The dollar going up could make it harder for Pakistan to repay its debts, warns Moody’s

Moody’s Investors Service said on Friday that Pakistan is among the top countries most vulnerable to dollar appreciation. This means that it would be harder for Pakistan to repay its foreign loans.

Assessing frontier and emerging markets based on their balance of payment situation and foreign exchange reserves, the New York-based investors’ service said Pakistan is facing even higher external pressures. This is because of a high domestic demand and heavy investment in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that resulted in higher imports and widened the trade gap to $18 billion as imports exceed exports.

This trade deficit is likely to touch 4.8% of the GDP this year, Moody’s warned.

Pakistan’s gross borrowing requirements are among the highest on Moody’s list, around 27 to 30% of its GDP, because of the government’s heavy reliance on short-term borrowing. Around one-third of the government debt, which stands at around Rs27 trillion, has to be paid in dollars.

Any sharp and sustained increase in the dollar would significantly weaken Pakistan’s debt affordability, meaning its ability to pay back its debts.

Foreign reserve coverage of external debt repayments is $10.23 billion, barely enough to pay for a month-and-a-half worth of imports. Improving dollar reserves is essential, which could be achieved through and in combination with an IMF programme, it said.

The sovereign ratings agency also warned that a weak rupee could lead to higher inflation and prompt the central bank to increase interest rates, which could weaken the government’s already fragile fiscal position.

https://www.samaa.tv/news/2018/08/the-dollar-going-up-could-make-it-harder-for-pakistan-to-repay-its-debts-warns-moodys/

Video - #Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani to Imran Khan - demands answers from #Pakistan over #Ghazni attacks

Unidentified Helicopters Support Militants In #Afghanistan: Russia

Russia’s Foreign Ministry says there is no reaction to these events from Afghan security and defense agencies or the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Russia has recorded flights of unidentified helicopters delivering weapons to the Taliban and Daesh militants in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

“We again draw attention to flights by “unidentified” helicopters in northern Afghanistan to deliver arms and ammunition to local ISIS (Daesh) militants and the Taliban cooperating with this terrorist group. Specifically, Afghan media and local residents claim that these flights have been recorded in the Sar-e-Pul Province," the Russian diplomat said.

“We note that this is happening in the direct vicinity of Central Asian states’ borders and many ISIS (Daesh) militants in Afghanistan hail from these countries. There is no reaction to these events either from Afghan security, defense and law-enforcement agencies or the command of the US/NATO contingent deployed there.

The Russian diplomat said they want to know who is behind these flights.

“It is legitimate to ask, who is behind these flights? Who is arming the terrorists and secretly creating their bases near the southern borders of the CIS? Why is this happening if NATO command is effectively in control of Afghanistan’s airspace?” she asked.

Russia has made these claims many times. In February, Russia’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Alexander Mantytsky, quoted by TASS news agency, said Moscow has not received any information from Western partners on the origin of helicopters that could be involved in transporting terrorists to Afghanistan.

"Unfortunately, neither official Kabul nor our Western partners have been able to give any accurate and credible information on the origin and the goals of unidentified helicopters flying over the territory of the IRA (the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) and possibly involved in transporting terrorists of the IS [Daesh] and the equipment they need," the Russian ambassador said in February.

TASS reported that the Russian diplomat stressed Russia has repeatedly raised the issue – also with UNAMA.

http://prod.tolonews.com/afghanistan/unidentified-helicopters-support-militants-afghanistan-russia

#Afghanistan: Who Is Winning? – Analysis

By Neville Teller

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive,” says Sherlock Holmes on first meeting Dr Watson, later to be his great friend and companion. But already, in the first words of the first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, Watson has provided an account of his unhappy experiences in the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

Because of its position plumb in the middle of central Asia, Afghanistan is a prize that has been fought over and won by foreign occupiers many times in its long history. Its domestic story is equally turbulent, with warring tribes battling it out over the centuries for power and control. In 2018 the basic pattern persists.

It was in the first part of the 19th century, at the apogee of its imperial history, that Great Britain perceived Afghanistan to be a major strategic objective. The Russian empire was expanding rapidly to its south, and Afghanistan, which lay adjacent to Britain’s Indian Raj, could not be allowed to fall within the Russian sphere of influence and thus threaten India. Britain first invaded the country in 1838, at the start of what came to be known as “the Great Game” – a struggle for power and influence in Central Asia between the British and the Russian empires. It was a disaster. Nothing deterred it invaded a second time in 1878, and was more successful. It gained control over Afghanistan’s external affairs, and established the country as a permanent buffer between its Indian empire and Russia.

The dynamics of the situation changed dramatically following Britain’s withdrawal from India in 1947. From the early 1950s pro- Communist, indeed pro-Soviet, rulers prevailed in Afghanistan, and twenty years later general Mohammed Daoud Khan overthrew the monarchy and established a republic closely aligned to the USSR, with himself as president. When he was killed in a coup five years later a battle for power ensued, but a new element had entered the situation − the rise of conservative Islamic and ethnic religious leaders. Swiftly gaining clout, they established a guerilla movement called the Mujahadeen and engineered an armed revolt against the pro-Soviet leadership.

