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Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi passes away in Lahore

By
Shafek Koreshe
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0

ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP): APP Digital NewsAllama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan breathed his last Thursday night at Lahore, his party announced. He was 55.

No reason for his death was given. His party officials said he was rushed to a hospital after he had problem breathing and had fever for past few days. However he was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

Senior TLP leader Syed Inayat-ul-Haq Shah also confirmed the news and asked the TLP workers to proceed to Lahore to participate in his last rites. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik announced that his funeral would be held on Saturday at 10 in the morning at Minar-e-Pakistan.

Videos on several social media accounts showed large number of his followers rushing to his home and crying over his sad demise.

The fire brand clerk was known for his protest marches, that often became violent and created law and order problems. His last protest was relatively shorter at Faizabad and ended only after a two day blockade of the twin cities on Monday.

Immediately after the confirmation of the news condolences poured in from all sections of society; including the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, Information Minister, Chief of Army Staff, Chief Minister Punjab and political leaders of many parties.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in a tweet expressed his grief over the sad demise of Allama Khadim Rizvi and conveyed condolences to his family.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa also conveyed his condolences over the demise of the TLP leader.

 

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information in Punjab also expressed grief over his sad demise.

Amir Jamat Islami also expressed his grief and prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the departed soul.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s consistent stance on Kashmir

By
Shafek Koreshe
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0

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stance on Kashmir at international fora to highlight gruesome human rights violations by India

 

Indian media’s fake “civil war” in Pakistan, falls flat on face

By
Shafek Koreshe
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0
APP Digital Small logo
By Shafek Koreshe

In an abortive attempt to create diversion from Narendra Modi’s human rights abuses in Kashmir, the Indian media went berserk by propagating fake news about a “civil war” like situation in Karachi, triggering a hilarious response from the twitterati in Pakistan, who enjoyed every bit of the ridiculous reports.

#CivilWarInPakistan and #KarachiCivilWar were in no time the top trends, with the young twitter users going crazy by posting video clips from action movies, comics, images of the Indian MiG pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down by Pakistan Air Force inside Pakistan’s territory, as scenes from the Civil War, getting an equally enthusiastic response with numerous retweets and likes.

The arrest of PML-N leader Captain (Retd) Safdar on charges of political sloganeering at Quaid’s Mausoleum and leave applications by senior police officers was exploited by the top Indian news channels, who portrayed an administrative issue as a “civil war” and went to the extent of even reporting casualties, and armed clashes.

Indian Media ditches professionalism to dip at to its lowest 

#FakeNews CNN18News
#FakeNews CNN18News

The news reports were part of a persistent barrage of fake news from Indian mainstream media and its RAW controlled assets on social media over the past few months. The trend has witnessed a sharp spike as part of India’s fifth generation war (5GW) against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on the “malicious and fabricated propaganda” by Indian mainstream and social media claiming civil unrest in Pakistan, said planting such baseless stories were reflective of the “Pakistan-obsessed BJP-RSS” mindset.

“Needless to say that Indian media continues to hit new lows,” he said, when asked to respond over the series of fake news flashed as breaking news across the Indian media about a “civil war in Pakistan”.

“Indian media continues to hit new lows”: FO

The Spokesperson said through “peddling fake news and running propaganda machinery”, India could not wash away the truth about its own gross and systematic human rights violations in Indian Ilelgally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“Rather than reporting on humanitarian crisis in IIOJK, the Indian media chooses to spread fake and sensational news about Pakistan to detract from core issues,” he said.

5th Gen War – Twitterati bust RAW’s #Fake letter attributed to COAS

 

#FakeNews - Yet another figment of imagination of Indian Media
#FakeNews – Yet another figment of imagination of Indian Media

The Indian media tried hard to appease its own consumers and to create a diversion from its human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir. However in its abortive attempt it created history by churning out fake news overpowered by the anti-Pakistan hysteria, undermining its professional ethics and credibility.

#FakeNews - India Today with its concocted news story
#FakeNews – India Today with its concocted news story

The unleashing of the Indian media did not go unnoticed, as Michael Kugelman, deputy director at the @AsiaProgram and South Asia senior associate @TheWilsonCenter in a tweet pointed that the Indian disinformation accounts were exploiting Pakistan’s current political crisis, and “falsely claiming that the country is no experiencing urban warfare.”

