The Special Report with Mudasser Iqbal – 27th February 2018

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Pakistan Debate – 27th February 2018

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BIG 7 – 27th February 2018

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Table Talk With Fatima Saif – 27th February 2018

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Aaj Moqa Tha Shahbaz Sharif Kay Liye Kay Wo Chaudhry Nisar Kay Liye Kharay Hotay-Rauf Klasra

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Chaudhry Nisar Har Cheez Par Compromise Karsaktay Hain Apni Ego Nahi Kar Saktay -Rauf Klasra

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Rauf Klasra Narrates The Incident Of Chaudhry Nisar

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Is Waqt Hawa PMLN Kay Haq Main Hai -Arif Nizami

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Maryam Nawaz Will Get The Bail Easily -Aitzaz Ahsan

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Ye Thinking Si Banti Jarahi Hai Kay Shayad Election Ho YaNa -Arif Nizami

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اداکارہ انجمن کے بیٹے علی عدنان کی منگنی ہوگئی

source

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سری دیوی کی موت بونی کپور کی غلطی سے ہوئی :دوست

source

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Eye Witness Madiha Kayani New Video Message

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جانتے ہیں پنجاب کے گائوں میں بڑی سی چادر اوڑھے بے خوف موٹر سائیکل چلاتی یہ دبنگ خاتون کون ہے؟

source

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پی ٹی آئی کی قیادت سے نالاں – ایک اور اہم رہنما عائشہ گلا لئی کے ساتھ جامل – جاگیر داروں اور کرپٹ لوگوں کیخلاف ملکرجدوجہد جاری رکھنے پر اتفاق

لاہور(ویب ڈیسک)پاکستان تحریک انصاف(انصاف گروپ)کے سربراہ فاروق ملک اور اور تحریک انصاف عائشہ گلا لئی کی سربراہ و رکن قومی اسمبلی عائشہ گلا لئی کے درمیان ٹیلی فونک رابطہ ہوا ۔دونوں رہنماؤں نے جاگیرداروں اور کرپٹ لوگوں کے خلاف جدوجہد جاری رکھنے پر اتفاق کیاہے ۔ فاروق ملک نے کہا کہ تحریک انصاف جس بنیاد پر قائم ہوئی تھی اسے پس پشتڈال دیا گیا ہے ۔ایک ہی مطالبہ ہے کہ پارٹی میں موجود جاگیرداروں ،وڈیروں اور کرپٹ لوگوں سے جان چھڑائی جائے ۔ عائشہ گلا لئی کا کہنا تھا میری جدوجہد کا مقصد بھی جاگیرداروں اور مفاد پرستوں کے خلاف علم بلند کرنا ہے اور کامیابی کے حصول تک جدوجہد جاری رکھی جائے گی ۔فاروق ملک نے عائشہ گلالئی کو بہاولپور آنے کی دعوت دی جو انہوں نے قبول کرلی ۔

 

source

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Shahbaz Sharif Tweeted About Lahore Qalandars And Rana Shahib And People Making Fun

گرتے ہیں شاہسوار ہی میدانِ جنگ میں!@FawadNaeemRana better luck next time Rana saab… Looking forward to great matches ahead!

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) February 26, 2018

Thank you for your kind words sir. We will come back stronger InshaAllah! #Lahore #DamaDamMast https://t.co/BHTXlBmoLM

— Fawad Rana (@FawadNaeemRana) February 26, 2018

Abay chup
Roz maray howay hotay hai yeh loug

— Mahنoor (@Mahnoor957) February 26, 2018

اے لگدی شیراں دی آ
جس حساب نال چلدی آ pic.twitter.com/RaonQwfGeZ

— Rameen Rizwan (@RizShaikh7) February 26, 2018

Sir pic.twitter.com/0pBYNYz6d4

— Rao Jee (@raoo512) February 26, 2018

Lack of Batting skill Mian sb jitna paisa rana sb na larko pa lagaya hai itna ma 2 Underpass ban sakta tha #LahoreQalandars

— Zeeshan Malik (@zee_malik1) February 26, 2018

pic.twitter.com/ekaNB64nM5

— مُلتانی سُلطان پینڈو (@JawadAsghar4) February 27, 2018

Best Of Luck pic.twitter.com/fjPWpBK4mX

— Parivash✨ (@iamparivash) February 26, 2018

میں اسلام آباد یونائیٹڈ کا سپپورٹر ہوں ۔
آج قلندر کو ویسے ہی سپورٹ کیا ۔
لیکن
اب قلندر میری زد ہے
ہم جیتیں گے سر فواد ۔

ہم آپ
کے کے ساتھ ھیں ❤️❤️❤️❤️

— styxDr (@styx_im) February 26, 2018

Rather this man earn more love and respect with every match….

— nadeem afzal (@clickonnadeem) February 26, 2018

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پاکستان کی خوبصورت ترین اینکر پرسن ثنا بچہ کی دبئی سے ایسی تصاویر منظر عام پر آگئیں کہ دیکھ کر آپکو بھی اپنی آنکھوں پر یقین نہیں آئے گا

source

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Jealous girlfriend left mother with wound in Coventry

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: Anne-Marie Szwed had her head smashed on a sink five times by a woman as revenge for attracting her boyfriend's attention during a night out in Coventry.

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Police investigating death of Bollywood actress Sridevi

Subramanian Swamy, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party questioned how actress Sridevi Kapoor, who he claims never drank, had ended up with alcohol in her system before she died in Dubai.

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Tom Watson under pressure to return £540k from Max Mosley

Tom Watson is under intense pressure to return more than £500,000 given to him by Max Mosley after the Mail exposed the former F1 tycoon's racist past.

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The Daily Mail reveals the past of F1 boss Max Mosley

A major investigation by the Mail today reveals the racist and thuggish past of ex-Formula One boss Max Mosley.

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Labour backlash as Corbyn endorses customs union

After Doncaster in South Yorkshire heavily backed Leave in the 2016 referendum, many locals feel Labour no longer represents their views.

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Jimmy Page reignites feud with Robbie WIlliams

EXCLUSIVE: The Led Zeppelin guitarist (pictured) has lambasted the plans of neighbour Williams to build basement complex at his luxury £17.5m west London home.

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British student raped by two men on night out in Berlin

The girl spent two nights in hospital after the attack because of the severity of the injuries and the trauma caused by it. The viscious attack took place near Berlin's Potsdamer Platz.

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Robbie Williams reveals battle with mental health

Robbie Williams has spoken about his painful battle with mental health, saying 'I've got a disease in my head that wants to kill me.'

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The G-Spot does NOT exist, researchers say

Dr Nathan Hoag, who led the study on women aged between 32 and 97 in Melbourne, Australia, said that the G-Spot ‘does not exist as an anatomic construct’.

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Skunk cannabis makes up 94 per cent of all marijuana

The cannabis market is almost completely dominated by the dangerous super-strength ‘skunk’ variety blamed for triggering psychotic disorders, a major study has found.

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Landlord spends night on floor of pub to look after a dog

He uploaded photographs of himself online showing the Staffie sitting on blankets in the Dreadnought Pub in Edinburgh. But the woman who forgot her dog only gave his venue four stars.

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Paramedics' fury at selfish driver's parking

West Midlands paramedics returned to their ambulance to find a car had parked directly behind them - meaning they struggled to put the stretcher inside the ambulance.

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Sony Photography Awards reveals stunning shortlist

The prestigious Sony Photography Awards shortlist has been revealed. It includes an array of compositions, from gorgeous natural landscapes to harsh human environments.

