ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):State Minister for Interior, Talal Chaudhry Thursday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government wants justice in Sharif family’s case through fair and transparent investigations.
Speaking at the Judicial Complex before the hearing of Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar case, he said that the tone of party leaders have become harsh due to the constant injustices they are facing.
Minister said, “We always follow the rule of law and resented ourselves before courts”.
Talal Chaudhry said the opponents will face major surprises in the next general elections.
He said, “I already said Nawaz Sharif isn’t going; instead, he is coming.”
The PML-N representative said that there should be prevailed the supremacy of law in the country.
Chaudhry called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman as an absconder from anti-terrorism court and Election Commission of Pakistan.
PML-N leader said that his party would not let the vision of former president General Pervaiz Musharraf to be implemented in the country.
He said it is the right of the ex- prime minister Nawaz Sharif to appeal for trail in the courts as like other citizens so nobody can restrict him to get justice in his case.
PML-N govt had cooperated with Joint Investigation Team (JIT) despite reservations on its investigation procedures, he mentioned.
“We had reservations regarding the Panama Papers case from the start of the proceedings as all this has done to defame Sharif Family,” he added.
While appreciating the efforts of Maryam Nawaz Sharif, he said we won NA-120 elections due to her arduous struggle.
PML-N wants justice in Sharif’s family case : Talal
Nawaz will appear in court for next hearing: Rana
ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan on appearance in accountability court said that the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will appear in accountability court for next hearing as he presented himself before.
Talking to a private news channel, Rana said “we do not want any confrontation with courts or other institutions and not a single violation of law was made in all procedure of court hearings”.
He said that the former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will stay in the country and look after all party matters related to coming elections and public connection campaign would continue under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.
Nawaz Sharif was a popular political leader and millions of people had political affiliation with him, he said.
“We are not afraid to appear before the court as they have done nothing wrong in past and will not prove in future but the opponents want to disgrace the Sharif family”, he said.
He challenged the opponents that they can’t face PML-N in political field as their all conspiracies will go in vain.”Our struggle is for proper justice,” he added.
Chinese experts slam Indian official over culture comment
BEIJING, Oct 26 (APP):Chinese experts have slammed an Indian official’s remarks that China has been culturally controlled by India, saying the official is trying to boost the country’s national pride.
The remarks were made by India’s home minister Rajnath Singh at a nationwide tourism festival saying said that Chinese scholar Hu Shi (1891-1962) wrote that “India culturally had controlled and dominated China for more than 2,000 years without sending a single soldier. That is the effect of India.”
If China has been controlled culturally by any country, it is India and this fact was accepted by Hu Shi, Singh said.
By saying India’s influence on Chinese culture, Hu was referring to the spread of Buddhism during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) in China, Zhang Yiwu, a professor of culture at Peking University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
It is true that Buddhism originated from India, but the religion thrived in China after it was localized to make it better adapt to the Chinese society, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
There are more than 1,700 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, 46,000 monks and nuns and up to 400 living Buddha in Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, said Zhou Wei, chief of the Institute for Religious Studies at the China Tibetology Research Center.
Buddhism has little to do with contemporary India, whose mainstream religion is Hinduism, experts noted. “Singh is merely trying to boost national pride and there is no need to overreact to his speech,” Zhang noted.
“It is also inappropriate to use the phrase ‘culturally control and dominate’ as culture simply integrates with each other, and China, as a country with a great civilization, hasn’t and will not be ‘controlled or dominated’ by any culture,” Hu said.
He pointed out that Chinese civilization features various schools of thought, including Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism.
CIA role to carry out covet operations in Afghanistan under the new South Asia
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (APP):The recent troops surge and expansion of CIA role to carry out covet operations in Afghanistan under the new South Asia strategy are unlikely to succeed as the United States needs to build a credible support system to win the war against Taliban in Afghanistan.
There has been continued debate in the United States about the impact and effectiveness of the South Asia strategy announced by President Trump in August. The US is sending an additional 4,000 troops and, according to a report published in New York Times this week, CIA is getting an expanded role to carry out counter terrorism operations against militants.
In an article published in the online news magazine The Hill, Shazar Shafqat, a counter terrorism and security analyst, wrote that the new strategy was unlikely to succeed and more than sending additional troops, the US needs a combination of shrewd political moves and tactical military maneuvers to defeat terrorists.
Last week was one of the bloodiest in Afghanistan this year during which more than 125 people, mostly soldiers and policemen, were killed in several terrorist attacks claimed by Taliban and ISIS.
These attacks occurred as representatives from the United States, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan met on October 16 to discuss the prospects of Afghan peace under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG). It was the sixth meeting of the group and it was the first time the Taliban did not attend, indicating they did not want to be part of the peace process.
The attack also came shortly before the visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as part of his South Asia sojourn which also took him to Pakistan and India.
According to the article, the US had 100,000 troops in Afghanistan in 2010 but it failed to prevent terrorist attacks. Troops’ level was reduced to 34,000 by 2014 and the current number of US and NATO troops is about 13,500. The recent surge in troops, according to the analyst, was therefore unlikely to alter the ground situation.
“A massive boots on ground policy isn’t likely to serve America’s counter terror and security goals, but it will expose the U.S. servicemen to the increased dangers of insider attacks,” the analyst said.
