Border Countries

London [UK]: Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has said that properties of Mohajirs in Karachi are being demolished to make room for China to convert Karachi into a remote Satellite colony of Punjab and to accommodate China in the region. The government of Pakistan has entered into an agreement with China in this regard. As per the agreement, the Pakistan military would help China in demolishing buildings in Karachi for new construction and Karachi will become a satellite state of Punjab like Hong Kong.Hussain made the revelation in his telephonic address to the Mohajir nation. He strongly condemned the Supreme Court’s orders for the demolition of the Nasla Tower, a residential project in Karachi. The demolition of properties of Mohajirs in Karachi on the order of the country’s apex court judge on Pakistan military’s orders is a sheer manifest of economic carnage of Mohajirs. Hussain said that the demolition of settlements in Karachi was earlier ordered by the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Saqib Nisar. After demolishing thousands of houses, shops and markets in Gujar Nala, Railway Colony, Moosa Colony, Gharibabad, Orangi Town, Garden, Empress Market, Allah Din Park and other areas in Karachi, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmad ordered to eliminate a multi-storey residential building in Karachi, the Nasla tower. Residents who had legally bought the apartments with NOC for their children are being evicted and the Nasla Tower is […]

Quetta [Pakistan] : A power show was organized by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) demanding the release of Pashtun Movement Leader MNA Ali Wazir and other workers.Being the leader of PTM, Ali Wazir is also a member of the National Assembly from South Waziristan. The power show was held to protest for the release of the PTM leader who was imprisoned a year ago, as per media reports. Wazir was arrested in Peshawar on Dec 16, 2020, at the request of the Sindh police, and flew to Karachi.Wazir was arrested on the charges of making insulting and incendiary speeches against the state institutions at a PTM protest rally in Karachi on Dec 6, 2020, according to the newspaper.According to media reports, the Balochistan government has banned the entry of the PTM head into the province. However, the head of PTM, Manzoor Pashteen was present at the gathering, ardently supporting Wazir’s release.An enormous number of people participated in the power show organized by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), including Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and Awami National Party (ANP). The provincial president of ANP, Balochistan Asghar Khan Achakzai was present in the protest as well, according to media reports.The PTM leader was charged for treason and hate speech against the state. However, Wazir denied such allegations and blamed the state for a biased attitude towards minorities.

Beijing [China] : China will successfully hold the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games on schedule, despite the worldwide spread of the new Omicron coronavirus strain, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.“Regarding the impact of the Omicron strain on the Winter Olympics, I think it will definitely bring some prevention and control challenges, but thanks to China’s experience in preventing the spread of and combating COVID-19, I am fully confident that the Winter Olympics the games will be successfully held in accordance with the schedule,” Sputnik quoted Zhao as saying. The Games are scheduled for February 4-20, 2022.The WHO, on November 27, named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’.The World Health Organization has warned the Omicron variant, which has already been confirmed in Europe, Canada, Israel and Hong Kong, maybe more transmissible or evade immunity from previous infections and vaccines.“Given mutations that may confer immune escape potential and possibly transmissibility advantage, the likelihood of potential further spread of Omicron at the global level is high,” the WHO said in its risk assessment on Monday within a technical brief to its 194 member states.The WHO urged member states to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand variants, including omicron, and to increase community testing to detect if omicron is circulating.

Kabul [Afghanistan] : A blast rocked Darul Aman road in Police District 3 of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Tuesday.Casualties are feared, Xinhua reported citing eyewitnesses. No terror group has claimed the responsibility for the attack.Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August, attacks by ISIL-affiliated terrorists against them have increased.The rise in terrorist attacks has raised the possibility of a wider conflict between the two groups.

