Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Michelle Obama voices hope for lessons learned over Sussex racism claims
Matthew Weaver
Michelle Obama says she hopes the royal family will learn from the allegations of racism made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in last week’s TV interview with Oprah Winfrey. The former first lady said she was not surprised by the couple’s recollections about remarks made by an unnamed member of the royal family about the possible colour of her unborn son’s skin. Speaking to NBC News, Obama said she hoped the couple could reconcile their differences with the royal family, amid reports that the rift was continuing. Obama added: “This, first and foremost, is a family. I pray for forgiveness for them so that they can use this as teachable moment for us all. Race isn’t a new construct in this world for people of colour, and so it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear her feelings and to hear them articulated.” Her plea to make this a “teachable moment” will be seen as urging the royal family to do more than deal with the issue privately as it had pledged. Last week in its only comments on the interview so far, Buckingham Palace said: “The issue raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.” The 61-word statement said: “Whilst some recollections may vary they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”Former first lady’s comments seen as encouragement for royal family ‘to act’ after Oprah Winfrey interview with Harry and Meghan.
Last Thursday, Prince William told reporters: “We’re very much not a racist family.”At that stage he said he had not spoken to his brother, Prince Harry, since the interview. But according to a US-based friend of the Sussexes, Harry has now spoken to William and his father, Prince Charles. Gayle King, the co-host of CBS This Morning, said she had spoken to Harry and Meghan at the weekend and was told of Harry’s conversation with his brother and father. “It’s true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too, and the word I was given was that those conversations were not productive, but they are glad that they have at least started a conversation,” she said. Kensington Palace, Prince William’s official residence, has not commented on King’s remarks. The royal family is still struggling to cope with the fallout from an interview that has posed the biggest challenge to the monarchy since the death of Princess Diana. The most shocking disclosure in the interview was Meghan’s account of how “concerns” were raised from someone in the royal household about how dark their baby son Archie’s skin would be. Neither Meghan nor Harry would say who made the remarks saying to do so would be “very damaging”. Winfrey later clarified it was neither the Queen nor the Duke of Edinburgh. Racism played a “large part” in why the couple left Britain, Harry said. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/16/harry-and-meghan-racism-comments-michelle-obama
#Pakistan - #PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen, three others booked for treason
The police have booked the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leader Manzoor Pashteen and his three friends under the treason charge allegedly for raising slogans against the country and its institutions.
The FIR, lodged with the city police station following a firing incident that took place on the Hazara Motorway’s toll plaza in Sheikh Abad area on March 13, Mr Pashteen allegedly raised slogans against the state and its institutions when activists of Tehreek-i-Inqilab chanted pro-Pakistan and pro-army slogans during a demonstration.
“As we raised the pro-Pakistan and pro-army slogans, Mr Pashteen came out of his vehicle along with his friends and used derogatory language against our country and its institutions. They also opened fire,” Akram Qureshi, who introduced him as a journalist, stated in the FIR, a copy of which was obtained by this reporter. He stated that he and his friends recognised the PTM leader and his friends, who were on way to Islamabad from Battagram. The FIR, which was made public by the police late Sunday evening, contains sections 324/504/505/506/427/124-A and 153A/34 of Pakistan Penal Code. On the other hand, Mr Pashteen on his Twitter account said that he and his friends came under attack by a group of 20 to 25 people when they were on way back to Islamabad from Battagram after attending meetings. The Tehreek-i-Inqilab activists had demanded registration of FIR against Mr Pashteen and his friends.
“As we raised the pro-Pakistan and pro-army slogans, Mr Pashteen came out of his vehicle along with his friends and used derogatory language against our country and its institutions. They also opened fire,” Akram Qureshi, who introduced him as a journalist, stated in the FIR, a copy of which was obtained by this reporter. He stated that he and his friends recognised the PTM leader and his friends, who were on way to Islamabad from Battagram. The FIR, which was made public by the police late Sunday evening, contains sections 324/504/505/506/427/124-A and 153A/34 of Pakistan Penal Code. On the other hand, Mr Pashteen on his Twitter account said that he and his friends came under attack by a group of 20 to 25 people when they were on way back to Islamabad from Battagram after attending meetings. The Tehreek-i-Inqilab activists had demanded registration of FIR against Mr Pashteen and his friends.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612724/ptm-leader-three-others-booked-for-treason
Biden’s Options in Afghanistan - The United States and Pakistan must work together to secure the country’s future.