The Trump administration has now decided to expand CIA role to allow it conduct hit-and-run operations. But, for this move to be successful, the Trump administration needs to consider some important points, according to the article.
“In territories like Afghanistan, multinational intelligence sharing serves the key. Local forces are required to share Intel reports with foreign military officers,” the analyst said but doubted if the local Afghan authorities were capable enough to gather meaningful information
“For the covert operations to succeed, the U.S. authorities need to build a credible support system in Afghanistan. Until then, hit-and-run covert operations aren’t likely to succeed, the analyst said.
Covert operations in areas like Afghanistan, he added, require integrated intelligence and subsequent operations based on Intel reports, reconnaissance and surveillance. “Again, Afghan authorities aren’t competent enough to provide the U.S. forces with assets and information dissemination systems.”
“America needs to dent the insurgents from within. You’ve got to infiltrate their apparatus, and ward off the support system,” the analyst said but added that while the CIA was more than capable to do
this, it’s just the wrong choice of operations that’s pegging them back”.
Foreign exchange rates
KARACHI, Oct 26 (APP):The Exchange Rates Committee of
Financial Markets Association of Pakistan issued the following
exchange rates bulletin, here on Thursday.
LIBOR FOR CALCULATING INTEREST ON SPECIAL US DOLLAR BONDS
VIDE SBP F.E. CIRCULAR NO.42 & 21.07.98 & 04.08.98 RESPECTIVELY.
LIBOR
VALUE
6 MONTHS USDOLLAR 1.5644
26.10.2017
CONVERSION RATES FOR 26TH OCTOBER 2017 FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY
FOR FORWARD COVER FOR DEPOSITS (EXCLUDING FE-25 DEPOSITS)
SBP SETTLEMENT VALUE DATE OCTOBER 30, 2017.
USD
105.4468
GBP
138.9789
EUR
124.0792
JPY
0.9234
Summary sent to PM for granting university status to NCA: Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Ahmed Sheikh on Thursday apprised the Senate that a summary has been sent to the Prime Minister for granting university status to National College of Arts (NCA) so that new colleges could be set across the country.
Replying to various questions during Question Hour, the minister said it was policy of the College to open regional centres in all provinces after the College was granted University status.
He said after approval of the summary, it would be presented before the National Assembly in the shape of bill for final approval.
He said it was also pertinent to mention here that the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat in its meeting held on June 21, 2017 has recommended giving university status to NCA.
The committee also proposed to set up NCA campuses in Karachi, Quetta, Multan and Peshawar, he added.
To another question, the minister said  National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) through its determinations in July 2016, finalized the tariff for the fiscal year 2015-16, which on National Average was Rs. 10.90/kWh.
However, he said  all power distribution companies (DISCOs) challenged the same in the Islamabad High Court.
The court directed NEPRA to re-determine the tariff for the FY 2015-16 .
NEPRA in compliance of the orders of the Court re-determined the tariff for all the DISCOs pertaining to the FY 2015-16, on September 18, 2017, on differential basis which works out as Rs. 11.38/kWh on National Average basis, which was Rs. 0.48/kWh higher than the earlier determined tariff of Rs. 10.90/kWh.
He said the increase of Rs. 0.48/kWh was mainly due to increase in Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses and allowing write offs on provisional basis to DISCOs.
He said the T&D losses have been increased by around 1% from 15.23% to 16.28% at national level, whereas, provisional write offs of Rs 24,339 million have also been allowed.
The minister said before determining any tariff, all the concerned including consumers were given opportunity to participate in the proceedings and to file objections. Â
To a question, Aftab Ahmad said proposal was under consideration to set up more community centres in H-8/4 and I-8 Markaz.
He said Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has 30 motels in various parts of the country and not yet handed over to the provinces after passage of 18th amendment.
He said an amount of Rs 163.215 million has been spent on tourist information centres while Rs 119.672 million on publicity and promotion department during fiscal year 2016-17.
To another question, he said federal minister and state minister was entitled to use an official car maintained at the cost of the government in accordance with the rule. 18 CC staff car along with driver was being provided by the government to the minister and state minister, he added.
He said no limit for provision of petrol has been fixed for the ministers.
Poor maritime connectivity continues to keep smaller ,weaker economies from reaching world markets :UN report
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 26 (APP):A new United Nations report has revealed the poor maritime connectivity continues to keep smaller and weaker economies from reaching world markets, highlighting the need for evidence-based improvements to trading systems and procedures to address these challenges.
Planning and forecasts can be significantly improved if data on maritime transport networks are included in the relevant policy processes, such as negotiating trade deals and transport infrastructure development plans, Mukhisa Kituyi, the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said in a statement announcing the findings.
According to the UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport, lack of access is particularly challenging for landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and least developed countries leading to fewer, unreliable and expensive transport connections.
These obstacles also further widen the rift between the best- and worst-connected countries, added the news release, calling for increased interconnectedness between national, regional and intercontinental liner shipping services.
In many countries, domestic shipping services for [transport of goods] are protected from foreign competition. Such market restrictions can lead to unnecessary inefficiencies and a loss of maritime connectivity, it noted.
