ISLAMABAD  : Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday said Pakistan holds irrefutable evidences of Indian terrorism and attacks in Peshawar and Quetta reflect New Delhi’s planning.

The foreign minister held a press conference along with Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar and shared a dossier exposing India’s nefarious plans of state terrorism against Pakistan.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan’s silence is not in the interest of regional peace anymore. India has planned to destabilize Pakistan and the true face of the world’s biggest democracy is unveiled.

“India is continuously committing ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), revealing its fascist mindset. Pakistan condemns the ceasefire violations.

“Pakistan became a frontline state after 9/11 and paid a heavy price. 19,130 terrorist attacks were conducted in Pakistan from 2001-2020 and the country’s economy suffered loss of over $ 126 billion.

“Pakistan fought against terrorism and succeeded but India could not digest its success.”

RAWALPINDI, NOV 13 (DNA) – On night 7/8 November 2020, reportedly Indian Army had an encounter with few freedom fighters in District Kupwara, well within Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir territory, opposite Neelum valley, wherein it suffered few casualties including 4 soldiers.

To ward off the humiliation faced by Indian Army in front of domestic audience, instead of finding the reasons from within and addressing the same, on 13 November 2020, Indian Army opted for resorting to unprovoked and indiscriminate fire of all calibers, including Artillery and heavy mortars, along LOC in various sectors of AJ&K.

The targeted areas included Neelum Valley (Nekrun, Kel, Sharda, Dudhnial, Shahkot, Jura, Nauseri sectors), Leepa Valley (Danna, Mandal and Kayani secotrs), Jhelum Valley (Chham and Pandu secorts), and Bagh Valley (Pirkanthi, Sankh, Haji Pir, Bedori and Kailer sectors).

In this deliberate attempt, Indian Army did not limit itself to engagement of Army Posts / positions, rather, in utter disregard to all international obligations and human rights, targeted civil population resulting serious casualties to innocent civilians to include 4 x shaheed and 12 injured.

In response to this provocative act, Pakistan Army gave a befitting reply to the Indian Army, and effectively targeted those Indian posts which engaged innocent civilians. As a result, substantial losses, both in terms of men and material, have been incurred on to Indian troops which have also been accepted by Indian Media. Indian’s confirmed losses are much more than being acknowledged . In this valiant act, 1 x brave soldier of Pakistan Army embraced shahadat while 5 others got injured. Such cowardly acts of targeting innocent civilians reflect sheer lack of morality, utter un-professionalism and total disregard to human rights by the Indian Army and are also clear violation of cease fire understanding of 2003.

It is once again reiterated, that Pakistan is a peace loving country and Pakistan Army pursue the same aspirations. However, we stand committed to defend the motherland and our Kashmiri brethren even at the cost of our blood and lives. We assure, that all such provocative acts shall continue to be responded in the same coin.

Despite facing criticism for hurling allegations at the military leadership in recent months, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif remained defiant as he told a public meeting in Swat that he “cannot blame the entire army for the lawlessness of a few individuals”.

While addressing a PML-N public meeting in Swat via video link, Nawaz once again named Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed and said: “When I say that Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and [Lt] Gen Hameed Faiz should answer why they did this to Pakistan, why they threw Pakistan in a ditch, they say ‘why does Nawaz Sharif take our names?’

“Gen Bajwa and [Lt] Gen Faiz, you formed a JIT of your choice, secured decisions of your choice as well, removed Nawaz Sharif from premiership, put me, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and my party members in jail. Our character assassination through media is still underway.”

Nawaz’s remarks come less than a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the PML-N supremo was trying to “create rifts” within the armed forces by encouraging army personnel to “rebel against” the military leadership.

“When they say that the [military leadership] is bad and the rest of the army is good; is army a democratic party that would move a no-confidence motion? You (Nawaz) are telling the army to launch a coup, to rebel [against the leadership]. Can there be a bigger [form of] treason?” Prime Minister Imran had said in an interview with GNN on Thursday night.

This is not the first time Nawaz has accused the military leadership of conspiring against him. In recent speeches in public meetings of his party and the 11-party opposition alliance — Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — Nawaz has accused the security establishment of orchestrating his ouster. In a PDM rally in Gujranwala, Nawaz had named the army chief and ISI DG and said that there was “a state above the state”.

In his speech today, the PML-N supremo said that his “crime was to talk about people’s rights, Constitution, democratic principles”.

“But what crime did the people commit? Why were your lives made difficult?” he said and added that he was not seeking answers from Prime Minister Imran but from those “who brought him to power”.