He described the trend as “dangerous and disturbing”, as several of these accounts were verified and had huge followings.

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said the Indian media was in “hyper drive with fake news on Pakistan” and regretted that it was “unfortunate that Twitter is [deliberately ignoring it].”

All major media outlets in so-called world’s biggest democracy decimated all journalistic norms as none bothered to fact-check such a huge gaffe. India’s News18, India Today, Zee News, India.com and several others quoted the International Herald which showed old videos of bomb explosions in Pakistan and portrayed it as the ongoing civil war.

#FakeNews - Indian International Herald tweet
#FakeNews – Indian International Herald tweet

The Institute of Policy Research in a report said their data indicates a pattern of Indian propaganda against Pakistan on digital media that grew exponentially after 2018 General Elections in #Pakistan. The propaganda hovers around largely 4 key themes.

IPRI Timeline of Indian Propaganda
IPRI Timeline of Indian Propaganda

Minister for Ports and Shipping pointed that the Indian propaganda was at its peak and “sadly fueled by the PDM Circus.” He said the food inflation was artificially manufactured, but was being brought under control.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs also lambasted the “fake, fabricated and malicious propaganda campaign to malign State institutions of Pakistan. He urged @Twitter to take action against Indian accounts for #FakeNews against Paksitan.

However, this idiocy of Indian media gave the Twitterati a perfect chance to enjoy as the microblogging site was flooded with messages to ridicule the Indian media’s insanity.

“Karachi civil war has gotten so bad that my food panda delivery boy had to crawl through mine fields carrying his AK47, RPG & 9mm along with my nihari and Biryani. This thing is getting so serious. Multiple cows have been killed & people are dying of over eating. #IndianMedia,” commented renowned singer Fakhr-e-Alam.

Besides numerous other fake photos, the Indian media also used an image of a building collapsed following a gas leakage blast in Karachi earlier in the day to substantiate its fake news of civil war.

“A little investigation would have informed Zee News that it wasn’t a bomb blast in ‘civil war’ in Pakistan but the result of a  gas leak in Karachi. Whither truth, objectivity, balance and fairness in reporting?,” said Farhatullah Babr, former senator of Pakistan Peoples Party which rules Sindh province.

“An Aircraft shot during civil war in Karachi… and the pilot captured…,” commented another Twitter user Fasihuddin while sharing the images of Indian aircraft MiG-21 and captured injured pilot Abhinandan following an aerial dogfight during India-Pakistan standoff in 2019.