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Boris under fire for hint he would allow hard Irish border

In a leaked letter to Theresa May, Boris Johnson suggested he would be willing to accept a so-called ‘hard border’ between Northern Ireland and the Republic if other solutions failed.

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Millions of customers quit the Big Six energy firms

Some 21 per cent of electricity customers and 22 per cent of gas customers were signed up with smaller suppliers in December, up from 4.7 per cent and five per cent respectively in 2013.

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BBC's aid charity sacks six for sexual misconduct

BBC Media Action trains journalists and produces programmes that are broadcast in some of the world’s poorest regions. It is run separately from the BBC and is not funded by licence fee payers.

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SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: Cara sports wacky accessory

Fashionistas at the Christian Dior show in Paris were scratching their heads yesterday at madcap model Cara Delevingne’s latest wacky accessory.

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SEBASTIAN SHAKESPEARE: TV chef accuses BBC of bias

Yorkshire-born celebrity chef James Martin claims he was turned down for presenting jobs because producers disliked his Northern accent.

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Toys R Us could plunge into administration tomorrow

Toys R Us UK is reportedly scrambling to find a buyer before hitting the payment deadline on a hefty VAT bill. Moorfields Corporate Recovery has been lined up to deal with the company if it collapses.

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'Fast fashion' fabric at centre of a pollution scandal

Toxic pollutants released as a result of the production of viscose are alleged to have poisoned communities in India and Indonesia, causing illness and even premature deaths.

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Meghan will join the Prince plus William and Kate TODAY

All eyes will be on the former actress, who is set to marry Harry in May, as she appears on stage with the three young royals at the inaugural Royal Foundation Forum in London.

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Statue of slave trader to get plaque dedicated to victims

Council officials in Bristol have ordered a permanent memorial to Edward Colston’s victims, fearing they have become ‘invisible’ in the city.

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Katy Perry is attacked online by furious Catalans

The pop star faced an angry backlash after publicising her June 28 show at Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi on her social media accounts with the national symbol of Spain.

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Motorsport tycoon Max Mosley's racist leaflet uncovered

A Mail investigation has established that incendiary material was printed and distributed, in a constituency with thousands of black residents, under Max Mosley's name.

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Pret a Manger introduces 10p plastic bottle deposit

Pret a Manger is to test the scheme in three stores and may roll it out across Britain in the autumn. The plan is to add 10p to the price of plastic bottles and refund the 10p when customers return them.

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Gang 'used Eastern European slaves for benefits money'

Homeless people were picked up by associates of the Rafael family on the streets of Slovakia and the Czech Republic and brought to Newcastle where they were forced to live in cellars.

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Public satisfaction with GP services drops to all-time low

Difficulties in getting appointments, rushed consultations and seeing different doctors every visit has resulted in people falling out of love with the ‘jewel in the crown of the NHS’, experts said.

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Teacher asked kids to pull their eyes to ‘look Chinese’

A Milton Keynes primary school has been forced to apologise after one of its teachers asked pupils to pull on the side of their eyes to 'look Chinese', and pinned a picture of them on the window.

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Over 7K women a year endure unnecessary cancer treatment

Women whose results show ‘grade 2’ abnormalities undergo painful procedures to burn away pre-cancerous cells. But in half of cases the women would never have developed cancer.

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NSC for refocusing Pakistan foreign policy on regional states

ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) held a meeting, wherein the top civil-military brass reviewed the current regional and international situation, read a press statement issued.

The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, was attended by ministers of foreign affairs, defence, interior, PM’s aide on finance, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and chiefs of the three armed forces.

The forum was briefed on the current international and regional situation, particularly on relations with regional countries.

The foreign minister briefed the committee on his recent “successful” visit to Russia and recalled the desire of the two countries to further strengthen bilateral relations in all areas, the statement read.

The meeting agreed on the importance of recalibrating the foreign policy framework to bring more focus on countries of the region. It was agreed to launch new initiatives to enhance economic partnerships with friendly countries in the region and beyond for a win-win cooperation.

The committee reiterated the significance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the benefits it brings for the development of Pakistan, the region and beyond. The participants agreed on further strengthening the CPEC cooperation as a flagship program of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative.

Fight against terrorism

The top civil-military leadership agreed that Pakistan will continue its fight against terrorism and extremism in the interest of its people.

“Our policies will continue to be formulated and implemented in light of our national interests,” read the statement.

Afghan peace

The forum reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding interest in lasting peace in Afghanistan, stressing the importance of peace among the Afghan people through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned national peace and reconciliation process.

The meeting underscored the need for consistent and continued engagement with Afghanistan, and emphasised the importance of effective border management as well as time-bound repatriation of Afghan refugees in a dignified manner.

Indian ceasefire violations

The NSC condemned unprovoked Indian ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary. It observed that Indian forces committed more than 400 ceasefire violations in 2018 alone, which resulted in martyrdom of and injuries to scores of innocent civilians.

The meeting observed that the Indian government, through consistent ceasefire violations, was trying to divert international attention from blatant human rights violations in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Moreover, the NSC demanded that India must give priority to peace.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2FBrwyg

Two policemen martyred in attack on DSP’s vehicle in Quetta

QUETTA: Two policemen were martyred in a targetted attack on the convoy of a police officer.

Rescue officials said the vehicle of DSP Hameedullah Dasti was attacked on Samungli Road by unidentified personnel riding two motorcycles.

The DSP and his driver remained unhurt, as the pick-up was bulletproof, but two police officials sitting in the back were killed in the attack.

The deceased have been identified as constables Mohammad Tahir and Ayub Shah.

DSP Dasti was posted in the prosecution department and was on his way to court when his vehicle was attacked.

Official said law enforcement agencies and rescue teams reached the site of the incident after the attack and launched a search and rescue operation.

DIG Operations Abdul Razzaq Cheema told the media that the officials sitting in the back, wearing bulletproof vests, were shot in the head and passed away instantly.

Police and security officials are often targetted in the Balochistan capital.

Four security personnel were martyred on Feb 14 when they were attacked near the city’s Sariab Road area. Police said unidentified attackers, riding a motorcycle, targetted a motorcycle patrol of the Frontier Corps (FC) while it was on routine duty along a railway track.

On January 28, a policeman was killed in Quetta’s Hazarganji area in a targetted attack while on January 18, two Balochistan Constabulary officials were killed in Quetta.

Similarly, a police constable was shot dead by unidentified attackers on the city’s Raisani Road on January 16.

A day earlier, on Jan 15, five Pakistan Army soldiers were killed in Kech, Balochistan when their vehicle turned turtle after it was fired at.

On Jan 9, four Balochistan Constabulary personnel were among six killed in a suicide attack near the Balochistan Assembly.

Meanwhile, on Jan 2, at least five people, including two FC personnel, were injured as a result of a gun and bomb attack on a check post in the Baleli area of the provincial capital, said security official.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2BUsHsJ

PML-N appoints Nawaz Quaid for life, Shehbaz interim president

The Central Working Committee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz met at the Sharif family residence in Model Town Lahore and elected former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as lifetime Quaid (leader) of the party.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif tweeted that Raja Zafarul Haq, PM Abbasi and Shehbaz Sharif’s proposal to name Nawaz ‘Quaid for life’ elicited a resounding approval.

The CWC meeting was held after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as the PML-N president following the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Elections Act 2017 case. The apex court ruled that a person disqualified under Article 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party.

Shehbaz elected PMl-N interim president

The CWC also elected Shehbaz Sharif as the interim president after he was nominated by Nawaz Sharif.

Starting his political career as president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce in 1985, Shehbaz was first elected as the member of the provincial assembly in 1988.