“He (PM Imran) is a puppet. The people who move his strings will have to answer,” declared the former prime minister.

Nawaz also talked about an inquiry report prepared by a commission formed on the army chief’s orders to probe the “Karachi incident”. Earlier this week, the Inter-Services Public Relations released a statement saying that officials of ISI and Sindh Rangers involved in the “Karachi incident” have been removed pending further departmental proceedings for acting “overzealously”.

The inquiry was conducted after PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged the army chief to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of PML-N leader retired Capt Mohammad Safdar in Karachi last month.

Nawaz, during his speech today, said that he “condemns and rejects” the ISPR press release and termed the inquiry report a “concocted story” that has raised more questions.

“In its report, there is no mention of forcing [the Sindh inspector general] to file an FIR. Even the names of officials [removed] are not mentioned, why? Because those names are holy? It is only the politicians that can be labeled as traitors and thieves,” said the former prime minister.

Nawaz’s daughter and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also addressed the crowd where she levelled criticism against the incumbent government once again. Terming the prime minister an “irrelevant character”, she urged the institutions to “withdraw their support” for Imran.

“Once the institutions back away from him, his government will not even stand for 24 hours, I assure you,” she told the participants of the gathering.

The PML-N vice president appealed the people of Swat to vote for her party in the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

“I wish Swat would vote for PML-N, not because I want PML-N to form a government but because I want to see the same development here as in Lahore.”

Maryam also alleged that it had been “decided” that the PML-N would only be given two to three seats in the GB Assembly but after observing the huge crowds in the party’s public meetings, it was agreed that the party will have to be given at least seven to eight seats.

“If you indulge in rigging, it would be your loss, if you don’t, it will still be your loss,” she said, while addressing the incumbent government. “You will have to go home soon.”

KARACHI – Sindh MPA and PPP leader Jam Madad Ali passed away at a private hospital in Karachi on Friday due to complications caused by Covid-19. He was 58.

Ali tested positive for the virus 15 days ago and was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi for treatment.

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed deep sorrow over Ali’s death, saying that his passing away was a “huge loss for the party and the people of his constituency”.

In a statement posted on the PPP’s Twitter account, Bilawal said that the late politician was an “active leader” who will always be remembered.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and provincial Governor Imran Ismail extended their condolences over Ali’s demise, with the former terming the deceased an “exemplary human being and good friend”.

President Arif Alvi also extended condolences on Ali’s demise in a tweet and prayed for his family.

The news of his deaths comes a day after Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Seth passed away due to the novel coronavirus. Seth’s funeral was held in Peshawar earlier today.

According to senior journalist Shams Keerio, Ali started his political career in the early 1990s when he was elected to the Sindh Assembly after the PPP government was dismissed. At the time, Ali’s uncle Jam Sadiq had become the Sindh chief minister.

However, the politician fled to Lahore and stayed there for two years allegedly to escape political persecution by the PPP. He was de-seated from the provincial assembly by the PPP due to his prolonged absence.

In the mid-90s, Ali returned to Sindh on the persuasion of the late Pir Pagara and joined the PPP government when he was elected to the provincial assembly once again. After the PPP government was dismissed for the second time, he joined Pakistan Muslim League (Functional) and was elected as MPA in the late ’90s as well.

The deceased was appointed as the chairman of Sindh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee in 2002, after he was elected to the provincial legislature again. He became leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly after he won a seat in the provincial assembly in 2008 from the PML-F’s platform.

He rejoined the PPP in 2017 and won a seat from the Sanghar district. Ali was heading the Standing Committee on Transport and was a member of the Standing Committee on Finance at the time of his death.

ISLAMABAD, NOV 13 (DNA) – Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Friday said that providing technical skills to the youth of the country and making them self-employed was the government’s top priority and for this all out resources were being utilized.

He was chairing a meeting to review Prime Minister ‘Kamyab Jawan Programme’ here. During the meeting, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs Usman Dar briefed the minister about various projects initiated under the programme.

 He also briefed the meeting about the performance of National Youth Council, Skills for All, Youth Entrepreneurship and Tiger Force.

The SAPM informed that the government had allocated Rs 100 billion under Kamyab Jawan Programme under which the talented and educated youth were being provided loans for small businesses.

Besides, he said technical training was also being imparted to 50,000 youth. Asad Umar said that keeping in view the challenges of current era, it was vital to equip the young people with technical skills.

He said the loans should be disbursed to the skilled and talented youth on merit so that the people’s tax money should not be disbursed on political basis.

The minister directed to develop a link on the PM portal where the youth could find information about the employment opportunities at a single platform. = DNA

===========================