ISLAMABAD, Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in blasts took place in Lebanese capital Tuesday that claimed several lives and left many others injured.
“Deeply pained to hear of the massive explosions in Beirut with precious lives lost & thousand injured,” he said on Twitter.
He expressed solidarity with the people of Lebanon in that difficult hour and said that they shared their sorrow and grief.
The prime minister also prayed for speedy recovery to the injured and strength to the bereaved families.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday paid tribute to the valiant Kashmiris on Youm-e-Istehsal of Kashmir to highlight the brutal massacre and atrocities of Indian occupation forces after putting the entire valley under military siege since August 5.
On the occasion of Kashmir Exploitation Day, the Directorate of Public Relations PAF had released a special video based on the poem depicting the miseries of the oppressed Kashmiri people and showing solidarity with them, said a PAF press release.
The beautiful poem by the famous poet Shehzad Nair also highlights the ongoing Indian aggression in Kashmir. This poem salutes the struggle of the brave Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination.
At the same time, the poem seeks to awaken the conscience of the international community so that all countries could speak out in support of the Kashmiris’ freedom movement against the oppressive Indian rule.
Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, around the world, will mark ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ as exactly one year ago today, on August 5, 2019, the Indian government illegally annexed occupied Kashmir into two union territories by revoking Article 370 of its constitution.
The main intent behind the move is to expose Indian atrocities and show solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. Today (Wednesday), Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to visit Muzaffarabad to mark Youm-e-Istehsal.
Anti-India protests are planned throughout Pakistan, particularly in Azad Kashmir, while all major cities in Pakistan will hold solidarity marches, along with a one-minute silence.
CM Murad leads Youm-e-Istehsal rally at Sea View, Karachi
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah led a protest rally at Karachi’s Sea View against India’s unilateral move to bifurcate occupied Kashmir into two union territories.
“Shaheed Bhutto said that Pakistan will wage a war for thousand years but not forego its right on Kashmir,” he said. “India’s atrocities against Kashmiris is not hidden from anyone. New Delhi has imposed the longest curfew in the world there,” he added.
The chief minister said that Kashmiris have stated that they wanted to live and die by Pakistan. “Pakistanis have also decided that they will live and die beside their Kashmiri brethren,” he added.
He said that everyone was gathered today, voicing the same “Kashmir Banega Pakistan” slogan.
“Pakistan’s political parties are united on the issue of Kashmir,” he said. “Prime Minister Imran Khan is acting as the ambassador of Kashmir by ensuring their voice reaches the world.
The chief minster fired shots at the Indian Air Force’s decision to buy Rafale jets. “The more Rafale jets India buys, the more cups of tea we have ready for them,” he said, in reference to Pakistan shooting down Wing Commander Abhinandan’s MiG-21 Bison aircraft last year.
“The real power lies not with the aircraft but the one flying it,” he said.
India imposes two-day ‘full curfew’ in occupied Kashmir
Meanwhile, Indian officials announced a two-day “full curfew” on Monday citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region of seven million people, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a “black day”.
Kashmiri girls ride a scooter on a deserted road in Srinagar, August 20, 2019. Photo: Reuters
Fearing a massive reaction from the Kashmiris, New Delhi imposed the curfew on Tuesday in occupied Kashmir, blocking main roads throughout the valley with barbed wires and steel barricades.
The Modi-led government revoked Article 370 last year on this day, promising economic prosperity and progress after more than three decades of violence that has seen thousands die in the disputed region.
The situation in the occupied territory remained tense as police cars patrolled Srinagar after dark on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, with officers using megaphones to order residents to remain indoors.
A “full curfew” means people can only move around with an official pass, usually reserved for essential services such as police and ambulances. The Himalayan region is already subject to restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, with most economic activities limited and public movement curtailed.
For locals, the new curfew brought back memories of the weeks-long clampdown a year ago. Then, a total communications blackout was imposed, with phone and internet access cut and tens of thousands of fresh troops moved into the valley — already one of the world´s most militarised regions.
A Kashmiri man looks out of his house during restrictions in Srinagar, August 14, 2019. Photo: Reuters
Around 7,000 people were taken into custody — including three former chief ministers. Hundreds remain under house arrest or behind bars to this day, mostly without charge.
Modi’s revocation of Article 370, which has been accompanied by an upsurge in violence that is set to make 2020 the bloodiest year in a decade, has triggered major economic hardship exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Many locals are also angry that for the first time, people from outside Kashmir are being granted rights to buy land, fearing that India wants to change the region’s demographic makeup.
In a fresh setback to New Delhi’s stance on the issue, the Human Rights Watch condemned New Delhi and urged it to reverse its “abusive policies” in occupied Kashmir.
“Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir´s constitutional status,” Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch had said in a statement Tuesday.
“The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights.”
New political map of Pakistan including IoK approved by PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced the approval a new political map of Pakistan, which included Indian-occupied Kashmir in its entirety.
