Commercial Co. (PGPICC) to facilitate the sale of tens of millions of
dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum from Iran to East Asia, the Treasury
Department said.
Four
of the companies are based in China, 1 in Singapore and another in the UAE. The
LPG tanker sanctioned is Panama flagged and called “Glory Harvest.”
The
State Department also announced the designation of two entities that purchased,
acquired, sold, transported, or marketed Iranian petroleum and petroleum
products, including providing logistical support to the Iranian petroleum
trade.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US
secretary of state backs EU proposal aimed at salvaging Iran nuclear deal
Darren
Lyn
02.08.2022
HOUSTON,
Texas
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday backed a proposal from the European
Union to try and salvage the Iran nuclear deal.
"It's
very consistent with something that they put forward in March that we've we
agreed to," said Blinken. "But it remains to be seen whether Iran is
willing and able to move forward."
The
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was established in 2015, but the US
withdrew from the deal in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.
Blinken
has indicated that the US is "prepared to move forward on the basis of
what's been agreed," but hopes of reviving the deal are uncertain as Iran
continues to breach its commitments under the JCPOA and grows its nuclear
arsenal.
"It
is not a perfect agreement, but it addresses all essential elements and
includes hard-won compromises by all sides," said EU foreign policy chief
Josep Borrell, who has been facilitating the negotiations.
"Decisions
need to be taken now to seize this unique opportunity to succeed, and to free
up the great potential of a fully implemented deal. I see no other comprehensive
or effective alternative within reach," he added.
Iran
has indicated that it is ready "to conclude the negotiations in a short
order, should the other side be ready to do the same."
"We
shared our proposed ideas, both on substance & form, to pave the way for a
swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations which were aimed at fixing the damaging
complicated situation caused by the U.S. unilateral & unlawful
withdrawal," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani tweeted on
Sunday.
"We
work closely with our JCPOA partners... to give another chance to the U.S. to
demonstrate good faith & act responsibly."
Blinken
said "the EU has put forward a best proposal based on many, many months of
discussions, negotiations, conversations.”
"We
continue to believe...that would be the best path forward -- a return to
compliance on both sides to the JCPOA, to make sure that we are putting Iran's
nuclear program back in a box and averting any kind of crisis."
Blinken's
words come as the US and Israel are conducting joint military exercises in the
Red Sea.
Three
US Navy vessels -- including a small destroyer with air-to-air missiles, cruise
missiles for long-range land attacks and torpedoes -- are working with two
Israeli vessels in the joint maritime drills.
“The
exercise is a bilateral training event between US Fifth Fleet and Israeli naval
forces that focuses on mission planning, maritime interdiction and other drills
at sea,” the US Navy said in a statement.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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US
mediator hopeful of Lebanon-Israel border demarcation deal
Wassim
Seif El Din
01.08.2022
US
mediator Amos Hochstein voiced hope Monday of reaching an agreement on maritime
border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel in coming weeks.
The
US envoy held talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel, Prime
Minister-designate Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
"I
remain optimistic that we can make continuous progress as we have over the last
several weeks and I look forward to coming back to the region and being able to
make the final arrangements," Hochstein told reporters.
On
Sunday, Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayad said the US mediator presented a
new proposal for demarcating maritime border with Israel.
The
proposal calls for maintaining Lebanon's complete right in the disputed Qana
gas field along with a change on line 23, a change that eventually would allow
ceding part of the disputed Karish gas field to Israel.
Lebanon
and Israel are engaged in a dispute over a maritime area that is 860 square
kilometers (332 square miles), according to maps sent by both counties to the
UN in 2011.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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South
Asia
No Tolerance
for Premarital Relationships; Taliban Flogs Three People Accused of Adultery
By
Saqalain Eqbal
01
Aug 2022
According
to Taliban local officials in Nangarhar province, in eastern Afghanistan, three
people—two men and one woman—were reportedly flogged publicly for committing
adultery.
The
newsletter of the Taliban governor’s office in Nangarhar province states that
these three individuals, who shared a residence, were tried and sentenced after
being detained on suspicion of having an illegal sexual relationship.
Each
of these three people reportedly received 39 lashes in public, according to the
publication.
The
newsletter about the implementation of this sentence states that “they were
flogged in front of people in public so that it would serve as a lesson to
others.”
As
for flogging, the Taliban has previously flogged people accused of adultery,
fornication and theft in the southern province of Kandahar.
Nearly
a month ago, three individuals in the province of Kandahar were subjected to 39
flogs for allegedly committing adultery and theft.
Public
executions and public floggings, in the opinion of an Afghan legal scholar, are
inevitable as a result of the Taliban’s reforms to Afghanistan’s justice
system, which are based on their strict interpretation of Islamic law,
particularly when it comes to “crimes against God.”
Human
Rights Watch, on the other hand, sees the Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of
Virtue and Prevention of Vice as a “notorious symbol of abuse”, especially for
Afghan women and girls.
Source:
Khaama Press
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Taliban
Condemns US Airstrike In Kabul That Killed Al Qaeda Chief
August
2, 2022
Kabul:
The United States carried out a drone strike on a residence in Kabul over the
weekend, the Taliban's chief spokesman said on Monday.
Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the attack took place on
Sunday and condemned it as a violation of "international principles"
and the 2020 agreement on a US troop withdrawal.
Source:
ND TV
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Joint
Committee for Preventing Border Skirmishes to be Formed by Iran & Taliban
By
Saqalain Eqbal
01
Aug 2022
Hassan
Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, stated that a
meeting was held with Iranian representatives and the Ministry of Defense of
the Taliban government, announcing the formation of a joint committee to
prevent border clashes.
The
meeting followed a border fight between the forces of Iran and Afghanistan’s
Taliban on Sunday, July 31, that resulted in one death from the Afghan side.
Iran’s
Special Representative for Afghanistan tweeted on Sunday that the Taliban
government’s Ministry of Defense had discussed avoiding hostilities, and armed
clashes and establishing a joint committee to prevent repeating similar actions
during a discussion with the border forces.
At
least one person was killed on the Afghanistan side of the border clashes on
Sunday between Taliban fighters and Iranian border guards, according to a
police official in Afghanistan.
The
Iranian media cited Maysam Barazandeh, the governor of the Iranian border
region of Hirmand, as stating that the fight had ceased and no one had been
injured on the Iranian side.
One
Taliban soldier was killed and another was wounded in the clash, according to
Taliban border commander Mohammad Ebrahim Hewad, which took place in the
Darwish area of the Kang district in Nimruz province, which borders Iran.
TOLOnews
quoted Hewad saying that the clash was started by the Iranian border guards.
The
Iranian media, however, claims that violence started when Taliban militants
invaded Iranian territory in Hirmand, a town in the Iranian province of Sistan
and Balochistan, and sought to raise their flag.
Since
the Taliban’s armed occupation of Afghanistan in August 2021, other similar
occurrences have occurred, on the Iranian, Pakistani and Tajik borders.
Source:
Khaama Press
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Taliban
accuses global community of violating Afghan women’s dignity
1
August, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], August 1 (ANI): Taliban on Monday accused the international
community of trying to violate Afghan women’s dignity under the guise of human
rights.
Acting
Minister of Vice and Virtue, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, speaking to a gathering in
the northern province of Faryab, said that human rights have been violated
mostly by the international community in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.
“The
world wants to violate the dignity of our sisters and make them indecent and
exposed. What type of right is this? The international community wants a guy
and girl to be sitting in one chair–neither our nation, nor our beliefs and
religion supports this,” he said.
The
allegations come amid deteriorating conditions of women under Taliban in
Afghanistan. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
released a report which highlighted that women’s rights have eroded in
Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.
The
report stated that the erosion of women’s rights has been one of the most
notable aspects of the de facto administration to date. Before the Taliban came
to power, women and girls have progressively had their rights to fully
participate in education, the workplace and other aspects of public and daily
life.
However,
these rights have been restricted and in many cases completely taken away
following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban.
A
decision taken by the Taliban prevented girls from returning to secondary
school which meant that a generation of girls will not complete their full 12
years of basic education. At the same time, access to justice for victims of
gender-based violence has been limited by the dissolution of dedicated
reporting pathways, justice mechanisms and shelters, it added.
Referring
to the physical appearance of some Taliban forces, Hanafi said that some parts
of the decree of the Islamic Emirate’s supreme leader are not obeyed, reported
Tolo News.
The
Vice and Virtue minister also called on government employees to adjust their
appearance based on Sharia.
“All
employees that are in the provinces, districts and ministries should make their
appearances according to Islamic values,” Hanafi said.
He
said that after the Taliban swept into power, the women are observing the hijab
“100 per cent,” reported Tolo News.
“To
the Mujahedeen, who are in the security department, corps and intelligence
department or they are in the Department of Vice and Virtue or the Department
of Education, and their hair is long; this is disobedience, and we are obliged
to make the appearance of the Mujahideen based on Sharia,” he said.
Meanwhile,
the religious clerics who participated in the gathering expressed their demands
from the Islamic Emirate.
“The
hair (length) which the Mujahedeen of the Islamic Emirate wear should be based
on Sharia,” said Zainul Abideen, an Islamic cleric.
