Devcom-Pakistan webinar urged the Muslim leadership and the independent media to stand united against the US decision, and the EU and UN statements against the Ismaophobia for a counter narrative, just and a rational campaign against the religious prejudices.  

Islamabad, MAY 1 (DNA) – Speaking at a webinar on Saturday, the geopolitical experts termed the US President Joe Biden’s decision a politically motivated step whereby he has recognized Armenians killings by the Ottoman Empire in the World War-I as “genocide”. Taking up 106 years old matter with an unfair approach by the US shows the white Christian community’s influence in US politics. It is unjust and partial decision against a long time NATO partner while the historic events and statistics reveals the facts contrary to the quoted ones for the ‘engineered recognition of a so-called genocide’.

They urged the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to stand strong against the mala fide decision of the US president against Turkey. They also suggested the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to mobilize like minded countries to write a strong protest against the politically motivated US decision that is being engineered to pressurize Turkey for vigorously taking up Islamic values and tradition not only in Turkey but across the globe.

Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) organized the first ever webinar on the topic “US-Turkey standoff on the killings of Armenians in World War-I: Putting up the right context” on Saturday. The panel of experts included Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Geopolitical analyst Lt. General (Retd) Talat Masood, Director ORSAM Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (Ankra) Professor Dr. Ahmet Uysal, senior journalist from Washington Anwar Iqbal, senior media professional from London Reham Khan, Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed, senior visual artist and art entrepreneur Mahreen Elahi (Karachi), development expert Naseer Gillani, senior journalist from Landon Hamza Azhar Salam.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed it is yet another moment in the history when we all Muslim countries and friends of Turkey shall unite together against an engineered and politically motivated decision by the US president. A political commitment with a white Christian Armenian community in the selected districts of the United States is being honoured. While taking up this decision, the US president shall have kept in mind that the opposition to the Armenian stance is a much bigger population in the US. Turkey is also a very strong economic partner of the EU and the US besides being a significant member of NATO. The media across the globe shall be mobilized as a counter narrative building against this illegal decision showing the US double standards. Their eyes are closed on Myanmar, Kashmir, Rwanda, Nagorno Karabakh and many others.

Lt. General (Retd) Talat Masood the US decision against Turkey and many other such decisions show extreme prejudice against Muslims while Islamophobia is being hyppened through different deliberate attempts by the US and some of the Europeans countries. The EU has recently condemned Pakistan for its very rational statement on Islamophobia. To get respect and hounour, the Muslims countries need to understand the strength of unity to become a politically and economically strong bloc. A unanimous and firm stance in favour of Turkey and Islamophobia could lead to some rational behaviour towards the Muslim world. Turkey is standing up against the West and the US, we all shall come together to support it.

Professor Dr. Ahmed Usysal negated all the statistics quoted against Turkey for the recognition of a war killings as baseless and contrary to the historic facts. “We are not accepting any pressure from the West and the US for our internal and external policy, and we would not even if they impose any more such decisions on Turkey. We have defeated the US and its supporters even in the undemocratic events that have happened in Turkey. We stand united against every malicious campaign against Turkey, and ready to have a forum of likeminded experts, think tanks and media to combat the challenges confronting Turkey and all the Muslim world and the friends.   

Devcom-Pakistan Director Munir Ahmed said Turkey is the rising Muslim leadership that is being consider a threat to the US and EU vested interest in the region and in the Muslim world. The country is also a strong voice against Islamophobia, so the non-Muslim powers have to plant strategies against Turkey. The joint forums shall kick off counter narrative campaigns in different countries supported by respective Turkish embassies. This is unfortunate the Turkish embassy in Islamabad was absent from the webinar despite several requests. This is really shocking that many leading think tanks in the region and EU and the US refused to participate. This shows the height of fear that the US and the EU has created on the US-Turkey standoff on the killings of the Armenian in World War-I in 1915.   

ISLAMABAD, MAY 21 (DNA) – Keel laying ceremonies of 3rd Type-054A Class Frigate and 2nd MILGEM Class Corvette were held at HudongZhonghua (HZ) Shipyard Shanghai, China and Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY), Turkey respectively. Both the ceremonies were graced by respective Country’s Chief Naval Overseers, separately.

Type 054 A/P Class Frigate, will be most technologically advanced surface platform of Pakistan Navy Fleet, fitted with state of the art Surface, Subsurface and Anti-Air weapons, Combat Management System and Sensors. These ships will significantly contribute in maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean. 

Chief Naval Overseer (China) Commodore Rashid Mehmood Sheikh, as being the Chief Guest  commended the timely achievement of keel laying milestone of the ship despite ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and appreciated CSTC/ HZ Shipyard for their concerted efforts.

Another significant Keel Laying ceremony of MILGEM Class Corvette for Pakistan Navy was held in Turkey. Pakistan Navy has concluded contract with M/s ASFAT for construction of 04 x corvettes out of which two are being constructed at Istanbul Naval Shipyard and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works.  These corvettes will be fitted with state of the art Surface, Sub-Surface and Anti-Air Weapons & Sensors, integrated through an advanced Network Centric Combat Management System.

