2 mn people to march to Islamabad on May 20: Imran Khan warns Shahbaz govt

 Khan told the Shehbaz Sharif-led government that two million people will come to the federal capital irrespective of how many containers are put up to create hindrances

He warned the federal government led by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) that over 2 million people will reach Islamabad to get real independence and to protest against the “imported government,” reported ARY News. Khan told the Shehbaz Sharif-led government that two million people will come to the federal capital irrespective of how many containers are put up to create hindrances.

“Our opponents say if the temperature is high, then people will not come out. Put as many containers as you want, but 2 million people will come to Islamabad,” said Imran Khan, reported Geo News. The former Prime Minister told his supporters that the incumbent government “fears” their passion and added that 11 parties had gathered to remove him from power. The PTI chairman claimed that when he and his supporters will come to Islamabad, the federal capital will fill up with the chants of “imported hukomat na manzoor” (imported government unacceptable) and “we want real freedom,” reported Geo News…

Imran demands early elections in Pak under supervision of ‘neutral’ CEC

 Claiming that the “selected” government has been imposed on the masses through planning and plotting, he said that an election must be held as soon as possible

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that general elections must be held in the country under the supervision of a neutral chief election commissioner (CEC), reported local media. Claiming that the “selected” government has been imposed on the masses through planning and plotting, he said that an election must be held as soon as possible, otherwise, democracy will suffer a huge blow, reported Geo News.

Khan, however, added that the polls should be conducted under the supervision of a suitable chief election commissioner (CEC). Notably, this comes after last week he called CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja PML-N’s agent. Dismissing the allegations of his government being incompetent, he said, “We had been hearing those remarks for three-and-a-half years. My only demand is to conduct the election under the chairmanship of a neutral CEC. Let the people decide [the country’s fate].”…Read More

Taliban smuggling weapons to Pak for skirmishes along India border: Report

 Pakistan shares 2400 kilometres of border with Afghanistan, which is largely porous

Contrary to its claim that the Taliban will not allow Afghanistan or the weapons to be used for terrorism, the group has been reportedly accused of smuggling weapons to Pakistan, which eventually may be used in cross-border skirmishes against India.

“Taliban has been insisting that there are proper security checks to prevent any weapons smuggling because they are an improved Taliban. But the weapons market is thriving and the weapons that are being smuggled into Pakistan will eventually be used in cross-border skirmishes against India and make their way into India,” according to a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) said.

But before that Pakistan will have to pay a huge price if it does not control illicit arms trafficking. Ultimately it is going to suffer first when the separatist and terrorist organisations operating from its land get a hand on these weapons on a large scale, it warned. In August 2021, the US left much of the military equipment and weapons at the disposal of the Afghan forces which eventually fell into the hands of the Taliban….

Pakistan: Massive protests against Prime Minister Imran Khan's ouster

 The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has taken out massive rallies in several cities across the country to protest against Imran Khan’s ouster as the Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has taken out massive rallies in several cities across the country to protest against Imran Khan‘s ouster as the Prime Minister through a no-confidence motion last night. Protest rallies were held in various cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore with demonstrators shouting slogans against the Opposition. Earlier, Khan said that today marked the beginning of a “freedom struggle” against what he called a “foreign conspiracy of regime change”. In an attempt to galvanise his supporters, he said “it is always the people who protected their own sovereignty and democracy”.

“Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy,” he said in another Tweet. In Karachi, the city was lighted up for Imran Khan following his ouster. In Islamabad, the protest started from Zero Point, with PTI supporters gathering and waving flags while chanting slogans in the former Prime Minister’s favour. Flow of traffic at Srinagar Highway was affected due to the rally with long traffic lines forming, according to Dawn newspaper…Read More

Imran's claim of US trying to overturn his govt fictional: ex-Trump aide

 Dubbing Pak PM’s claim that the US is looking to overturn his government as concocted, a former top Trump administration official said that the country is entering a period of political uncertainty.

Dubbing Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan‘s claim that the US is looking to overturn his government as concocted, a former top Trump administration official said Wednesday that the country is entering a period of political uncertainty.

I think that Imran Khan has concocted this idea that somehow the US is looking to overturn his government. He simply has concocted this story to try to shore up his own base and gain support for his position, said Lisa Curtis, who was Trump Administration’s point person for India during his four years.