The approval was given in a Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Imran earlier on Tuesday during which the participants were apprised of the latest situation in the occupied Muslim-majority region.
Kashmiri residents throw stones towards Indian security forces in Srinagar, August 10, 2019. Photo: Reuters
Speaking during a live televised address to the nation, the premier shared the details of the decisions made in the Cabinet meeting. “Today is the most important day in the history that we are presenting a new political map of Pakistan before the world,” he said.
“The cabinet has approved the map,” he said, adding that the Kashmiri and national leadership has also green-signalled it. The new map would now be used in school and colleges as well, he added.
The final status of “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir” was to be decided in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions, read the map.
UN experts slam ‘alarming’ rights free-fall in IoK
A group of UN rights experts urged India to address the “alarming human rights situation” in Kashmir since it was stripped of its autonomy a year ago on Wednesday.
The independent experts, who do not speak for the United Nations but report their findings to it, called on other nations to pile the pressure on India if it does not do so.
“Urgent action is needed,” the 18 special rapporteurs and other experts said Tuesday in a joint statement.
“If India will not take any genuine and immediate steps to resolve the situation, meet their obligations to investigate historic and recent cases of human rights violations and prevent future violations, then the international community should step up.”
The experts urged New Delhi to schedule urgently visits by UN experts, particularly by those investigating torture and disappearances.
MANCHESTER : Skipper Azhar Ali has said he is anxious not to pile too much pressure on Babar Azam as he wants the batsman to play his natural game when Pakistan takes on England in the first Test at Old Trafford today.
The 25-year-old Babar has a fine career Test average of 45.12 from 26 matches heading into the first of a three-match campaign against England at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
But his figures during the past two years suggest he is approaching the prime of his career.
Babar’s five Test hundreds have all come since the start of 2018, during which time he has scored 1,375 runs in 15 matches at a hugely impressive average of 65.47.
Babar is top of the global T20 batting rankings, third in the one-day standings and sixth in the Test list.
Azhar, asked if the England series would see Babar join Australia´s Steve Smith and India’s Virat Kohli in the top bracket of Test batsmen, told British media: “I think he is right up there already.
“People are thinking and talking about it. He is just hungry for runs and I think if he keeps doing that he will be up there for quite a long time.
“His performances have improved massively in Test matches over the last year or so. Firstly, he was performing really well in white-ball cricket and people thought he was only a white-ball player but he took on that challenge and played with a lot of freedom and flair.”
‘Free from pressure’
Azhar, anxious not to pile too much pressure on to Babar, said he wanted the batsman to relax and play his natural game.
“He is a very important player for us but I would like him to be free from any pressure and just enjoy his game,” said the skipper.
Pakistan could also do with runs from Azhar, who knows English conditions well from his time with Somerset, and Asad Shafiq.
The two batsmen have scored just two hundreds each in 18 Tests since the veteran pair of Misbah-ul-Haq, now Pakistan’s coach, and Younis Khan retired in 2017.
Azhar told Pakistan media that while he was “not happy with my batting”, he was working hard to make sure he lived up to his responsibilities as captain.
Pakistan have named a 16-man squad for the first Test, which will be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus.
They have the option to play three pacemen in Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Abbas, together with two spinners in Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan.
The combined ages of Naseem (17) and Afridi (20) are lower than that of England leading Test-wicket taker James Anderson, who recently turned 38.
“They are very talented, obviously not as experienced as some of the bowling attacks that have come to England in the past, but potentially they are right up there,” said Azhar of the young bowlers.
“Naseem is a young talent who came up and played Test cricket from nowhere.
“He’s impressed all of us and is in our number one bowling attack…. Over time he will get the experience he needs.
“In terms of his potential, he is very threatening and hopefully he will be very good for us in this series.”
ISLAMABAD : Information Minister Shibli Faraz Tuesday shrugged off allegations that the PTI-led government had ignored merit whilst creating the digital media wing of the ministry.
A former member of the ruling PTI’s social media team, Imran Ghazali, was appointed to a top position in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, a notification issued Monday by the Establishment Division confirmed a few days ago.
“Some renowned journalists have been tweeting wrongly that the government appointed people without placing advertisements,” said the information minister. “In fact, advertisements were published in different national dailies,” he added, opening up a newspaper and showing the advertisement.
Faraz said that only two persons from the PTI, including himself, were part of the selection board. He justified his presence in the board by saying that the government wouldn’t allow PML-N representatives, such as Ahsan Iqbal, to be part of the selection board.
The minister categorically rejected allegations of nepotism, saying that the “best people” were hired.
“The majority of youth is with the PTI and we will hire the best people irrespective of their political affiliations,” he pointed out, adding seven people were selected and only one of them belonged to the party.
When asked to justify the creation of the social media wing with a large budget, Faraz said establishing it was the need of the hour to tackle internal and external challenges facing the country in the digital world.
The federal government has set up the digital media wing under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to counter fake news, he said.