When President Nur Mohammad Taraki was assassinated, alarm bells were set ringing in the Kremlin, and in 1979 the USSR invaded. The Mujahadeen rebels united against the Soviet invaders as well as the USSR-backed Afghan Army, and the fighting dragged on year after year. Finally the situation became a microcosm of the Cold War, and by 1986 the Mujahadeen were receiving arms from the United States and Britain.

In 1989 the USSR admitted defeat and withdrew its troops, but the turbulence had left its legacy − the establishment by Osama bin Laden of the jihadist group al-Qaeda, later the rise of the Islamist organization calling itself the Taliban, and finally the incursion into Afghanistan of Islamic State (IS). A series of terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda against American embassies in Africa led to demands for bin Laden to be handed over – demands ignored by the Taliban. The final straw came with the destruction of the twin towers in New York on September 11, 2001. Within a month US and British forces began air-strikes against Taliban targets in Afghanistan, prior to an invasion by ground troops. The Taliban were chased from their strongholds.

But 17 years later, despite enormous efforts by the US and Britain to stabilize the country, train the military and establish a democratic form of government, the Taliban are still fighting against government forces around Kabul and engaged in a three-way battle against IS in the north.

IS first emerged in Afghanistan in 2015. Although the caliphate it proclaimed in Iraq and Syria has been swept away, the Afghan branch has endured. It has built a stronghold in the north-eastern province of Nangarhar and parts of Kunar. The local populations have been beaten into cowed submission. Beheadings and public executions have become commonplace. Neither US-led counter-terrorism forces, nor the Taliban, have managed to root it out. Meanwhile the Taliban seem to be gaining military, political and diplomatic influence with its assault on the strategically important town of Ghazni city, which links Kabul with southern Afghanistan. On July 29 discussions actually took place between the Taliban and the US about possible peace talks. The Taliban have also been gaining increased attention from Russia recently − Washington has accused Moscow of arming them. The most significant sign of the Taliban’s increasing clout was the four-day meeting early in August between a Taliban delegation and the Uzbekistan government, following an offer made by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in March to broker peace in Afghanistan. Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban, said that discussions had covered everything from withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan to possible Uzbek-funded development projects that could include railway lines and electricity.

The West, however, has taken a hard line against the Taliban’s latest campaigns. On August 13 the UK prime minister, Theresa May, announced that 440 more British military personnel would join the NATO mission in Afghanistan whose task is to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces. It is, in a way, an admission of defeat. It is almost four years since British troops left the heat and dust of Afghanistan’s Helmand province where hundreds lost their lives. Today the Taliban still control most of Helmand.

The same is largely true of the Americans. Although they returned two years ago in smaller numbers than previously, their commander, Brigadier General Ben Watson, thought the decision in 2014 by US and British forces to leave “premature”. If the Americans had not returned, he says: “I would imagine that Helmand would be pretty solidly under the Taliban right now.”

History shows that Afghanistan is both a military quagmire and a political and diplomatic minefield. The current fighting seems to have narrowed down to a battle for Western values against the Islamist aspirations of both the Taliban and IS. It does not seem to be a battle with a foreseeable outcome.

#Pakistan - Mob attacks #Ahmadi Muslim's Mosque in #Faisalabad

A Pakistani mob attacked an Ahmadi Mosque in Ghaseet Pura, Faisalabad on Thursday evening, during the clash two Ahmadis were injured. According to the Police report the mob attack occurred around 7PM Thursday evening, allegedly due to a dispute between Ahmadi & Sunni teenagers over a cockfight.

Police claimed that the dispute escalated when some individuals opened fire, six people including two Ahmadis were injured as a result. The mob then went down to the local Ahmadi Mosque and started burning items in there.

Spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan, Saleemuddin claimed that at least 6 Ahmadis had been injured and “a minor dispute between 2 persons” was “manipulated by the Mullahs”.

https://www.rabwah.net/mob-attacks-ahmadi-mosque-in-faisalabad/

"We Stand By Our Readout": US On Statement About Imran Khan-Pompeo Call

Mike Pompeo yesterday spoke to Imran Khan for the first time after the cricketer-turned-politician assumed office last week and sought "decisive action" against all terrorists operating in Pakistan, the US State Department said.

A fresh row has erupted between the US and Pakistan with Islamabad taking exception to a State Department statement that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the issue of terrorism with newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan while Washington stands by its version. Mike Pompeo yesterday spoke to Imran Khan for the first time after the cricketer-turned-politician assumed office last week and sought "decisive action" against all terrorists operating in Pakistan, the US State Department said.

Soon after the State Department's statement, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said that "Pakistan takes exception to the factually incorrect statement issued by the US State Department on today's phone call between Prime Minister Khan and Secretary Pompeo".

"There was no mention at all in the conversation about terrorists operating in Pakistan. This should be immediately corrected," Mr Faisal tweeted.

