US officials: Iran invited to next round of Syria talks

Iran has been invited to participate for the first time in international talks over Syria's future, U.S. officials said Tuesday, a shift in strategy for the United States and its allies as they seek to halt the four-year civil war and eventually ease President Bashar Assad out of power.

Iran has yet to reply, the officials said.

The next diplomatic round is expected to start Thursday and continue Friday in Vienna, with Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and several top European and Arab diplomats attending.

Washington had held out the possibility of Iran joining the discussions in future, but is only now offering Tehran a seat after days of behind-the-scenes negotiation, particularly with its regional rival Saudi Arabia. Russia extended the invitation.

The United States is taking a gamble. Iran has backed Assad's government throughout the conflict, fighting alongside the Syrian military, and is seen by Western-backed rebels and U.S. partners in the region as a major source of the bloodshed. The Syrian opposition may balk at Iran's inclusion in any discussions on what a post-Assad Syria should look like.

On the other hand, all previous international mediation efforts have done nothing to stop the fighting, and Kerry is trying to unite all sides with influence in the Arab country around a common vision of a peaceful, secular and pluralistic Syria governed with the consent of its people.

The American officials weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

In a telephone conversation Tuesday, President Barack Obama and Saudi King Salman spoke about cooperating closely to fight the Islamic State and "establish the conditions for a political transition in Syria," according to a White House statement. They vowed to build on recent diplomatic efforts.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said arrangements for Vienna were still being finalized, but that "we anticipate that Iran will be invited to attend this upcoming meeting."

While the U.S. doesn't approve of Iran's "destabilizing activities" in Syria, Kirby said officials "always have recognized that at some point in the discussion, moving toward a political transition, we have to have a conversation and a dialogue with Iran."

"It's up to Iran to decide whether they're going to or not when they are asked," he told reporters.

It's not a given that Iran attends. Its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ruled out new negotiations with the United States after they and five other nations clinched a long-term nuclear agreement in July. But Iran clearly has a stake in Syria's future, as Assad's government has helped the Iranians exert dominance over nearby Lebanon and threaten Israel through their proxy, Hezbollah.

The U.S., Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met last week in Vienna, putting forward new ideas to revive diplomatic hopes. However, they remained deeply divided over Assad's future.

The United States and its partners say Assad can participate in a "political transition," but would have to leave power at the end of the process if Syria could ever move on from a war that has killed at least 250,000 people and forced more than 11 million from their homes. Russia and Iran reject that demand. Other sticking points include the length of the transition, and what a new constitution and future elections might look like.

Beyond Iran, this week's gathering will expand to include countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Amid all the talking, Syria's fighting goes on. Since last month, Russia has launched hundreds of airstrikes targeting what it says are the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. The Obama administration, NATO and others say most of the bombs are landing on moderate rebel militias, some backed by the CIA. Meanwhile, violence continues to rage between rebel groups and the Islamic State, and in the Kurdish region in northern Syria, even drawing in Turkey.

Saudi Arabia had been most determined to block Iran from the meeting. King Salman even pressed that point on Kerry in a meeting last weekend outside of Riyadh, according to U.S. officials. But they said the Saudis relented after lengthy discussion.

From Vienna, Kerry is heading to Central Asia through Nov. 3. He could potentially resume his diplomatic efforts on Syria along his way back to the United States.

Video Report - Boots on Ground? US considering ‘direct action’ against ISIS

Video Report - What is the impact of Chinese constructions in South China Sea?

Video Report - China expresses opposition to US warship’s South China Sea excursion

Commentary: U.S. provocation in South China Sea an irresponsible game of brinkmanship dangerous to regional stability

By - Deng Yushan, Zhu Junqing

A U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of Chinese islands in South China Sea on Tuesday in a flagrant -- and baseless -- provocation against China's legitimate rights in the body of water.

The USS Lassen's operation, carried out in the name of freedom of navigation, was nothing but a willful and harmful game of brinkmanship mounted to flex U.S. muscles at China's doormat and reassert Washington's dominant presence in the region -- at the cost of injecting more uncertainty into regional stability.

On the one hand, the pretext for the provocative voyage does not hold water whatsoever, for at least three reasons.

First, Beijing holds no "excessive claim" of sovereignty in South China Sea. Its entitlement to relevant South China Sea islands and reefs is well documented and validated in history. Those U.S. officials who dispute that either need to make up missed history lessons or choose to ignore historical facts.

Second, the freedom of navigation and overflight has never been jeopardized, despite the complicated territorial rows between China and some of its neighbors. That is in large part due to the shared resolve of relevant parties to keep the sea peaceful, and in no smaller part thanks to China's restraint.