He brought in the US as a means to try to hold on to his support base and get his support base riled up. He’s playing the US card, Curtis told PTI in an interview. Curtis, who is now a senior fellow and a director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security think tank, said the Pakistani military leadership has become disillusioned with him….Read More

Imran Khan loses majority as MQM strikes deal with opposition

 The PTI government lost the majority in the lower house of the parliament following the late-night development ahead of the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan on March 31.

Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government received a major blow by the key ally and the main coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM) after it struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). “The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM and PPP CEC will ratify the said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow IA. Congratulations Pakistan,” tweeted PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The PTI government lost the majority in the lower house of the parliament following the late-night development ahead of the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan on March 31. The joint opposition has 177 members of the national assembly after the ruling coalition partner MQM-P decided to part ways with the Imran Khan-led government that has left with 164 MNAs. Notably, in order to make the no-confidence motion against the prime minister successful, the joint opposition requires the support of 172 MNAs.

No-trust vote against Imran Khan will follow Constitution rules: Speaker

 Over the no-trust motion against Pakistan PM Imran Khan, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said that he would run the assembly’s proceedings in accordance with the Constitution.

After opposition parties levelled allegations against Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for siding with Prime Minister Imran Khan over the no-trust motion, Qaiser in his defence said that he would run the assembly’s proceedings in accordance with the Constitution. /Taking to Twitter, Qaiser wrote: “I, as the custodian of the National Assembly of Pakistan, will fulfil my constitutional obligations and will proceed in accordance with Article 95 of the Constitution and rule 37 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007,” reported Geo TV.

In conversation with media in Islamabad, the speaker had said, “I will follow the law; I am still in consultation with the NA secretariat about summoning the session and it will be called in line with the constitution.” Pakistan Opposition leaders on Monday slammed the National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser for “violating” the Constitution for delaying in conducting voting on no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Govt bans 20 YouTube channels, two websites under new IT rules

 The Youtube channels and the websites were allegedly running anti-India content from Pakistan.

20 YouTube channels and two websites on Monday were taken down by India after the Union government, for the first time, invoked the emergency powers under the intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics code in the IT Act that was notified recently, according to a news report in Economic Times. The YouTube channels and the websites were allegedly running anti-India content from Pakistan.

According to the newspaper, I&B secretary Apurva Chandra directed YouTube and the Department of Telecom to ban the content as it infringes upon the sovereignty and integrity of India.

I&B officials said that the ‘anti-India content’ was being run by Pakistan with the help of Inter-Services Intelligence. One of the groups identified on YouTube was ‘Naya Pakistan‘ that had more than 2 million subscribers and was running ‘false news’ on various issues such as Kashmir, farmers protests in India, Article 370, and Ayodhya. The total subscriber base of these YouTube channels is estimated to be more than 3.5 million and have a total viewership of 500 million, according to the officials.

India slams Pakistan for persecuting Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities

India described Pakistan as an epicenter of terrorism and said no one deserves unsolicited lecture on human rights from Islamabad

India on Tuesday described Pakistan as an epicenter of terrorism and said no one deserves unsolicited lecture on human rights from Islamabad that has consistently persecuted its ethnic and religious minorities including Hindus, Sikhs and Christians Exercising the Right of Reply to the statements made by Pakistan at the 45th session of Human Rights Council (HRC) here, the Indian representative said that it has become habitual for Pakistan to malign India with false and fabricated narratives for its self-serving malicious purposes.

“Neither India nor others deserve this unsolicited lecture on human rights from a country that has consistently persecuted its ethnic and religious minorities, is an epicenter of terrorism, has the distinction of providing pensions to individuals on UN Sanctions list and has a Prime Minister who proudly admits training tens of thousands of terrorists to fight in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian diplomat said.

The diplomat said that it was not surprising that other relevant multilateral institutions have been raising serious concerns on Pakistan’s failure to stop terror financing and lack of effective actions against all terror entities in Pakistan. Highlighting the nefarious designs of Pakistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the diplomat said, “the mass influx of outsiders has whittled down the number of Kashmiris to an insignificant number in Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Laddakh…

India says it provided medicine amid Covid while China, Pak took advantage

The Fund, established in 2017, has so far supported 59 projects in 48 countries, through USD 47.8 million in contributions from a USD 150 million multi-year pledge by the Indian govt

In a thinly-veiled reference to Pakistan and China, India on Monday said that when some countries are busy taking undue advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing their support to terrorism or to adopt aggressive policies, New Delhi has focussed on immediately extending medical assistance and supporting countries vulnerable to the pandemic.