ECP restores membership of 73 legislators

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reinstated the membership of 73 lawmakers, including five Senators, 17 members of the National Assembly, 27 members of the Punjab Assembly, 12 from the Sindh Assembly, seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and five from Balochistan.
The move came after the legislators submitted their statements of assets and liabilities for the 2024-25 financial year. Under Section 137(1) of the Elections Act, 2017, lawmakers are required to file details of their own, spouses’ and dependent children’s assets by December 31 each year. Those failing to comply had been directed to cease functions on January 16, 2026. The ECP has now confirmed compliance in line with Section 137(3) of the Act.
Senators (5)
• Fawzia Arshad
• Abid Sher Ali
• Syed Kazim Ali Shah
• Noor-ul-Qadri
• Abdul Quddus
National Assembly (17 MNAs)
Muhammad Idrees, Zulfiqar Ali, Misbah Uddin, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jeelani, Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Saeeda Jamshid, Sardar Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Mehboob Sultan, Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani, Mir Amir Ali Khan Magsi, Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Sofia Saeed Shah and others.
Punjab Assembly (27 MPAs)
Syed Ijaz Hussain Bukhari, Chaudhry Naeem Ejaz, Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmed, Muhammad Nawaz Chohan, Arif Mehmood Gill, Javed Niaz Manj, Rana Tahir Iqbal, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Mian Muhammad Munir, Imran Akram, Muhammad Adnan Dogar, Sardar Pervaz Iqbal Gorchani, Tashfeen Safdar, Emmanuel Ather, Sardar Muhammad Asim Sher Markan, Ali Hussain Khan, Jaffar Ali Hocha, Muhammad Tahir Pervaiz, Mian Muhammad Asif, Imtiaz Mahmood, Usama Fazal, Muhammad Moin Uddin Riaz, Kashif Naveed, Mian Alamdar Qureshi, Muhammad Aoun Hameed, Sardar Sher Afzal Gorchani, Robina Nazir and others.
Sindh Assembly (12 MPAs)
Syed Adil Askari, Maleeha Manzoor, Shazia Umer, Saima Agha, Agha Shahbaz Ali Durrani and others.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (7 MPAs)
Muhammad Zahir Shah, Zar Alam Khan, Jamila Paracha, Afshan Hussain and others.
Balochistan Assembly (5 MPAs)
Muhammad Zarain Khan Magsi and others.
ECP restores membership of 73 legislators
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reinstated the membership of 73 lawmakers, including five Senators, 17 members of the National Assembly, 27 members of the Punjab Assembly, 12 from the Sindh Assembly, seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and five from Balochistan.
The move followed submission of asset and liability statements for the 2024-25 financial year by the concerned members. Under Section 137(1) of the Elections Act, 2017, lawmakers are required to file these details—including those of spouses and dependent children—by December 31 each year. The lawmakers had been directed to cease functions on January 16, 2026, for missing the asset declaration deadline. The Election Commission has now confirmed they have met the legal requirements in line with Section 137(3) of the Elections Act, 2017.
The Senate includes five senators: Fawzia Arshad, Abid Sher Ali, Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Noor-ul-Qadri, and Abdul Quddus.
National Assembly (17 MNAs): Muhammad Idrees, Zulfiqar Ali, Misbah Uddin, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jeelani, Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Saeeda Jamshid,Sardar Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Mehboob sultan, syed Abdul qadir Gilani,Mir Amir Ali khan Magsi, Arshad Abdullah vohra, Sofia Saeed shah.
Punjab Assembly (27 MPAs): Syed Ijaz Hussain Bukhari, Chaudhry Naeem Ejaz, Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmed, Muhammad Nawaz Chohan, Arif Mehmood Gill, Javed Niaz Manj, Rana Tahir Iqbal, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Mian Muhammad Munir, Imran Akram, Muhammad Adnan Dogar, Sardar Pervaz Iqbal Gorchani, Tashfeen Safdar, Emmanuel Ather,
Sardar Muhammad asim Sher Markan,Ali hussain khan, Jaffar Ali Hocha, Muhammad Tahir Pervaiz, Mian Muhammad Asif,Imtiaz Mahmood, Usama Fazal, Muhammad Moin uddin riaz,Kashif Naveed, Mian Alamdar Qureshi, Muhammad aoun hameed, Sardar Sher Afzal gorchani, robina Nazir.
Sindh Assembly (12 MPAs): Syed Adil Askari, Maleeha Manzoor, Shazia Umer, Saima Agha,Agha Shahbaz Ali Durrani
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (7 MPAs): Muhammad Zahir Shah, Zar Alam Khan, Jamila Paracha, Afshan Hussain
Balochistan Assembly (5 MPA): Muhammad Zarain Khan Magsi

Iranian Consul General stresses close Pak-Iran collaboration in trade, media

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
QUETTA, Jan 19 (APP):Iranian Consul General Muhammad Karim Tudishki on Monday said Pakistan and Iran enjoyed close brotherly relations and called the need for further expanding bilateral trade between the two nations.
Talking to journalists at the Quetta Press Club’s during this visit to a programme, Hal-o-Ahwal, Tudishki said there existed political and economic collaborations between Iran and Pakistan, which could be strengthened in the interest of two peoples.
The Iranian consul general said he was happy to visit the Quetta Press Club and emphasized close media cooperation between the journalist community of Pakistan and Iran.
He mentioned that a news and information exchange programme between the journalists of Iran and Pakistan would be established in near future to ensure exchange of authentic and reliable information.
The Iranian diplomat thanked Pakistan for supporting his country in difficult times. He said peace and order had returned to Iran following the negotiations of Iranian ministers with the protesters who demanded economic reforms for the current financial situation.
Tudishki said millions of people in Iran also demonstrated in favour of their government. However, he said, the same could not be shown to the world due to internet shutdown.
He said after the Islamic Revolution, Iran faced sanctions for decades, but continued consistent efforts towards progress.
The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) and Quetta Press Club officials Irfan Saeed, Manzoor Ahmed, Syed Gulzar Shah, Rashid Baloch, Nematullah Akhunzada, Zahir Khan Nasir, Zafar Baloch, Abdul Rasheed and others were present.