In 1990, he was elected as a member of the National Assembly and then again as a provincial assembly member in 1993.

Shehbaz first became the chief minister of Punjab after being elected as an MPA in 1997.

He was first elected as the PML-N president during exile in 2002, due to the registration of cases against Nawaz. In 2006, he was again elected as the party president.

The younger Sharif became the chief minister of Punjab for the second time, after being elected to the Punjab Assembly in a by-election in 2008.

Shehbaz took over the office of the Punjab CM for the third time following his party’s victory in 2013.

He is likely to be made the party president once again after the Supreme Court ruled that a person disqualified under Article 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party.

‘We are, Alhamdolillah ONE’

Soon after the decision was taken, Maryam Nawaz tweeted a picture of her father and uncle embracing one another.

“We are Alhamdolilah ONE. We stand united. PML-N stands united,” she tweeted.

Maryam walked up to the stage to congratulate her uncle on his appointment as the party’s interim president.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2FCMddj

Want to forget past and start new chapter with Pakistan, says Ashraf Ghani

KABUL: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said that Kabul is ready for talks with Pakistan, adding that they want to forget the past and start a new chapter.

Calling on Pakistan to hold government-to-government talks, Ghani said the best place to hold peace talks is Kabul, according to media.

Ghani made the remarks during a speech at the opening of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation which went under way today.

The conference, the first part of which was held in June last year, comprises representatives from around 25 countries, including Pakistan, and members of international organisations.

The aim of the meeting is to find a settlement to the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan.

‘Peace in Taliban’s hands’

In a message to the Taliban, the Afghan president said peace is in their hands today and called on the group to accept peace and come together to save this country.

He said that the peace process and a ceasefire must be agreed upon and that Taliban must be declared a political group.

Ghani laid out several olive branches to the Taliban in his speech, saying the government will provide facilities and security to those who join the peace process, work on freeing prisoners, provide passports for Taliban members and their families and will issue visas, open an office for them including in Kabul and will also work to remove sanctions against Taliban leaders, according to media.

Earlier, the Afghan president said consensus is still needed to take coordinated action among states to counter the threat faced by Afghanistan.

Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani in his opening remarks said that peace in Afghanistan would benefit the whole region and the world at large.

In a tweet on Tuesday evening, Ghani had said he would present a detailed peace offer to the Taliban and Pakistan on behalf of the Afghan people.

“We wish to march toward a lasting peace in #Afghanistan and in the region!” he had said in the message.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2BVjVuC

Court adjourns supplementary reference hearing against Ishaq Dar till March 5

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing the corruption case against former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar conducted proceedings of the supplementary reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

As the hearing went under way, the judge was informed that only one of three new accused is present in court.

Judge Mohammad Bashir then adjourned proceedings for later today until the other accused appear in court.

Resuming the hearing later, the court adjourned the proceedings until March 5 and ordered that the other accused be provided copies of the interim and supplementary references.

On Monday, the court had accepted NAB’s supplementary reference, which includes 24 additional witnesses and three new accused persons.

Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

An interim reference was filed against him by NAB in September last year in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

The supplementary reference is based on seven volumes and includes the account details of the accused persons, with transactions amounting to $4.06 million, according to NAB’s Special Prosecutor Imran Shafiq.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2FDezns

Mashal murder case: Court orders immediate release of 25 accused

ABBOTTABAD: A division bench of Peshawar High Court here ordered the immediate release of the 25 accused who had been awarded three-year to four-year sentences in the murder case of Mashal Khan.

A division bench of the court, including Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Syed Atiq, approved the bail plea of the 25 accused, who were sentenced to imprisonment of three to four years by the anti-terrorism court in the case.

Mashal’s father, Iqbal Khan had earlier filed an appeal in the Peshawar High Court against the decision of an anti-terrorism court, demanding further punishment for the accused.

In the review petition, Iqbal Khan pleaded that the five accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment should be put on death row. He had also appealed to the Peshawar High Court to increase the punishment of those sentenced to four-year jail sentences.

The ATC court in its decision had acquitted the other 26 arrested for their presence on the crime scene due to lack of proper evidence. They were later released on the same night.

Mashal was brutally beaten and shot dead at the over allegations of blasphemy in April 2017, after which a 13-member joint investigation team (JIT) was formed to probe the case.

The JIT revealed in its report in June 2017 that members of the Pakhtoon Students Federation, the student wing of the Awami National Party, incited the mob to kill Mashal on the pretext of blasphemy.

The report stated the murder was premeditated as the group was threatened by Mashal’s activities because he would raise his voice against irregularities at his university.

The 26 accused released by the anti-terrorism court received a ‘hero’s welcome’ in their native town of Swabi and Mardan.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2BVwjut

Eyewitness claims Intezar’s murder was premeditated

KARACHI: In a new turn in the Intezar-murder case, eyewitness Madiha Kayani has claimed that the 19-year-old’s killing was premeditated.

Intezar Ahmed was killed after the police’s Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) officials opened fire on his vehicle on Khayaban-e-Ittehad, DHA on the night of January 13.

In a recently released video message, Kayani — who was accompanying Intezar at the time of his murder — claims that the deceased had told her that his car had been marked and was being followed.

Kayani, stating that her life is in danger, appealed to the Rangers to provide her with security.

Prosecutor for inclusion of anti-terrorism clauses

The special public prosecutor in Intezar murder case on Monday had recommended to the trial court to include anti-terrorism clauses in the case.

The public prosecutor had recommended the inclusion of relative clauses of an Anti-Terrorism Act in the case after the police submitted the interim charge-sheet in court.

The police had also submitted their report pertaining to the acquittal of one of the accused, Abbas, for lack of evidence.

The court, which reserved its verdict on whether or not the charge-sheet is admissible and on the acquittal of accused Abbas, will announce its decision on February 28.

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2FBJPTY

Mystery around Sridevi’s death grows deeper as cops question family

The untimely death of Bollywood’s legendary actress Sridevi is getting more controversial with every minute as after a major change in the cause of death from cardiac arrest to accidental drowning, the late actress’ husband Boney Kapoor has been questioned regarding her death and asked not to leave UAE.

According to media, the mortals of late Sridevi have been confined by the Dubai Police and so is her husband Boney, who was called in by the authorities for questioning regarding his wife’s death and has been asked not to leave the country.

Sridevi’s sudden death not just shocked the world but also her family, including her daughters Janhvi and Khushi who are mourning the death of their mother alone in Mumbai. Initial reports suggested that the late actress died on February 24 from a major cardiac arrest but final forensic report declared the cause of death as accidental drowning, that probably took place after Sridevi suffered the heart attack.

However, it was reported that the Dubai police are covering all the loose ends in the case and have questioned not just Boney but also Mohit Marwah and his family for whose wedding Sridevi was in Dubai.

Meanwhile, latest reports also suggest that the body of the veteran actress might be handed over to the family today by the authorities and would reportedly reach India in the evening. The officials are hopeful that Sridevi’s body will be ready for repatriation after all the completed procedures by 1 to 2 pm Dubai time (3 pm Mumbai time).

from The Daily Mail International – Leading English Newspaper from Pakistan http://ift.tt/2BWaCL1

JETRO rates Pakistan as top destination for Japanese investors

ISLAMABAD: Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in its survey of Japanese companies working in Asia, has rated Pakistan as the top destination for Japanese investors.

This was informed by President of JETRO Yasushi Akahoshi during a meeting with Minister of State and Chairman Board of Investment (BoI) Naeem Y Zamindar who called on him in Tokyo, media reported.