The US has long been frustrated with Pakistan's overt and covert support to the Afghan Taliban and other terror groups, forcing the Trump administration to warn Islamabad and slash military aid to the country. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said yesterday in a statement that Mike Pompeo, in his talks with Mr Khan, discussed the issue of terrorism and Pakistan's vital role in promoting the peace process in war-torn Afghanistan. "Secretary Michael R Pompeo spoke today with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and wished him success. Secretary Pompeo expressed his willingness to work with the new government towards a productive bilateral relationship," she said in the statement.

Ms Nauert today said Mike Pompeo's telephonic discussion with Khan was good and the US stands by its earlier statement.

"In the readout, the secretary notes that he spoke with the new prime minister and expressed his willingness to work with the new government toward a productive bilateral relationship. They had a good call," she said. "That may surprise some of you, but they had a good call. Pakistan is an important partner to the United States. We hope to forge a good, productive working relationship with the new civilian government," she said.

She went on to say that based on her understanding, "the beginning of the call or the call itself was a good call, and a good discussion toward our working with the new government and the new administration".

When asked again by a reporter if the US government continues to stand by the readout, she said: "We stand by our readout."

The Pakistani media this week reported that Mike Pompeo is likely to visit Islamabad in the first week of September to hold talks with newly-elected Prime Minister Khan.

Mr Pompeo, who is expected in Islamabad on September 5, would be the first foreign dignitary to meet Khan, Dawn reported, quoting the diplomatic and official sources.

The relations between Pakistan and the US nose-dived after President Donald Trump in January accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

The US Congress also passed a bill to slash Pakistan's defence aid to $150 million, significantly below the historic level of more than $1 billion per year.

Imran Khan has been critical of the US drone strikes against terrorists in Pakistan as well as along the country's border with Afghanistan.

In his victory speech last month, Mr Khan said he wants a balanced relation between Pakistan and America which should be mutually beneficial, not one sided.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/we-stand-by-our-readout-us-on-statement-about-imran-khan-pompeo-call-1905598

Mehnaz, Akhlaq Ahmed - Teray Bina Jee Saken Gay Na Hum - Mehrbani

Runa Laila - Humain Kho Kar Bahut Pachtao Gay - Ehsaas

Runa Laila - Jab Se Gaya Hai Mera Bachpan

China’s Strange Offer To Mediate Between India And Pakistan – OpEd

By N. S. Venkataraman

Like the devil quoting scripture, China has said that it hopes that India and Pakistan can jointly stay committed to regional peace and development.

Many would wonder as to whether China has the credentials to make such statement and observation, since China itsef has disputes with several neighboring countries like India, Philippines, Japan, and Vietnam.

There is widespread apprehension among China’s neighbors that China has expansionist ambitions, which is clearly evident from the fact that China forcefully occupied Tibet and is now controlling this nation for over sixty years. No one can forget the fact that Chinese government mercilessly used force and carried out aggression in Tibet, making the Dalai Lama flee Tibet along with several Tibetans. Now, thousands of Tibetans are living as refugees and migrants in different countries in the world, longing for a day when Tibet would become a free country once again and they can go back to their motherland.

China is now claiming large Indian territory and even says that Indian province Arunachal Pradesh should be part of China. China is also occupying considerable part of Kashmir, which is the disputed territory between Pakistan and India and this area has been “gifted to China” by Pakistan.

It is well known that China is driving several Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal into debt trap by extending huge loan and in the process, it is taking strangle hold over the economy of these nations.

The fact that Sri Lanka has to hand over Hambantota port to Chinese company as Sri Lanka has become a victim of debt trap with China, clearly indicates China’s intentions and ambitious target to over power the other Asian countries by using it’s economic and military power.

The Economic Corridor Project in Pakistan being executed by Chinese companies and Chinese government has already driven Pakistan into a serious debt trap crisis with China. Now, many Pakistanis themselves have apprehension whether Pakistan can get itself relieved from such “China’s hug” in the foreseeable future.

China is now creating serious friction in its relations with India by entering Doklam region and India has vehemently protested and warned China against this move.

The question is whether China has the credentials to act as a mediator to foster peaceful relationship with India and Pakistan.

China’s offer to mediate between India and Pakistan reminds one about the famous panchatantra folk tale ( an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables ) “Two cats and a monkey”.

The story of two cats and a monkey

Once two cats were fighting over a slice of bread and a clever monkey which was sitting on a tree nearby saw them. The monkey volunteered to help them by dividing the bread equally.

The monkey got a pair of scales and broke the slice of bread into two parts and weighed them. But one part of the slice was bigger. The monkey said it would make it equal, so it took a bite out of it. Now this part became smaller.

Again, it took a bite of the bigger part and that became smaller. It continued taking bites of the two parts, till only a very small portion was left.