The remarks by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti came while addressing the 3rd anniversary of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN. The Fund, established in 2017, has so far supported 59 projects in 48 countries, through USD 47.8 million in contributions from a USD 150 million multi-year pledge by the Government of India.

“At a time when some countries are busy taking undue advantage of COVID-19 to spread divisive disinformation or to enhance even more their support to terrorism or to adopt aggressive policies, India’s answer has been to immediately come to the support of countries vulnerable to the pandemic, rush urgently needed medical supplies, strengthen national health capacities and mitigate the diverse socio-economic impact of this crisis, Tirumurti said…

Pakistan raises Ayodhya to cover its treatment of minorities: India at UN

India has accused Pakistan of spreading a “culture of violence” and suppressing the rights of minorities while Islamabad brings up the Ayodhya temple construction at the General Assembly

India has accused Pakistan of spreading a “culture of violence” and suppressing the rights of minorities while Islamabad brings up the Ayodhya temple construction at the General Assembly. “Talk of ‘culture of peace’ from the delegation of Pakistan is nothing but a decoy to divert attention from their own shameful records” on the treatment of minorities “continues to foment a ‘culture of violence’ at home and across its borders”, Paulomi Tripathi, a counsellor at India’s UN Mission said on Thursday.

“Before making absurd allegations against India, where equal rights of people of all faiths are guaranteed by the constitution, the delegation of Pakistan must do itself a favour of looking at their own system and records of protecting minorities,” she said in response to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram’s remarks about Ayodhya and Kashmir.

She accused Akram of exploiting the Assembly’s High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace as a “platform for hate speech against India”. She said that “Pakistan’s deplorable human rights records and discriminatory treatment of religious and ethnic minorities is a cause of persistent concern for international community”, and listed Islamabad’s main transgressions.

“Blasphemy laws are used against religious minorities such as Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, to violate their human rights and dignity. Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable as they are abducted, raped, forcefully converted and married to their violators. The pandemic has aggravated the situation.”

Protest at Johnson’s residence against enforced disappearances in Baloch

The Free Balochistan Movement held a protest against Pakistan outside the official residence of UK PM Boris Johnson here on the occasion of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

The Free Balochistan Movement on Sunday held a protest against Pakistan outside the official residence of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson here on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Several Baloch and other human rights activists joined the protest from different cities of the UK and expressed their support for the families of those who have been forcefully disappeared.

The protestors were carrying banners and raised slogans against Pakistan military’s atrocities against Baloch people. They demanded the immediate release of previously abducted Baloch people and stopping of more enforced disappearances.

They also urged the international community, including the UK, to stop supporting Pakistan as their support is allowing Pakistan to commit more crimes against humanity.The activists stated that thousands of innocent Baloch people have been arrested and later disappeared. Many of them have been killed in custody. They also strongly condemned the recent murder of Hayat Baloch, who was shot dead by Frontier Corps in front of his parents, in Turbat, Balochistan.

Several Baloch and other human rights activists joined the protest from different cities of the UK and expressed their support for the families of those who have been forcefully disappeared. The protestors were carrying banners and raised slogans against Pakistan military’s atrocities against Baloch people. They demanded the immediate release of previously abducted Baloch people and stopping of more enforced disappearances…Read More

Pakistan: 19 dead as Karachi records highest rainfall in 24 hours

The crisis-like situation led Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to announce a public holiday on Saturday

At least 19 people were killed in various rain-related incidents in Karachi, as the Pakistani city recorded its highest downpour in a day since 1967, officials said. The Met department said Karachi received 223.5 mm of rain in just 12 hours on Thursday alone, the highest amount of rain ever recorded in a single day in the city, reports Dawn news.

The previous 24-hour record was on July 26, 1967, when 211.3 mm was recorded at Masroor base. Meteorological officials said downpours in August have shattered 89-year-old records for the city. The crisis-like situation led Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to announce a public holiday on Saturday.

The Navy has deployed emergency response teams in aid of the civil administration in various areas that were equipped with boats and other life-saving equipment. During the operation, the navy teams also rescued 55 people trapped in the flooded areas of Malir and Korangi Crossing, while 20 families stranded in Sammoo Goth were also evacuated to a safe location.