During the meeting, Akahoshi apprised the Minister of State of JETRO’s activities in promoting trade and investment cooperation between Japan and Pakistan and presented the results of JETRO survey of Japanese companies in Asia released this month.

In the survey, Pakistan was rated at the top in Asia by Japanese companies for expected profits in 2018, plans for expansion of operations and hiring of local labour force. These results indicate high confidence of Japanese companies in future economic prospects of Pakistan and quality of labour force.

Meanwhile Naeem Y Zamindar, met Senior Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan Kazuyuki Yamazaki and discussed with him matters of mutual interest.

Chairman of BoI informed Yamazaki that Pakistan was aiming for a 9% economic growth rate by 2020 and there was a general consensus across political spectrum in Pakistan on achieving sustained economic growth.

He also echoed Price Waterhouse coopers projection that Pakistan would be joining G-20 by 2030.

Yamazaki welcomed chairman of BoI to Japan and said Pakistan-Japan relations had a long history. He remarked that given Pakistan’s low labour cost and large and young population, it represented an attractive environment for Japanese investors.

He underscored that there was potential for mutual cooperation between Japan and Pakistan. It was agreed that the forthcoming High Level Economic Policy Dialogue provides a good platform to continue the conversation on how best to realize this potential.

In another meeting with the Naeem Y Zamindar, Chairman of Pakistan Japan Bossiness Cooperation Committee Teruo Asada, and Chairman of Marubeni Corporation stressed the importance of continuing high-level engagement between the governments and businesses of the two countries and discussed the scheduling of the next round of Joint Government Business Dialogue later this year.

Earlier, Director General of South Asia of JICA Keiichiro Nakazawa, also called on chairman of BoI. Senior management of Mitsui Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation also met with the chairman of BoI during his visit to Tokyo to discuss the possibility of developing new project investment in Pakistan.

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Kabul ready to start new chapter with Pakistan, says Ashraf Ghani

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani has said that Kabul is ready to forget the past and want to start new chapter with Pakistan and resolved the issue through dialogues.

This he said during his speech at the opening of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation which was started in Kabul on Wednesday.

Ghani said that the best way of resolving issues among countries is hold government-to-government talks and we are ready to hold negotiations with our neighbor country.

The aim of the meeting is to find a settlement to the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan.

Afghan president added that peace is in their (Taliban) hands today and advised them to accept peace and come together to save this country and work for the prosperity of Afghanistan.

Ghani laid out several olive branches to the Taliban in his speech, saying the government will provide facilities and security to those who join the peace process, work on freeing prisoners, provide passports for Taliban members and their families and will issue visas, open an office for them including in Kabul and will also work to remove sanctions against Taliban leaders, according to Tolo News.

Earlier, the Afghan president said consensus is still needed to take coordinated action among states to counter the threat faced by Afghanistan.

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Contempt of Court: Nehal Hashmi likely to be released today after one-month in prison

F.P. Report

RAWALPINDI: Former Senator and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nehal Hashmi is expected to be released on Wednesday (today) after completing his one-month prison sentence in contempt of court case.

On February 1, the Police officials had arrested Nehal Hashmi from the courtroom after a three-member apex court announced the decision. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa headed the bench.

Nehal Hashmi had used derogatory remarks for the court and also threatened the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) team, who were interrogating Nawaz Sharif and his family members over their ownership of foreign properties.

A video of Nehal Hashmi speech went viral on social media and the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP)  Mian Saqib Nisar took suo moto notice. Hashmi, who led PML-N Karachi, was summoned before the court on May 28, 2017.

During the hearing Nehal Hashmi submitted apology and asked the court to forgive him for his remarks and an unconditional apology was then made by Hashmi’s counsel.

The court had reserved its decision on January 24 after Nehal Hashmi submitted an unconditional apology. The final decision was announced on February 1. He had also been disqualified from holding public office for five years.

 

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Afghanistan defeats West Indies in WC Qualifiers Warm-up

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Afghanistan defeated West Indies in a warm-up match of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers by 29 runs which is played in Zimbabwe.

West Indies elected to field first and inviting Afghanistan team to bat after winning the toss.

Afghanistan managed to score 163 runs for the loss of nine in the 35 overs with the help of some good low order batting performance.

Samiullah Shenwari was the highest scorer for Afghanistan and he scored 42 runs.

In reply, the West Indies batsmen were not in position to chase the target and the Afghan bowlers makes the harder which was initially looking very easy to them and they were all out on 110 runs.

Dawlat Zadran who took 4 wickets along Rashid Khan and Sharafuddin Ashraf taking 2 wickets each to restrict the West Indies Batsmen to 110 only.

Mohammad Nabi and Shah Zadran also took one wicket each on the bowling side.

 

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Kabul Process II summit to begin today

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The Kabul Process II summit is expected to start today as the arrangements were finalized and the security was beefed up in the capital to ensure any untoward situation.

The local Afghan media reported that the Afghan Reconciliation process is expected to top the agenda of the summit.

While talking to media, the officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan said that government will share a comprehensive plan regarding the peace process during the summit.

Similarly, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani shared his views on social media and adding that he will present detailed peace offer to Taliban and Pakistan on behalf of the Afghan people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Corruption reference: Accountability Court adjourns hearing against Ishaq Dar till March 5

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing the corruption case against former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar adjourned the hearing of supplementary reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) till March 5.

The judge of the accountability court was informed that only one accused is present in the court and Judge Mohammad Bashir then adjourned proceedings for later today until the other accused appear in court.

Later resuming the hearing, the court adjourned the proceedings until March 5 and ordered that the other accused be provided copies of the interim and supplementary references.

Earlier on last Monday, the accountability court had accepted NAB’s supplementary reference, which includes 24 additional witnesses and three new accused persons.

Ishaq Dar, a close aide of former premier Nawaz Sharif is facing corruption for possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

An interim reference was filed against him by NAB in September last year in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28, 2017 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

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PM Abbasi chairs NSC meeting, reviews international, regional situation

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) has agreed to readjust the foreign policy framework and focus more on the regional countries.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired a meeting of NSC in Islamabad. The meeting reviews the current international and regional situation.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three Services Chiefs were present in the meeting.

The NSC meeting also agreed to take promote the economic ties with the friendly countries in the region and establish a powerful and fruitful relation with these countries in the better interest of the Pakistan and region.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif briefed the members on his recent successful visit to Russia and recalled the desire of the two countries to further strengthen bilateral relations in all areas.

The NSC meeting reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding interest in lasting peace in Afghanistan. It stressed the importance of peace among the Afghan people through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned national peace and reconciliation process.

The NSC meeting condemned the unprovoked Indian ceasefire violations along the LoC and Working Boundary. It agreed that Pakistan will continue its fight against terrorism and extremism in the interest of its people. Our policies will continue to be formulated and implemented in light of our national interests.

 

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Two policemen martyred as attackers open fire on DSP’s vehicle in Quetta

F.P. Report

QUETTA: At least two policemen were martyred after an unknown attacker opened fire on police officer convoy on Wednesday morning.

Local media reported that the vehicle of DSP Hameedullah Dasti was attacked by unidentified personnel on Samungli Road in a result two policemen were martyred in the attack and the DSP remained unhurt.

The rescue teams and security forces reached the site of the incident and started search operation in the area for the arrest of the criminals/

Police and security officials are often targeted in the Balochistan capital.

Four security personnel were martyred on Feb 14 when they were attacked near the city’s Sariab Road area.

On January 28, a policeman was killed in Quetta’s Hazarganji area in a targeted attack while on January 18, two Balochistan Constabulary officials were killed in Quetta.

Similarly, a police constable was shot dead by unidentified attackers on the city’s Raisani Road on January 16.