By the time the cats realized that the major portion of the bread slice had been eaten by the monkey, the shrewd and merciless monkey replied, “This is my fee for sorting out the problem.” Saying this, it gobbled up the remaining piece of bread.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed new Pakistani Prime Minister in a phone call to take "decisive action" against "terrorists"

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in a phone call to take "decisive action" against "terrorists" operating in Pakistan, the State Department said on Thursday (Aug 23).

Pompeo wished Khan success in the wake of his being sworn in as prime minister in Islamabad Saturday following victory in Jul 25's elections, said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

"Secretary Pompeo expressed his willingness to work with the new government towards a productive bilateral relationship," Nauert said in a statement.

He also "raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan and its vital role in promoting the Afghan peace process."

Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesman Mohammad Faisal denied in a tweet that the issue of terrorism had been discussed at all.

"Pakistan takes exception to the factually incorrect statement issued by US State Dept on today's phone call btwn PM Khan & Sec Pompeo," he wrote.

"There was no mention at all in the conversation about terrorists operating in Pakistan."

But Nauert later stuck by her original statement.

Washington has pressured Pakistan for years to crack down on the branches of the Taliban and the notorious Haqqani network operating in the country, both of which have been designated as terror groups by the United States.

Ties with the US cooled in January when President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of "lies" and "duplicity" in the war on terror, suspending military assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Khan has raised concerns that he will remain tolerant of the groups, willing to hold talks with the militants and having sought support in the election from religious hardliners.

Before the election he repeatedly blamed Pakistan's participation in the US-led anti-terror campaign for the surge in terrorism on home soil over the last decade.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/pompeo-calls-on-pakistan-s-khan-to-act-against--terrorists--10645860

Music Video - Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin - I Like It

Video Report - #FoxNews criticized for covering the Tooth Fairy over Michael Cohen case

Video Report - #Yemen war: More than eight million on verge of starvation

Video Report - Child slaves exploited at hundreds of cannabis farms across #London

Video Report - #Hurricane #Lane takes aim at Hawaii

Pashto Music Video - Ahmad Zahir ( Obe derta Rawrlem)

It’s time to end America’s war in Afghanistan

Michael H Fuchs

As the country’s longest war continues, it is sapping resources and focus while the list of far more serious national security threats continues to grow.

A child born on this date in 2001 – just before the terrorist attacks of 9/11 – is old enough to be fighting today in the war in Afghanistan.

This week – almost 17 years after the war began – the Taliban attacked Ghazni, killing more than 100 Afghan army soldiers. The Taliban also overran a base, where they killed another 17 soldiers.

It’s not hard to imagine that some of the fighters on both sides of this week’s battles – those fighting for the Afghan army and the Taliban – were not yet born on 9/11.

As America’s longest war continues in Afghanistan, it is sapping America’s resources and strategic focus while the list of far more serious national security threats – from climate change to the rise of China – continues to grow. It is time to find a way to wind down America’s war in Afghanistan, one way or another.

The United States remains stuck in strategic limbo in Afghanistan. No matter how many allied forces deploy to Afghanistan, there is no victory to be had on the battlefield. But Afghanistan is where the 9/11 attacks were planned. This is a fact that imprisons US presidents and policymakers – imagine being the president who withdrew US troops from Afghanistan, only to then suffer another terrorist attack on US soil planned in Afghanistan. There is no good option.

And so, America fights. As the reporter CJ Chivers describes America’s current policies in Afghanistan: “They continue today without an end in sight, reauthorized in Pentagon budgets almost as if distant war is a presumed government action.”

While the US and its allies continue to send young men and women to fight and die, certain facts remain constant: the Taliban are not going anywhere. Terrorists are not going anywhere – 17 years later, the Islamic State has joined al-Qaida as a threat. The Afghan state will not achieve a level of “stability” that will put American policymakers at ease in the foreseeable future. Pakistan will not change its two-sided policy of working with the US in Afghanistan with one hand while quietly enabling the Taliban with the other. As these facts remain unchanged, the war continues to blight the daily lives of Afghans, who have been at war on and off for almost 40 years now. There is no telling when this horrific cycle of war and violence will end for them. But it also seems clear that the US cannot end it with the military alone.

In welcome news, the US recently began direct talks with the Taliban. The United States engaged in direct negotiations with the Taliban during the Obama administration, but those talks produced little. There has long been a debate over whether to talk to the Taliban, but there will be no end to the war without some sort of political agreement that includes the Taliban. A ceasefire in June this year signaled that this time could be different, and the United States must urgently press forward with these diplomatic negotiations to end the war.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the United States is not the only player interested in stability and with leverage to wield. China, Russia, Iran and India are all heavily invested in the outcome of the war, and despite very divergent strategies and views of the war, all have an interest in preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists and a source of regional instability. They must be forced to put skin in the game in a diplomatic process to urgently end the war or be forced to deal with the consequences when America withdraws.

While America must seize this new potential diplomatic opportunity with the Taliban, regardless of where the diplomacy leads, America’s role in the war must begin to come to an end. Right now, America is attempting to prevent potential terrorist attacks from one country by sacrificing the lives of American soldiers, with no strategy to end the threat other than a perpetual war. That hardly seems sensible.