Third, China does not seek to militarize the Nansha Islands in South China Sea, and its construction activities there do not target any other country and will not hinder the international passages all countries are entitled to under international law. As Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently reaffirmed, Beijing will never be the party to stir up chaos.

With trillions of dollars' worth of goods traversing the patch of water every year, South China Sea is vital both to global trade and to China's development. Beijing has no reason to make trouble that might block one of its own arteries of trade.

On the other hand, such aggressive behavior is highly irresponsible and dangerous. First of all, it breaches Washington's pledge of not taking sides in the South China Sea disputes.

Gimmicks like conducting patrols around South China Sea features built up by Vietnam and the Philippines -- which have illegally occupied some of China's islands -- cannot conceal to which side the United States is tilted.

In parallel, it runs counter to the consensus Xi and U.S. President Barack Obama has built on fostering a new model of major-country relations between the two global giants characterized by no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Such provocations threaten to worsen the already gaping deficit of mutual trust between Beijing and Washington, which stems partly from the latter's frequent close-in air and sea surveillance and reconnaissance against China.

Also, it is poised to further muddy the waters and undermine rational endeavors in seeking a peaceful and early settlement of the chronic South China Sea rows and thus eliminating the root causes of tensions and troubles for good.

Apparently instigated by Washington's expanding military presence in the region under the umbrella strategy of "rebalancing" to the Asia-Pacific, some claimants have already become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea disputes. More U.S. provocations against China would only further embolden them.

Given the importance of South China Sea to world trade, it is high time that Washington heeded Beijing's appeals and warnings and stopped making waves in the busy body of water and making trouble out of nothing.

Who Wants to Turn Bangladesh Into Bangla-Daesh?

Andrew Korybko

The Mideast-based terrorist group has taken responsibility for a string of violence in the South Asian country, but the question is, to whose benefit does this ultimately play out?

The Russian Aerospace Forces, Syrian Arab Army, and their corresponding Coalition of the Righteous partners are pressing forward in their quest to rid the Mideast of terrorism, but it appears as though ISIL’s retreat in West Asia is taking place concurrently with its preplanned expansion into South Asia.

The terrorist group (also referred to as Daesh in Arabic) claimed credit for three gruesome attacks in Bangladesh over the past month, which include the back-to-back killing of two foreigners and last weekend’s bombing of a Shiite procession that killed one and injured over one hundred others in the capital. While the government denies that ISIL has a presence in the country, some are skeptical about that claim.

It’s important for observers not to lose sight of the tense domestic context in which all of this is playing out, since internal political factors have certainly contributed to making the country more susceptible to externally managed destabilization attempts.

Furthermore, any breakdown of Bangladeshi society would result in strong regional aftershocks that would negatively affect India, both in terms of its physical security and the viability of its ambitious Act East foreign policy initiative. Considering everything that’s at stake if terrorism takes root in the South Asian state, it’s timely to ponder which actor would gain the most by turning Bangladesh into Bangla-Daesh.

Dueling Dynasties

Bangladeshi domestic politics has essentially morphed into a two-party system ever since 1990, with the Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) fiercely competing with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). BAL is led by Sheikh Hasina and is the party currently in power, while the opposition BNP is controlled by Khaleda Rahman.

Each of these ladies is directly related to one of Bangladesh’s historical leaders.

Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, while Khaleda Zia is the wife of military leader Ziaur Rahman who came to power in the wake of Sheikh Mujibur’s assassination. For over the past 20 years, the country’s leadership has alternated between these two women.

The two parties couldn’t be more different in their national vision, which makes their rivalry all the more intense.

BAL is genuinely recognized as being more pro-Indian and strongly adheres to the country’s secular roots, while BNP is seen as being pro-American and pro-Saudi and supportive of the Islamization of society.

Tension between the two exploded into political violence after a hard-core Islamist party allied with the BNP provoked nationwide riots in 2013 to protest the BAL government handing down a death sentence to one of its leaders.

Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the former Vice-President of the now-banned Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, was convicted of crimes against humanity for atrocities that he committed during the 1971 War of Independence, and while the resultant Color Revolution attempt that he sparked failed to bring down the government and replace it with the BNP, his legal appeal succeeded in reducing his sentence to life in prison. 

The domestic political fallout from the riots can still be felt today, and it’s at the core of Bangladesh’s present instability.

The BNP boycotted the 2014 general election in response to the government’s reaction to the rioters, alleging that the vote wouldn’t be free or fair (despite its results later being accepted by the international community, although with some criticism).  Due to their obstinacy, the BNP hasn’t had a single seat in parliament since, and in a circuitous fashion, they allege that this makes the current government illegitimate. 