Source:
The Print
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Request
India and Pakistan to Resolve Issues and Open Trade Vistas: Taliban Minister
Sirajuddin Haqqani
By:
Manoj Gupta
AUGUST
02, 2022
In
an exclusive interview to News18, Taliban leader and Afghanistan’s interior
minister Sirajuddin Haqqani made an appeal to India and Pakistan to resolve
outstanding issues coming in the way of reopening trade avenues in the region.
The interview was conducted just a kilometer from the Sherpur location where Al
Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri would be killed in a US strike two days later.
Wishing
for economic stability in the region, Haqqani said the fiscal crisis plaguing
neighbour Pakistan can be addressed with help from other Asian nations. “These
days, Pakistan too is facing economic crisis. We are closely associated with
Pakistan as a neighbouring country. We wish its problem diminishes with the
passage of time. Asian countries can play a vital and indispensable role in
Pakistan getting over the crisis it is currently facing… Their (Asian
countries) role can lessen the burden of Afghanistan too,” Haqqani said.
Asked
about Afghanistan’s relations with Iran and Pakistan, the Taliban leader said:
“It is the need of the hour that the promises we made to the world, neighbours,
in the region, in pursuit of these goals… We are striving hard to have friendly
and cordial relations with the neighbouring countries.”
“We
have established peace and a secure environment. So we request both countries
(Pakistan and India) that they resolve their issues and open the vistas of
trade. Moreover, we the people of Afghanistan need cooperation from both the
countries,” Haqqani said.
Speaking
about the unprovoked firing by Pakistan along the Durand Line which separates
the two countries, Haqqani said the Afghan government has formed teams to carry
out investigations. “Issues have cropped up in the last 20 years and we are
working on them sincerely. We have formed teams to carry out surveys,
investigations and research.”
Pakistan
has enjoyed good relations with the Afghan Taliban for years even though
Pakistan was officially an ally of the United States during its 20-year
occupation of Afghanistan.
But
as Pakistan grapples with violence by Pakistani Islamists and separatists, its
appeals to the Taliban to control their side of the border have not brought the
action it hopes to see. Increasingly frustrated, Pakistani officials have been
pressing the Taliban to deny space and resources to the militants.
In
Kabul, the Taliban reject suggestions Afghan territory is used for attacks into
Pakistan and hope talks can solve the problem.
Source: News18
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Myanmar
violence, Ukraine war loom over ASEAN meetings
August
02, 2022
PHNOM
PENH: Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering in the Cambodian capital
for meetings addressing persisting violence in Myanmar and other issues, joined
by top diplomats from the United States, China, Russia and other world powers
amid tensions over the invasion of Ukraine and concerns over Beijing’s growing
ambitions in the region.
The
meeting in Phnom Penh of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will see US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
together at the same venue for the second time in a month, though it’s not
clear whether the two will meet.
The
two did not meet separately when they both attended the Group of 20 foreign
ministers’ meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in early July. But they had their first
direct contact since before Russia invaded Ukraine in a phone call Friday, when
Blinken urged Moscow to accept a deal to release American detainees Brittney
Griner and Paul Whelan and discussed other issues.
Also
attending is Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Many have urged Beijing to use
its partnership with Russia to push for an end to the conflict in Ukraine and
to help promote peace and a return to civilian rule in Myanmar after a February
2021 coup sparked mass protests and an armed resistance.
The
meetings come at a time of tension between Washington and Beijing as the US
pushes back against China’s growing economic and military influence in the
Asia-Pacific.
US
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is touring the region and may visit Taiwan. That has
heightened friction further, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao
Lijian cautioning last week that “those who play with fire will perish by it.”
Communist-ruled
China considers Taiwan its own territory, and has said it might reclaim the
island by force if it deems it necessary. The US follows a “one China” policy
in which it recognizes Beijing as the government of China yet maintains
informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan.
The
Russian invasion of Ukraine, its impact on global food and energy prices and
escalating China-US friction are of high concern for the 10 ASEAN nations, said
Susannah Patton, director of the Southeast Asia Program for Australia’s Lowy
Institute.
“This
is one of the first regional meetings of foreign ministers to have been held in
person since 2019, so for the United States, China and even Russia, meetings
like this are a really important opportunity to demonstrate their support for
ASEAN and present their own narratives about their commitment to regional
security and prosperity,” she said.
Blinken,
Wang and Lavrov have all been jockeying for influence recently in multiple
foreign trips. Following the meetings, Blinken heads to the Philippines and
then on to Africa.
Biden
hosted ASEAN leaders at the White House in May at the group’s first-ever summit
in Washington. During those meetings, Biden announced he was nominating one of
his top national security aides as ambassador to the group, underscoring the
Asia-Pacific region’s importance to the US.
The
ASEAN meetings also bring together some countries that have, or are
negotiating, partnerships with ASEAN, including India, Japan, South Korea,
Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Britain, Australia, New Zealand
and Canada.
Australia,
in particular, has highlighted the importance of the ASEAN nations, with
Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying last month that they should see new
alliances, including the “Quad” group of Australia, US, India and New Japan and
the “AUKUS” group of Australia, the United Kingdom and the US, as beneficial to
the region.
“ASEAN
centrality means that we will always think about our security in the context of
your security,” she said at a forum in Singapore.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2134156/world
--------
Arab
World
Ayman
al-Zawahiri: From Cairo physician to al-Qaida leader
Aug
2, 2022
DUBAI:
Ayman al-Zawahiri succeeded Osama bin Laden as al-Qaida leader after years as
its main organiser and strategist, but his lack of charisma and competition
from rival militants Islamic State hobbled his ability to inspire sizeable
attacks on the West.
Zawahiri,
71, was killed in a U.S. drone strike, U.S. President Joe Biden said on live
television on Monday evening. U.S. officials said the attack took place on
Sunday in the Afghan capital Kabul.
In
the years following bin Laden's death in 2011, U.S. air strikes killed a
succession of Zawahiri's deputies, weakening the veteran Egyptian militant's
ability to coordinate globally.
He
had watched as al-Qaida was effectively sidelined by the 2011 Arab revolts,
launched mainly by middle-class activists and intellectuals opposed to decades
of autocracy.
Despite
a reputation as an inflexible and combative personality, Zawahiri managed to
nurture loosely affiliated groups around the world that grew to wage
devastating insurgencies, some of them rooted in turmoil arising from the Arab
Spring. The violence destabilised a number of countries across Asia, Africa and
the Middle East.
But
al-Qaida's days as the centrally directed, hierarchical network of plotters
that attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were long gone. Instead,
militancy returned to its roots in local-level conflicts, driven by a mix of
local grievances and incitement by transnational jihadi networks using social
media.
Zawahiri's
origins in Islamist militancy went back decades.
The
first time the world heard of him was when he stood in a courtroom cage after
the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat in 1981.
"We
have sacrificed and we are still ready for more sacrifices until the victory of
Islam," shouted Zawahiri, wearing a white robe, as fellow defendants
enraged by Sadat's peace treaty with Israel chanted slogans.
Zawahiri
served a three-year jail term for illegal arms possession, but was acquitted of
the main charges.
A
trained surgeon - one of his pseudonyms was The Doctor - Zawahiri went to
Pakistan on his release where he worked with the Red Crescent treating Islamist
mujahideen guerrillas wounded in Afghanistan fighting Soviet forces.
During
that period, he became acquainted with bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi who had
joined the Afghan resistance.
Taking
over the leadership of Islamic Jihad in Egypt in 1993, Zawahiri was a leading
figure in a campaign in the mid-1990s to overthrow the government and set up a
purist Islamic state. More than 1,200 Egyptians were killed.
Egyptian
authorities mounted a crackdown on Islamic Jihad after an assassination attempt
on President Hosni Mubarak in June of 1995 in Addis Ababa. The greying,
white-turbaned Zawahiri responded by ordering a 1995 attack on the Egyptian
embassy in Islamabad. Two cars filled with explosives rammed through the
compound's gates, killing 16 people.
In
1999, an Egyptian military court sentenced Zawahiri to death in absentia. By
then he was living the spartan life of a militant after helping Bin Laden to
form al-Qaida.
A
videotape aired by Al Jazeera in 2003 showed the two men walking on a rocky
mountainside - an image that Western intelligence hoped would provide clues on
their whereabouts.
THREATS
OF GLOBAL JIHAD
For
years Zawahiri was believed to be hiding along the forbidding border between
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
This
year, U.S. officials identified that Zawahiri's family - his wife, his daughter
and her children - had relocated to a safe house in Kabul and subsequently
identified Zawahiri at the same location, a senior administration official
said.
He
was killed in a drone attack when he came out on the balcony of the house on
Sunday morning, the official said. No one else was hurt.
Zawahiri
assumed leadership of al-Qaida in 2011 after U.S. Navy Seals killed bin Laden
in his hideout in Pakistan. Since then he repeatedly called for global jihad,
with an Ak-47 as his side during video messages.
In
a eulogy for bin Laden, Zawahiri promised to pursue attacks on the West,
recalling the Saudi-born militant’s threat that "you will not dream of
security until we live it as a reality and until you leave the lands of the
Muslims".
As
it turned out, the emergence of the even more hardline Islamic State in
2014-2019 in Iraq and Syria drew as much, if not more, attention from Western
counter-terrorism authorities.
Zawahiri
often tried to stir passions among Muslims by commenting online about sensitive
issues such as U.S. policies in the Middle East or Israeli actions against
Palestinians, but his delivery was seen as lacking bin Laden's magnetism.