Most importantly, American leaders must remember that the war in Afghanistan takes place in a much larger strategic context for the United States. A US withdrawal – with or without a negotiated end to the war – could lead to more instability in Afghanistan. But how does that compare with the alternative? Afghanistan – along with Iraq – has shaped the way an entire generation in America thinks about its country’s role in the world. The threats posed by Afghanistan today rank nowhere close to the top of America’s national security concerns, dwarfed by challenges like climate change, Russia, China and the erosion of liberal democracy abroad.

The forever war fatigue runs a very real risk of draining support in the United States for a robust American role in the world, which is necessary to tackle any of these threats. And that would truly devastate American national security. Donald Trump’s “America First” policies – and the damage they are inflicting – are already a symptom of this national frustration with America’s seemingly unending wars.

Inertia and fear of the unknown are not good enough reasons to fight a war. It’s time for America to end its war in Afghanistan.

Bakhtawar Bhutto reminds Pakistanis of neglected civic duty this Eid-ul-Azha

Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, sister of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, reminded Pakistanis on Wednesday of a concern that often goes overlooked on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

Taking to Twitter, the 28-year-old, spoke of a concern colossal enough to be the cause behind various problems and yet becomes target of negligence by Pakistanis as they indulge in the religious practice of sacrificing animals.

“Very unsanitary the way animal remains are thrown and where animals are slaughtered we need allocated, hygienic areas to prevent spread of disease & where clean up is immediate - everywhere else in the world has this! #Pakistan #LetsStartWithSindhGov #PPP,” read her tweet.  

Bakhtawar B-Zardari

✔@BakhtawarBZ

Very unsanitary the way animal remains are thrown and where animals are slaughtered we need allocated, hygienic areas to prevent spread of disease & where clean up is immediate - everywhere else in the world has this! #Pakistan #LetsStartWithSindhGov #PPP

9:09 AM - Aug 22, 2018

• 2,494
• 861 people are talking about this

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Her tweet came amid media reports that remains of the sacrificed animals were left on roadsides instead of disposing them off  at designated places in Karachi. 

Future of largest minority in Naya #Pakistan

Elbowed out to peripheries, Pakistan’s largest minority now pins its hopes on the promised Naya Pakistan. This minority is named as per unique challenges that its members face: ‘crippled’ if they have reduced mobility or ‘retarded’ if they face intellectual challenges. Let’s instead call them Persons with Disability (PWD) as recommended in Mainstreaming Persons with Disabilities in Pakistan, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) report produced for the British Council.

Although the latest census astonishingly qualifies only 0.48% Pakistanis as PWDs, the EIU report estimates that the actual percentage is about 15% (nearly 27 million). The discrepancy arises from a shocking shortage of professionals who can diagnose intellectual disorders: 0.49 psychologists/ psychiatrists per 100,000 (2008 WHO report). Even when diagnosed, cultural barriers prohibit asking such questions during enumeration. Furthermore, a model disability survey conducted by the WHO in 2015 in Attock district also found the percentage to be 15%.

The report impressively recommends mainstreaming people with disabilities as productive and respectable contributors to society from being objects of pity, indifference or contempt. It establishes that people with disabilities are entitled to choice in life and livelihood like anyone else, and they should be so developed as to eventually contribute to economic and societal growth. This shatters the stereotype that PWDs should be hidden away from public view only to feed on charity. But then there is so much else ails the country, such as energy crisis, budget deficits and security challenges. Mainstreaming disadvantaged communities can wait — so goes the argument. Hold tight then because the EIU estimates that the cost of excluding PWDs from employment will exceed $20 billion per year in 2018. The cumulative loss will exceed the total investment in CPEC in only three years!

Meanwhile, the country faces a foreign exchange crisis, and the PM called upon the overseas Pakistanis to park their life savings in Pakistan. But parents to children with disabilities immigrate to developed world where their children not only access better facilities but are also considered a natural part of human diversity. Instead, in Pakistan, admitting disability can be disabling itself: conservative circles may shame the family as serving a punishment from God, while ‘milder’ critics diagnose parenting failures without lending a helping hand to exhausted parents, who themselves develop stress disorders.

Why should then such expatriates deposit lifeline of their children in a country where they have no future?

In 2011, Pakistan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD). The CRPD requires the signatories to bring persons with disabilities to forefront of public life. The EIU report offers several measures to this purpose; here are a few. First, do not confine children with disabilities to special schools; instead, the CRPD requires them to be taught in mainstream schools and well-supported according to a specialised ‘assessment of needs’. Teachers must be repeatedly trained to deal with special needs and Special Needs Assistants must also be present in class, where required. Schools must practise non-negotiable anti-bullying policies to protect these children.

Segregate PWDs into special centres only if they really need it; otherwise, it impedes their growth and breeds unfamiliarity in society. These centres must primarily act as integrated assessment units, and advise and monitor mainstream schools for delivery of services.

Enforce the legal quota of PWDs in employment (2% in a workforce of 100+) and collect fines when companies fall short.