The latest update in the political rivalry came in mid-October when Sheikh Hasina accused Khaleda Zia of “conspiring from abroad [note: she’s in the UK for “medical treatment”] to tarnish the country's image through killing foreigners”, intimating that she and her political allies were working with terrorists.

Implications For India

The spiraling situation in Bangladesh couldn’t come at a more geopolitically inconvenient time for India. Prime Minister Modi has just gotten started in excitedly promoting his country’s new Act East policy, and he sealed historic border and trade agreements with Bangladesh during a visit there in June.

The border aspects put to rest all prior impediments to a true strategic partnership, thus allowing India the economic privilege of using Bangladeshi territory for transshipments to the country’s seven northeast provinces. The “Seven Sisters”, as they’re colloquially called, have historically been hotbeds of anti-government unrest, and Bodo and Naga terrorist groups have lately resumed their activity there.

It’s absolutely crucial for New Delhi to stabilize and develop this far-flung region for use in properly launching the mainland portion of the Act East strategy. Just last month the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (India’s “ASEAN Road”) became operational, thus linking the Indian-led South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) with one of the world’s other fastest-growing economic blocs, ASEAN. The potential for mutual benefit is limitless and could do wonders for India’s rising multipolar status in the world, but it’s conditional on the preservation of peace all along this highway route, including in vulnerable Northeast India. An ISIL-initiated terrorist war in Bangladesh could ruin all of that, however, since the trans-border humanitarian and terrorist overflow could drastically destabilize India and set off a chain reaction of conflict inside the country itself. 

The Damocles’ Sword Of Daesh

No matter how India tries to assess it, the reluctant realization has likely dawned on its leadership that the viability of its Act East strategy and the ASEAN Road are dependent on internal conditions in Bangladesh that are beyond their control, but are dangerously threatening to explode and take the whole region down with it.

The visionary dreams of India’s rightful place as a multipolar centerpiece are endangered by the uncontrollable destabilization that an Islamist terrorist war in Bangladesh chillingly poses, and it’s clear that the latest attacks are being done with the intent of weakening the government and prompting snap societal chaos that could suddenly engulf India.

Daesh’s activities in Bangladesh are a sort of Damocles’ Sword hanging over Modi’s head, as the controlling forces behind this terrorist group hold the ultimate form of blackmail in influencing New Delhi. If India doesn’t accede to their geopolitical ‘suggestions’ (perhaps to distance itself from Russia and start ‘containing’ China), then the terrorists will unreservedly be ordered to go forward with their regime change scenario in either installing an anti-Indian government in Dhaka or turning Bangladesh into a black hole of chaos instead.

Recall how Khaleda Rahman has been scheming for “early elections” almost right after the ones that she boycotted were held, and how Sheikh Hasina has just tacitly accused her of being in cahoots with terrorists. President Putin warned last week in Valdai that “some terrorists are used as a battering ram to overthrow the regimes that are not to one’s liking”, and while spoken about the Mideast, it now looks to be applicable for South Asia as well. Expanding on this insight, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to wonder whether the same culprit responsible for destroying the Mideast might be the one that’s using the threat of terrorism in Bangladesh to blackmail India away from its Eurasian BRICS partners.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/columnists/20151026/1029133026/bangladesh-daesh.html#ixzz3poET3rPG

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya leader on terrorists' hit list in Punjab, media hate campaign continues

Terror group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba have added a local president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to their hit list, it is learnt from a periodic news report issued by the community's London headquarters.

Mr Ijaz Mahmood who leads the local chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Mandi Bahauddin, a city in central Punjab, it the latest victim to face open death threats from the banned terrorist group.

"The local mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is said to have been watched by local youths and a middle-aged man attempted to storm the building, asking for Mr Mahmood," the Ahmadiyya Persecution News report said.

TV channel airs death threats against Ahmadis

Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic extremism finds support in the Pakistani media, helping them to start easy hate campaigns against Ahmadis.

A series of pre-recorded speeches inciting violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were recently aired by Bedari, a private TV channel in Pakistan.

The hate speeches, first recorded in the Punjab town of Sargodha during an anti-Ahmadi conference in August 2015, openly called for the Ahmadis' murder, the report said.

"Mirzais [derogatory term for Ahmadi Muslims] are infidels and must be killed," a speakers is heard saying, according to the Ahmadiyya Persecution News. "We announce war against them. We will shoot them in their heads.”