On
a practical level, Zawahiri is believed to have been involved in some of
al-Qaida's biggest operations, helping organise the 2001 attacks, when
airliners hijacked by al-Qaida were used to kill 3,000 people in the United
States.
He
was indicted for his alleged role in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in
Kenya and Tanzania. The FBI put a $25 million bounty on his head on its most
wanted list.
PROMINENT
FAMILY
Zawahiri
did not emerge from Cairo's slums, like others drawn to militant groups who
promised a noble cause. Born in 1951 to a prominent Cairo family, Zawahiri was
a grandson of the grand imam of Al Azhar, one of Islam's most important
mosques.
Zawahiri
was raised in Cairo’s leafy Maadi suburb, a place favoured by expatriates from
the Western nations he railed against. The son of a pharmacology professor,
Zawahiri first embraced Islamic fundamentalism at the age of 15.
He
was inspired by the revolutionary ideas of Egyptian writer Sayyid Qutb, an
Islamist executed in 1966 on charges of trying to overthrow the state.
People
who studied with Zawahiri at Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine in the
1970s describe a lively young man who went to the cinema, listened to music and
joked with friends.
“When
he came out of prison he was a completely different person,” said a doctor who
studied with Zawahiri and declined to be named.
In
the courtroom cage after the assassination of Sadat at a military parade,
Zawahiri addressed the international press, saying militants had suffered from
severe torture including whippings and attacks by wild dogs in prison.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sharia
does not forbid use of visa cards in purchases: Former Grand Mufti
August
1, 2022
The
former Grand Mufti and a member of the Al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars in
Al-Azhar, Ali Gomaa, denied a fatwa attributed to him about forbidding the use
of visa cards in making purchases and then paying the money back to banks in
installments.
In
a statement to Masrawy, Gomaa denied making the statement.
“If
a person makes a purchase using a Visa Card and pays the same amount [they
borrowed] to the bank before the end of the grace period, it is permissible,
but if they pay after the end of the grace period it is not permissible and
forbidden,” websites quoted Gomaa as saying.
Source:
Egypt Independent
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Thousands
of anti-Sadr demonstrators protest parliament occupation
01
August, 2022
Thousands
of demonstrators opposed to Iraq's powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr staged a
protest on Monday at the edge of Baghdad's fortified government zone, where
Sadr's supporters were holding an open-ended occupation of Iraq's parliament.
The
rival Shia Muslim groups are affiliated with heavily armed militias, raising
fears of clashes as tension soars over the failure to form a government nearly
10 months after an October election - the country's longest post-election
deadlock.
Sadr's
opponents include a grouping of parties and militias mostly aligned with Iran.
That grouping, known as the Shia Coordination Framework, said Monday's protest
aimed to protect state institutions against the civil unrest of the Sadrists.
Outside
Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses the parliament building which Sadr's
supporters took over last week, the protesters threw stones at police. From
behind concrete barriers, police responded by spraying them with water.
“We'll
stay here if we’re told, and march in if we’re told,” said one of the
protesters, Abu Ahmed al-Basri, a 58-year-old teacher from Basra, waving a
banner calling for the downfall of outgoing Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi -
who remains as caretaker until a new government is formed.
Supporters
of Sadr said they were awaiting his command.
“We're
ready for whatever Sadr orders,” said Kadhim Haitham, on his way to join the
parliament sit-in. “We're against the Framework. All they've got is statements
and no popular support.”
Sadr
supporters stormed parliament with ease twice last week as security forces
stood back.
A
commander of a pro-Iran militia said he feared clashes on Monday and hoped calm
heads would prevail.
“The
situation in Iraq is very tough. We hope God will deliver us from fighting
among the brothers. If things devolve, it will ruin the whole region,” the
commander said, declining to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the
media.
Sadr
came first in the October election, but withdrew all his lawmakers from
parliament after he failed to form a government that excluded his Shia rivals.
He
has since exerted political pressure through his masses of loyal followers,
mostly working-class Shias from poor neighborhoods in Baghdad and across southern
Iraq, the heartland of the country's Shia majority.
Sadr's
actions have prevented his rivals, including bitter foe, ex-Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki, from forming a government. Parliament must choose a president
and premier and cannot convene while it is occupied by Sadr's followers.
The
Sadrists have called for new elections and an end to the political system that
has existed since the US-led invasion which toppled Sunni dictator Saddam
Hussein.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Al-Sadr movement rejects
call for dialogue amid protests in Iraq
Raed
Hamed
01.08.2022
BAGHDAD
The
movement of Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has rejected a call by the head
of a rival group for dialogue amid rising tensions across the country.
Hadi
al-Ameri, the head of the Shia Al-Fatah coalition, earlier called on al-Sadr to
engage in dialogue amid protests by supporters against the nomination of a new
prime minister.
But
Ahmed al-Mutayri, the head of al-Sadr movement’s political bureau, rejected the
call and urged al-Ameri to withdraw from the Coordination Framework, a
coalition of groups close to Iran.
“Any
dialogue is conditional on the withdrawal of al-Ameri and his group from the
Coordination Framework,” he added.
Tension
escalated across Iraq in recent days following the nomination of Mohammed Shia
al-Sudani as a new prime minister by the Coordination Framework, a move that
triggered protests by al-Sadr’s supporters.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
86
Syrian civilians killed in July: Rights group
Mohammad
Mistou
01.08.2022
A
Syrian rights group said Monday it documented the killing of 86 civilians, including
children and women, in July.
In
a statement, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said 21 children and eight
women were among the victims.
Five
of the victims were tortured to death, the NGO added.
According
to the rights group, 18 civilians were killed in regime and Russian attacks,
while 57 victims lost their lives in attacks by other groups.
The
NGO said 14 civilians, including six children, died in landmine
explosions.
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/86-syrian-civilians-killed-in-july-rights-group/2651087
--------
Supporters
of pro-Iran groups protest near Baghdad’s Green Zone
Haydar
Karaalp
01.08.2022
BAGHDAD
Supporters
of Iraqi groups close to Iran staged demonstrations in the capital Baghdad on
Monday amid attempts to storm the fortified Green Zone.
Supporters
of the Coordination Framework bypassed three military checkpoints and rallied
at the gate of the Green Zone, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter at the
scene.
Security
forces intervened to break up the crowd, using water cannons to prevent
protesters from storming the zone, he said.
Demonstrators
chanted slogans against Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and in support of
former Premier Nouri al-Maliki.
For
his part, Qais Khazali, the leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a powerful Shia
faction, called on protesters to withdraw from the area, a call heeded by
demonstrators.
Tension
escalated across Iraq in recent days following the nomination of Mohammed Shia
al-Sudani as a new prime minister by the Coordination Framework amid protests
by supporters of influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Persecution
of Ahmadiyya community continues in Pakistan, PML-Q issues new eviction diktat
1
August, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], August 1 (ANI): The issue of persecution of the Ahmadiyya community
surfaced again in Pakistan’s Punjab province after Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid
(PML-Q) Punjab Vice President Malik Ilyas Awan’s called to have them evicted
from Khushab and their security withdrawn on the grounds that they should be
restricted to Chenab Nagar.
Awan
on July 30 wrote an application to the Deputy Commissioner of Khushab wherein
he wrote that security to Qadianis/Ahmadiyyas is a mockery of the Pakistan
Constitution, which must be stopped, local media reported.
“It
is requested that Qadianis cannot worship freely in the Islamic state of
Pakistan. During Bhutto Shaheed’s government, an area in Chenab Nagar had been
allocated for a particular period under an agreement. They cannot do worship
outside this area,” he wrote.
Pakistan
is more phobic of the Ahmadiyya sect and its interpretation of Islam than most
other nations where the community is present.
Ahmadis
number about 4 million in Pakistan, but the community has been forbidden to
call itself Muslim since 1974 by the Pakistani Constitution which considers
them “infidels”.
Resultantly,
Ahmadis are not even allowed to call their houses of prayer “mosques,” while
basic religious practices associated with Islam are forbidden for them.
Awan
in a letter to DC Khushab further stated that Pakistan is an Islamic state,
while Namaz prayers are offered and preaching is carried out every Friday at
the house of Tariq Wirk, located in Joharabad New Satellite Town which is
totally against the constitution of the Islamic state.
He
also said that the presence of Ahmadiyyas in the area is adversely impacting
the environment of the children.
“It
is requested that their (Ahmadiyyas) security must be lifted immediately and
enquiry be held in this regard. Those who don’t have faith in the finality of
prophethood must be ousted from the district,” wrote Awan.
Meanwhile,
the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday strongly condemned
PML-Q Punjab Vice President Malik Ilyas Awan’s call to have the local Ahmadiyya
community evicted from Khushab and their security withdrawn.
“The
ghettoisation of this long-persecuted community must cease. No authority has
the right to dictate where any citizen chooses to live,” said HRCP.
The
HRCP further stressed that no authority has the right to dictate where any
citizen chooses to live.
“The
state is under a constitutional responsibility to protect the Ahmadiyya
community’s right to life, to live where they choose and to profess their faith
safely,” added HRCP.
It
also raised concern over the incitement to violence implicit in the PML-Q
leader’s demand.
The
Ahmadi community faces persecution in Pakistan in the form of hate crimes and
mob violence and their schools, mosques and public events like wedding parties
are usual targets.