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Esha Gupta condemns ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria

Monitoring Desk

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actress, Esha Gupta expressed her solidarity with the victims of Syria war and strongly condemned the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

She expressed her views on the twitter. She said that she doesn’t care which country or religion I have and adding that I have one concern that humanity is dying, children are killing.

Esha Gupta added that we need to stop this humanitarian crisis and stop the bleeding of Syria. Esha also shared a photograph of an injured child on her account.

She asked the world community to play their role in stopping the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the war affected Syria.

 

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PM Abbasi assures government support for revival of film industry

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi appreciated the artists’ role in constructing the positive and promoting the culture and tolerance in the society.

PM Abbasi said this while talking to delegation of prominent artists including TV, film and drama actors and production. Premier assured the government will continue to support for the revival of film industry.

In the meeting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, Chairman Central Board of Film Censor Mubashir Hassan and other officials were also present in the meeting which was held at PM office.

The delegation informed the PM regarding the problems that they are facing in the country in the revival of film industry in Pakistan.

On the occasion PM Abbasi directed the information ministry to include the charter of demand from the artist in the films and culture policy.

 

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Heavy sentence demanded for ousted S. Korean leader

Alex Jensen

SEOUL: Prosecutors asked a local court on Tuesday to sentence former President Park Geun-hye to 30 years behind bars.

Park, 66, has been detained for nearly a year as she was hit with 18 charges of power abuse and corruption after being expelled from office last March.

While the scandal that ousted her has already led to a series of punishments among her aides and officials, Park’s verdict is not set to take place until April 6 — in part because of a delay due to the ex-leader’s legal team quitting over an alleged political bias.

The case against Park has continued to build with investigators gathering evidence ranging from multimillion-dollar conglomerate bribes to restricting the freedom of cultural figures deemed critical of the government.

Her old friend and private confidante Choi Soon-sil has already been handed sentences of three and 20 years in prison by the Seoul Central District Court, which will also decide Park’s fate.

The pair were the focus of massive street protests from 2016, as the public accused them of abusing the presidential office to distort the country’s democracy and seek personal gain.

Park has pleaded not guilty although she was absent from her trial Tuesday.

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Morality, Sexual Harassment and Islam

“The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives.” – Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims who strive to follow the Prophet should, first and foremost, bear that in mind. As #MeToo floods the internet and the […]

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North Korea to send athletes to Paralympics in South Korea

SEOUL: North Korea plans to send athletes to compete in next month’s Paralympic Games in South Korea, following its high profile participation in the Olympic games that wrapped up on Sunday, Yonhap news agency said. Officials from North and South Korea met on Tuesday at a village along the heavily fortified border to discuss logistics […]

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USGA scraps 18-hole playoff format for USA Open

NEW YORK: The USA Open’s 18-hole playoff format will be scrapped in favour of a two-hole aggregate, the United States Golf Association (USGA) said on Monday after calls to move the tournament more in line with the other three majors. The change, which also affects the USA Women’s Open, USA Senior Open and USA Senior […]

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Pacemen promise bruising S Africa-Australia Test series

DURBAN: The pace attacks of South Africa and Australia are preparing to slug it out for supremacy in what is likely to be a bruising four-test series over the next five weeks. The countries will pin their hopes of victory on their quicks with seamer friendly wickets on order for the tests in Durban, Port […]

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Australia’s Hazlewood keen to keep the wood on Amla

 DURBAN: Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood is keen to continue holding the upper hand over South Africa batsman Hashim Amla when the sides begin their four-Test series in Durban on Thursday. Hazlewood dismissed Amla five times when South Africa beat Australia away in a three-test series in November 2016, including a golden duck in the first […]

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IIU appoints associate professor against the required criteria

ISLAMABAD: After several other illegal appointments, the International Islamic University (IIU) Islamabad has appointed a new professor in the university. According to the notification copy available with Daily Times, the IIU administration hired Dr Nadeem Ahmed Sheikh as associate professor for a period of two years in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the campus. […]

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Legal reforms need to be made to ensure safety of our children: NCC

ISLAMABAD: The Secretary of Federal Ombudsman Muhammad Asghar Chaudhry on Tuesday said that children were our future and we need to join hands to secure them. He emphasised the need for evidence-based policy and legal reforms for the protection of children especially the ones who are under employment, during a meeting organised by the National […]

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Hullabaloo in PA keeps govt from completing agenda

LAHORE: Joint opposition in Punjab Assembly on Tuesday created rumpus once again over the alleged corruption in the Multan Metro Bus project, forcing the government to adjourn proceedings without completing the agenda. On Monday, the Punjab Assembly’s session was adjourned without completing its agenda due to a strong protest and chanting of slogans by opposition […]

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Call for crackdown on violent groups to ensure freedom of expression

LAHORE: An international conference on ‘World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development: A Pakistani Perspective on UNESCO Report’ was held at Punjab University’s Institute of Communication Studies on Tuesday. The conferences was organised in the collaboration of UNESCO and Higher Education Commission in which Norwegian Ambassador Tore Nedrebo, Swedish Ambassador Ingrid Johnson, PU […]

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Hamilton sits out second day of Formula One testing

BARCELONA:Four-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton sat out the second day of pre-season testing on Tuesday after Mercedes said they wanted to make the most of good weather with rain threatening. The Briton had been due to take over from Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas in the afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya but […]

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Tragedy at Sea 3,000 Miles Away Resonates in Pakistani Village

A boat carrying migrants capsized off Libya’s coast; 90 people drowned. A majority were from Pakistan, with seven of the confirmed dead from tiny Gujrat.

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STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CPEC

The geographical location of a country determines its role in the world politics. It denotes that critically how beneficial or non-beneficial one country is to the others in terms of the social, economic and political aspects. Strategically, Pakistan is located at a very significant geo-strategic place on the globe. It is situated at the juncture of energy proficient to the energy deficient countries. The geo-strategic importance of Pakistan is evident from the fact that it is bordered by the emerging economic giants of the world i.e. India and China, and by the countries rich in abundant natural resources i.e. Afghanistan and Iran. Historically it is evident that the very concept of a corridor has been a cause of development in parts of the world. Economic corridors have emerged in the recent years as an important tool of regional cooperation, integration and development in a globalized world under reciprocity. China as being the neighbour of South Asia has a special significance in enhancing the agenda of constructive engagements, which is now evident from the active involvement of Chinese leadership in South Asian region. The strategic bonds between Pakistan and China have been on an upward trajectory with moved thrust on economic interaction after the initiation of CPEC. CPEC is a futuristic sociopolitical and economic object oriented dimension of Pakistan in the 21st Century. This multi-dimensional project has opened new vistas of Pakistan’s rebalancing options from geo-politics to geo-economics.

CPEC, to safeguard common interests and mutual benefits, epitomizes a model of cooperation, coordination and strategic communication between China and Pakistan to strengthen connectivity in areas of trade and economy with states in the region to fulfill growing energy requirements and enhance exports. Pakistan’s leadership pronounces the CPEC as a game changer for Pakistan and the region at large. Along with CPEC, Pakistan will turn into a commercial hub in South and Central Asia, an axis of the regional trade.