Ahmadis in Pakistan face problems in their businesses and work places with constant threats of violence, harassment, and abuse.

http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2015/10/pakistan-ahmadiyya-leader-on-terrorists.html

Pakistan - HUGE NURSERIES OF TERRORISTS ARE CROPPING UP IN PUNJAB

Opposition leader of National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said “Terrorism is a grave issue of Pakistan against which we have been fighting since 2008. Operation Zarb e Azb is going on against terrorists. Even though the military operations in Swat, Waziristan and FATA have remained fruitful, the government has to take corrective measures to curb terrorism in other parts of the country and we all have to jointly work to solve this problem”.

 He expressed these thoughts while talking to the media after offering condolences to the families of martyrs of Jacobabad incident. He said “Terrorism severely affects the political condition and we all should look for its solution. All political parties, whether inside or outside the parliament, were taken on board to discuss such issues during the tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Now the situation is grave and the government should take other parties in confidence and form a strategy to cope with terrorism in the country”.

“There is no doubt that terrorism has been eradicated to a large extent dur to Operation Zarb e Azb but huge nurseries of terrorists are cropping up in Punjab and besides affecting other parts of Pakistan, they have started affected parts of upper Sindh. Shikarpur and Jacobabad incidents are the examples and this whole area is getting affected by terrorism”, he pointed out. Shah claimed that the Sindh government is doing its best to curb terrorism in the province but it should work with the agencies to eradicate terrorism. He said “We need to rectify our network because only then we will be able to break terrorists’ network”.

http://www.shiitenews.org/index.php/pakistan/item/19201-huge-nurseries-of-terrorists-are-cropping-up-in-punjab-khursheed-shah

Pakistan - The Earthquake

An earthquake measuring 7.7 and centered in the mountainous Hindukush region has shaken Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistani officials say the death toll in their country from the Afghan earthquake has risen to 145, bringing the overall total to at least 180. Inayatullah Khan, Pakistan’s provincial minister, has claimed that the death toll from the earthquake in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone jumped to 121.

Peshawar has been sealed, while online monitoring systems are being installed for many areas. However, looking at the chaos and destruction that the media is highlighting, it is safe to say that we really were not prepared for this. It is even more worrying to know that this could have been much worse, as it was in 2005. Natural disasters always leave behind substantial damage, but unless a proper warning and rehabilitation system is put into place, that destruction becomes irrevocable. Experts claim that this earthquake was a deep-focus one, rather than a shallow one, leading to comparatively less damage. Who knows what will happen next time. There are measures that can be taken to help prevent the landslides and housing and construction can also be improved to be earthquake resistant or cause minimal damage to people. Yet, in the last ten years, no efforts have been made to explore such options.

Additionally, rather than talking about relief and prevention from unavoidable natural phenomena, people have taken to social and traditional media to say that the disaster is a result of the “immoral” behaviour of people. This type of flippancy in the face of crisis needs to end if we want to understand the actual reasons behind such disasters and create awareness for our own protection. It is ethically wrong, to attribute the death and pain of innocent people to immoral proclivities and point to a lack of respect for victims as well as for factual information.

The loss of life in regrettable, and we must work in partnership with local organisations as they are the first ones to respond to a crisis like this. People need to be aware of the dangers of aftershocks; especially as they are being repeatedly felt across the region. In this time of tragedy let us also not forget the victims of the 2005 earthquake, and the fact that there are things beyond our power and perception that will test us, and we must stand together as a nation and as humanity to protect each other.

Reporter on ground: Peshawar’s strongest earthquake was like hell

By Sohail Khattak

I was indoors when my world started rocking from side to side; my first instinct was to run for the exit. Others standing with me in the coordination office on the second floor of the K-P Planning and Development department all made a beeline for safety, only to confront a difficult exit route on the ground floor.

It actually forced us to rush through a shallow and cramped subterranean level and ultimately climb up a flight of stairs to reach the arms of safety. Once outside, I saw the crack that had developed in the adjacent building – pouring construction material down over our heads. All the telltale signs of an earthquake.

Historic Peshawar buildings shake and crack

While running out of the building, I could hear murmurs – a man telling people not to run. Luckily, we all made it outside unscathed.

Glancing over at others in the lawn, it seemed like all the colour had drained out of them; many were out of breath and loudly reciting prayers. An older man standing beside me suddenly could not support his weight and just lay down on the grass as he recited verses from the Holy Quran.

Almost everyone was trying to call home to establish contact with loved ones.

Massive quake hits Pakistan

The first signs

The first sound of screaming ambulance sirens told me this was indeed a serious matter. Monday’s quake took place in a province still recovering from the devastation of 2005 which claimed thousands of lives. A decade may have passed, but one look around and I knew everyone’s memory of that horrific day was still fresh.

As I stepped out, I could see choked roads as people rushed out of offices and other workplaces to reach home. When the ground shifts from under your feet, you fear the worst and we did.