Furthermore, well-designed policies allowing “under clearly defined conditions ” international shipping lines to also carry domestic or international cargo from feeder vessels can enhance both the competitiveness of a nations seaports and the access of importers and exporters to international shipping services, highlighted UNCTAD.
Explaining the benefits, Shamika Sirimanne, the Director of the Technology and Logistics Division at UNCTAD said : Fostering competition among ports is important to ensure that port operators maximize efficiency and pass on efficiency gains to their clients.
Equally important is improving multi-modal transport links: efficient regional trucking markets, inland waterways, rail and road infrastructure, and transit regimes all have an important role to play.
UNCTAD research also revealed that four in five trading country-pairs do not have a direct connection between them which in turn leads to lesser trade between them.
A key question for trade and transport analysts is whether there are no direct connections between the two countries because there is not enough demand, or because the two trading partners are not well connected, highlighted Jan Hoffmann, the Chief of the Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD. Improving links can, therefore, help boost trade between countries, lower costs associated and also help improve connectivity.
Smooth transition of power after elections vital for Pakistan’s prosperity
ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):EDITOR’S note: Correcting typos in LOGNO: 196
Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal Thursday said political stability and smooth transition of power
after the next general elections were essential for turning Pakistan into a mature democracy and achieving sustainable development.
Talking to a select group of journalists from print and electronic media here, the Minister said Pakistan was heading
towards smooth transition and would become a mature democratic country after next elections.
Ahsan Iqbal said it was for the first time in 66 years history of the country that the previous democratic government completed its
tenure which had sent a positive message to the world that Pakistan was becoming a democratic state.
Similarly, he said, the government wanted that the next elections in 2018 should be held in a free, fair and transparent
manner, adding Election law was passed and now work was continuing for delimitation of constituencies according to the latest census.
The Minister said present government has completed more than four years and emphasized the need to further strengthen democratic culture, so that it could be shown that second time a democratic government completed its five-year term.
The Minister said the journey to progress would continue and efforts were being made to make Pakistan economically strong and stable, describing politically stability as “oxygen for development and prosperity”.
He said good economic policies were like seeds which only grow and germinate in a suitable environment.
The Minister lamented that a particular segment of opposition parties was in the habit of finding faults with the progress which
the government made during last four years and was spreading disappointment in the country.
He said that PML-N won the general election of 2013 on the promise of development and it fulfilled its commitment, ending
terrorism and energy shortages to a larger extent.
The minister said that in 2013 Pakistan was considered the most dangerous country of the world due to terrorism and
deteriorating law and order, but with Nawaz Sharif’s efforts the country has become safe and secure.
Nawaz Sharif fulfilled his promises which he made with public in 2013 and put Pakistan on the road to peace and prosperity.
Replying to a question, he said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was the most popular leader among masses and the PML-N was united under his dynamic leadership.
“There was no rift in party and people had always voted for Nawaz Sharif,” he said adding, PML-N has become a “stainless steel”
and people of Pakistan and their representatives have complete confidence in the leadership on Nawaz Sharif.
Ahsan Iqbal said that the General Election 2018 would actually be a referendum on efforts of the government to develop Pakistan.
He said the incumbent government had initiated lot of mega projects from Gilgit-Baltistan to Karachi to lead the country
towards progress and development.
He said that due to the policies of Nawaz Sharif, peace has been restored in the country including Karachi and Balochistan,
adding Nawaz Sharif launched first-ever mega projects in Balochistan and built motorway from Gwadar to Karachi. The roads
built in Balochistan have shortened the distance between Gwadar and Karachi from 24 hours to only 8 hours.
“Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is rising and electricity shortages have been brought under control. The world’s
key investors were eyeing Pakistan as a potential investment market.
In the bracket of low and middle income countries, the World Bank in its recent report, ranked Pakistan as the 5th top country
for its private investment in infrastructure, Ahsan continued.
The Minister said 5.3 per cent GDP growth has been achieved while 6 per cent target of GDP growth has been set for this fiscal
year.
The Minister said had the political circumstances remained stable the government would have managed to achieve 6.5 per cent GDP
growth, however, 6 per cent target would be achieved positively.
He said the incumbent government added around 10,000 MW electricity to national grid in last four years as compared to
16,000 MW which were added in the last 66 years.
The minister said unprecedented investment has been made in power sector, adding that further 15,000 MW electricity would be
added to the system by 2025 to meet growing energy needs.
ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said a systematic campaign was being run to create wedge in civil-military relations.
Some desperate politicians, who know that they could not win against PMLN in elections, could be part of a conspiracy against the democratic government, he explained.
Regarding role of media, Ahsan Iqbal said both successes and deficiencies of the government should be highlighted in a balanced manner rather than portraying a dismal picture before masses.
He said international media was portraying a positive image of Pakistan while local media was depicting a gloomy picture. But in reality Pakistan was rising and making achievements in different sectors of economy.
The Minister said freedom of expression was right of everyone while remaining within the domain of law and the constitution.
Ahsan said the media should form its own code of conduct and pursue self-accountability.
He said a section of media, political class and retired personnel were trying to build a narrative to paint a dismal state of affairs.
The institutions should devise a mechanism to properly monitor social media, which had become a tool of disinformation, he added.
The minister said Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf had a role in weakening the political system and national economy.