Meanwhile, many major roads in the city witnessed severe traffic jams and several areas of Karachi also experienced power outages, Dawn news reported. Some areas of the city have been without power for more than 10 hours. Power was suspended in several areas as a precautionary measure, the Karachi Electric’s spokesperson said…Read Full Story

Imran Khan says Pakistan won’t have diplomatic relations with Israel

Pakistan and Israel do not have diplomatic relations and their aircraft are not allowed to use each other’s airspace

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has categorically rejected any possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, according to a media report. “Our policy on Israel is clear: The Quaid-i-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) had said that Pakistan can never accept state of Israel until the people of Palestine get rights and an independent state, Khan said in an interview with private news channel Dunya TV’ on Tuesday.

Pakistan and Israel do not have diplomatic relations and their aircraft are not allowed to use each other’s airspace. “If we recognise Israel and ignore tyranny faced by the Palestinians, we will have to give up Kashmir as well, and this we cannot do, he said. His remarks came in the backdrop of recent peace overtures between the UAE and Israel, with the former becoming only the third Arab nation to enter into a peace deal with the Jewish state.

Questions were also asked in Pakistan why it was following an antagonistic policy toward Israel when the Arabs were embracing the Jewish state in the changing regional political alignment. When asked to comment on the UAE’s ties with Israel, Khan said that every state had its own foreign policy. He also rejected the impression that Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia were under stress due to the Kashmir issue. Saudi Arabia is one of our key friends and our relations are still fraternal and unchanged, he said..Read More

Pak claims Kulbhushan refused to file review plea; India says it's farce

The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July last year that Pakistan must undertake an 'effective review and reconsideration' of the conviction

Pakistan said on Wednesday that Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav has refused to file an appeal in the Islamabad High Court against his conviction by a military court despite Pakistani authorities' offer to do so, a claim dismissed by India as "farce".

Jadhav, the 50-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017. Weeks later, India approached the ICJ against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and challenging the death sentence. The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July last year that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.

On Wednesday, Pakistan's Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan said that on June 17, 2020, Jadhav was offered to file an appeal in the Islamabad High Court for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction. "Exercising his legal right, Commander Jadhav refused to file a petition for the review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction.

4 terrorists, 2 civilians killed in attack on Pak Stock Exchange in Karachi

Four militants had stormed the PSX building and opened indiscriminate fire

People are feared killed in an ongoing gunbattle after the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi came under attack from terrorists, Geo News reported. Four militants stormed the exchange and opened indiscriminate fire. One sub inspector and four security guards were killed in the attack, while three police officials have been injured.

The attackers, a little before 10am, were armed with grenades and automatic rifles. They launched the attack by using grenades and then opened fire at the entrance of the Pakistan Stock Exchange. They attempted to enter the compound but were killed by security forces, Dawn reported.
Police surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi said that five bodies and seven injured, including policemen, have been brought at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

According to the report, all four terrorists have been killed and advanced weaponry, hand grenades and explosive material has been recovered from the terrorists’ custody. Security forces are also examining a “suspected car” parked outside PSX.. A clearance operation is underway in the exchange…Read More

 aaliyag

India rejects Imran Khan’s allegations of discrimination against Muslims

“Instead of concentrating on fighting Covid-19, they are making baseless allegations against their neighbours,” the MEA spokesperson said while responding to media queries on Khan’s remarks

The government has slammed Pakistani leadership after Imran Khan accused India of targeting Muslims during coronavirus pandemic. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the “bizarre comments” by the Pakistani leadership was an attempt to shift focus from the “abysmal handling” of that country’s internal affairs.

In a tweet, Khan accused the Indian government of deliberately targeting the Muslim community against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis. “The deliberate & violent targeting of Muslims in India by Modi Govt to divert the backlash over its COVID19 policy, which has left thousands stranded & hungry, is akin to what Nazis did to Jews in Gerrmany. Yet more proof of the racist Hindutva Supremacist ideology of Modi Govt,” he wrote.

“Instead of concentrating on fighting Covid-19, they are making baseless allegations against their neighbours,” the MEA spokesperson said while responding to media queries on Khan’s remarks.”On the subject of minorities, they (Pakistani leadership) would be well advised to address the concerns of their own dwindling minority communities, which have been truly discriminated…

Coronavirus global death toll exceeds 7,400; cases now at 183,579 worldwide

Latest updates on coronavirus from around the globe in bullet points

WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

In December 2019, an outbreak of a coronavirus (officially known as – COVID-19) in China killed over 7,965 people across the globe and infected over 198,229. The virus has spread to 157 countries. In India, 137 confirmed cases have been reported so far. A 68-year-old woman from Delhi, 69-year-old man from Mumbai and a 76-year-old man from Karnataka has been confirmed dead in the country from the virus.