As I passed the historic Balahissar Fort, I could see its magnificent walls had also succumbed to the jarring jolts. Travelling through the city, all I could register was massive traffic gridlocks on major thoroughfares and commercial roads such as Saddar, Khyber Bazar and Qissa Khwani. Going through Dabgari Garden, I could see rescue teams scurrying to help people injured by a fallen wall.

Earthquake a ‘warning from Allah’: seminaries body

Cracks in PDMA office

People were busy inspecting homes and offices buildings for damage. Ironically, even the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) office at the Civil Secretariat developed cracks which employees were busy inspecting.

Block-III of Khan Abdul Wali Khan Multiplex, which recently developed cracks, was further weakened by the shocks. “This building is now completely unsafe,” commented an employee of the PDMA pointing towards cracks in the media wing. “It can’t bear another earthquake because it will fall,” he added. Glancing over at his colleagues, the panic was evident as they stayed glued to the television for details about the magnitude and epicentre of the quake. “It was hell,” Hayat Khan, a government official told me, fear chalked over his face. “I have never felt such a strong earthquake in my life,” he added, standing in the garden of the Civil Secretariat.

UN, US offer help in relief efforts

As I navigated the roads to make my way to work, traffic policeman Muhammad Afzal told me, “It is peak traffic hour as it is, and to top it off, people are in a state of panic as communication systems are not working.” Standing on Khyber Road, Afzal added, “We have to keep the roads opened so the injured can be taken to hospitals without a delay.” He was simultaneously signalling vehicles to move from Warsak to Khyber Road. The police closed signals and were managing vehicles manually. “This is not a normal situation and we can’t organise traffic using the lights as the load is heavy from all sides,” he explained.

Death Toll From Earthquake in Afghanistan and Pakistan Tops 300

A day after a powerful earthquake hit northern Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials said on Tuesday that more than 300 people had been killed in both countries, while warning that a complete picture of the damage in remote areas isolated by difficult terrain and an active insurgency could take days to emerge.

The National Disaster Management Authority in Pakistan said the death toll there had reached 228. In Afghanistan, officials said the 7.5-magnitude quake, centered in the Hindu Kush mountain range about 160 miles northeast of Kabul, the capital, had killed at least 76 people, but the toll appeared likely to rise. Afghan officials said the damage stretched across 14 provinces in the country, with hundreds of people injured and more than 4,000 homes destroyed.

“Our initial assessment shows that immediate need is not for food, but for tents, blankets and warm clothes because the weather is getting cold,” Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, said in a video message. Referring to the extent of the destruction, Mr. Ghani said, “The true picture will become clear tomorrow or the day after.”

Pakistan said that at least 1,620 people had been injured there, with 2,520 houses damaged. Most of the damage in Pakistan was in the northwest province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where the quake razed hundreds of mud and stone houses. The national authorities sent 1,000 tents to the province and said that a kidney hospital in the Swat region had been converted into a health facility for the injured. A mobile hospital, with nine beds and a surgical team, had been sent to Dir, a remote mountainous region of the province.

Some of Afghanistan’s worst-hit areas, in the east and the northeast, have been the scene of intense fighting in recent months, and the presence of the Taliban, as well as insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State, seemed certain to create difficulties for rescue and relief operations. But the Taliban, in a statement, ordered their fighters “in the affected areas to lend their complete help to the victims and facilitate those giving charity to the needy.”

Conflicting reports were coming from the epicenter of the quake, in the remote northern Afghan province of Badakhshan, and the authorities had sent survey teams to assess the damage. The Taliban are fighting for several of the province’s isolated districts.

Officials in Badakhshan said on Tuesday that the toll there remained at 10 dead and 24 wounded. But details emerging from individual districts suggested that the number was likely to climb quickly. In the village of Rukhshan, in Warduj district, a landslide caused by the quake buried more than 300 animals.

In the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, the scene of immense landslides caused by the earthquake in combination with heavy rains, the casualty figures increased on Tuesday to 42 dead and more than 100 injured. In Takhar Province in the north, the death toll from a stampede at a girls’ school as students tried to flee the building rose to 13.

Information was slowly trickling in from the isolated province of Nuristan, which borders Pakistan. At least four people were killed, 27 wounded and nearly 300 homes destroyed or damaged, the provincial governor’s office said.

Pakistan - Three Muslim men gang rape a deaf and mute Christian woman in Kasur District

A Christian woman sexually targeted, in a village of Kasur District.

In keeping with details, a Christian woman who is dump and mute was sexually abused by three Muslim men. The incident took place in a village called Bonga Ghanda Singh Wala, Kasur District in Punjab. The woman was targeted when she was alone in her house.