These
incidents are further aided by institutional apathy which prevents any action
against the attackers, reported JustEarth news.
They
remain the most vulnerable prey of Pakistan’s violent blasphemy laws, with at
least 13 Ahmadis killed and 40 wounded since 2017 owing to their identity.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ECP
Says Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of Imran Khan Received 'Prohibited Funds' From 34
Foreign Nationals
August
02, 2022
The
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday said the Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) received 'prohibited funds' from 34 foreign nationals and
issued the party a show cause notice.
A
three-member bench of the ECP announced the unanimous verdict — reserved in
June earlier this year.
The
electoral watchdog declared that 13 'unknown' accounts have been found linked
to the party and the submissions by PTI chief Imran Khan was also 'inaccurate
and wrong'.
“This
Commission is constrained to hold that Mr Imran Khan failed to discharge his
obligations as mandated under the Pakistani Statutes. The Chairman PTI has or
successive five years (2008-2009 to 2012-2013) under review and examination has
submitted Form-1 and signed a Certificate which is not consistent with [the]
accounting information before us which has been gathered and complied on the
basis of information obtained from Banks through [the] State Bank of
Pakistan," said the judgement by the ECP.
“Mr
Imran Khan for the five years under review has filed submissions which were
grossly inaccurate and wrong. Even during the course of Scrutiny and Hearing by
this Commission, PTI continued to conceal and withhold complete and full
disclosure of [the] source of its funds."
Imran
had personally issued certificates to the ECP in regards to Article 13(2) of
the PPO to the effect that PTI “does not receive funds from prohibited
sources”, meaning thereby that the PTI is not a foreign-aided political party.
The
election commission, in its verdict, also stated the party violated Article 17
of the Constitution.
'Battle
between truth and strength'
The
petitioner of the case, PTI founding member Akbar S Babar, spoke to the media
after the verdict's announcement and thanked God and his late mother for
"victory" in "this battle".
"We
were fighting against a mountain. This was a battle of truth versus strength
and we were victorious."
Babar
stated that there was no personal benefit for him in this case, rather the
nation benefitted as Pakistani politics needed a pivotal change so that
political parties were tested under the law.
He
thanked the ECP, stating that we [the people] had to trust and strengthen state
institutions.
"We
were tested many times over these past eight years but this very same election
commission has agreed with all my arguments."
Reiterating
the decision of the electoral watchdog, Babar maintained that the ECP had
agreed that the PTI received funding from foreign individuals and companies and
that several certificates submitted by Imran were "fake".
"Imran
Khan used to threaten PTI, would insult the chief of the election commission
and attack people personally", he claimed, adding that he believed this
was "fascism".
He
claimed that the ECP's decision was a step towards uprooting PTI's
"fascism".
'Not
a case of foreign funding'
PTI
leader Farrukh Habib said that the party has maintained that "this was not
a foreign funding case, this was a case about prohibited funding".
He
further stated that those who propelled the narrative of the case being about
"foreign funding" have been severely disappointed that the PTI was
not banned today, it was only served a show cause notice.
"We
will give a sufficient reply to the notice", he concluded.
Maleeka
Bokhari, talking to the media after Habib, said media groups against the PTI
and the coalition parties of PDM had "lost hope" today.
She
claimed that the PTI was not the kind of party to accept foreign funding,
however, the "propaganda" against it was furthered for years.
According
to Bokhari, investigation committees were formed in 2018 to inquire into PTI
funding but their reports were never made public because they proved nothing
against the party. She maintained that the "biggest democratic party in
Pakistan" was being pushed to the corner through a constitutional
institution.
She
asked PDM leaders to show their bank accounts, alleging that Benazir Bhutto had
said that the PML-N felled her government with Osama Bin Laden's money and
questioned why did the JUI-F had received funding from Libya's Saif al-Islam
Gaddafi.
"All
of this should have been done within the law, however, it is sad that these
parties cannot match the PTI constitutionally and legally".
PTI's
Fawad Chaudhry thanked those who fought the case for the last eight years.
"PTI
is Pakistan's only party that conducts proper public funding drives. No other
political party does this", the former information minister said.
He
maintained that the case was about funding from 2008 to 2013 and that the PTI
had collected approximately Rs3-4 billion, a major part of which came from
overseas Pakistanis.
"I
don't understand why PML-N, PPP, JUI have made overseas Pakistanis their enemy
when we consider them the backbone of our economy", he said adding that
the party will still rely on them for funding.
'Your
politics have been buried'
Shiekh
Rashid, a close ally of Imran, said after today the politics of PDM will be
"buried". He expressed confidence that the case, if it is taken to
the Supreme Court, will be done with in a single hearing.
He
further said that the ECP should also decide on the funding cases of PML-N and
PPP. "Nawaz Sharif took funds from al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden."
When
asked if there was any 'back-channel diplomacy', Rashid said he does not know
of any such developments but politicians "never close their doors".
"Imran
Khan is a popular voice of the people."
Security
in the federal capital was placed on high alert before the much-awaited
verdict. Extra contingents of police and riot police forces were deployed to
avoid any untoward incident.
Before
the verdict's announcement, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said the decision of the
ECP will be in accordance with earlier court judgements, and the electoral
watchdog will decide against the three main political parties of Pakistan -
PTI, PML-N and PPP.
The
former information added that political decisions "will be made by the
people and not the ECP".
Govt
presses ECP to give verdict
he
development came as constituent parties of the coalition government led by
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been calling upon the ECP to announce
the verdict in the case at the earliest.
Leaders
of the ruling coalition from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday met senior officials of the ECP, including
the chief election commissioner (CEC), in an effort to convince the electoral
body to announce its verdict reserved in the prohibited funding case involving
the PTI.
Addressing
a news conference after the meeting, PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid
Khaqan Abbasi said that the joint delegation spoke with the ECP officials,
urging them to “decide the case of prohibited foreign funding as soon as
possible”.
“The
prohibited funding case has been ongoing for eight years,” he had said. “The
election law says that if a party takes money from a foreign individual, it has
to be declared.”
Subsequently,
the PTI announced to file a ‘judicial reference’ against CEC Sikander Sultan
Raja and other members of the ECP for allegedly violating the code of conduct.
Imran
announces 'peaceful protest' outside ECP
Meanwhile,
PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan continued his tirade against the
electoral body Monday and announced to hold a peaceful protest outside of the
ECP on Thursday, demanding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan
Raja’s resignation.
Addressing
the members at the PTI's national council meeting in the federal capital, he
demanded that the election commission refrains from conducting the next general
elections under any circumstances.
The
party chairperson said that he will hold elections within his party after the
general elections to ensure meritocracy.
The
former prime minister said that he wanted electronic voting machines (EVMs) for
free and fair elections but the chief election commissioner (CEC) tried every
way possible to sabotage it.
"The
ruling parties disagreed with holding elections through EVMs because they
wanted to rig the elections. Before the by-elections in Punjab, our party was
the only one preparing to stop the polls from getting rigged," he added.
A
day earlier, the PTI chief had a day earlier formally directed his legal team
to initiate the process of filing the reference against the CEC and ECP members
for meeting a delegation of the ruling alliance and discussing the prohibited
funding case against PTI with them.
SC
judgment on foreign funding
The
Supreme Court has already discussed in detail the question of foreign funding
in its 2017 judgment on a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
(PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi, who had sought the disqualification of Imran Khan.
The
SC bench led by the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar,
while making a distinction between a ‘foreign aided’ party and ‘prohibited
funding’, referred to the case on December 16, 2017, to the ECP for a probe.
The
judgment noted that it is the duty of the ECP to scrutinise accounts of
political parties on the touchstone of Article 6(3) of the PPO read in the
light of Article 17(3) of the Constitution.
However,
the apex court in its judgment had noted that it is not the case that the PTI
was formed or organised at the instance of any government or political party of
a foreign country or is affiliated to or associated with any government or
political party of a foreign country, or receives any aid, financial or
otherwise, from any government or political party of a foreign country.
Source:
Tribune Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pak
army helicopter with 6 senior officers on relief mission feared crashed in
Balochistan province
Aug
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A Pakistan army aviation helicopter carrying six senior military officers,
including a top commander of XII Corps, is feared to have crashed while on a
flood relief operation in Balochistan province after losing contact with air
traffic control.
"A
Pakistan army aviation helicopter which was on flood relief operations in
Lasbela, Balochistan lost contact with ATC. 6 individuals were on board
including Commander 12 Corps who was supervising flood relief operations in
Balochistan. The search operation is underway," Major General Babar
Iftikhar, director general Inter-Services Public Relations -- the media wing of
Pakistan's armed forces -- said in a tweet on Monday.
The
Pakistan army is yet to confirm the crash.
They
have so far confirmed the news of the helicopter going missing.
A
police source, however, said that the helicopter apparently crashed near a
place called Sassi Pannu in a mountainous region in Lasbela.
The
six individuals on board included the Commander XII Corps Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali,
who was supervising the flood relief operations in Balochistan province.
The
others on board included Major Syed the pilot, Major Talha the co-pilot,
director-general of Coast Guards Brigadier Amjad, Engineer Brigadier Khalid and
Chief Naik Mudassir.
Deputy
inspector-General Khuzdar Pervez Imrani conceded that the area where the
helicopter reportedly went missing was mountainous terrain, without jeep paths,
complicating search operations.
Pakistan
prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern over the incident.