NA passes three bills; four more sent to committees

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):The National Assembly on Monday passed three bills, including “The Transfer of Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2025.”
The bill was moved by Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi.
The House also approved “The Export Development Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2026” and “The National Tariff Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026.”
Additionally, four bills were introduced in the House, including: Besides, four bills including; “The Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) (Amendment) bill, 2026”, “The Pakistan Names and Emblems (Prevention of Unauthorized Use) (Amendment) Bill, 2026”, “The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026” and “The Archival Material (Preservation and Export Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2026.”
The Chair referred all four bills to the relevant Standing Committees for further examination

Kayani urges Opposition to hold talks on national issues

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani on Monday urged the Opposition to hold talks on national and public interest issues.
Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), should initiate constructive talks for resolving political issues, he said while talking to
a private television channel. PTI founder always created hurdles in dialogue process, he said.
In reply to a question about PTI plan for protest march, he said PTI has a long track record for spreading unrest through protest march or public meetings.  There is no harm to launch protest in a peaceful manner but violating law and order through protest demonstration would not be allowed at any cost.
To a question about Gull Plaza incident, he said, Sindh government should hold inquiry and after that action should be taken against the responsible persons.

CM expresses grief over loss of lives in Karachi plaza fire

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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LAHORE, Jan 19 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives in a fire that broke out at Gul Plaza in Karachi.
In a statement, the chief minister extended her heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the safe recovery of those reported missing in the tragic incident.
CM Maryam Nawaz said that she stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of those who lost their lives in the blaze, adding that in this moment of grief, the people of Punjab fully share the pain and sorrow of the affected families.

PM commends CTD for successful operation against terrorists

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Monday commended Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officers and personnel for successful operation against Fitna-al-Hindustan terrorists in Mastung.
He praised the professional skills of CTD officers and personnel for foiling the nefarious plan of terrorists and killing five of them.
“The fight against the menace of terrorism will continue until it is completely eradicated from the country,” he said adding, “The brave officers and personnel of the security forces and law enforcement agencies are working day and night to protect the country from terrorists.”
He said, “The entire nation, including me, is proud of the brave officers and personnel of the security forces and law enforcement agencies.”

China appoints Gulmina as first Chairperson of CGPTC

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):The Government of China has appointed Ms Gulmina Bilal, Chairperson of Pakistan’s National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), as the first Chairperson of the China Global Professional and Technical Certification Center (CGPTC), marking a significant milestone for Pakistan as it assumes leadership of this newly established international body.
According to details, the Government of China has formally established the China Global Professional and Technical Certification Center as a multilateral platform, with China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Malaysia joining as founding members.
In the next phase, countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are also planned to be included in the platform, said a press release on Monday.
The establishment of CGPTC aims to promote mutual recognition of professional and technical skills and qualifications among participating countries, harmonize certification standards, and facilitate cross-border mobility of skilled human resources.
The Center is being viewed as a major step toward building a shared skills ecosystem across Asia and the Middle East. Through this initiative, member countries will work together to develop mutually recognized educational and professional qualification frameworks, enhance skills portability, and expand employment opportunities.
CGPTC is expected to strengthen confidence among employers, educational institutions, and regulators, while also providing students and professionals with improved access to regional and international labor markets.
A key objective of the Center is the formal recognition of skills acquired by students and professionals in member countries, helping to reduce barriers to employment, training, and career progression, and effectively meet the evolving workforce needs of the region.
In the coming phases, the China Global Professional and Technical Certification Center plans to further expand its membership and partnerships, and will collaborate closely with governments, certification bodies, training organizations, and industry stakeholders to establish a reliable, integrated, and effective professional certification system.