Desensitise general public by assigning customer facing roles to PWDs. Pakistan already has such case studies from Telenor and MCR. These companies acknowledge that such initiatives are not charitable; instead, they allow tapping into a greater talent pool. Create visibility with parliamentary seats for people with disabilities; currently, there is none.

Essentially, the EIU report identifies attitudes as the most important barrier to persons with disabilities. After all, maturity of a society is measured by how it treats its most disadvantaged.

Sindh cabinet proposes to turn Governor House into museum

In its maiden meeting on Monday, the Sindh Cabinet took some important decisions that included declaring Thar and parts of Umerkot as drought-hit areas, allocation of land for a graveyard in Karachi and establishment of a desalination plant to provide drinking water to people of the port city. The meeting also discussed the matter of Governor House and proposed to turn it into a museum if left unutilised by the federal government.

The meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. It was attended by all the eight ministers and two advisers who took oath on Sunday along with the chief secretary, inspector-general of police and other secretaries.

Addressing the cabinet, the CM said the last Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government had only passed a three-month budget to enable the caretaker and new government to make necessary expenditures till September. “Now, we have to make a new budget before September 30 and present it in the House,” he said. According to the CM, the financial condition of the province was not very good as it had not received the funds it was expecting from the federal government.

The cabinet also discussed a case being heard in the apex court regarding utilisation of luxury vehicles. The CM directed the chief secretary to put the item on the agenda of the next cabinet meeting so that appropriate action could be taken in this regard.

The cabinet also took up the issue of Governor House which would not be inhabited by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf governor as pledged by Prime Minister Imran Khan while he addressed the nation on Sunday. The CM asked a senior Board of Revenue (BoR) member, Iqbal Durrani, regarding the title of the property of Governor House.

Murad Ali Shah takes stock of Karachi’s street crime, water crisis

The meeting was informed that Governor House belonged to the Sindh government. It was proposed that the building of Governor House be converted into a museum and its open space into a public park if the governor chose to vacate it.

Law and order

The IG and Home Secretary Mohammad Haroon briefed the cabinet about the law and order situation in the province.

The home secretary informed the cabinet that the overall law and order situation in the province was under control. Regarding security preparations for Eidul Azha, the meeting was informed that necessary instructions had been issued to commissioners, deputy commissioners (DCs) and DIGs regarding maintenance of law and order and cleanliness during Eid.

All the DCs have been authorised to issue licences for collection and sale of animal hides during Eid after necessary verification and completion of legal formalities, the cabinet was informed.

The cabinet was also informed that a code of conduct had been issued in both English and Urdu regarding the collection of hides during Eid. The list of banned organisations had been publicised and provided to all the authorities concerned so that strict vigilance could be kept on their activities.

The IG briefed the cabinet on the monitoring of Sindh’s borders with Balochistan and Punjab. The CM recalled that terrorists were successful in carrying out an explosion in Shikarpur during last Eidul Azhar. He specifically directed the police to take strict measures in the entire belt of Jacobabad, Shikarpur and their adjoining districts.

Water crisis

While discussing water supply schemes in Karachi, the CM directed the local government minister to start work on war footing for a desalination plant in Karachi so that water issue in the city is resolved as early as possible.

Irrigation Secretary Jamal Shah informed the cabinet that water shortage had severely affected rice crop in the province.

The meeting was briefed that the provincial government was misled by an optimistic forecast issued by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) in March. According to the forecast, Sindh was to face 31% water shortage in early kharif season. Later, Irsa revised the estimate in another forecast to 42%. However, the actual water shortage was recorded at 58%, the cabinet was informed.

The irrigation department said construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam would help resolve water shortage for crops. The department also suggested adopting water conservation techniques to save water, including replacing conventional practices of irrigation to more efficient modern ways. It was also suggested that rice sowing season be delayed by one month.

The irrigation department proposed strict implementation of embargo on rice cultivation on command of perennial canals such as Rohri and Nara canals. The cabinet also discussed tapping underground water resources for agriculture and promotion of saline water agriculture. The department also suggested construction of Sehwan carrage complex with Manchhar Lake as reservoir and conversion of Phuleli Canal into a perennial canal.

Kinjhar, Haleji and Hadero lakes can also be developed as a reservoir for water supply to Karachi and KB Feeder, the CM remarked.

The CM directed cabinet members to visit barrages to get briefing on the spot and report him. Mir Shabbir Bijarani was asked to visit Guddu Barrage while Adviser to CM Mohammad Bux Maher was told to visit Sukkur Barrage. Visit to Kotri Barrage was assigned to Ismail Rahu while Syed Sardar Ali Shah and Makhdoom Mehboobuz Zaman were asked visit left bank canals of Sukkur Barrage.

The CM said he had banned cultivation of rice on the left bank of Indus River. He directed the chief secretary to seek reports from all the DCs concerned about rice cultivation on the left bank of the river so that action could be taken.

Thar drought

Durrani briefed the cabinet on drought situation in Thar.