“The
reports of a missing helicopter of Army Aviation are very concerning. The whole
nation bows in front of Allah for safety and return of personnel involved in
flood relief operations," he tweeted.
Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan tweeted: “Disturbing news of army aviation
helicopter missing and praying for all those on board.”
Heavy
rains and flash floods have wreaked havoc in Balochistan, claiming 147 lives.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Pakistan,
Chinese armies ‘brothers in arms’: COAS
August
2, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday said the Peoples
Liberation Army (PLA) of China and the Pakistan Army were brothers in arms and
their relationship would continue to contribute towards safeguarding their
collective interests.
General
Bajwa was the chief guest at ceremony to mark the 95th anniversary of the
founding of the PLA at the General Headquarters (GHQ). The ceremony was also
attended by Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong, embassy officials and officers from
the tri-services.
According
to a statement by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS
felicitated the PLA and lauded its role in China’s defence, security and nation
building.
The
COAS said that the relationship between Pakistan and China was “unique and
robust and has proven its resilience in the face of challenges.”
Speaking
on the occasion, Ambassador Rong said that China and Pakistan were iron
brothers, all-weather friends and strategic partners.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702790/pakistan-chinese-armies-brothers-in-arms-coas
--------
TikTok
Creator Portal launched in Pakistan
Shazia
Hasan
August
2, 2022
KARACHI:
TikTok launched its Creator Portal in Pakistan on Monday, a one-stop shop for
educational resources on content creation for creators on its platform.
The
portal, which can be accessed on the TikTok account @tiktokcreatorspakistan, is
a series of videos that will provide guidance, tips and tricks to help creators
maximise their in-app presence and take their videos to the next level.
It
will help creators dive deeper into modules such as storytelling, community
building and creative effects, aimed at inspiring and diversifying content
creation on the platform.
A
TikTok statement said: “Creators are the heart and soul of TikTok. They make
the application a welcoming place where millions of people come for
entertainment, learning and fun, and TikTok offers anyone a chance to reach an
audience, without needing to be a celebrity or social influencer with a large
following. While becoming a creator is as simple as tapping a few buttons,
thriving as a creator takes time, dedication and some education. With the
different tools, analytics, effects and creative ideas to balance on a TikTok
account, making a strategy for creating content can be daunting.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702756/tiktok-creator-portal-launched-in-pakistan
--------
Another
batch of Punjab police officers marked for ‘Azadi March violence’ removed
Asif
Chaudhry
August
2, 2022
LAHORE:
The Punjab government removed Punjab CTD DIG retired Capt Sohail Chaudhry from
his post within a day and surrendered his services to Islamabad.
An
official privy to the Punjab government told Dawn on Monday that the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership had marked 30 police officers for their
“controversial” actions during the May 25 Azadi March.
Some
of them were labelled as being close to the top leadership of the PML-N.
According
to the source, former Lahore DIG Sohail Chaudhry, Additional IG Usman Anwar and
former capital city police officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana were at the top of
the list.
On
Monday, the government also removed Mr Anwar and repatriated him to Islamabad.
He was posted during the tenure of the PML-N in Punjab on the recommendations
of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Being an additional IG (AIG) of the special
branch, he was said to be a highly influential police officer and directly
reported the police matters to then chief minister Hamza Shehbaz.
Mr
Chaudhry was first removed from his post of DIG Operations Lahore on July 31
and posted in the CTD on the recommendations by Inspector General of Police
Faisal Shahkar.
Mr
Shahkar defended Mr Chaudhry’s posting in the province and convinced the chief
minister that any decision like sending him out of the province would be
tantamount to ‘victimization’ and consequently, the Services & General
Administration Department issued a notification of his appointment as the CTD DIG
of Punjab on July 31. The following day, he was surrendered to Islamabad.
Earlier,
PTI spokesperson Shahbaz Gill re-tweeted a photo of Mr Chaudhry in “uniform”
from his official account with comments: ‘The way Sohail Chaudhry violated
laws, it was shameful’. He added the PTI would not forget his ‘actions’,
leaving a message to wait for the law to take a course against the police
officer.
Following
his transfer, Mr Gill again tweeted the notification wherein the services of Mr
Chaudhry were surrendered to the establishment division in Islamabad. He wrote:
“Now there will be the accountability of those who insulted women, resorted to
violence against children and lawyers. Legal action will be taken against them.
This is the first step. Now the law will take its course. Khan did not forget
May 25. Will not forget”.
Police
circles say that the government in Punjab was victimizing the police officers
with ‘politically motivated decisions.
In
addition to this, the Punjab government also reshuffled 10 more police officers
making three of them officials on special duty (OSDs).
According
to the notification, Muzafargharrh DPO retired Capt Tariq Walait, investigation
SP Ziaullah and Lahore police headquarters SP Awais Malik were removed from
their posts and directed to report to the Central Police Office.
Multan
city division SP Ahmad Nawaz Shah was transferred and posted as Muzaffargarh
DPO; awaiting posting Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi was transferred and posted as AIG
Operations at CPO and retired Capt Mansoor Aman was transferred and posted as
the special branch SSP.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pashtun
jirga concludes another round of talks with TTP in Kabul
Tahir
Khan
August
1, 2022
A
12-member Pashtun jirga wrapped up another round of talks with leaders of the
outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Kabul on Monday, in a bid to resolve
issues regarding the merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
modalities for the return of the group’s members.
Barrister
Muhammad Ali Saif, who led the tribal elders, dispelled the impression of a
deadlock in the talks and told Dawn.com that the three-day talks were held in a
“conducive environment” in which both sides addressed each other's
reservations.
“The
negotiations did not fail but are continuing. Failure and success will be
judged when the process reaches an end," he said, clarifying that the
talks would fail when either side decides to halt the process.
"But
this is not the case," he added. “We had interactions with the TTP and the
officials of the Islamic Emirate. We met the TTP separately and also together
with the officials of the Islamic Emirate,” he said.
Barrister
Saif, however, declined to share further details of the meetings, adding that
the negotiations were underway "smoothly".
When
asked about the TTP’s demand for restoration of the status of ex-FATA, he said
“both sides have shared their reservations and are trying to address them.”
The
Pakistani delegation had left for Kabul on July 30 for its second round of TTP
leadership. The previous round of talks was held on June 1-2.
Saif
told Dawn.com that the TTP reiterated its demand of the restoration of the
previous status of the tribal areas.
Earlier,
the TTP had said that it did not accept the merger of ex-FATA with Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. FATA was merged with the province in May 2018 through a
constitutional amendment.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702691/pashtun-jirga-concludes-another-round-of-talks-with-ttp-in-kabul
--------
Bosnia
deports first batch migrants back to Pakistan
August
1, 2022
SARAJEVO:
Bosnia and Herzegovina has deported the first group of migrants from Pakistan
back to their home country, said the Ministry of Security of that nation on
Sunday.
Sarajevo
thus became the first country on the western Balkans migration route to deport
migrants without residence permits.
The
deportation process was enabled due to the Readmission Agreement, signed
between BiH and Pakistan in November 2020, and the protocol on implementation
of this agreement that came into force in July 2021, the ministry said.
The
deportation “demonstrates the determination of Sarajevo to oppose all forms of
illegal migrations and send back all who don’t meet requirements for receiving
international protection,” said the ministry.
More
groups are expected to be deported soon, the ministry added.
Since
2015, tens of thousands of refugees and migrants have been trying to make their
way into the countries of the European Union (EU) via the Balkan Route, one of
the main migratory paths into Europe.
A
total of 3,865 migrants have been registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the
January-April period, about 5 percent less year on year. Of the total migrants
registered by Bosnian authorities, about 76 percent come from Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to the ministry.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/08/01/bosnia-deports-first-batch-migrants-back-to-pakistan/
--------
Mideast
Iran
Arrests Members of Israeli-Linked Baha'i Spying Group
2022-August-1
"The
detainees were directly linked to an Israeli regime-backed group called Bait
Al-Adl based in the occupied territories," the statement read.
The
intelligence ministry statement added that, according to the obtained evidence,
the Bait Al-Adl gave instructions to the detained group in Iran in order to
revive Bahaism in the country.
"The
group was tasked with promoting Bahaism in educational centers at different
levels, particularly in the kindergarten across the country," the
statement said.
The
statement noted that the Iran-based group held different meetings with the
Israeli regime-backed group and briefed it on their activities to incite
protests against Hijab rules in Iran.
Although
members of the Baha’i sect have admitted to their crimes in various cases, the
West, specially the United States, claims that Iran has violated their human
rights due to its attempts to stop the illegal activities of the cult.
Iran
has in recent month identified and arrested several members of spy networks
affiliated to foreign secret services.
The
Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced on Saturday that the country's security
agents have detained a Swedish national on charges of espionage.
"The
suspect has a history of travelling to the Israeli-occupied territories prior
to visits to Iran," the statement read.
Back
in mid-May, Iran arrested two French spies for attempting to stoke chaos and
social disorder in the country during protests by teachers. The two French
nationals, Cécile Kohler, 37, and Jacqeus Paris, 69, traveled to Iran in late
April as tourists but turned out to be spies for the Western agencies.