During his rule, $ 90 billion flowed into Pakistan but unfortunately he could not undertake a single project of electricity, motorway or a dam.
He said Musharraf could have gained a lot of benefits from the United States but failed to do so and only worked for prolonging his rule.
To a question about US relations, he said he told Americans that they could not show any development projects started by them in Pakistan except few of them in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
He said Pakistan and United States have to build a comprehensive relationship based on mutual trust, adding both countries have to find convergence and common grounds for cementing their bilateral ties.
He said US should understand that oppression against Muslims in the world was the main cause of resentment and extremists use this phenomenon to promote extremism.
“I also conveyed the US officials to play their role in peaceful settlement of conflicts particularly Kashmir,” he added.
He said the US has been asked to facilitate Pakistani students seeking admission in their top universities for which Pakistan would bear all expenses.
PIA to operate on commercially viable routes only: Senate body informed
ISLAMABAD, Oct 26 (APP):Adviser to the Prime Minister on Aviation Division
Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi Thursday informed the Senate Special Committee on
Performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that the national
flag-carrier would operate on commercially viable routes only.
“The PIA has decided in principle that it would operate
on commercially viable routes only to minimize financial loses and make the
organization a profit earning entity,” he said in the committee meeting,
chaired by Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah.
He admitted that PIA’s performance was not up to the
mark, for which the current management was not responsible as it inherited several
issues from the past regimes over the years.
The adviser said PIA was being strengthened by
inducting more aircraft in the fleet and improving its services, requesting the
parliamentarians “to do criticism on PIA performance, but avoid passing
negative remarks as these affect its business, credit and reputation.”
Committee member Mushahid Ullah Khan said the PIA
fleet was consisted of 16 aircraft only when the present government came into
power in 2013, while now its 37 planes were operating for different local and
foreign destinations, out of which four were with engineering department for
necessary maintenance.
Committee Chairman Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah expressed
anger over non-submission of required information by the PIA management even
after a period of eight months.
He constituted a sub-committee, comprising
Farhatullah Babar, Col ® Tahir Hussain Mashhadi and Numan Wazir, to probe the alleged
sale of PIA Airbus A-310 to a German firm in violation Public Procurement
Regulatory Authority rules, which would submit its report in a period of two
months, fixing responsibility.
Representatives of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)
apprised the committee that a narcotics supplier namely Jannat Gul had been
arrested from Karachi, who allegedly was a ‘main source’ of transporting a huge
quantity of Heroin seized from a PIA plane at Heathrow Airport, London on May
15.
“The accused is used to supply narcotics from Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi and recovered 8.5 kilogram drugs from him when he was
arrested,” they said.
Currently, they said the accused was on a judicial
remand and had disclosed names of his two accomplices, while further
investigation was underway.
They said the ANF had arrested PIA 17 employees in
the case and trying to unearth the gang, if involved any.
On a query of the Committee Chairman, the ANF
officials said National Crime Agency of UK, which seized the 11kg heroin from kitchen
cabinet of the PIA plane, did not share any information or outcome of its
inquiry with Pakistan.
Syed Muzaffar asked the official to submit a detail
report about modus operandi adopted by smugglers to use PIA planes for drug
trafficking.
They body directed the PIA management to improve
quality of food items and other services provided to passengers during travel
in flights.
Adviser to the PM on Aviation Sardar Mehtab said 59
percent work on the Quetta airport expansion project had been completed and
efforts were being made to complete the project at the earliest.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Senators Mushahid
Ullah Khan,
Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar,
Dr Ashok Kumar, Taj Muhammad Afridi, FArhatullah Babar , Sherry Rehman, Col.
Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Nauman Wazir Khattak, Saleem Mandviwalla, Nuzhat
Sadiq and Azam Swati, besides Secretary Aviation Division, CEO of PIACL and
other senior officials.
External attack may have caused 1961 Hammarskjold’s plane crash
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 26 (APP):A new United Nations-mandated report has found it appears plausible that an external attack or threat may have led to the fatal plane crash that killed the iconic UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, 56 years ago.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called on UN Member States to make available information concerning the 1961 incident. A statement issued his Spokesman said Guterres was of the view that the information made available to the UN to date has been insufficient and that it seems likely that important additional information exists.
The chartered DC6 plane registered as SE-BDY crashed just after midnight on 17-18 September 1961, near Ndola (then Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia), killing Hammarskjold and 14 of the 15 members of the party accompanying him, with the sole survivor succumbing to injuries a few days later.
“There is a significant amount of evidence from eyewitnesses that they observed more than one aircraft in the air, that the other aircraft may have been a jet, that SE-BDY was on fire before it crashed, and/or that SE-BDY was fired upon or otherwise actively engaged by another aircraft,” noted Eminent Person Mohamed Chande Othman in his report, transmitted to the General Assembly Wednesday.
“It appears plausible that an external attack or threat may have been a cause of the crash, whether by way of a direct attack causing SE-BDY to crash or by causing a momentary distraction of the pilots. Such a distraction need only have taken away the pilots attention for a matter of seconds at the critical point at which they were in their descent to have been potentially fatal.”
Over the year, a series of inquiries have explored various hypotheses for the crash, including aerial or ground attack or other external threat external attack or threat, sabotage, hijacking, and human error.