BY ANNE PATTERSON, ALI JEHANGIR SIDDIQUI, SYED MOHAMMAD ALIIn a deal signed with the Taliban in February 2020, the United States agreed to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by May this year. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is trying to stick to this peace deal, but it is faced with some difficult challenges as violence remains high and little progress has been made on intra-Afghan talks. In order to make an American withdrawal more feasible and not entirely abandon the U.S.-Taliban agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has put forward a revised peace plan with an interim power sharing formula and a proposal to involve key countries in the region. Developments over these coming weeks will determine whether the Biden administration can stick to the withdrawal deadline. It is clear, however, after 20 years that no government in Afghanistan can succeed without Taliban participation and that no peace process in Afghanistan can succeed without Pakistan’s full support.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States were all instrumental in helping the Afghans repel the Soviets from Afghanistan and bring the Cold War to a close. However, Afghanistan was torn apart by bloody infighting after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. The chaos allowed al Qaeda to flourish and its leader, Osama bin Laden, to carry out his global terrorist agenda. Heroin flowed out to neighboring countries, particularly Iran. When the Taliban took over Kabul in 1996, the group managed to curb opium production, but their rule was ruthlessly repressive, particularly of women. While conflict lessened, India and Iran continued to engage in proxy wars against the Taliban. When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, and Taliban leader Mullah Omar refused to hand over Bin Laden to the United States, it took only two months to overthrow the Taliban. They were far from defeated, however.For the next two decades, the relationship of the United States and Pakistan has been dominated by the situation in Afghanistan and often plagued by animosity and accusations of duplicity. Americans were furious that Pakistanis would not crack down on Taliban hideouts within Pakistan, particularly the notorious Haqqani network, and Americans argued that safe havens in Pakistan prevented an U.S. military victory in Afghanistan. Americans wrongly believed that their billions of dollars in coalition support funds to the Pakistan military would buy them sufficient influence to secure the United States’ strategic goals. But soon the Americans were accusing Pakistan of not doing enough to crack down on its own terrorist problem. In turn, Pakistan saw the ongoing debates in the United States about troop levels, the swings in violence, and factionalism in Kabul as evidence that U.S. policy was unpredictable and risked expanding the war theatre into Pakistan. If the Taliban were going to be there in the end anyway, Pakistan had a compulsion to continue engaging with them. Pakistan’s leadership has consistently argued that its inability to go after the Afghan Taliban seeking refuge on its soil was not a matter of will, but of capacity. Pakistan’s military was simultaneously contending with an increasingly hostile India and a lingering insurgent threat in the province of Balochistan, which it suspected was fueled by India. Moreover, although Pakistan retains leverage