CPEC would inter-link South Asia, Central Asia, North Africa and Gulf States in terms of economic and energy collaboration. China has been interested in the development of a direct crude oil pipeline from Gwadar in Pakistan to Xinjiang in China through CPEC. With the operationalization of Gwadar Port, all the trade to and from landlocked Central Asian Republics (CARs) can be taken on the shortest available route via Gwadar due to which the trade benefits to Pakistan may be expected to multiply. Pakistan could be able to become major world channel for petro-chemical trade which will stimulate its economic progression. Moreover, the Baluchistan Province in Pakistan will become substantial for regional amalgamation. Gwadar Port has a rare difference of being only one of the few points where ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) would intersect. Therefore, it is imperative that Pakistan should deal optimistically with all the challenges in construction of CPEC and may convert this golden opportunity into an economic certainty. Regardless of the importance of CPEC for Pakistan, there are other dimensions too. It has also exceptional implications for China and its future role of emerging as a great power at the global level. China considers regional connectivity as a central element and first step to rise at global level. President Xi of China during his address to Foreign Affairs Committee at Communist Party meeting in 2014 said that we will give priority to our neighbours in our diplomacy on all fronts. While, other part of policy is to build relations with developing countries having abundance of natural resources, including energy rich, countries. It will help China to be branded as the development partner and non-interfering ally in the comity of nations. Counter balancing the Pivot to Asia Policy designed by the US to contain and encircle China with an alliance including India, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore and the Philippines. This Corridor will serve as a substitute route for Chinese trade, thereby allowing China to outwit the threat of a blockade of Chinese oil supplies through the Strait of Malacca by the USA and allied navies in the wake of a future war in Asia. CPEC will strengthen the strategic alliance between Pakistan and China as it would seem probable to exacerbate the dispute between Pakistan and India. China promotes the hope that CPEC and its economic impact will also contribute to the transformation of Pakistani society and the consolidation of moderate forces. China believes that peaceful progress in Pakistan would have in turn a positive effect on the region about the situation in Afghanistan. The CPEC will provide an opportunity for reinvigoration of Pakistan’s economic structure, predominantly through the development of its energy sector and by encouraging a greater connectivity. CPEC is disparagingly important for both countries. Pakistan needs it to overcome its socio-economic development and energy concerns, while on the other hand China desires it to enlarge its periphery of influence, consolidate its global existence and safeguarding its future supply routes of energy and trade goods. It is important to point out that the concept was established by China, as being part of its “Go Global 2001” policy. Pakistan can be one of the beneficiaries of Chinese dream of economic integration at the regional level. Therefore, it is advisable for Pakistan to remain concentrated on the development of the country rather than wasting time on inconsequential issues. Provincialism should not be given the chance to take over the development agenda by any stakeholder, including the federal government.

China has taken over control of Gwadar Port for a 40 years’ lease, and started to develop the deep seaport into one of the most up-to-date and progressive seaports of the world. Gwadar Port will have a huge storage of cargo and shipment handling facilities and many shipyards. The Gwadar port will function as a tail of the New Silk Road, which would connect China’s Kashgar region to the different communicational networks of the region. It holds an essential position in the CPEC venture that it has been situated close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 40% of the world’s oil supply is flowed.  Gwadar as a key shipping point could play a key role in safeguarding Chinese interests of energy security by providing a much shorter route than the current 12,900 Km route from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Malacca to Chinese Eastern Seaboard. The port is envisioned to the transformation of Pakistan into a center of commercial activities among the energy rich Gulf and Central Asian States, Afghanistan and China, by offering the Pakistan Navy with strategic depth beside its coast as a maritime base.

 

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CPEC: Geo-economics vs. Geo-politics

There is no doubt that in the today’s globalized world, following the geo-economics rather than geo-politics would offer multifaceted incentives to various regions and countries in the form of faster economic growth, creation of jobs, socio-economic development, energy cooperation and regional connectivity. In this context China’s initiatives relating to regional connectivity and infrastructure development in the form of One Belt One Road (OBOR) also termed as Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) offer great opportunities to all the countries on a win-win cooperation basis. The traditional trend of geo-politics based on power projection is no longer attractive as it creates dominance and hegemony of a few countries. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a mega project designed to create economic interdependence not only between China and Pakistan but also among other regional countries. The CPEC is a corridor of geo-economics rather than geo- politics.

Indian opposition to CPEC is an effort to propagate this project as a geo-political issue. For the sake of regional prosperity, India should not oppose Chinese investment in South Asia. India must review its policy of zero-sum game as the peace and cooperation in South Asia is being hampered by this policy. There is a dire need to replace the existing policy of competition and conflict with a new paradigm of geo-economics of win-win cooperation, harmony and peace.
The United States which had earlier an ambiguous stance on China’s Belt and Road Initiative of which CPEC is an important component recently criticized it. The Trump Administration threw its weight behind India’s opposition to the CPEC saying it passes through a disputed territory and no country should put itself into a position of dictating the Belt and Road Initiative. Although BRI is an inclusive project also offers equal opportunities to India in the form of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor but India due to its alignment with the US and Japan is not interested in operationalising this Corridor. Unfortunately, India is not in a mood to benefit from China’s regional connectivity initiatives. India skipped the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held in Beijing last year due to its self claimed issue of sovereignty regarding CPEC which passes through Northern Areas of Pakistan that India claimed is part of disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Even some time India claims Jammu & Kashmir as its integral part whereas Pakistan claims J&K as its jugular vein. The fact of the matter is that J&K is internationally recognized dispute between India and Pakistan and requires resolution as per aspirations of Kashmiri people according to United Nations Security Council Resolutions giving them the fundamental right to self-determination.
Both Pakistan and China have dismissed the US reservations over CPEC asserting that it is an economic cooperation initiative for the socio-economic development of the people in the region and beyond. In an interview, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that India was doing propaganda against CPEC to divert the attention of the international community from Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Many experts are of the view that the CPEC has nothing to do with the issue of sovereignty as India claimed. Leading scholars rightly raise a question if there has been any sovereignty issue then how by following the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, US contractors were able to built Mangla Dam in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and then no reference to a ‘disputed territory’ was made.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also dismissed US concerns saying that the OBOR initiative was backed by the United Nations and that CPEC was an economic cooperation initiative. It added that China has repeatedly reiterated that CPEC is not directed against third party(ies} and has nothing to do with territorial sovereignty disputes and does not affect its principled stance on the Kashmir issue. It highlighted that over 70 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China on OBOR – including the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council – have also incorporated it in their important resolutions. Chinese perspective is very much clear and it believes that the OBOR initiative is in line with the trend of the times and conforms to the rules of development and is in line with the interests of the people of all countries and has broad and bright prospects for development.
The United States should not involve in India’s dirty thinking of raising concerns on positive developments relating to Belt and Road Initiative. All such efforts would remain counter-productive and would lead to US isolation as majority of countries are in favour of the BRI.
It is beyond understanding why India is raising the issue of sovereignty regarding CPEC as it is not passing through Indian territory; it is passing through Northern Areas of Pakistan even if it is considered a part of Azad Jammu & Kashmir that too under Pakistan’s administrative control. The international laws do not prohibit any development activities in the disputed territory. Then why USA is giving so much importance to Indian concerns. On the contrary, USA being a champion of human rights should have persuaded India to stop brutal use of force against innocent Kashmiri people in the Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Pakistan, time and again, has emphasized that the CPEC is an inclusive and open commercial project and must not be politicized.