The
duo attempted to foment instability and social disorder in late May when some
teachers took to the streets in peaceful protests to demand fair wages and
better working conditions, according to the intelligence ministry.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran:
N. Deal within Reach, Needs US Realistic Approach
2022-August-2
"If
the US is realistic and has the necessary flexibility in possible future talks,
reaching an agreement will not be far from reach," Amir Abdollahian stated
on Monday after attending a meeting with the lawmakers at the Iranian
parliament.
He
emphsized that Iran is serious about reaching a good, strong and durable
agreement.
The
Iranian foreign minister briefed lawmakers on the latest developments of
nuclear negotiations on the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions.
The
top diplomat noted that the lawmakers had told him that they are not optimistic
about the future of talks since Western parties do not intend to live up to
their commitments under the accord.
He
said that he ensured the MPs that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will
certainly pursue talks with utmost sensitivity to make sure the Iranian
people's inalienable rights will be preserved.
"The
framework of the negotiations, the red lines and the goal of the talks are
clear, and that Iran has announced its readiness to attend talks in Vienna at a
specified date after it completes assessing the approaches," Amir
Abdollahian added.
Amirabdollahian
stressed that the Foreign Ministry, as the responsible body for the revival
negotiations, is pursuing the negotiations with accuracy to uphold the Iranian
nation’s rights.
"It
is important for Iran that its red lines are completely considered in a future
agreement," the official added.
The
foreign minister also stated that Tehran has over the past four months
exchanged messages with Washington through the EU over the removal of
sanctions, and now Borrell has prepared a draft of stances by different
parties, presenting it as the proposal of the European Union coordinator.
All
the parties are currently assessing the proposal in their capitals, Amir
Abdollahian continued.
Spokesman:
Iran Never to Negotiate Under Threathttps://t.co/rY4UyhnOe1
pic.twitter.com/ylTMK05aVI
—
Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) August 1, 2022
On
Sunday, Iran's Top Negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani said
that Tehran is ready for a final push so the nuclear negotiations produce
results in as short a time as possible if the Western side is prepared to make
a similar move.
Baqeri
Kani tweeted that Iran has shared its “proposed ideas, both on substance and
form, to pave the way for a swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations".
He
explained that Tehran and the P4+1 group of countries have been in talks in the
Austrian capital with the purpose of “fixing the damaging complicated situation
caused by the US unilateral and unlawful withdrawal” from the deal, officially
called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), back in 2018.
The
senior Iranian diplomat emphasized that Iran is working closely with its JCPOA
partners, in particular the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell
as the coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission.
Baqeri
Kani added such cooperation aims to “give another chance to the US to demonstrate
good faith and act responsibly".
“As
Iran, we stand ready to conclude the negotiations in a short order, should the
other side be ready to do the same,” the top diplomat continued.
Iranian
officials say the ball is in the US' court, and the administration of President
Joe Biden should assure Tehran that it will not repeat Donald Trump's past
mistakes.
Iran
and the five remaining parties to the nuclear deal have held several rounds of
negotiations since April last year to restore the agreement, which was
unilaterally abandoned by Trump in May 2018.
In
quitting the agreement, Trump restored sanctions on Iran as part of what he
called the “maximum pressure” campaign against the country. Those sanctions are
being enforced to this day by the Biden administration, even though it has
repeatedly acknowledged that the policy has been a mistake and a failure.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010511000207/Iran-N-Deal-wihin-Reach-Needs-US-Realisic-Apprach
--------
Spokesman:
Iran Believes Iraq’s Security Tantamount to Regional Stability
2022-August-2
“Iran
closely follows up the ongoing developments in the neighboring Iraq, and it has
always laid emphasis on the restoration of security and stability in Iraq,”
Kana’ani said.
He
pointed out that what is currently happening in Iraq shows that is the result
of domestic political differences in that country, and said, “We believe Iraq’s
political parties can peacefully continue their activities within the framework
of that country’s constitution and with mutual respect.”
Kana’ani
reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always respected the Iraqi
people’s choice and it has always said that dialogue is the best way to settle
differences in that country.
In
a relevant development last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir
Abdollahian and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in a telephone conversation
underlined the need for expanding mutual cooperation between the two countries
in different fields.
During
the phone conversation on Monday, Amir Abdolahian and Hussein explored avenues
for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral relations in various areas.
Amir
Abdollahian congratulated his Iraqi counterpart on the Islamic occasions of
Eid-al-Adha and Eid Al-Ghadir.
The
top Iranian diplomat, meantime, appreciated Iraq's efforts and constructive
role in the formation and advancement of regional dialogues in order to
strengthen stability, security and development in the region.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Afghanistan
Promises to Respect Iran's Water Rights
2022-August-2
Amir
Abdollahian said that the Iranian energy and foreign ministries are following
up the issue and a delegation from the energy ministry will soon visit
Afghanistan for talks with officials there.
In
a relevant development on Thursday, the Iranian foreign minister raised the
issue during a phone conversation with Acting Foreign Minister of Taliban Amir
Khan Muttaqi.
Amir
Abdollahian highlighted the recent precipitations to prevent any pretext,
urging the Taliban government not to raise artificial issues to violate Iran’s
right to Helmand waters.
In
a relevant development last moth, Amir Abdollahian in a phone conversation with
Muttaqi called for an ultimate settlement of the dispute between the two
countries over water rights.
During
the conversation, Amir Abdollahian conferred on the long-standing dispute over
shared water resources with the Afghan official, making a "serious
demand" for settlement of the dispute in line with the agreement between
the two sides.
The
top Iranian diplomat, meantime, pointed out that a high-ranking delegation from
Iran's Ministry of Energy would pay a visit to Afghanistan to investigate and
remove the existing obstacles and consult with Afghan authorities about Iran's
water share.
Muttaqi
welcomed the continuation of consultations on the matter as well as dispatching
of an expert team by the Iranian government that would pursue the issue.
The
top Iranian diplomat had last month warned that Iran will take legal measures
if the Taliban fail to secure its water rights “because the supplement of
Iran’s water rights from Hirmand [River] plays a decisive role in our strategic
policy towards Afghanistan’s acting Taliban government”.
Days
after his statement, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security and
foreign policy committee announced that a delegation will travel to Afghanistan
to hold talks with the Taliban officials on the water-sharing dispute and other
issues.
The
two neighboring countries have been locked in a protracted water dispute, which
has prevented them from realizing the vast potential of their bilateral trade
ties.
At the
heart of the dispute is the Hirmand River, which originates in the Hindu Kush
Mountains near Kabul and flows 700 miles (1,126 kilometers) south before
flowing into Hamoun wetlands, located in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan
province.
The
two countries signed a water-sharing accord on the Hirmand River in 1973, under
which Afghanistan pledged to deliver an average of 820 million cubic meters of
water per annum to Iran.
Iran
has repeatedly criticized Afghanistan for failing to honor the agreement in
letter and spirit.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010511000136/Afghanisan-Prmises-Respec-Iran's-Waer-Righs
--------
AEOI
Chief Underlines Iran's Opposition to Military N. Drive Despite Capability
2022-August-1
"As
Mr. [Seyed Kamal] Kharazi [Head of Iran's Strategic Foreign Relations Council]
stated, Iran has the technical ability to build an atomic bomb, but such a
program is not on agenda," Eslami told FNA.
The
nuclear chief highlighted that these accusations are being raised by "the
Zionist regime to deceive the public opinion".
Tehran
says it is refining uranium only for civilian energy uses, adding all nuclear
activities of Iran are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy
Agency, and the IAEA’s verification activities and reports have proved the
peaceful nature of the country’s nuclear program.
Iranian
officials have numerously stressed that the country has not been and is not
after developing nuclear weapons.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Eslami noted the possible military dimension (PMD) accusations
leveled by the West against Iran’s nuclear program stem from the Mojahedin-e
Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group and the Tel Aviv regime.
"After
withdrawing from the nuclear deal, the Western side to the agreement raised
false accusations again. Therefore, it was decided to turn off all the JCPOA-related
cameras," he stated.
"If
the other side decides to return to the accord, then should not raise such
false accusations," he stated, 0therwise, they should not take the time of
the other parties.
Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has on many occasions stated the
Islamic Republic considers the pursuit and possession of nuclear weapons
"a grave sin" from every logical, religious and theoretical
standpoint.
In
April 2010, Ayatollah Khamenei issued a fatwa declaring that the production,
stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons are all haram (religiously banned).
"Iran
is not after a nuclear bomb. Why would Iran want a nuclear bomb? Moreover, when
an atomic bomb is detonated, it does not just kill enemies. Rather, it kills
innocent people as well, and this goes against Islamic beliefs and the
principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran. An atomic bomb does not
discriminate between good and bad people, and it is not something that the
Islamic Republic would use," a part of the fatwa said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sweden
Deprives Iranian Citizen Hamid Nouri from Reading Persian Translation of
Verdict
2022-August-1
Nouri
said in a phone call with the Iranian Embassy in Sweden on Sunday that he has
not succeeded in reading the verdict of his life imprisonment because he has
been given Swedish-language version of the verdict, while he had only 21 days
to protest the court's first ruling.
According
to dadiran.ir, the Sweden judiciary system held 92 hearing sessions and
sentenced the Iranian national to life imprisonment 18 days ago, while the
trial was not held based on legal procedures.
Nouri,
a former Iranian judiciary employee who has been in solitary confinement in
Sweden since 2019, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Sweden on
Thursday.