In the report, the Eminent Person concluded that it is almost certain that Hammarskjold and the members of his party were not assassinated after landing and that all passengers died from injuries sustained during the plane crash, either instantaneously or soon after.
Exploring whether a sabotage ” possibly a bomb planted on the plane and activated before landing
led to the crash, as part of a plot to remove Hammarskjold, Othman reported that he attempted to obtain access from South Africa to the ˜Operation Celeste’ documents, which concern this claim, but at the time of writing his report, access to the documents had not been granted.
Noting that in the time available, and in view of the emergence of new matters requiring further analysis of facts, he was not able to conclude all aspects of the work, the Eminent Person noted that it appears to him “reasonable to conclude that the burden of proof has now shifted to Member States” to show that they have conducted a full review of records and archives in their custody or possession, including those that remain classified, for potentially relevant information.
He also recommended that Member States appoint an independent and high-ranking official to conduct a dedicated and internal review of their archives, in particular, their intelligence, security and defence archives, with a view to ensuring comprehensive access to relevant information and establishing what happened on that fateful night.
“An incident such as this where one or more of the hypotheses of the air crash may have involved an adverse or hostile act or acts on the Secretary-General of the United Nations is a matter of highest public interest,” he noted, urging for meaningful participation of key Member States in identifying material relevant to the tragic incident.
“This is a step that must be taken before this matter, and the memories of those who perished on flight SE-BDY in the service of the Organization, may rest,” he concluded.
New US South Asia strategy unlikely to succeed: Op-Ed
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (APP):WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (APP) – The recent troops surge and expansion of CIA role to carry out covet operations in Afghanistan under the new South Asia strategy are unlikely to succeed as the United States needs to build a credible support system to win the war against Taliban in Afghanistan .
There has been continued debate in the United States about the impact and effectiveness of the South Asia strategy announced by President Trump in August. The US is sending an additional 4,000 troops and, according to a report published in New York Times this week, CIA is getting an expanded role to carry out counterterrorism operations against militants.
In an article published in the online news magazine The Hill, Shazar Shafqat, a counterterrorism and security analyst, wrote that the new strategy was unlikely to succeed and more than sending additional troops, the US needs a combination of shrewd political moves and tactical military maneuvers to defeat terrorists.
Last week was one of the bloodiest in Afghanistan this year during which more than 125 people, mostly soldiers and policemen, were killed several terrorist attacks claimed by Taliban and ISIS.
These attacks occurred as representatives from the United States, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan met on October 16 to discuss the prospects of Afghan peace under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG). It was the sixth meeting of the group and it was the first time the Taliban did not attend, indicating they did not want to be part of the peace process.
The attack also came shortly before the visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as part of his South Asia sojourn which also took him to Pakistan and India.
According to the article, the US had 100,000 troops in Afghanistan in 2010 but it failed to prevent terrorist attacks. Troops’ level was reduced to 34,000 by 2014 and the current number of US and NATO troops is about 13,500. The recent surge in troops, according to the analyst, was therefore unlikely to alter the ground situation.
“A massive boots on ground policy isn’t likely to serve America’s counter terror and security goals, but it will expose the U.S. servicemen to the increased dangers of insider attacks,” the analyst said.
The Trump administration has now decided to expand CIA role to allow it conduct hit-and-run operations. But, for this move to be successful, the Trump administration needs to consider some important points, according to the article.
“In territories like Afghanistan, multinational intelligence sharing serves the key. Local forces are required to share intel reports with foreign military officers,” the analyst said but doubted if the local Afghan authorities were capable enough to gather meaningful information
“For the covert operations to succeed, the U.S. authorities need to build a credible support system in Afghanistan. Until then, hit-and-run covert operations aren’t likely to succeed,” the analyst said.
Covert operations in areas like Afghanistan, he added, require integrated intelligence and subsequent operations based on intel reports, reconnaissance and surveillance. “Again, Afghan authorities aren’t competent enough to provide the U.S. forces with “assets” and information dissemination systems.”
“America needs to dent the insurgents from within. You’ve got to infiltrate their apparatus, and ward off the support system,” the analyst said but added that while the CIA was more than capable to do this, “it’s just the wrong choice of operations that’s pegging them back”.
Millat Tractors Governor’s Cup golf tournament
LAHORE, Oct 26 (APP):The 34th Millat Tractors Governors Cup Golf Tournament will be contested here from Friday
(October,26) at the historic Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course.
This was stated by Shaukat Javed, Convenor Golf of Lahore
Gymkhana at a press conference attended by Sikander Mustafa Khan,
Syed Muhammed Irfan Aqeel, Ahsan Imran of Millat Group, Omer Zia ,Tournament Director and Khawaja Pervaiz Saeed, Director Media at the Gymkhana Golf Club on Thursday .
Shaukat Javed also stated that a very special feature of
the Governor’s Cup Golf Tournament is that it provides an
opportunity to talented and upcoming golfers who seek to
establish their names in the competitive golfing arena and
become known as golf players of excellence.
“This prestigious championship is the only one of its kind
where the ultimate title holder becomes a champion based on his
net score. Historically this championship was created and launched
over three decades back. Because of its special nature, the
Governors Cup Golf Championship has ingrained a permanent place
for itself in the golfing arenas of Pakistan. It has become a
championship that carries prestige, status and esteem and the golf
players with a champions touch seek participation in the championship
to enhance and establish their status as golfers of standing”,he
asaid.