The cabinet was informed that Mithi taluka received only 58 millimetres (mm) of rainfall between June and August. Islamkot received 24 mm, Diplo 51mm, Kaloi 10 mm, Chachhro 105 mm, Dahli 120 mm and Nagarparkar 40 mm of rainfall.

All the 167 dehs of all talukas of Tharparkar and 25 dehs of Umerkot were declared calamity-hit areas. The cabinet was informed that of the 1,617,175 total population of Thar, 216,206 people had been affected by drought.

The BoR recommended distribution of wheat and release of funds for relief work in the drought-affected areas. The cabinet approved a relief package for Thar which included free monthly distribution of 50 kilogrammes of wheat per family.

The CM tasked Zaman and Sardar with visiting Thar to recommend relief measures so that proper relief could be provided to the drought-affected people.

'Chinese-only colony' in Pakistan to house half a million Chinese nationals

The proposed city will be a financial district that Beijing is planning to set up in the Pakistan's port city of Gwadar to house Chinese workforce.

Taking its partnership with China a notch further, Pakistan is reportedly building a city to house half a million Chinese nationals at a cost of $150 million in port city of Gwadar. The planned city is a part of ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which aims to improve connectivity between the two countries.

According to a report in The Economic Times, only Chinese citizens will live in this gated zone, thereby paving way for China's colony within Pakistan. The proposed city will be a financial district that Beijing is planning to set up in the Pakistan's port city to house Chinese workforce.

China-Pak Investment Corporation has bought the 3.6-million square foot International Port City and will build a gated community for the anticipated 5,00,000 Chinese professionals who will be located by 2022, the report said.

The CPEC is Pakistan's most important national project that aims to revive the country's sputtering economy. Both Islamabad and Beijing have worked together on this 'flagship' project under the ambitious Belt and Road initiative (BRI) to develop railway infrastructure, pipelines, highways and maritime links. This is part of China's larger plan to gain influence in the region. Over 20 CPEC projects worth over $27 billion are currently being implemented all across Pakistan.

China already has exclusive townships for its citizens in Africa and Central Asia.

The first agreement between the two countries was signed in 2014, as per which China would invest in projects worth over $46 billion under the CPEC framework; the amount could grow up to $62 billion in a few years. In the name of CPEC, China has been consistently helping its 'all-weather friend' with financial loans.

Pakistan received $4.5 billion worth of loans from China in the fiscal year 2017-18 in addition to a $1.5 billion trade finance facility. In the preceding year, China had extended loans worth $3.9 billion to Pakistan. This year, China aims to pump in $2 billion to help Islamabad meet its foreign currency needs of which over $1 billion have already been disbursed.

In the last fiscal, Pakistan managed to obtain roughly $10 billion dollars to service the foreign debt. The CPEC repayments will start from 2020, and by 2024 Islamabad will have to pay Beijing $4.5 billion annually. This, in addition to the $22 billion capital goods import required in next three years for completion of these projects.

A Year On, Pakistan Still the Weak Link in U.S. South Asia Strategy

Alyssa Ayres

One year on, the Donald J. Trump administration's South Asia strategy has not resulted in definitive improvements along its pillars, and the Trump administration could do more to increase pressure on Pakistan, which remains a safe haven for terrorist groups.

One year ago, President Donald J. Trump outlined a new South Asia strategy in a speech at Fort Myer. In his speech, the president did three things: one, he shifted the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan from a timetable approach to a conditions-based approach; two, he publicly upbraided Pakistan for ostensibly being a U.S. ally while simultaneously providing safe haven to terrorists, the Afghan Taliban, and others; and three, he called upon India to do more in Afghanistan as an economic assistance and development partner.

Here’s what I wrote about this speech at the time: “The Not-So-New ‘New’ South Asia Strategy.” The upshot: the supposedly “new” approach drew on elements of the Barack Obama administration’s strategy that were already in place, and marked in many ways a continuation of past policies. (The president’s sharp remarks about Pakistan—“we can no longer be silent”—did mark a departure in tone, and certainly elevated the level of public U.S. dissatisfaction. Trump’s New Year’s Day tweet about Pakistan’s “lies and deceit” further abandoned all diplomatic niceties.)

One year on, it’s fair to ask how things are going. The answer: not terribly well.

In Afghanistan, recent headlines show that the question of a negotiation with the Taliban is back on the table. This marks a step toward some kind of potential solution, but we know little about the content of these talks and whether they will succeed, drag on interminably, or fail. Continued Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, including in Ghazni most recently, create further confusion about the Taliban’s intentions; are they ready to discuss politics? Does renewed violence indicate a lack of interest in negotiation, or is the Taliban jockeying for a better bargaining position?

To the south, the Trump administration is trying disincentives to gain greater Pakistani cooperation on terror, after previous administrations attempted to use security assistance as an incentive. We are now eight months into this tougher approach. The Trump administration suspended all security assistance in January to increase pressure, and Pakistan has been named to the Financial Action Task Force “gray list” for its insufficient controls on financial flows to terrorist groups. Further, we learned earlier this month that Pakistani participation in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs has been curtailed. Has the assistance cut shaped Pakistan’s approach to fighting terrorists? Well, in Pakistan’s recent national elections, “hundreds with terror ties” ran for office. That doesn’t look like a country taking every step to tackle terrorism.