Nouri
was arrested upon arrival in Sweden at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 and
immediately imprisoned. He has been held in solitary confinement for over two
years.
Swedish
prosecutors have requested the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Nouri,
accusing the former Iranian judiciary official of prisoner abuse.
The
charges against Nouri stem from allegations leveled against him by members of
the anti-Iran Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group. Nouri has
vehemently rejected the allegations.
Swedish
judicial authorities have been preventing Nouri from contacting his family
since moving him to a different detention center.
Upon
arrest, he was forbidden for around eight months from making phone calls to his
family members, and barred from meeting them in person for two years.
Also
in May, Iran’s Judiciary Spokesman Zabihollah Khodayian said that Hamid Nouri
who is deprived of human rights is being tried in a politically-driven trial in
Sweden.
Nouri’s
trial couldn’t be described as judicial because it is political and lacks
international and even Sweden's national legal standards, Khodayian said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Top
IRGC Commander: US Political Territory Shrinking
2022-August-1
“America’s
political territory is dwindling,” Major General Salami said in a meeting with
the IRGC’s political directors.
He
pointed to the US failures in Afghanistan, Syria, and Egypt, as well as various
plots the US pursued in vain in cooperation with the Israeli regime, and
stated, “These cases are signs that herald a big event, which is the [total]
defeat of the US.”
The
United States is drawing constant plans to install puppet governments but all
such schemes are collapsing “like dominos”, he continued.
“Enemies
are currently unable to help each other and are disintegrated and disunited,”
the IRGC chief added.
The
top commander also said both Saudi Arabia and the US are unable to do anything
for each other, adding, “Saudi Arabia, which used to help America with money,
has lost its ability to solve its own economic problems today.”
Referring
to the so-called Donald Trump’s “Maximum Pressure Campaign” against Tehran,
Maj. Gen. Salami Stated, “When we are in an economic war but we do not look
like a defeated country, it is a sign of victory."
The
military official said that the Iranian people deeply believe that the country
is heading towards power and progress.
Pointing
to US President’s visit to the Middle East earlier this month, the IRGC
commander emphasized that the trip failed to bring about any achievement for
Washington.
Iran
says Israel is the primary source of instability in West Asia, and the United
States remains responsible for the instability in the region as long as its
wrong and crisis-making policies are not rectified.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly reiterated the need for foreign troops to leave West
Asia, emphasizing that Tehran will never back down on its stance in this
regard.
Tehran
has also underlined the necessity for the settlement of the crises and problems
in the region through collective cooperation among the regional states, and
underscored that the presence of foreigners is harmful.
Recently,
Tehran urged the neighboring countries to be extremely vigilant about any
US-Israeli plan that clearly aims to disturb the stability and order of the
region.
On
Thursday, President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi said military option has been
excluded from enemies’ policies towards Iran due to the country’s might, and
added that the regional countries enjoy safety because of Tehran's power.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010509001085/Tp-IRGC-Cmmander-US-Pliical-Terriry-Shrinking
--------
Israeli
troops arrest West Bank militant, Palestinian killed in raid
02 August,
2022
Israeli
troops killed a Palestinian during a raid on a flashpoint West Bank town in
which they arrested a local leader of the Islamic extremist militant group, the
health ministry and residents said.
There
were no immediate details on the identity of the man slain in Jenin, which has
seen regular raids by Israel since several local men carried out a spree of
deadly street attacks in its cities earlier this year.
An
Israeli police spokesperson said commandos disguised as Palestinians entered
Jenin to make two arrests and came under fire. They shot back, hitting several
gunmen, and left without suffering casualties, the spokesperson added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
signals no change on nuclear policy as US reaffirms anti-proliferation drive
01
August, 2022
Israel
signaled it would not change policy around its assumed nuclear arsenal on
Monday as Washington affirmed a global treaty designed to roll back the spread
of such weaponry.
The
rare, if veiled, remarks by Prime Minister Yair Lapid came as countries party
to the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) met in New York for a
periodic review conference.
Israel
has not signed the voluntary NPT, which offers access to atomic energy in
exchange for the forswearing of nuclear weaponry.
It
has been leading regional calls for world powers to crack down on NPT-signatory
Iran's suspected use of civilian nuclear technologies as cover for military
designs. Tehran denies wrongdoing.
Addressing
the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Lapid spoke of the country's “defensive
and offensive capabilities, and what is referred to in the foreign media as
'other capabilities'“.
“These
other capabilities keep us alive and will keep us alive as long as we and our
children our here,” he said, according to a transcript from his office.
Under
a decades-old ambiguity policy designed to deter surrounding enemies while
avoiding provocations that can spur arms races, Israel neither confirms nor
denies having nuclear weaponry.
Scholars
believe it does, having acquired the first bomb in late 1966. Israeli journalists,
circumscribed by military censorship, often refer cryptically to such
capabilities or cite foreign media reporting on them.
Israel's
official reticence has also helped stave off scrutiny by the US, which is
formally committed to encouraging NPT observance.
“The
US reaffirms our commitment to preserving and strengthening this critical
treaty for future generations,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted as
he attended the first day of the NPT conference.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Africa
Al-Mishri
re-elected head of Libya’s High Council of State
01.08.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya’s
High Council of State on Monday re-elected Khaled Al-Mishri as its head for a
fifth term.
Al-Mishri
obtained 65 votes out of 118, while his rival, Al-Ajili Abu Sedil, came second
with 50 votes in a second round of voting, according to an Anadolu Agency
correspondent. Three council members abstained from voting.
Five
candidates had taken part in the first round of voting in which Al-Mishri got
45 votes and Abu Sedil won 34 votes.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Algeria
President Tebboune talks of joining Russia-linked BRICS group
01
August, 2022
Algerian
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has suggested that his country, Africa’s largest
natural gas exporter, could join the BRICS economic group that includes Russia
and China.
Tebboune’s
comment comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin -- whose country is hit
with Western sanctions over its Ukraine invasion -- in June called on BRICS
leaders to move towards “formation of a truly multipolar system of
inter-government relations.”
The
BRICS group also includes the major emerging economies of Brazil, India, and
South Africa.
“The
BRICS interest us” as an alternative to traditional power centers, Tebboune
said in a televised interview late on Sunday. “They constitute an economic and
political force.”
He
underlined that there was no need to “get ahead of things” but promised “good
news.”
The
president added that his North African country meets “a good part” of the
economic criteria for joining the bloc.
BRICS
members currently account for nearly a quarter of the world’s gross domestic
product.
Tebboune
participated in a BRICS virtual summit at the end of June, when Putin called on
leaders of the group to cooperate in the face of “selfish actions” from the
West.
Sanctions
over Ukraine have pushed Putin to seek new markets and strengthen ties with
countries in Africa and Asia.
Algiers
abstained when the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a
resolution in March demanding Russia immediately withdraw from Ukraine.
China,
India, and South Africa also abstained.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Somalia,
UN agencies call for efforts to promote breastfeeding for child health
Mohammed
Dhaysane
01.08.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somalia,
the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization
on Monday called for concerted efforts to ensure breastfeeding-friendly
environments in all health facilities and workplaces to help improve
breastfeeding in the country to boost nutrition and health of Somali children.
“We
are calling on parents, families, community leaders, policymakers and
development partners to actively step up capacity and transform systems at all
levels to support breastfeeding adequately,” Somalia’s Health Minister Fawziya
Abikar Nur said in a statement in connection with World Breastfeeding Week,
marked annually from Aug. 1-7 in more than 120 countries.
She
stressed the need for all support systems, from family, community and health
facilities, to be educated to ensure support for mothers to optimally
breastfeed their babies.
“This
includes breastfeeding right from birth through early initiation of
breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding during
the first six months of the child’s life, and continued breastfeeding up to two
years and beyond,” she said.
Wafaa
Saeed, a UNICEF representative in Somalia, said breastfeeding provides children
the best start in life.
“Breast
milk helps prevent infections, promotes bonding between mother and child,
regardless of setting, and provides food and nutrition security to infants from
the very beginning of life, contributing to the food security of the whole
family,” she said.
In
a fragile country like Somalia, affected by conflict and recurring emergencies
such as drought, COVID-19, and other diseases, breastfeeding is an effective
way to ensure child health and survival, she added.
Citing
latest government data, the statement said only 34% of babies under six months
are exclusively breastfed in Somalia.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Fuel
truck explosion kills 7 in southern Libya
Walid
Abdullah
01.08.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Seven
people were killed when a fuel tanker truck caught fire and exploded in
southern Libya on Monday, according to a local source.
More
than 40 people were also injured in the incident which took place in the town
of Bent Bayya, the source told Anadolu Agency.
The
source said the truck caught fire as local residents were attempting to take
leaked fuel after it broke down.
There
is a shortage of fuel in Libya’s southern region amid high prices.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/fuel-truck-explosion-kills-7-in-southern-libya/2651111
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Europe
France
Uses Controversial Law To Expel Moroccan Imam Iquioussen
Safaa
Kasraoui
July
29, 2022
Rabat
- France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that his country is set to
expel Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen.
The
minister publicly accused the France-born Moroccan imam of adopting “hate
speech against the values of France, contrary to our principles of secularism
and equality between women and men.”
The
Moroccan imam was born in France to Moroccan parents in 1964 in Denain, in
northeastern France.
The
imam has been publishing YouTube videos viewed by roughly ten thousand
followers.