Khawaja Pervaiz Saeed said that Golf players consider the
championship one rare event on the national golf calendar which
provides this opportunity to upcoming golfers of talent and
ability.If they manage to perform in an excellent way, the victory catapults them to an elevated position and thus get categorized
as the established one. It is because of this reason that the
participating competitors are so very excited about the Championship.
For the golf players who come from other stations, playing
at the historic Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course is a delight, glee and
ecstasy and they relish the moments of competition they spend here
and share them readily with the local golfers whom they consider
as blessed and fortunate for they have ready access to the golf course.
Undoubtedly the scenic Gymkhana golf course is a gift of nature
and because of good upkeep the fairways give a most appropriate lie of
the ball.
As far as the history of this championship is concerned it was introduced in the year 1984, and if you start counting it now enters
the 34th year. Another feature worth mentioning is that Millat Tractors have been sponsoring this event for 24 years in succession.
Kh Pervaiz acknowledged the sponsorship support of Millat Tractor Limited and in particular Sikandar Mustafa Khan, the Chairman of Millat Tractor Sikandar Mustafa Khan who is a golfer, a corporate .
Syed Irfan Aqeel, CEO, Millat Tractors stated that the team at
Millat Tractors feels proud about contributing to the farming community
at large through unmatched investment in innovative engineering
technology and production quality to bring dynamic change and a new
era to the tractor industry of Pakistan.
The participation numbers are large and are summarized below,
Amateurs, 95, Seniors 74, Veterans 46, Ladies 19 and Juniors 8.
Evaluation of competitors participating in this championship
is an important factor and in the handicap category 5 & below,
the following names need to be highlighted; Wazir Ali, Salman
Jehangir, Mohsen Zafar, Qasim Khan, Ahmed Zafar Hayat, Sardar Murad
Khan, Murad A Khan, Waleed Zubair, Taimoor Shabbir (All from Gymkhana).
Ayaz Saleem (Garrison), Hussain Hamid (Royal Palm), Fakhar Imam (Defence Raya) Azhar Majeed(Peshawar), Zain Tareen (Islamabad) Golf Club). Nasir Irshad, Hamza Mansoor, Shoaib Bokhari, JamalNasir, Reza Said, Ahmed
Nawaz Tiwana, Damil Attaullah, Khurshid Aziz, Danish Javed, Faysal Sayid and Ahmed Rafi.
Main Trophy will be awarded to the Champion with the best Net
Score. The defending Champion is Isfandyar Khan.
Prize Distribution Ceremony Will be held at 4:00 pm on Sunday,
29th October 2017 at Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club. Governor Punjab
has consented to be the Chief Guest on this grand occasion.
Opening ceremony, match timings of 3rd Pak-Lanka T-20I
LAHORE, Oct 26 (APP):The Third T20I between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, October 29.
The match will start at 6pm; the start time has been brought
forward by an hour due to prevailing weather and dew conditions in
Lahore, said a spokesman for Pakistan Cricket Board, here on Thursday.
Spectators are advised to reach the stadium on time, the stadium
gates will be opened three hours prior to the start of the match
at 3:00pm. An opening ceremony will take place at 4:45pm.
-Gates to open 3:00pm
-Opening ceremony 4:45pm
-Match starts 6:00pm
Secretary Sports reviews progress of int’l level tartan track
LAHORE, Oct 26 (APP):Secretary Sports Punjab Muhammad Aamir Jan, who also holds the office of Director General Sports Punjab, visited the Punjab Stadium to check the progress of international level tartan track, here on Thursday.
Aamir Jan was accompanied by Project Director PMU Akram Soban and other top officials of the Sports Board Punjab during his visit. He strictly directed the contractors to complete the tartan track work as early as possible.
“After completion of laying of tartan track, we will be able to organise all kinds of athletic activities on this venue.” He said the
well-being of players and healthy future of sports in the province is top priority for Sports Board Punjab.
Aamir Jan said the SBP had always been committed to the cause of sports and in this regard no stone would be left unturned. “Sports Board Punjab is making hectic efforts to build international level sports venues across the Punjab province, which is quite encouraging for the future of sports in the province,” he added.
Project Director PMU Akram Soban told the Secretary Sports Punjab that civil work has been completed at the venue and the remaining work will be completed within stipulated period of time.
Pakistan-US wanted to strengthen ties: Zakria
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP):Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakria on Wednesday said Pakistan and United States (US) wanted to strengthen their relations and the visit of US Secretary of States would pave way in this regard.
Talking to PTV, he said it was decided in a meeting of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and US Vice President on the side lines of United States of General Assembly (UNGA) session to improve ties between the two countries.
Nafees Zakria said Pakistan presented its stance on ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and atrocities on innocent Kashmir in Occupied Kashmir during the visit of US Secretary of State.
He said Pakistan had a great importance in the region, adding it had taken indiscriminate actions to eliminate menace of terrorism.
First ever bill for safety and protection of journalists soon: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP):Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb Wednesday said that the present government was in the process of promulgating the first ever bill for the safety and protection of the journalists containing a comprehensive plan for providing safe working environment to them and it would be presented in the cabinet meeting soon.