What is coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are common among animals. In rare cases, they can be transmitted from animals to humans. The spikes protruding from the virus’s membrane look like the sun’s corona. It is from this that the virus gets the name ‘coronavirus’. It causes illnesses of the respiratory tract, ranging from the common cold to severe conditions like SARS. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

• White House seeks $850-bn stimulus
• Fed unveils emergency lending
• San Francisco shuts down
• 183,579 cases worldwide, over 7,400 dead
• 1st death reported in Pakistan; cases surge to 212
• 135 deaths in Iran, raising total to 988
• 2,000 new cases in Spain as infections top 11,000, says govt
• WHO confirms two positive cases among its staff
• T20 World Cup to go ahead as scheduled, says ICC
• Euro 2020 Soccer Tournament postponed by a year
• US, China accuse each other of coronavirus fear-mongering
• 80,881 confirmed cases in China, rest of the world at 94,000
• Pfizer, BioNTech to co-develop potential coronavirus vaccine
• UK govt says ‘reasonable’ estimate is that 55,000 could have COVID-19
• US stocks rebound: Dow Jones jumps 1,000 pts intra-day
• Alphabet’s Verily tests 20 people on first day
• China approves coronavirus vaccine for clinical trials
• Spanish football coach, 21, dies of coronavirus

Pak raises Kashmir issue at Saarc Covid-19 line; 'churlish', says India

PM proposed the creation of an emergency fund to combat the pandemic and pitched India’s initial offer of $10 million

It was “churlish” of Pakistan to politicise a humanitarian issue by raking up the Kashmir matter at a video conference between SAARC leaders held with an aim to chalk out a joint strategy to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Indian government sources said on Sunday. “Pakistan sent their Health Minister who was uncomfortable in speaking. He was given a slip. It’s a churlish approach. This is a humanitarian issue and Pakistan tried to politicise the humanitarian issue,” the government sources said.

They criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s absence from the conference, noting that the initiative witnessed the participation of leaders of all SAARC nations including Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after undergoing a kidney transplant. “Even Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli participated a day after he was discharged from the hospital. Each leader participated from the SAARC except Pakistani PM Imran Khan,” sources said.

The Pakistani side was represented by Zafar Mirza, State Minister for Health, who in his address at the conference, said that it was imperative that the lockdown in Kashmir be lifted in view of the health emergency after the coronavirus outbreak. “It is a matter of concern that COVID-19 has been reported from Jammu and Kashmir. In view of the health emergency, it is imperative that all lockdown in the territory must be lifted immediately,” Mirza said at the conference. “Opening up communications and movement will facilitate the dissemination of information, allow distribution of medical supplies, and enable containment and relief efforts to proceed unimpeded,” he added. Restrictions have been imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the Indian government’s move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to the region.

US has done a ‘great job’ in Afghanistan, asserts Trump: Key developments

Meanwhile, in an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said the peace deal signed with the Taliban in Doha over the weekend was a conditions-based agreement

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, US President Donald Trump asserted that his country had done a “great job” in its fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, and said it was now time for other countries to play their part. “We’ve done a great job in terms of getting rid of terrorists. Now it’s up to other countries to get rid of those terrorists,” Trump told reporters.

Responding to questions, Trump reiterated that the US was pulling out its troops from Afghanistan. “We are getting out. We want to get out. We had good meetings with the Taliban. And we are going to be leaving, and we’re going to be bringing our soldiers back home. We’ve been there for almost 20 years. It’s a long time,” Trump said. President Trump and his Afghanistan counterpart Ghani spoke over the phone on Sunday. Trump congratulated Ghani on the recent steps taken towards achieving peace in the war-torn country, according to a White House statement.

“The two leaders agreed that Saturday’s announcement of the United States-Afghanistan Joint Declaration and the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan were important milestones for the Afghan peace process,” the release said. The two leaders further agreed to stay in touch as the peace process moved into the next phase, which involves negotiations among Afghans for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and road map for the political future of the country…Read More