Reports have this that the three Muslim men, stormed into her house at the time when no body was at home. They gang rapped her while she kept on begging them for mercy.

Shortly after the incident an FIR was lodged and the three perpetrators were named in the FIR. One of the three, men also believed to be the chief perpetrator Muhammad Umar has already been hooked by the police. While, the other two culprits have fled from the village and are in hiding.

The victimized Christian family approached a Christian lawyer and activist Sardar Mushtaq Gill. The untoward Christian family pleaded him for legal assistance. The close kinsman of the victim informed Sradar Mushtaq Gill that an FIR has been lodged yet two of the culprits have not been hooked by the police so far.

The vile practice of targeting, harassing and abusing women from religious minorities has become a common practice in Muslim majority Pakistan. In most of the cases involving women hailing from religious minorities, police is believed to be biased. The culprits seldom are hooked. Apart from this, oftentimes, pressure from influential authorities or persons or even from the police, forces the victims to change their statements or withdraw their complaints. Thus barring them from raising their voices against the Muslim culprits.

On the other hand, in a recent report published by the US State Department, stated regarding Pakistan, “Continuation of many restrictive governmental policies affecting religious freedom”. Furthermore, religious minorities are suffering heavily because of blasphemy laws, ban on conversion and religious expression considered illegal, in addition to the “stringent or discriminatory application of registration requirements for religious organisations.”

- See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/three-muslim-men-gang-rape-a-deaf-and-mute-christian-woman-in-kasur-district/#sthash.7GPI4Rl5.dpuf

UN offers assistance to quake-hit Pakistan

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners stand ready to help Pakistan's ongoing relief effort for the people affected by Monday's devastating earthquake, and mobilise any support, if requested, a spokesman of the world body said.

"The UN agencies are mobilising emergency stocks as a preparatory measure in case support is required," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

In a separate development, Pakistan's UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi briefed relevant UN officials about the situation resulting from the 8.1-magnitude earthquake that resulted in the deaths of at least 240 people and injured more than 1,300 others.

Bilawal Bhutto pays a visit to ailing and senior Party leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim & inquire about his health

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party paid a visit to ailing and senior Party leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim at a local hospital in Karachi to inquire about his health. Makhdoom Amin Fahim returned last night after getting his treatment abroad.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim hugged and kissed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on forehead and held his hand throughout the meeting for an hour.

PPP Chairman told Makhdoom Amin Fahim that he had worked with Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari. “I, myself, and the Party is in great need of the experience of Makhdoom Amin Fahim,” he stated and prayed for early recovery of the senior leader.

During the visit, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was accompanied by former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, former Ambassador to the United States Senator Sherry Rehman, Jameel Soomro , Khanzada Khan and others.

https://ppppunjab.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/bilawal-bhutto-pays-a-visit-to-ailing-and-senior-party-leader-makhdoom-amin-fahim-inquire-about-his-health/

Video Report - Over 260 Dead in Massive Asian Earthquake

Earthquake Causes Heavy Casualties, Damage In Afghanistan, Pakistan

http://www.rferl.org/

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit Afghanistan in decades has rocked the country's north, leaving heavy casualties and damage in its wake across South Asia.

More than 60 people were reported killed in Afghanistan, while more than 150 were reported dead in neighboring Pakistan.

Casualties are expected to rise as rescuers, in some cases hampered by mudslides following recent heavy rains in the region, reach remote areas.

Twelve Afghan schoolgirls trying to flee their school in Takhar Province were among those who died as a result of the 7.5-magnitude quake.

Sonatullah Timor, spokesman for the governor of the northern Afghan province, spoke to RFE/RL about the tragedy that unfolded at the school in the provincial capital, Taloqan.

"Most of the girls died in a panic that ensued. No school was damaged in the quake," he said. "However, there was a lot of panic, and, because there is only one exit at a school leading from the second to the ground floor, some of them could have died in the crush."

Timor said that more than 30 schoolgirls had been hospitalized with injuries, some of them serious.

The earthquake, which hit Afghanistan's northern Hindu Kush region, lasted at least one minute and shook buildings in Kabul, Islamabad, and Delhi and sent thousands of people rushing into the streets.

Tremors were felt across Central Asia. Approximately 400 kilometers north of the epicenter, in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, RFE/RL's Tajik Service reported that thousands of residents evacuated buildings.

The service captured video of stunned men and women milling about on the streets and, in one case, of a panicked individual smashing an upper-floor window of a high-rise building in an apparent attempt to escape.