 

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EU: All Israeli settlements ‘illegal, obstacle to peace’

Brussels

The European Union (EU)’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, has stressed that all Israeli settlements are illegal, condemning them as “an obstacle to peace.”
“We have stressed, repeatedly, that all settlements are illegal and are an obstacle to peace,” High Representative Mogherini said before talks between EU and Arab League foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, which she said would focus on “how to bring the Middle East peace process forward.”
About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Mogherini also commented on the recent closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem al-Quds in protest against Israeli measures, saying “The special status and the character of the city [Jerusalem al-Quds] must be preserved and respected by all.”
“We hope that a solution can be found quickly, Jerusalem is a holy city to the three monotheistic religions,” she added.
For his part, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, who arrived in Brussels for talks on the so-called Middle East peace process, stressed that the only solution “is to reach a lasting peace that again will ensure that East Jerusalem [al-Quds] is the capital of a Palestinian State.”
Mogherini expressed the EU’s readiness to “offer the redeployment of our mission EUBAM Rafah (the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Rafah),” a Palestinian city and refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip and to “support even more the economic development of Gaza and obviously also increase our humanitarian aid with the specific focus on hospitals in Gaza.”
Safadi said, “We must also make sure that UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) continues to deliver its vital services to millions of refugees across its five areas of operation.”
In a rare move, church leaders in Palestine decided on Sunday to close the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem al-Quds until further notice to express dissent against new Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law that they say is an attack on Christians.
Recently, the municipality of Jerusalem al-Quds canceled a tax exemption it had granted to the church-owned commercial property in the city.
Furthermore, Israeli lawmakers have proposed a bill that would allow the regime to expropriate land in Jerusalem al-Quds sold by churches to private real estate companies in recent years. Church officials, however, say such a law would make it more difficult for them to find buyers for church-owned land-sales that contribute to operating costs of their religious institutions.
US President Donald Trump on December 6 formally recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and announced plans to move the American embassy to the occupied city.—Agencies

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Trump wants nuclear missiles on US warships

Washington

US President Donald Trump has reportedly asked his generals to see if it is possible to arm the US Navy’s warships with nuclear weapons, a strategy that seems to fall in line with his order to review America’s nuclear posture.
The Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which was released earlier this month, came largely to counter Russia and effectively end efforts by former President Barack Obama to reduce the size and scope of the US arsenal and minimize the role of nuclear weapons in America’s military doctrine.
It also cast China as a potential nuclear adversary, saying the US arsenal is tailored to “prevent Beijing from mistakenly concluding” that it could gain advantage by using its nuclear weapons in Asia, or that “any use of nuclear weapons, however limited, is acceptable.”
Additionally, the report called for the development of new nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs) and the deployment of Trident D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that will be modified to have lower yield nuclear warheads.
The Pentagon has released a new nuclear arms policy that calls for the introduction of two new types of weapons.
The reports of Trump’s desire to have nuclear-capable warships gained momentum this month, when Air Force General John Hyten, the head of US Strategic Command, said he wanted to put nuclear-tipped cruise missiles on the US Navy’s guided-missile destroyers.
“We want to look at a number of options — everything from surface DDG 1000s [Zumwalt destroyers] to submarines, different types of submarines,” Hyten said during an event in Washington.
“That’s what the president’s budget has requested of us, to go look at those platforms, and we’re going to walk down that path,” he added.
According to a report by the Daily Mail on Tuesday, the USS Zumwalt, a stealthy and futuristic-looking warship that was commissioned in October 2016, is a priority in the new strategy.
In his 2019 spending bill, Trump has requested $89 million to arm Zumwalt class destroyers SM-6 missiles that have a 250-mile range.
The US Navy is inspecting its most advanced warship USS Zumwalt to see what caused its major breakdown.
The $4.4 billion warship’s angular design concept was first picked up by Navy officials over 17 years ago. The Pentagon had originally planned to purchase 32 Zumwalts but cut down the order to only three due to high costs.
The first Zuwalt broke down in the Panama Canal in November 2016, merely a month after its deployment.—Agencies

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Equatorial Guinea president hails cooperation with China

Beijing

Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo met in the capital Malabo the Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan, who arrived here Sunday for a two-day visit.
Obiang hailed the steady development of the traditional friendship between the two countries since the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
He stressed that there has been fruitful bilateral cooperation in the political, economic and cultural fields, and that in international and regional affairs, the two countries have worked closely together, putting forward mutual support.
According to the president, Equatorial Guinea attaches significant importance to the traditional friendship between the two countries, and is ready to strengthen political, economic and security cooperation with China in order to deepen their comprehensive cooperative partnership.
For his part, Chang said the friendship between the two countries has been steadily consolidating since the establishment of diplomatic relations 48 years ago.
Chang recalled that in 2015 Obiang and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping jointly established a comprehensive cooperative partnership of mutual trust and win-win cooperation, providing a roadmap for the development of bilateral relations.
Chang said he was pleased with the strengthening of the pragmatic cooperation between the two armies over the years, and reaffirmed that China is willing to strengthen the friendly and pragmatic cooperation and work together to maintain peace and security in the region.
Equatorial Guinean Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue attended the meeting. Chang then met with Equatorial Guinea Defense minister Leandro Bacale Ncogo Ayingono on Tuesday.—Xinhua

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China strives to meet prosperity deadline

Our Correspondent

Beijing

Rinqen Tongdru, Party chief of a remote county on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, is looking forward to the important political meeting next month.
Rinqen will be among the 2,980 national lawmakers at the annual legislative session, during which the issue he cares about the most – poverty alleviation – should be a highlight, as the country is closing in on its goal of becoming a moderately prosperous society in 2020.
For years, many farmers and herders in Rinqen’s hometown in Debo County, Gansu Province, have lived tough lives in the mountainous area.
The poverty alleviation campaign has compiled profiles of poor villagers since 2013. “We try to understand the particular conditions of individuals, and make plans accordingly,” Rinqen Tongdru said.
“For example, we found one village where it was easy to grow the cash crop angelica, so the government grew some and that encouraged the farmers to grow it, who were then offered loans and training,” he said.
A total of 11,334 rural people have made the step up out of poverty in Rinqen Tongdru’s county, lowering the poverty rate from over 34 percent to 6 percent.
“There are still over 2,000 people to go. Helping them within three years is a task for the whole county,” Rinqen Tongdru said. He will discuss the issue with deputies from other rural regions at the upcoming session, learning what he can.
Lifting all people out of poverty is the baseline of the endeavor. A total of 68.53 million rural people over the past five years have seen their fortunes transformed, with the national poverty rate falling from 10.2 percent to 3.1 percent.
This year alone, China will lift 10 million people out of absolute poverty, including 2.8 million who will be relocated.
“China’s remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty has significantly contributed to the decline in global poverty,” noted Hoon S. Soh, World Bank Program Leader for economic policy for China.
“Poverty alleviation embodies the Chinese approach to human rights,” said Chen Fengying, a research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
There has been a major impact on the distribution of national income, said Chen, noting that the ultimate goal of poverty alleviation is to avoid the middle-income trap.
Besides rooting out poverty, other key tasks include doubling GDP and per-capita income from 2010 levels.
After decades of development, a large middle-income population has emerged in China, perhaps the biggest in the world, giving rise to a vast domestic market.
As the world’s largest source of outbound tourists, Chinese people made over 131 million overseas trips last year. As a top market for products such as automobiles and clothes, China saw its imports volume surge 18.7 percent in 2017. In November, the China International Import Expo in Shanghai is expected to attract thousands of enterprises from more than 100 countries.