The Chief Guest for the Keel Laying ceremony at Istanbul Naval Shipyard was Chief Naval Overseer (Turkey) Commodore Ehsan Ahmed Khan. While addressing, the Chief Guest marked the event to further cement the bond of friendship between the two strategically aligned nations with common share values, culture and principles. He acknowledged the commitment and dedication of M/s ASFAT, INSY and Turkish Ministry of National Defence for meeting the challenging construction schedule despite constraints posed by global pandemic.

The induction of Type 054A/P Class Frigates & MILGEM Class Corvettes in Pakistan Navy would play an important role in geo strategic milieu and help in thwarting any aggression posed by the adversaries. The new inductions will significantly enhance maritime defence and deterrence capabilities of Pakistan Navy and would contribute in maintaining balance of power in the Indian Ocean Region.

The respective Keel Laying Ceremonies were attended by representatives of China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC) & HZ Shipyard officials and senior management of M/s ASFAT (a Turkish state-owned Defense Contracting Company), senior management of Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY), representatives from Turkish Lloyd and other dignitaries, separately.

The final phase of ending America’s “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. and NATO troops by the end of summer.

President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces — about 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers.

Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.

The military has been taking inventory, deciding what is shipped back to the U.S., what is handed to the Afghan security forces and what is sold as junk in Afghanistan‘s markets. In recent weeks, the military has been flying out equipment on massive C-17 cargo planes.

The U.S. is estimated to have spent more than $2 trillion in Afghanistan in the past two decades, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University, which documents the hidden costs of the U.S. military engagement.

Defense department officials and diplomats told The Associated Press the withdrawal has involved closing smaller bases over the last year. They said that since Biden announced the end-of-summer withdrawal date in mid-April, only roughly 60 military personnel had left the country.

The U.S. and its NATO allies went into Afghanistan together on Oct. 7, 2001 to hunt the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks who lived under the protection of the country’s Taliban rulers. Two months later, the Taliban had been defeated and al-Qaida fighters and their leader, Osama bin Laden, were on the run.

In his withdrawal announcement last month, Biden said the initial mission was accomplished a decade ago when U.S. Navy SEALS killed bin Laden in his hideout in neighboring Pakistan. Since then, al-Qaida has been degraded, while the terrorist threat has “metastasized” into a global phenomenon that is not contained by keeping thousands of troops in one country, he said.

Until now the U.S. and NATO have received no promises from the Taliban that they won’t attack troops during the pullout. In a response to AP questions, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban leadership was still mulling over its strategy.

The insurgent group continues to accuse Washington of breaching the deal it signed with Biden’s predecessor more than a year ago. In that deal, the U.S. said it would have all troops out by May 1.

Violence has spiked in Afghanistan since the February 2020 deal was signed. Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government, which were part of the deal, quickly bogged down. On Friday, a truck bomb in eastern Logar province killed 21 people, many of them police and students.

Afghans have paid the highest price since 2001, with 47,245 civilians killed, according to the Costs of War project. Millions more have been displaced inside Afghanistan or have fled to Pakistan, Iran and Europe.

Afghanistan’s security forces are expected to come under increasing pressure from the Taliban after the withdrawal if no peace agreement is reached in the interim, according to Afghan watchers.

Since the start of the war they have taken heavy losses, with estimates ranging from 66,000 to 69,000 Afghan troops killed. The Afghan military has been battered by corruption. The U.S. and NATO pay $4 billion a year to sustain the force.

Some 300,000 Afghan troops are on the books, although the actual number is believed to be lower. Commanders have been found to inflate the numbers to collect paychecks of so-called “ghost soldiers,” according to the U.S. watchdog monitoring Washington’s spending in Afghanistan.

Last year was the only year U.S. and NATO troops did not suffer a loss. The Defense Department says 2,442 U.S. troops have been killed and 20,666 wounded since 2001. It is estimated that over 3,800 U.S. private security contractors have been killed. The Pentagon does not track their deaths.

The conflict also has killed 1,144 personnel from NATO countries.

The Taliban, meanwhile, are at their strongest since being ousted in 2001. While mapping their gains and territorial holds is difficult, they are believed to hold sway or outright control over nearly half of Afghanistan.

“We are telling the departing Americans … you fought a meaningless war and paid a cost for that and we also offered huge sacrifices for our liberation,” Shaheen told the AP on Friday.

Striking a more conciliatory tone, he added: “If you … open a new chapter of helping Afghans in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, the Afghans will appreciate that.”

In announcing the departure, Biden said waiting for ideal conditions to leave would consign America to an indefinite stay.

In the Afghan capital and throughout the country, there is a growing fear that chaos will follow the departure of the last foreign troops. After billions of dollars and decades of war, many Afghans wonder at whether it was worth it.