Islamabad [Pakistan]: Islamabad and New Delhi are at loggerheads over the modalities of shipment of Indian wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan as the two countries are struggling to find a common strategy for humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan, officials here told Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune. The modalities for the transportation of Indian assistance were shared with the Indian government through its mission in Islamabad.As per modalities, Pakistan had proposed transportation of wheat on Pakistani trucks to be operated by the United Nations. The Pakistani trucks under the banner of the UN would load wheat at the Wagah crossing and then take it to Afghanistan. The shipment charges would be paid by the Indian government. India has to complete the transportation within 30 days of the commencement of the first shipment. It is estimated that about 1,200 trucks would be needed to ship 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat. But, according to diplomatic sources, India objected to the Pakistani modalities, insisting no conditions should be attached with humanitarian assistance. Last week, Pakistan decided to allow India to transport 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and other humanitarian goods to Afghanistan through the Wagah border in a move Islamabad said was made on an “exceptional basis” keeping in view the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan. Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs said India is examining the response of Pakistan and also working with it on modalities […]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan]: At least one man was injured in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after riots broke out over reports about the burning of the Holy Quran at a mosque on Sunday.The incident took place in Tangi tehsil of Charsadda district where police resorted to firing in the air and teargas shelling to disperse an unruly mob that vandalised a police station, Dawn newspaper reported. The report said that protestors destroyed the area’s main police station, four posts and several residential quarters of police.According to the report, the enraged protesters broke into the compound of the police station, set on fire at least 17 vehicles parked there.The person who had allegedly torched the Quran was apparently mentally deranged, adding that the accused was immediately taken into custody and shifted to an unknown location, Dawn reported quoted the Police. “Apparently, the accused is mentally unstable and he cannot speak.”After news about the burning of the Quran spread in the area, scores of people encircled the police station.In a bid to pacify the protestors, local officials held talks with them. However, the situation went out of control when the mob demanded handing over of the accused.Police added the protesters were demanding handing over of the accused. “Some were asking for the summary execution of the accused.”

Kathmandu [Nepal]: Two new buildings of the primary schools built with the financial assistance of the Indian government in the Darchula district, were inaugurated on Monday.“Inauguration of new school buildings of Shree Moti Mahila Sangh Primary School at Tinkar, Khalanga and Shree Malikarjun Model Secondary School at Mahakali-7, Dhap in Darchula District built with Government of India Financial Assistance,” the Indian embassy said in a statement. The school in Dhap was built with the Government of India Financial Assistance of Nepali Rupees 1.27 crore.It was inaugurated by Namgya C. Khampa, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian embassy; District Coordination Committee, Darchula and School Management Committee and local representatives.The school, established in 1960, has been providing quality primary level education for a long time, The Indian embassy said in a statement.Most students, studying in this school, are from the marginalised Tinkari and Bhutia communities of Darchula District.At present, 391 students are enrolled in the school out of which 50 percent are girls. “New infrastructure would create an improved environment for learning in the rural region and contribute to the development of education in the district,” the embassy said.The new building of Shree Malikarjun Model Secondary School at Mahakali-7, Dhap in Darchula District was at a cost of NRs. 2.33 crore under India-Nepal Development Cooperation, the Press statement further added.These projects were taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) under an Agreement […]

Kabul [Afghanistan] : The passport distribution is on hold for the last 12 days in Kabul despite operational office in 17 Afghanistan provinces.People with medical conditions required to travel abroad for treatment are unable to travel due to halts in passport distribution in Kabul, reported TOLOnews. Passport applicants have approached Islamic Emirate to commence passport issuance and distribution in Kabul.“We have been coming and going for nearly a week. They do not take action and don’t say whether this (process) is working or not. I said that I have a patient, but they say that you will not be allowed anything until the passport office opens,” TOLOnews quoted an Afghanistan citizen as saying.“Every day we come and go, nobody helps us, all we have to do is to get the biometric (processing) then we will get our passport,” said another passport applicant.Officials at the passport distribution office stated that the temporary suspension in the distribution and issuance process is because of the destruction of the Interior Ministry’s biometric data by foreign forces, reported TOLOnews.The officials further mentioned that the passport applicants should visit the open passport offices in the neighbouring provinces. As many as 17 Afghan provinces have operational passport offices and the distribution is ongoing, but it is unclear as to when the capital city’s passport distribution process will resume, reported TOLOnew.TOLOnews quoted Deputy Director of the passport department, Abdul Khaliq Mohammadi, as […]