She made these revelations while briefing the Senate committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, chaired by Senator Aslam Bodla here.
She said that the moment she assumed charge as a state minister, the former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif advised her to bring in the legislation for the protection of the journalists. The minister told the committee that an exhaustive discussion had taken place with regard to the Protection of Journalists Bill during the last eight months and the government was contemplating to take joint steps with the media houses for the protection safety of the journalists.
She said that all the elements of the Bill presented by MNA Tariq Ullah had been incorporated in the government Bill in which an appropriate definition of a journalist had also been formulated which includes all working journalists.
The minister proposed the formation of a sub-committee to work further on the Bill and the Chairman of the committee acceded to the request.
The minister informed the committee that the council of complaints of PEMRA was being re-constituted and people from different professional fields, lawyers and journalists would be included in it. She said that PEMRA was an authority and not an investigative body and was working in conformity with rules and regulations enshrined in the relevant Ordinance. She said that similarly the PTV Board of Directors had also been reformed in line with the Companies Act 2017.
The minister told the committee that efforts were on the anvil to improve the performance of TV as an institution and she was personally supervising the process, adding that the cooperation of the parliament as well as the committee was also essential to accomplish the task. She requested the committee to schedule a separate and exclusive meeting regarding PTV affairs.
Marriyum said that she would be ready to brief the committee about PTV affairs and the contemplated reforms whenever the committee so desired. She informed the committee that an FIR had been registered in regards to the fake IB letter about the parliamentarians.
The committee meeting was attended by Senators Bashir Awan, Zeb Jaffar, Arifa Khalid , Naeema Kishwar, Fauzia Hameed, Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, Parveen Masood Bhatti, Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon and Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar besides secretary Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, officials of the ministry, PEMRA and PTV.
WHO steps up health services in war-devastated Syrian city of Raqqa
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 25 (APP):The United Nations health agency has stepped up the delivery of medicines and medical supplies to thousands of people in newly accessible areas of Raqqa, the Syrian city recent recently liberated from Da’esh’s control.
The immediate objective of WHO [World Health Organization], together with local health authorities and NGO [non-governmental organization] partners, is to scale up life-saving health services for thousands of people who had been deprived of essential health care, Elizabeth Hoff, WHO Representative in Syria, said. We are also ensuring the availability of quality vaccines for children.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the agency said five tons of shipment, including medicines and medical supplies for 500 trauma cases and 37,000 medical treatments, have been provided to Al-Tabqa National Hospital, the closest hospital to Raqqa.
This was the second shipment of health supplies provided by WHO to the hospital since its reopening in September 2017. The hospital was partially damaged in February 2017 due to intensive fighting in the area, but the emergency department, internal medicine and pediatric sections have been rehabilitated.
More than 13,500 people currently live in Raqqa city, where access to health services remains limited.
Since its rehabilitation, the hospital has treated more than 3400 patients, including more than 800 women and 1,300 children, the press release added.
Cabinet decides to place delimitation bill before NA for debate, consideration
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP):The federal cabinet in its meeting held here Wednesday with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the chair decided to place the Delimitation [of constituencies] Bill before the National Assembly for debate and consideration.
Earlier, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics gave a presentation to the Cabinet on Census, 2017, a press release issued after the meeting said.
The meeting ratified recommendations of the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases in its meeting held on 16-10-2017.
The cabinet approved establishment of Drug Court at Quetta and appointment of Mr Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar as Judge Special Appellate Court under Section 46(1) of the Prevention of Smuggling Act, 1977 in the province of Sindh.
Appointment of Secretary Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication as Chairman of Management Board of National Telecommunication Corporation was also approved by the cabinet.
The cabinet also assented to the re-constitution of the Board of Governors of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC).
The cabinet accorded Ex-Post Facto approval to initiate negotiations and for signing of an Agreement on Scientific Exchange and Cooperation between Pakistan Agriculture Research Council and Lanzhou University, China.
Amendments in the Rules of Origin (ROO) under Malaysia – Pakistan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (MPCEPA), was also approved by the cabinet.
The cabinet approved signing of MoU between the Government of Mozambique and the Government of Pakistan in Defence Domain.
The cabinet accorded approval to sign Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income between Pakistan and the Republic of Bulgaria.
The cabinet also approved extension in deputation period of Mr Bebu Ram, Deputy Chief Engineer, Sui Southern Gas Company Limited, Karachi.
Before the start of formal proceedings of the cabinet meeting, Imam-e-Ka’aba Dr. Saleh Bin Humaid, who was invited to the opening session of the cabinet meeting as a special guest, in his remarks thanked the Prime Minister for inviting him to address the cabinet.
Imam-e-Ka’aba said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share historical and strong brotherly bonds.
He further stated that success lies in unity and the best decisions made for the benefit of the people.
Imam-e-Ka’aba also conveyed good wishes to the Cabinet and the people of Pakistan on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Crown Prince, Religious Scholars and the people of Saudi Arabia.
No compromise on national sovereignty and dignity: Khawaja Asif
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP):Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday assured the Senate that Pakistan would never compromise on national sovereignty and dignity and future relations with United States would be reciprocated on self-respect and equality basis.