The service reported that 14 children had been injured in Tajikistan's Yovon district when stairs at a local school collapsed.

The quake was also felt by residents of southern Kazakhstan -- in the city of Shymkent and as far as Taraz, 1,000 kilometers north of the epicenter.

Afghan Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, who was providing updates on the situation on his official Twitter account, said that the government had requested help from aid agencies and was looking for ways to speed up the delivery of medical help.

In one tweet, he said the earthquake was the strongest one felt in recent memory. 

An RFE/RL correspondent in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan Province witnessed several buildings collapse in the regional capital, Puli Khumri. The earthquake disrupted electricity supplies in the region's districts and affected telephone connections.

Officials said 30 people were killed and more than 70 injured in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar Province.

"Some 1,500 homes have also been destroyed," Kunar Governor Wahidullah Kalimzai said on October 26, adding that the earthquake "has caused a lot of devastation" in the province.

The United States, Iran, and other countries offered to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, which already relies heavily on foreign aid due to the widespread damage that decades of war have inflicted on the country's infrastructure and economy.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and throughout the region," U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby told a briefing in Washington.

"We applaud the effort of those who are working to bring relief to those in need. The United States is, of course, in touch with governments throughout in the region. We stand ready, as always, to provide assistance at this difficult time," Kirby added.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the U.S. Agency for International Development was prepared to provide emergency shelter and relief supply kits to assist those affected by the earthquake.

RFE/RL correspondents in Pakistan report that the earthquake mainly affected the Swat Valley in the country's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where buildings collapsed in the city of Peshawar and nearby districts. Officials say that the number of killed in Pakistan was at least 60, with dozens of injuries reported.

Communications have been disrupted in many areas affected by the earthquake, making it difficult for officials to assess the full scale of the damage.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that an emergency had been declared in the region, and health workers had been made available to treat victims.

"Of course, we expect that the death toll may go up," he said.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, an 80-year-old woman died of a heart attack in the southern town of Bijbehara and two Indian Army soldiers were injured when a sentry post collapsed on them in the town of Sopore, local police said.

he earthquake that hit the area affected by heavy rains for several days also caused landslides, disrupting regular traffic in various parts of Kashmir.

The landslides blocked the main highway connecting Pakistan and China. Karakoram Highway in northern Pakistan has been sealed off at multiple points, local authorities said. The blockage has stranded thousands of travelers and vehicles in remote areas.

Like Afghanistan's Abdullah, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter after the earthquake. 

Pakistani state-run media reported that Modi had contacted his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, to offer help for the earthquake victims.

Pakistan's information minister, Pervez Rashid, told a news conference that Islamabad would not appeal to the international community for assistance, saying the country possessed the resources to implement rescue and relief efforts.

Rashid said Sharif was returning home following his visit to the United States.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

The October 25 earthquake's epicenter was just a few hundred kilometers from the site of a 7.6 magnitude quake that struck in October 2005, killing more than 75,000 people and displacing some 3.5 million more.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto asks workers to help #earthquake victims

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party has expressed shock and grief over the loss of precious human lives and damage to the property in the earthquake, which hit major parts of Pakistan this evening.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked the PPP workers reach out to the help of those in need in the aftermath of the earthquake. “This is the time to perform national unity and alley the sufferings of the people hit by the natural calamity,” he stated.
He said PPP will fully participate in the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of earthquake all over the country.

Asif Ali Zardari expresses grief over #earthquake deaths and losses, calls upon Party workers to help victims

Former President and Co-chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari has expressed profound grief and shock over the deaths and damages caused by a massive earthquake in different parts of the country Monday afternoon.
In a message the former President said that the massive earthquake, as all natural disasters in the past, have brought home the point yet again that no matter what progress mankind may achieve he is helpless before forces of Nature.

While praying for those who lost their lives in the earthquake the former President offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved and grief stricken families.

Mr. Zardari expressed the hope that relevant government agencies would be already engaged in relief and rehabilitation work and providing necessary support to the affected people.

Mr. Zardari also called upon Party workers to reach out in their areas to help the victims of the earthquake.

Guide: What you should do when an earthquake strikes

Earthquakes, as with most natural disasters, have this uncanny ability to strike when you are at your most vulnerable and unprepared.

It is not uncommon to see images of people running out of a building during a tremor yet, it is a reason for many fatalities that could have been avoided.

Here then are some of the key elements to keep in mind for earthquake preparedness:

Before an earthquake strike, especially if you live in an earthquake zone:

— Have a plan for yourself, family, neighbourhood, organisation, etc.

— Assess your area (home, workplace, etc)

Find a safe place that can provide shelter during an earthquake. The space can either permit you to crawl under it and take cover, or it can be the intersection of two sturdy walls (column).