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Multilateral diplomacy

Jawad Anani

MULTILATERAL diplomacy is the collective diplomatic and political action of three parties or more. The United Nations is the largest of them all. Yet, there are international organisations that do not include all countries of the world, such as the International Labour Organisation, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The phenomenon of creating regional organisations exists among developed as well as developing countries, or a mixture of both. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the North Atlantic Free Trade Organisation are basically rich-countries arrangements. UNCTAD, the Organisation of Islamic Countries and the African Union are predominantly composed of developing economies. Others fall in between, like the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, etc.
The analysis of multilateral diplomacy is fully detailed in the Arabic version of the book “Multilateral Diplomacy” by Mohammad Javad Zarif, the political scientist and current foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Sayyed Mohammad Sajjadpour, a political scientist and diplomat.
The book was given to me by a diplomat in the Iranian embassy in Amman to read and comment at a reception held on the national day of Iran. I could not even begin to read the book or comment on it. So, I had to withdraw from committing such misbehaviour. Now that I read a good part of the book, I found it to be purely academic, and can serve as a support reading or even a textbook for students of political science or international law.
Between pages 545 and 599, the book discusses the evolution of multilateral diplomacy on the question of disarmament. It starts as early as 1868 at the time of the St Petersburg Declaration and then goes to the Hague Convention of 1899 signed to prevent the use of chemical weapons in war.
I was waiting with anticipation to read the part about the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It was not what I thought it would be. Both authors set the introduction to this study by referring to the US’ use of atomic weapons against Japan, not once but twice, at the end of World War II. The whole world was in panic and countries during the post-World War II era hurried to limit the use of such weapons, especially after the Soviet Union revealed its ability to develop and detonate such weapons.
Yet, the book does not mention the P5+1 negotiations to limit Iran’s atomic prowess, except in the introduction. I could not help but feel let down.
However, the book is thematic, well-organised and reads very well on a subject of great importance. The continuous reference in it to the UN charter and the evolution of ideas leading to the text and the disputes which arose about it, is what makes this book a very useful historical reference.
—Courtesy: JT

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Muscat International Book Fair launched

Syed Hameed Shaheen Alvi

Islamabad

The Muscat International Book Fair has been launched in Muscat with a view to raising the awareness of the community, support intellectual and cultural mobility, increase the rate of reading in the community, which will positively affect the development of society and stimulate the movdment of publishing at the global level, sources told Pakistan Observer here Tuesday.
Main organizing committee of the Fair is headed by the Information Minister Dr Abdel Monein bin Mansour Al Hassani.
The ultimate vision has been described as achieving mastery in promoting awaren ess and knowledge locally, regionally and internationally.
The Fair has generated much cultural interest locally and across Arab peninsula and beyond.

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US warns Turkey against S-400 purchase from Russia

Washington

The United States has reportedly warned Turkey against the consequences of its decision to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries from Russia, saying Washington could slap Ankara with sanctions over such a purchase.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an American official expressed concerns over Turkey’s plan to buy the Russian S-400 missile system, saying the purchase would potentially expose Turkey to a new sanctions law recently passed by Congress, according to the Turkish daily Haberturk.
Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 surface-to-air missile systems on December 2017. The deal has drawn concerns among some of Turkey’s NATO allies who claim the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance.
The US official further said that the potential acquisition of the missile systems would “negatively influence the interoperability of NATO,” the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization to which Turkey is a member.
The official also said that Washington was seeking to “help Turkey find a better alternative to meet its air defense needs.”
Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke out against the language of threats regarding its purchase of the S-400 systems.
“We do not use and will not accept the language of threats. Yes, the US Congress adopted a law [on anti-Russia sanctions]. But we need to ensure our national security. We would like to purchase the means to ensure it from our allies,” Cavusoglu said during a press conference with his American counterpart Rex Tillerson on February 16. The US State Department has previously threatened to apply “appropriate measures” against countries willing to purchase advanced weaponry, particularly the S-400 missile defense systems.
The United States has warned Iraq of “consequences” if it buys Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defense systems.
On August 2, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) that imposed sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea. The latest threat of sanctions come amid tense relations between the US and Turkey over Washington’s support for the Kurdish militants in northern Syria. Ankara views those militants as terrorists linked with the homegrown Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has been fighting for autonomy. Ankara launched a military campaign against US-backed Kurdish militants on Syrian soil after the US said it would set up a 30,000-strong militant force at Turkey’s doorstep.—Agencies

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UK may join US strikes on Syria if gas attack proven: Johnson

London

Amid a renewed Western push to blame Syria for “chemical attacks” against civilians, the UK says it will start “seriously” considering joining US military strikes against the Arab country if such claims are ever established.
“If we know that it has happened, and we can demonstrate it, and if there is a proposal for action where the UK could be useful then I think we should seriously consider it,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the BBC on Tuesday.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is sympathetic to anti-Damascus militants, said 14 civilians had suffered breathing difficulties after a Syrian warplane struck the village in the Eastern Ghouta region in the Syrian capital’s suburbs.
The report came just after Russia warned that militants were planning a gas attack there to pin it on the Syrian government.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, dismissed the report as “bogus stories,” stressing that government forces have attacked foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists there.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejects ‘bogus’ reports about an alleged chemical attack in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta region. In a similar statement earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron said if the use of chemical weapons against civilians were proven in Syria, “France will strike.”
Syria surrendered its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 2014 to a joint mission led by the US and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which oversaw the destruction of the weaponry.—Agencies

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Aik Cheez Par Main Nawaz Sharif Say Agree Karta Hon…-Arif Nizami

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Imran Khan Ab Kya Karne Wale Hain..??

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Shakeel Siddique Made Every One Laugh In Har Lamha Pur Josh.

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تحریک انصاف کی مقبولیت کا گراف اچانک اُٹھ گیا ، صوبہ پنجاب کا معتبر ترین سیاسی گھرانہ تحریک انصاف میں شامل، کھلاڑیوں کے جشن ، ایک دوسرے کو مبارکبادیں

source

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Nearly a quarter Pakistanis (27%) believe that individuals in Pakistan do not have fundamental religious freedom.

According to a Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, nearly a quarter Pakistanis (27%) believe that individuals in Pakistan do not have fundamental religious freedom.

A nationally representative sample of men and women from across the four provinces was asked, “Just recently the United States has included Pakistan in the list of countries where people do not have the freedom to follow their religion. Please tell us how much you agree or disagree with the stance that people in Pakistan do not have religious freedom?” In response to this question, 12% said they agreed a lot, 15% said somewhat agree, 18% said somewhat disagree and 52% said they disagreed a lot. 3% did not know or wish to respond.

Among urban respondents, 12% said they agreed a lot with the stance that people in Pakistan do not have religious freedom, 20% said somewhat agree, 24% said somewhat disagree and 41% said they disagreed a lot. 3% did not know or wish to respond. Among rural respondents, 13% said they agreed a lot with the stance that people in Pakistan do not have religious freedom, 12% said somewhat agree, 15% said somewhat disagree and 57% said they disagreed a lot. 3% did not know or wish to respond.

from Gallup Pakistan http://ift.tt/2FaAKni

As compared to a few year ago, 33% rise in the proportion of Pakistanis who are optimistic about the coming year being economically prosperous for the country; decline of 10% and 12% respectively from previous 2 years.

According to a Gallup & Gilani Pakistan National Survey conducted in the year 2010 (7  years ago) respondents in Pakistan were asked, “Compared with this year, in your opinion, will next year be a year of economic prosperity, economic difficulty or remain the same?” In response, 13% said next year will be of economic prosperity, 37% said it will remain the same, 34% said economic difficult and 16% did not know or wish to respond.

Comparative Picture: The question was asked again in 2017 to enable a concrete comparison. In 2017, 46% said next year (2018) will be of economic prosperity, 22% said it will remain the same, 26% said economic difficult and 6% did not know or wish to respond.

The findings are available since 2010 periodically and the graph below shows how the public opinion has fluctuated over the years.

This press release has been made as part of the Gallup Pakistan History Project which aims to release historical empirical polling data to wider audiences. The objective is to sustain and encourage empirical decision making in Pakistan.

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