Giving a policy statement after the visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Islamabad and meetings with Pakistani leadership, the minister said Pakistan has categorically conveyed to US government that we neither need military aid nor economic assistance.
” Let me assure you that the government, all state institutions including parliament, executives and armed forces will protect Pakistan’s interest till last breath and will never compromise on our interests as made by dictators in the past,” he asserted.
Khawaja Asif said we have also conveyed our message to the visiting US Secretary of State in clear words that Pakistan would neither made any compromises nor surrender on all national interests and the government was only accountable to the Parliament. Pakistan would not bow down to any US pressure, he added.
He said the power has been given to us by 20 million people of Pakistan and not by the US. In past some people took decision against national interest to extend their illegitimate rules, he said.
The minister said meeting with the US Secretary was held in cordial atmosphere and there had been no allegations. Both the sides discussed different ways for cooperation for the elimination of terrorism from the region, he said.
He said during the meeting, we have clarified the visiting dignitaries that Pakistan would not get involved in any kind of proxy war but would continue to play its role for peace and security in the region.
Asif said, ” We want to expand relations with United States on the basis of equality and self-respect. We have also conveyed to the US Secretary of State that our cooperation can be enhanced while sharing actionable intelligence.”
He said the US dignitaries were told that due to actionable intelligence sharing, their hostages were recovered from Taliban.
Foreign Minister categorically said that we clarified that a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan was in the best interest of the Pakistan. Durable peace in Pakistan was linked with peace in Afghanistan.
He said military solution to Afghan issue has been failed and it could be resolved politically through dialogue and Pakistan would also play its due role in this regard.
He said earlier, Pakistan had influenced over Taliban but now they (Taliban) were being sponsored by some others. They (US delegation) were also apprised that there had been other influential countries including China, Iran, Russia and Turkey which could play their role in the region in this regard, the minister said.
The minister said they have been informed that Talibans were being playing the role of facilitators to some countries and the arrest of Indian spy Kalbushan Yadev was a clear example. There were not a single Afghan post along 648 Km border and terrorists were carrying out terrorist activities from there, he added.
Asif said 45 per cent area of Afghanistan was not under the control of Kabul government and Taliban and Daish were operating from there.
He said CENATCOM and ISAF forces could not get success. However, Pakistan remained successful in war against terrorism with matchless sacrifices rendered by civilian and personnel of all law and enforcing agencies.
He said we were still in war and it would continue till complete elimination of terrorists.
The minister US Secretary was apprised that Pakistan was fencing border with Afghanistan. The US Authorities was also asked to invest for fencing on the Afghan side to permanently stop the movement of Taliban and terrorists across the border.
He said we have also proposed to the US government for repatriation of Afghan refugees to their country as due to their presence in Pakistan their movement couldn’t be stopped.
Asif said after the repatriation of Afghans and fencing on the Pak-Afghan border, there would be a complete control over the movement of terrorist across the border.
He said that Pakistan has unmatched experience in the war against terror and we have made our country safe and secure after great sacrifices by our security forces and people of the country.
The minister said this was trust of the US government on Pakistan’s security situation that the US Secretary was given a normal security that was required. In Afghanistan, he said that delegation did not come out of the Bagram Airbase and held meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani there.
He said that the US Secretary also extended cooperation for reducing tension on the Eastern border so that Pakistan could focus fully on its Western border.
Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan has also exchanged a list of terrorists with US and Afghanistan and they have given us a list of about seventy-five terrorists while we provided them a list of around hundred terrorists.
About the Trump’s new policy for South Asia announced in August, the minister said that we conveyed that a policy has been prepared by those Generals who have failed to maintain peace and achieve success in Afghanistan during last 16 years.
He said we proposed that the policy should be formulated by the politicians. Regarding condition placed by the US Secretary, he said basically they (US) stressed on Haqqani network and eliminating its network and safe sanctuaries, he said.
He said Pakistan had not received any pressing demand from the visiting US Secretary. US had accepted some Taliban as a political entity, he said and added that US was not ready to engage Haqqani network till they give up violence.
Kashmir Committee Jeddah condemns Indian atrocities
JEDDAH, Oct 25 (APP):The Kashmir Committee, Jeddah met on October 25, 2017 to mark Kashmir Black Day in Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with Kashmiri people in their just struggle for their right to self-determination.
The committee unanimously adopted a resolution which condemned ongoing atrocious human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.The resolution called upon India to immediately stop gross, systematic and state sponsored human rights violations in Kashmir and allow international human rights and humanitarian organizations an unhindered access to the occupied state.
The committee also condemned the unprovoked firing by the Indian forces on the Line of Control (LoC) with intentional targeting of civilian areas. The committee stressed that the core dispute between Pakistan and India and current catastrophic situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir is the result of non-resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
The committee urged India to implement UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir which declare that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people. The committee called upon the international community to fulfill its obligations by persuading India to implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.
The resolution commended Pakistan for its unconditional political, moral and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri struggle and denounced continued Indian occupation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The committee appreciated the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to highlight the atrocities of Indian Security forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir at the international fora including United Nations.
The resolution expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for their consistent support to the Kashmiri struggle. The committee thanked the Consul General of Pakistan for its continuous support to the Kashmir cause.