Fix items firmly that could come undone during the quake and cause harm (decoration items, book shelves, wall mirrors, light fixtures, etc).

— Practice how to “Drop, Cover and Hold”; if you live in an area prone to regular earthquakes it’s essential to regularly practice this procedure, as you will have only a few moments to react during an actual earthquake.

— Store critical documents and other belongings in a dedicated spot that can easily be retrieved by any member of the family (passports, ID, property documents, etc).

— Have an effective communication plan, particularly important in case you are separated during a quake. Don’t forget to practice this plan especially with young children.

— When choosing a new property, check if it is earthquake resistant per the local building codes.

If you are indoors when an earthquake strikes:

— Drop, Cover, Hold

Drop to your hands and knees

Cover your head and neck with your hands

Hold your position until the tremors stop

— Do not run outside (falling debris or things from the roof or other floors may fall on you).

— Do not use elevators.

— If you are not near a desk or a table, drop to the floor next to an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms.

— If in bed stay there and cover head with a pillow, get out of bed only when tremors stop and wear footwear.

— Stay away from windows or any glass walls and panels.

— Avoid exterior walls, windows, tall furniture, large appliances, cabinets filled with heavy items, hanging objects and mirrors.

If you are outdoors when an earthquake strikes:

— Move to a clear area if you can do so safely; avoid buildings, power lines, trees and other hazards.

— If you are near a tall building then get as far away from it when shaking starts.

— If driving, then safely pull over to the side of the road and stop when you are able to do so.

— Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs, trees and other things that might collapse or fall on the vehicle.

— Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking ends. If a power line falls onto your vehicle, stay inside until a trained person removes the hazard.

After the earthquake, once the shaking stops:

— Look around and find a safe passage outside the property.

— If you’re already outside avoid rushing into a building to rescue others.

— If you’re trapped don’t move, you may dislodged debris and trap yourself further or kick up the dust that makes it difficult to breathe.

— If you have a cell phone on you and its signals are available try and call for help. If the call is not going through send a text message, (not whatsapp, bbm, etc) a simple text message has greater chance of going through when the network is overloaded.

—There could be aftershocks so be prepared to take cover again and possibly spend the night out in the open.

Check for damage and hazardous conditions

Fire — If possible, put out small fires in your home or neighbourhood immediately. Call for help.

Damaged wiring — Shut off power at the main breaker switch if there is any damage to your home. Leave the power off until the damage is repaired.

Falling items — Be aware that heavy items may fall off shelves when you open closets and cabinet doors.

Gas leaks — Turn off the gas only if you suspect a broken pipe or leak. Don’t turn gas back on by yourself — wait for the gas company.

Damaged walls — They may be weakened and could topple during aftershocks.

If your home is damaged:

— Do not re-enter your home until you know it’s safe.

— Be sure there are no gas leaks before using open flames or operating electrical equipment.

— Check for faulty electrical wiring and broken water lines. Water contact with faulty wiring is a shock hazard.

— Unplug broken or toppled light fixtures and appliances as these could start fires.

Video - Deadly 7.5 earthquake rocks South Asia

Earthquake measuring 7.5 hits Pakistan, shaking India and Afghanistan

At least 43 people have reportedly been killed after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region of northern Pakistan and sent tremors across the country as well as through Afghanistan and India.

Government officials have confirmed 29 people have died in north western Pakistan, as the death toll continues to climb throughout the three countries.

At least 12 students at a girls' school in Afghanistan's Takhar province were killed in a stampede as they tried to get out of a shaking building, the Associate Press reported.

Another 30 girls have been taken to hospital in the provincial capital of Taluqan, said a spokesperson for the provincial governor, Sonatullah Taimor.

Buildings in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, shook for several minutes when the quake hit just before 3pm local time.

The earthquake was about 196 kilometres deep, with its epicentre nearly 82 kilometres south-east of the city of Feyzabad, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.  

In the Pakistani city of Peshawar, the Lady Reading Hospital has been inundated with people injured as buildings crumbled.

"We received 50 injured and more are being shifted. The injured suffered multiple injuries due to building collapse," hospital spokesman Syed Jamil Shah told Reuters.

Hundreds of people raced from buildings onto the streets in New Delhi while the quake was also felt in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, according to an AFP reporter.

Power outages have affected communication lines in Kabul as well, according to local news reports

The USGS initially reported the quake as having a magnitude of 7.7 before revising it down to 7.6 and later 7.5

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/earthquake-measuring-77-hits-india-pakistan-and-afghanistan-20151026-gkj1m2.html#ixzz3pftkjeZa
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