NA Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs held to discuss election amendment bill

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):The meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs was held under the Chairmanship of MNA Rana Iradat Sharif Khan in the Constitution Room, Parliament House here on Monday.
The committee considered the Bill titled “The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Act XXXIII of 2017)” moved by Ms. Shazia Marri, MNA and apprised the committee on the objectives of the proposed amendment in the Elections Act, 2017 (Act XXXIII of 2017), said a press release.
The amendment aims to maintain an appropriate balance between transparency and the protection of individual rights.
Though the publication of statements of assets and liabilities plays an important role in promoting public accountability, transparency, good governance and strengthening public confidence in public representatives.
Ms. Shazia Marri was of the view that excessive disclosure may adversely affect the personal security and privacy of Parliamentarians and their families.  Subsequently, the committee also endorsed the views of the Mover.
Sheikh Aftab Ahmed presented the amendments in the said Bill. Representative of the Ministry of Law and Justice briefed the committee on the proposed amendments and apprised that the basic purpose of the proposed amendments to the Elections Act, 2017 is to align statutory references with the Federal Constitutional Court.
The amendments provide for the substitution of the term “Supreme” with “Federal Constitutional” in relevant provisions and the inclusion of the Federal Constitutional Court among the competent judicial forums where applicable. Specifically, amendments have been made to sections 9, 66, 104, 104A, 155, 202, 212, and 232 of the Act. The committee passed the Bill with amendments by majority, with a single vote of dissent recorded.

Muqam urges int’l community to play role for Kashmiris plebiscite

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON, Engineer Amir Muqam on Monday urged the international community to take notice of India’s atrocities and to play its key role for Kashmiris right of self-determination.
Addressing a grand convention organized by the Pakistani and Kashmiri community in Cape Town, South Africa, the federal minister emphasized that durable peace in South-Asia was not possible sans resolution of Kashmir dispute.
In fact that it’s a first time in the history of South Africa, such a grand convention was held in which a large number of Pakistanis and Kashmiris participated, while parliamentarians from all South African parties were also attended the ceremony. Pakistan’s High Commissioner Malik Farooq was also present on the occasion, said a press release issued here.
Amir Muqam said that gruesome human rights violations perpetrated by India in IIOJK even continue today. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he highlighted that the enemy was defeated in the battle for justice.
The federal minister, while describing overseas Pakistanis as a valuable asset of the nation, said that the remittances sent by them were the backbone of the country’s economy. He thanked the overseas Pakistanis and said that the federal government was taking practical steps to tackle their problems on priority basis.
In addition, he said that there was a recommendation to establish a Pakistani consulate in Cape Town aiming to increase bilateral trade and further robust parliamentary ties.
Addressing the convention, South African parliamentarians announced their full support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Representatives of all government and opposition parties in their speeches supported Pakistan’s position and reiterated their support for the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
At the end of the ceremony, the Pakistani community extended heartfelt thanked to Engineer Amir Muqam and also expressed their unwavering commitment to Pakistan.

Senate body on Railways elects Shahadat Awan as Chairman

By
Qadir Rajpoot
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0
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):The Senate Standing Committee on Railways Monday unanimously elected Senator Shahadat Awan as its new Chairman during a meeting held at the Parliament House.
The meeting was attended by Senators Shahadat Awan, Ashraf Ali Jatoi, Dost Ali Jeesar, Rubina Khalid, and Nasir Mahmood.
During the proceedings, Senator Dost Ali Jeesar proposed the name of Senator Shahadat Awan for the position of Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Railways.
The proposal was seconded by Senator Ashraf Ali Jatoi.
Following the nomination, the committee unanimously endorsed Senator Shahadat Awan as Chairman.
Members of the committee congratulated the newly elected Chairman and assured him of their full cooperation.
They expressed confidence that under his leadership, the committee would play a more active and effective role in addressing issues related to the railway sector.
Expressing his gratitude, Senator Shahadat Awan thanked the committee members for their trust and confidence.
He reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the role of the committee and said that effective steps would continue to be taken for the resolution of public issues, particularly those concerning Pakistan Railways.
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