KABUL, DEC 20 (DNA) – Jamiat-i-Islami political party’s leadership council in a statement urged President Ashraf Ghani to reverse his decision to ‘oust’ Ata Noor as Balkh governor.On Monday, the presidency said that it accepted the resignation of Noor, who is also the executive chief of Jamiat-i-Islami. But Noor and his party condemned the move with Noor saying that his resignation was submitted months ago and was no longer valid.Jamiat council in the statement said that the party had offered reasonable and realistic conditions to the presidency over Noor, but it took ‘animosity’ approach instead of dealing with the issue through negotiation and reasonable solution.

ISLAMABAD, DEC 18 (DNA) – Ambassador of Tajikistan Sherali Jononov has been nominated as Acting Dean of Diplomatic Corps. The announcement was made during a farewell reception held for the outgoing ambassadors of Turkey and Lebanon. The Dean of Diplomatic Corps Ambassador of Kazakhstan made this announcement. The Dean is leaving Pakistan after completing his tenure in Pakistan. Ambassador of Tajikistan being a senior ambassador shall assume the office and will continue to hold the office till the decision of the new Dean. It is mostly likely that Ambassador Sherali will become permanent Dean also.

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (DNA) – India’s Rahul Gandhi took over Saturday as president of the main opposition Congress, becoming the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to head the party that has ruled the country for much of its independent history.Fireworks erupted over the party headquarters in New Delhi drowning out the voice of his mother Sonia Gandhi as she handed over the reins of power to her 47-year-old son.

YANGON, DEC 15 (DNA) – International aid group Doctors Without Borders, known by its French name MSF, said its field survey has found at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed between August and September in a crackdown by Burma’s security forces.  The MSF said in a statement that it had conducted the survey in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and estimated that at least 6,700 Rohingya died in Burma’s Rakhine state between 25 August and 24 September. About 630,000 Rohingya have fled Burma into Bangladesh to escape what the United Nations has called “ethnic cleansing”.

By Ansar Mahmood Bhatti

ISLAMABAD, DEC 12 (DNA) – Mr. Jean-Bernard Sempastous the President of France-Pakistan Friendship Group of the National Assembly of the French Republic and Senator Pascal Allizard have acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. They also vowed to maintain regular contacts with their Pakistani counterparts. The French parliamentarians are also keeping a close eye on the progress of China, Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and will submit a report to French Senate after conclusion of their Pakistan visit.