over the Taliban, pushing the group harder could have driven it even closer to other countries which also built relations with it after the U.S. invasion. From a Pakistani perspective, the United States made two fundamental mistakes: the first was not to differentiate between al Qaeda and the Taliban; and the second was the United States’ decision to bar the Taliban from the government formation process after the Bonn Agreement in 2001 which sought to reestablish government institutions after the U.S. invasion. In the past year, Pakistan has been the key player in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. With the U.S. withdrawal agreement at risk, Pakistan will now be expected to pressure the Taliban to comply with its commitments. But the truth is that every day that a political settlement is delayed, Pakistan’s influence on the Taliban is eroded. The peace process is fragile, and the Afghan army and NATO forces are still fighting the Taliban. Although no U.S. forces have been targeted recently, a breakdown of the peace talks risks a spike in attacks against Americans, which will further complicate the U.S. withdrawal. Lingering destabilization within Afghanistan would lead to a deterioration of Pakistan’s internal security situation and spur another wave of Afghan refugees. Pakistan still has an estimated 2.5 million Afghan refugees within its borders; a stable Afghanistan would give them the option of finally returning home. Renewed instability in Afghanistan would bring violence to Pakistan’s border towns and eliminate any prospects of bilateral trade. In recent years, Pakistan has made progress against its domestic terrorist threat and avoided unification of the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban. Importantly, Pakistan’s security establishment has also continued to upgrade its nuclear command and control processes and improved the country’s Nuclear Safety Index rankings. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/16/afghanistan-future-peace-talks-biden-united-states-pakistan/
تعلیم میں وقفہ، ملالہ اب ٹی وی ڈرامے بنائیں گی
کم عمر ترین نوبیل انعام یافتہ ملالہ یوسفزئی اپنی گریجویشن کے بعد بظاہر فی الحال مزید تعلیم کا ارادہ نہیں رکھتیں۔ تو پھر وہ آگے کیا کرنا چاہتی ہیں؟
کم عمر ترین نوبیل انعام یافتہ ملالہ یوسفزئی اپنی گریجویشن کے بعد بظاہر فی الحال مزید تعلیم کا ارادہ نہیں رکھتیں۔ تو پھر وہ آگے کیا کرنا چاہتی ہیں؟
یہ سوال ملالہ یوسفزئی کی جانب سے ٹک ٹاک پر اکاؤنٹ بنانے اور پھر اب ایپل ٹی وی کے ساتھ کئی سالوں پر مبنی ایک اشتراک کے معاہدے پر دستخط کے بعد ابھرا ہے۔
ملالہ یوسفزئی اور ایپل کے درمیان کیے جانے والے اس معاہدے کے تحت ایپل ٹی وی ڈرامے، کامیڈیز، دستاویزی فلمیں، اینی میشن اور بچوں کے لیے سیریز تیار کرے گا جبکہ ان کے لیے لوگوں کی توجہ حاصل کرنے کے لیے ملالہ کی صلاحیتیوں سے فائدہ اٹھایا جائے گا۔
اس حوالے سے ایپل کی ویب سائٹ پر شائع ہونے والے بلاگ میں ملالہ یوسفزئی کا کہنا تھا کہ ’میں کہانیوں کی طاقت پر یقین رکھتی ہوں کیونکہ وہ خاندانوں کو جوڑ سکتی ہیں اور دوستیاں قائم کر سکتی ہیں۔ وہ تحریکوں کی بنیاد رکھ سکتی ہیں اور بچوں کو خواب دیکھنا سکھا سکتی ہیں۔‘
’میں ایپل سے زیادہ بہترین شراکت دار کی خواہاں نہیں ہو سکتی تھی، جو ان کہانیوں کو حقیقت کا روپ دے سکتا ہے۔ میں خواتین، نوجوانوں، لکھاریوں اور اداکاروں کی حمایت کے لیے ملنے والے اس موقع پر بہت خوش ہوں، جس میں وہ دنیا کو ویسا دکھا سکیں گے جیسا وہ خود دیکھتے ہیں۔‘
اس حوالے سے ملالہ یوسفزئی کے والد ضیاالدین یوسفزئی کہتے ہیں کہ ان کی صاحبزادی نے فی الحال تعلیم سے وقفہ لیا ہے۔