Pakistan just swore in a new prime minister, Imran Khan. His early statements have suggested interest in better ties with Afghanistan, with India, and with the United States. But Khan has a long record of blaming the region’s terrorist problem on the United States rather than on the terrorist groups themselves, or acknowledging the Pakistan army’s well-documented role in nurturing them. Moreover, it’s the military that makes key national security decisions in Pakistan. We shall see soon whether Khan can shape a different outcome. A Pakistan that remains a safe haven for terrorist groups that threaten stability in Afghanistan will—as has been the case for seventeen years—continue to undermine hard-won progress. That’s why Pakistan has been the weak link in regional strategies all these years.

What about the third element of the strategy, India’s role? U.S.-India ties continue to strengthen, despite ongoing problems on trade that the Trump administration has made worse. On the security and defense side, things are going well, though they could move faster. The first U.S.-India “2+2” ministerial meeting, bringing together Secretaries Mike Pompeo and Jim Mattis with their Indian counterparts, Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman, will be held in New Delhi on September 6. They are sure to discuss Afghanistan, where India is the fifth-largest bilateral donor. They are also sure to discuss the Chabahar port in Iran, India’s gateway to Afghanistan.

Unfortunately the snapback sanctions on Iran—due to the president’s decision to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May of this year—create new uncertainty for India about this port. (More on this issue, plus some maps, here.) So the country that the president called upon to support further development in Afghanistan faces questions about its overland access to Afghanistan because of U.S. tensions with Iran. Indian strategic thinkers are worried. Here’s a special report on this complex issue from India’s Observer Research Foundation.

All this adds up to limited change, a year in, with the central questions still unanswered. Of course, prior to 9/11, Afghanistan was unstable and a source of regional and global terrorist activity. Against that yardstick, things have surely improved.

The Trump administration should give its strategy a little more time, and indeed could still take additional steps to ratchet up the pressure on Pakistan. These include actions such as those outlined in a 2017 report from the Hudson Institute, inclusive of revoking the “major non-NATO ally” designation, possibly barring individuals from travel to the United States, and holding out the prospect of the state sponsor of terror designation as a last resort.

But Americans are asking, rightly, how long the United States should support a continued presence there without clear markers of progress. I am not very hopeful that Pakistan will change course and help create a solution, but would welcome being surprised on this front.

https://www.cfr.org/blog/year-pakistan-still-weak-link-us-south-asia-strategy

Video - عید کے پر مسرت موقع پر قائد بلاول بھٹو کا قوم کو خصوصی پیغام..

عید کے پر مسرت موقع پر نوجوان قائد بلاول بھٹو صاحب کا قوم کو خصوصی پیغام..
امید پاکستان بلاول بھٹو زرداری صاحب@BakhtawarBZ @BBhuttoZardari @FidaShaikhPPP @AseefaBZ @MediaCellPPP @MalaikaSRaza @FaryalTalpurPk @AAliZardari @drabdulqayoom @SeharKamran pic.twitter.com/uTjr50EijC

— Shumaila Malik (@shumailaPPP) August 22, 2018

Bilawal urges the people to remember less fortunate brethren on Eidul Azha

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan People’s Party has felicitated the Muslims throughout the world and particularly those in Pakistan on the occasion of Eidul Azha being celebrated on Wednesday.

In a message on the occasion, he urged the people to remember on this festive occasion their less fortunate brethren who are deprived and are shackled by poverty by sharing with them the God gifted bountiesbestowed on us.

On this occasion our thoughts also go to those who have laid down their lives in fighting against militants and extremists, he said.

It is because of their sacrifices that we are able to celebrate this Eid. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to them, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.

“Eid-ul-Azha is readiness to sacrifice for a cause. Let us therefore on this occasion also pledge to strive for a cause larger than one’s own self. May the blessings of Eid ul Azha remain with you all,” PPP Chairman stated.

Bilawal Bhutto felicitates nation on Eid ul Azha

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan People’s Party has felicitated the Muslims throughout the world and particularly those in Pakistan on the occasion of Eidul Azha being celebrated on Wednesday.

In a message on the occasion, he urged the people to remember on this festive occasion their less fortunate brethren who are deprived and are shackled by poverty by sharing with them the God gifted bounties bestowed on us.

On this occasion our thoughts also go to those who have laid down their lives in fighting against militants and extremists, he said.

It is because of their sacrifices that we are able to celebrate this Eid. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to them, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.

“Eid-ul-Azha is readiness to sacrifice for a cause. Let us therefore on this occasion also pledge to strive for a cause larger than one’s own self. May the blessings of Eid ul Azha remain with you all,” PPP Chairman stated.

https://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/2018/08/21/bilawal-bhutto-felicitates-nation-on-eid-ul-azha/