Kabul [Afghanistan] : Over 50 per cent of private education centres have been closed within the past three months across Afghanistan since the Taliban take over the country, local media reported citing the Union of Private Education Centers.As per the union, the deteriorated economic status of families is the main reason for the closure of these educational centers. “With changes happening in Afghanistan, many educational facilities–40 to 50 per cent–stopped their activities. The reason for that was the small number of students in the educational centers,” Sanjar Khalid, head of the union said.Some students said that the long time period has affected their morale for continuing education.“We are still hopeful to study to become a person who can serve their country,” said Shabana Habib Yar, a student, according to Tolo News.“We lost the motivation for the lessons because it is still unclear whether we will go to school next year or not,” said Najia Sarwary, a student.Mohammad Arif Jamal, the head of one of the private education centers in western Kabul said that the number of students has dropped 60 per cent during the past three months compared to previous months.“After the fall of the government and the Islamic Emirate’s coming to power, the number of students dropped, particularly the female students,” he said.Last year, 200,000 students from 34 provinces attended the university entrance exams. When the Islamic Emirate came to power, girls were […]

Islamabad, [Pakistan] : Pakistan has failed to lift itself out of poverty with the Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking it 92nd out of 116 nations and with a score of 24.7. The country’s level of hunger is categorised as ‘serious’.According to Dawn, Pakistan has been able to bring the proportion of the undernourished population down to 12.9 per cent from 21.1 per cent in 2000 but still faces problems related to malnourishment. The Global Hunger Index comprises four indicators including undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and under-five mortality rate.The report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe on global hunger, mentions: “As the year 2030 draws closer, achievement of the world’s commitment to Zero Hunger is tragically distant”.Further, over the last three years, Pakistan’s double-digit food price inflation, along with dwindling income, has left more Pakistanis food insecure, according to Dawn.On the other hand, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that approximately 43 per cent of Pakistanis are food insecure and 18 per cent of those have acute food insecurity. The WFP contends that affordability is the “greatest barrier in achieving a nutritious diet,” estimating that the majority of Pakistanis are incapable of affording nutritionally acceptable food.

Islamabad [Pakistan]: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Sunday directed the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) to submit a report on the alleged ‘purchase of votes’ in Lahore.This came after videos posted, circulated on social media showed a scene where votes are purchased for money. As reported by Samaa TV, one of the videos shows what appears to be a party office of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz. (PML-N) The video went viral a few days before Lahore’s NA-133 by-polls that are scheduled to take place on December 5.As per the purported video, people sitting behind the desk could be seen making women pledge that they would vote for the PMLN in the December 5 by-polls.“I swear with my hand on the Quran that on the fifth date [of December] I would vote for Muslim League Noon [PMLN],” repeats each of the women after the alleged PLMN workers.As seen in the viral video, the voters were receiving Pakistan Rs 2,000 after making the pledge.Meanwhile, the other video showed male voters taking a similar pledge.After the video went viral, the Election Commission sent a notice to the Lahore commissioner and the Punjab police chief, seeking their help in identifying the individuals in the video.As reported by Express Tribune, the notice was also served to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) chairman and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman.

Taipei [Taiwan]: Taiwan on Sunday denounced China for taking retaliatory measures against countries that seek to develop ties with Taipei.The remarks came in a statement from the Mainland Affair Council following China’s interference in the internal matters of Taiwan and Lithuania, Focus Taiwan reported. The MAC termed China’s response to countries for their exchanges with Taiwan as “barbaric”. “The decision by Taiwan and Lithuania to open reciprocal representative offices and develop a friendly, cooperative relationship reflects a basic right for members of the international community, the MAC said in a statement. “This is not an internal affair as described by China” but a matter between Taiwan and Lithuania, Beijing has no right to comment on, it said.As reported by Focus Taiwan, the MAC also called on Beijing to respect international norms and the cross-strait reality, and deal rationally with relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.For weeks, Lithuania has been facing heat from Beijing after the Baltic nation allowed the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius.Taiwan typically uses “Taipei Economic and Cultural Office” or “Taipei Representative Office” as the name for its diplomatic offices in most countries, mainly due to the host countries’ preference to avoid any semblance of treating Taiwan as a separate country in light of their “one-China” policy, reported Focus Taiwan.This came as Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan despite the fact that the two sides have […]