انڈپینڈنٹ اردو نے ضیاالدین یوسفزئی سے یہ جاننے کی کوشش کی کہ ٹک ٹاک اکاؤنٹ اور پھر ایپل ٹی وی کے ساتھ معاہدہ آخر ملالہ مستقبل میں کیا کرنے کا ارادہ رکھتی ہیں۔
اس حوالے سے ان کا کہنا تھا کہ ’اس وقت صرف اتنا ہی بتا سکتے ہیں کہ ملالہ نے تعلیم میں وقفہ لیا ہے۔‘
ان کا کہنا تھا کہ ملالہ یوسفزئی اپنی تمام تر توجہ ملالہ فنڈ پر مرکوز کرنا چاہتی ہیں۔
واضح رہے کہ ملالہ اور ان کی نئی پروڈکشن کمپنی ایکسٹرا کریکولر ایپل کے معروف تخلیق کاروں پر مبنی اس گروپ کا حصہ بن گئی ہے جس میں اوپرا ونفری، سٹیو سپلبرگ، ٹام ہانکس، ول سمتھ، جینیفر آنسٹن، ریز ودرسپون، ادریس البا، مارٹن سکورسیس، لیونارڈو ڈی کیپریو اور کمیل ننجیانی جیسے بڑے نام شامل ہیں۔
16 سال کی عمر میں ملالہ نے اپنی بیسٹ سیلنگ کتاب ’آئی ایم ملالہ‘ شائع کی تھی۔ تب سے لے کر اب تک وہ دو مزید کتابیں بھی لکھ چکی ہیں جبکہ اپنی ابتدائی زندگی پر بننے والی ایک دستاویزی فلم میں بھی کام کر چکی ہیں۔ اس کے علاوہ وہ ایک اسمبلی بنانے کے ساتھ ساتھ وہ خواتین اور بچیوں کے لیے ایک ڈیجیٹل جریدہ بھی جاری کر چکی ہیں۔ 2018 میں اسمبلی کی لانچ کے بعد سے اس میں نوجوان لڑکیوں کی کہانیوں کو 20 سے زائد زبانوں اور 100 سے زائد ممالک میں شائع کیا جا رہا ہے۔
ملالہ نے لڑکیوں کی 12 سال کی تعلیم کے محفوظ، آزادانہ اور معیاری ہونے کے حق کی مہم چلانے کے لیے ملالہ فنڈ کی بنیاد بھی رکھی ہے۔ 2018 میں ایپل نے ملالہ فنڈ کے ساتھ بھی معاہدہ کیا تھا اور آٹھ ممالک نے بھی اس ادارے کی کوششوں میں مدد فراہم کی تھی، جہاں لڑکیوں کو تعلیم حاصل کرنے میں مسائل کا سامنا ہے۔
https://www.independenturdu.com/node/61906/apple-tv-announces-partnership-malala
اسلام آباد/کراچی(-) پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی نے سینیٹ سیکریٹریٹ سے چیلنج ووٹ، ووٹرز کیلئے ہدایات نامہ، رولنگز اور فاروق نائیک کے مباحثے کی مصدقہ کاپیوں کی طلبی کے سلسلے میں چیئرمین سینیٹ کے انتخاب سے متعلق سینیٹ کا سارا ریکارڈ سیل کرنے کی درخواست کردی ہے، اس ضمن میں سینیٹر فاروق ایچ نائیک نے خدشہ ظاہر کیا ہے کہ پارلیمان کی بندش کے دوران سینیٹ ریکارڈ میں ردوبدل و تحریف کی جاسکتی ہے، فاروق ایچ نائیک نے اپنے ایک جاری کردہ بیان میں بتایا کہ وہ خفیہ کیمروں کی تنصیب سے متعلق سینیٹ ریکارڈ کو سیل کرنے کی بھی درخواست کرچکے ہیں جبکہ چیئرمین سینیٹ کے انتخاب سے متعلق دستاویزات کی مصدقہ کاپیوں سے متعلق ان کی درخواست ابھی تک زیرالتواء ہے، فاروق نائیک نے کہا کہ چیئرمین سینیٹ کے انتخاب سے متعلق دستاویزات کی کاپیاں موصول ہوتے ہی وہ اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ سے رجوع کریں گے، فاروق نائیک کا کہنا تھا کہ یوسف رضا گیلانی اور ان کے ووٹرز سے سینیٹ میں غیرمنصفانہ، متعصبانہ، غیرقانونی و غیرآئینی رویہ برتا گیا-
پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی نے سینیٹ سیکریٹریٹ سے چیلنج ووٹ، ووٹرز کیلئے ہدایات نامہ، رولنگز اور فاروق نائیک کے مباحثے کی مصدقہ کاپیوں کی طلبی کے سلسلے میں چیئرمین سینیٹ کے انتخاب سے متعلق سینیٹ کا سارا ریکارڈ سیل کرنے کی درخواست کردی ہے، اس ضمن میں سینیٹر فاروق ایچ نائیک نے خدشہ ظاہر کیا ہے کہ پارلیمان کی بندش کے دوران سینیٹ ریکارڈ میں ردوبدل و تحریف کی جاسکتی ہے، فاروق ایچ نائیک نے اپنے ایک جاری کردہ بیان میں بتایا کہ وہ خفیہ کیمروں کی تنصیب سے متعلق سینیٹ ریکارڈ کو سیل کرنے کی بھی درخواست کرچکے ہیں جبکہ چیئرمین سینیٹ کے انتخاب سے متعلق دستاویزات کی مصدقہ کاپیوں سے متعلق ان کی درخواست ابھی تک زیرالتواء ہے، فاروق نائیک نے کہا کہ چیئرمین سینیٹ کے انتخاب سے متعلق دستاویزات کی کاپیاں موصول ہوتے ہی وہ اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ سے رجوع کریں گے، فاروق نائیک کا کہنا تھا کہ یوسف رضا گیلانی اور ان کے ووٹرز سے سینیٹ میں غیرمنصفانہ، متعصبانہ، غیرقانونی و غیرآئینی رویہ برتا گیا-
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/24470/
Results of by elections are a proof that nation stands with PDM, Chairman PPP