Former PTI social media team member appointed at top position in info ministry
Earlier in March this year, the government had approved a supplementary grant of Rs42.791 million for the social media wing.
In addition, the ministry has also acquired the services of five other individuals, namely Shahbaz Khan, Muhammad Muzammil Hassan, Usman bin Zaheer, Naeem Ahmed Yasin, and Syeda Dhanak Hashmi at the MP-III scale.
PM Imran green-signalled the appointments in December 2019.
Responding to media reports about appointments being approved without any competition, the ministry had said PM Imran had given the green signal in December 2019.
It had also clarified that a total of 76 applications were received for the position of ‘General Manager’, whereas 67 for the ‘Digital Media Consultant’ vacancy. All in all, some 461 people applied to the jobs across seven MP scales, it had added.
The recruitments in the digital media wing were made by a special selection board after it conducted interviews, the ministry noted, adding that a summary of the selected individuals was approved by the prime minister on July 20.
Those who have been hired would be paid Rs75,000 a month, it said. The candidates for the remaining 16 posts had been shortlisted, it added further.
Hired without competitive examinations
Sources had earlier informedthat all six have been handling the PTI’s media cell and were hired at top positions with hefty salaries without any competitive examinations.
Each of the six had worked in presenting the PTI’s viewpoints on social media in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, the sources had added.
The information ministry, however, had maintained its position that the recruitments were made according to a procedure approved by PM Imran for its ‘Digital Media Wing’ back in April 2020. The latest job vacancies, it added, were also advertised in the newspapers as per law.
ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly today, as Pakistan marks Youm-e-Istehsal to show solidarity with Kashmiris.
In a tweet on Wednesday, PM Imran said that he will address the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today to show solidarity with Kashmiris on Youm-e-Istehsal.
“Kashmiris in IIOJK have been subjected to a brutal fascist military siege by India since its illegal actions of 5th Aug last year followed by efforts to change the demography of IIOJK”.
“I will continue to be an ambassador for all Kashmiris whose voices India has tried to silence through its brutal illegal occupation of IIOJK,” PM Imran said, adding that after many years his government raised the Kashmir issue effectively at international forums.
“We have also depicted the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and our commitment to UNSC resolutions in the political map of Pakistan released yesterday,” he added.
Youm-e-Istehsal is being observed today (Wednesday) across Pakistan and other parts of the world to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people on completion of the one-year military siege of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
On the 5th August 2019, the special constitutional status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped by the Modi government.
H.E Mr Tarek Mohamed Dahroug, Egypt’s Ambassador to Pakistan called on General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), today.
During the meeting matters of mutual interest and cooperation in various fields were discussed. The two expressed satisfaction on trajectory of bilateral relations between both brotherly countries.
The visiting dignitary also appreciated Pakistan’s continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region.
ISLAMABAD, AUG 04 (DNA) – Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Tuesday said that Kashmiris are not alone in their struggle for right to self-determination.
“Pakistan stands firmly united with Kashmiris”, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in his statement. The FM said, world is witnessing blatant rights violations in occupied Kashmir and added that Pakistan Army and people stand tall with Kashmiris.
He said the day is not far away, when nawafil will be offered at Jama Masjid Srinagar by people of Kashmir. Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi along with Defense Minister Pervez Khattak had visited Chiri Kot Sector of Line of Control.
In a video message before his visit to the LoC, Qureshi had said that entire Pakistani nation including the armed forces fully stand by the Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination. He had said the Kashmiri people had rejected the Indian illegal steps of 5th August and nobody will accept them. =DNA
SUKKUR, AUG 04 (DNA) – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah said that holding rallies and staging protests for Muslims of the India-Administered Kashmir will not help their cause. He feels the federal government needs to frame policies to help their cause.
Shah was speaking to reporters on Tuesday outside a Sukkur accountability court where he had appeared for a case hearing against him.
“There’s no use of holding rallies and protests with regards to the Kashmir issue,” he said. “The government needs to take opposition into confidence on this matter and unite the nation. [The government] has failed to devise good [foreign] policies.”
Billboards on New York’s Times Square titled #KashmiriLivesMatter will be posted for a week to condemn the atrocities of Indian armed forces in the region. The European Union’s council on Kashmir has announced that its member will stage a protest outside the Indian High Commission.
The people of Pakistan and Kashmir will observe the Kashmir Siege Day to protest against India’s unilateral decision to annex Kashmir. Rallies will held in different parts of the country.
Last year on August 5, India revoked articles 35A and 370 of its Constitution, ending special status granted to Indian-Administered Kashmir. All communications were blocked too, the restrictions were eased eventually but the services were never fully restored.
On the other hand, the Indian government has announced that it will make the restrictions in Kashmir more strict on Tuesday and Wednesday. Internet and mobile phone services will be suspended in the valley.
Hurriyat leader Ali Gillani says Kashmiris will protest the move and observe a strike. =DNA