French
news outlet Le Point said that France’s decision to expel the imam was taken
after Iquioussen’s request to renew his ten-year residence permit. France has
withdrawn his nationality due to his publicly stated positions.
News
reports are suggesting that France is now attempting to use its controversial
“separatism law” of August 2021 to
reject his residence permit renewal.
Marianne
news outlet reported that his lawyer announced
that Iquioussen received a document of his expulsion procedure on May 3.
France
sparked outrage for the introduction of the new law that many human rights and
Islamophobia-oriented organizations have described as targetting thecountry’s
Muslim minority..
The
“separatism law” was part of Macron’s program intended to counter terrorism
after several horrific attacks in France. The law however received global
criticism for potentially further dividing the country, and making its 3.3 million Muslim citizens (roughly 5% of the
population) a scapegoat for growing economic and political tensions within the
nation.
In
2021, news outlet the Conversation said the new separatism law “ stigmatizes
minorities and could backfire badly.”
Source:
Morocco World News
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Turkish
foreign minister stresses importance of peace, stability in Balkans
Seda
Sevencan
01.08.2022
Türkiye’s
foreign minister held separate phone calls Sunday with his Kosovar and Serbian
counterparts as tensions between Serbia and Kosovo continued to rise.
Mevlut
Cavusoglu stressed that “common sense must prevail” in the region, according to
a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Underlining
the importance that Türkiye attaches to peace and stability in the Balkans,
Cavusoglu said Ankara is ready to do its part to reduce tensions.
Tension
between Serbia and Kosovo rose on Sunday ahead of a new Kosovar law set to come
into effect Monday making it mandatory for everyone, including Serbs living in
Kosovo, to have a Kosovo ID card and plate.
According
to local media, air raid sirens were heard along near the Kosovo/Serbian border
as Kosovo is set to restrict border crossings.
Albin
Kurti, Kosovo’s prime minister, blamed the president of Serbia for increased
tension and possible border conflicts between Serbia’s Army and the Kosovar
police, decrying planned “fear” and threats in neighboring Serbia.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Southeast
Asia
Indonesia
Muslim Scholars Congress Seeking to Raise Awareness about Climate Change
Impacts
July
29, 2022
The
forum, called the Muslim Congress for a Sustainable Indonesia, began on
Thursday at the Grand Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta, the largest in the
country, with a treatise on the leaders’ recommendations set to be issued on
Friday.
The
participants include representatives of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the
country’s top Muslim clerical body, as well as from Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) and
Muhammadiyah, the nation’s two largest Muslim organizations.
Attendees
also include scholars from Gadjah Mada University’s department of politics and
governance, as well as from the Istiqlal Global Fund (IGF) – a philanthropic
body run by the mosque.
“The
purpose of this activity is to unite Muslims in a common forum, to seek and
develop solutions to the climate crisis, both in mitigation and adaptation,”
said Muhammad Ali Yusuf, a congress leader, in a press statement on Thursday.
While
a number of Muslim groups had already established environmental initiatives,
Ali said, many had failed to reach the wider community.
The
congress’s treatise is to be read out on Friday before being ceremonially
handed to Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, a former MUI leader.
Aside
from Ma’ruf, Friday’s treatise ceremony will include Religious Affairs Minister
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, NU chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf, Muhammadiyah chairman
Haedar Nashir and MUI secretary general Amirsyah Tambunan.
In
late 2021, the association responsible for the congress conducted a number of
studies and public opinion polls on climate change. The group also held three
focus group discussions earlier this year, which focused on the role of young
people in fighting climate change and on equitable sustainable development,
among other topics.
Religious
organizations and figures continue to be central to the country’s environment
conservation and sustainability efforts, due in large part to the trust much of
the public places in these institutions. A 2020 survey by the Communications
and Information Ministry, for instance, found that Indonesian citizens placed
the most trust in information sourced from religious figures.
Source: IQNA
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New
Perak Mufti Wan Zahidi intends to continue predecessor Harussani’s legacy
01
Aug 2022
IPOH,
Aug 1 — The newly-appointed Mufti of Perak Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh intends to
continue the legacy of his predecessor, the late Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, in
protecting the sanctity of Islam in the state.
Wan
Zahidi, who clocked in at his new office at 8.30am today, said he was grateful
and honoured to have received the instrument of appointment from the Sultan of
Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah last Saturday.
“Alhamdulillah,
I’m grateful for the chance to return to his state to serve and to spread true
teachings of Islam, while tackling all issues related to the religion.
“The
late Dr Harussani and I were old friends, ever since he was appointed as Perak
Mufti and I am honoured to be chosen to continue his legacy. I intend to follow
in his footsteps,” he told reporters here.
The
Gerik-born new Perak Mufti is a prominent Islamic thinker who made a great
contribution to the world of academia, research, education and human capital
development.
Wan
Zahidi has held various important positions such as Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah
Malaysia (Yadim) consultant, Rector of Darul Ridzuan Islamic College, Mufti of
the Federal Territory and Senior Honorary Fellow of the Islamic University of
Malaysia.
Source:
Malay Mail
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US
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Lands In Malaysia Amid China Rage: Report
August
02, 2022
Kuala
Lumpur: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday,
Malaysian state media reported, her second stop in an Asian tour that has
sparked rage in Beijing over a possible stop in Taiwan.
Beijing
views Taiwan as its territory and has indicated through repeated warnings that
it would view the visit as a major provocation.
Pelosi
landed at a Malaysian air force base ahead of meetings with the prime minister
and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, state news agency Bernama
reported.
After
Singapore and Malaysia, her itinerary includes stops in South Korea and Japan
-- but the prospect of a Taiwan visit has dominated attention.
While
President Joe Biden's administration is understood to be opposed to a Taiwan stop
by Pelosi, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she
was entitled to go where she pleased.
"The
speaker has the right to visit Taiwan," he told reporters.
"There
is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with longstanding
US policies into some sort of crisis."
Kirby
cited intelligence that China was preparing possible military provocations that
could include firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait or "large-scale"
incursions into Taiwanese airspace.
He
said Pelosi was travelling on a military aircraft and that while Washington
does not fear a direct attack, it "raises the stakes of a
miscalculation".
Kirby
reiterated, however, that US policy was unchanged toward Taiwan.
This
means support for its self-ruling government, while diplomatically recognising
Beijing over Taipei and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or
a forceful takeover by China.
Taiwan's
government has remained silent on the prospect of a Pelosi visit.
Premier
Su Tseng-chang did not confirm the visit on Tuesday when asked by reporters but
thanked Pelosi for her support.
And
Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times cited unnamed sources as saying Pelosi would
land on the island Tuesday night, then meet Tsai the next day before departing
in the afternoon.
More
warnings from China
Taiwan's
23 million people have long lived with the possibility of an invasion, but the
threat has intensified under Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In
a call with Biden last week, Xi warned the United States against "playing
with fire" on Taiwan.
And
on Monday, China's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Hun, said such a
visit would be "very much dangerous, very much provocative".
If
it happens, "China will take firm and strong measures to safeguard our
sovereignty and territorial integrity", he said.
Source:
ND TV
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Tough
to avoid 3-cornered fight for Malay parties, says Khairuddin
August
2, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: It will be difficult for Malay-Muslim parties to avoid three-cornered
fights come election time, says former PAS leader Khairuddin Aman Razali.
Nonetheless,
the former minister said these parties should continue building some form of
togetherness in the name of Muslim unity, while contentions in the political
arena should just be taken as healthy competition.
In
a Facebook post, Khairuddin called for a shift to more mature politics, saying
there was a need to move away from personal attacks to fair and factual
political criticism.
He
said mature politics should seek to be principled, solution-centric, rational
and professional, while prioritising the people.
Though
the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact between PAS and Umno had fizzled out, the Kuala
Nerus MP said it could still be used as a platform for the two parties to
cooperate such as for the welfare of the needy.
“As
long as the joint (Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional) government is still
functioning at the federal level, there will be room for this cooperation to be
strengthened,” he said.
Yesterday,
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the Islamic party was yet to
give up on its goal to unite the ummah through its pact with Umno.
On
the topic of the next general election (GE15), Tuan Ibrahim said PAS was still
open to talks as they wanted to work with both Umno and Bersatu.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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No
‘specific’ assets sold for EPF withdrawal schemes, says minister
August
2, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) did not liquidate any specific asset
to fund the i-Lestari, i-Sinar and i-Citra schemes as well as the final one-off
RM10,000 special withdrawal facility last April.
In
a written parliamentary reply, finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said EPF had
liquidated assets based on the “ordinary course of business” to cover the
withdrawal schemes.
“Any
purchase or sale of EPF’s assets is subject to investment portfolio rebalancing
based on EPF’s strategic asset allocation (SAA) and is aimed at generating real
income that can be distributed in dividend payments to members,” he said.
He
said EPF’s management of asset liquidation was based on strategic asset
allocation to reduce the impact of the withdrawal facilities on its portfolio.
With
assets worth over RM1 trillion, he said, EPF always ensured that it had
sufficient funds to foot the costs of withdrawals and expenditures.
He
was responding to Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) who asked the minister to
list the specific domestic and foreign assets that EPF had to liquidate to fund
the withdrawal facilities.
On
March 14, Tengku Zafrul said EPF would have to liquidate more of its overseas
assets while halting domestic investments to cover the cost of another
withdrawal facility.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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