https://dailytimes.com.pk/930769/us-secretary-of-state-blinken-invites-bilawal-to-attend-the-global-food-security-meeting-in-us/
Saturday, May 7, 2022
#Pakistan - US Secretary of State Blinken invites Bilawal to attend the ‘Global Food Security’ meeting in US
Friday, May 6, 2022
Imran Khan’s Conspiracy Myth: A Debacle – OpEd
By Asad Ali
An excellent critic of human psychology, Shakespeare, has aptly said, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” John Milton further explains it as “The mind is its own place and, in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven.” –
The rising polarization in our society due to political differences is dividing people in such a way that each party proclaims to be righteous in its narrative shunning away the stance of the rivals. The flood of information available on social media these days is unhelpful in educating rather confusing the youth by aggravating the divide and this is an alarming situation for a under developing country like Pakistan. The dilemma is that unlike any healthy debate or academic discussion the verbal circumlocution is turning violent endangering the very norms and ethics of a society. In my humble opinion, we have reached this state of affairs due to reason that human development has never been the priority of the stalwarts of the country. As per internationally set standards a sane nation spends almost five percent of its annual budget on education and five percent on health for the better upbringing and grooming of its citizens whereas in the case of Pakistan both education and health budget never exceeded to 2.5 percent which is indeed a criminal negligence. The mental approach of our people is still below the belt and instead of taking the responsibility for correcting any mess they want some messiah to come and put everything in order.
We also need to learn that the democratic political process requires a natural process and pick and chose formula on the basis of personal liking and disliking can be very hazardous for the whole political process. The political engineering is the refutation of the very philosophy of democratic process and even more contemptuous than dictatorship. This is unfortunate that most of our top brass political leadership has landed on parachute without any significance training at grass root level politics. They have no plan, no understanding of core issues, and no vision to reform and above all they have no art of team selection on merit but personal loyalty. Another factor we often ignore is we need to promote normal professionals instead of elevating celebrities, feudal and business tycoons in our politics because the experience has proven them narcissists who can compromise even the national security for their petty political gains.
Imran Khan, has turned out to be a cultist-populist, or a messiah kind of a figure – someone who people follow without demanding too much evidence. Khan has proven himself to be the most selfish politician instead of displaying the spirit of a statesman which needed in these critical times and he has ended up being a charisma that people believed in because they were taught that everything else was sham.
Although the PTI conspiracy narrative of foreign intrusion is nothing but a hoax articulated by intelligentsia as sham yet it is selling. Paradoxically now even Imran himself has deviated to use this narrative and has started targeting the election commission but the majority of his party workers still believe involvement of a foreign hand in removing him from the power.
The National Security Committee which is the highest security forum of the country has repeatedly stated that there was no foreign involvement in dislodging Imran khan from PM House. It has become clear that this narrative was concocted to serve the nefarious political pursuits and to win the sympathy of the public.Khan did not stop but for his political interests he has engineered many controversies to put the whole parliamentary system, the judiciary, the security establishment and other state institutions on fire. He has leveled serious charges on the loyalty of his political rivals with the country in the name of keeping Pakistan’s foreign policy independent from interference.The incompetency and his party’s less-than-stellar performance is being covered under cheap slogans and narratives that entirely nothing to do with reality. The anti-corruption narrative of PTI has also not worked because there are many serious allegations on the corruption of PTI’s ministers and associates. One need only question why the PTI is frequently switching its narrative between ‘conspiracies’, ‘interference’ and ‘establishment’s mistake’ to understand that it is a smoke screen. Its real purpose is to stay in power by hook or by crook and for this they want early elections. Here again our PTI friends are mistaken that they can get majority in the assembly in result of these elections.
In all this, the previously serving ambassador of Pakistan to America stand vindicated rather it was use of undiplomatic language for which due protest was registered to the US incharge of diplomatic mission in Islamabad. If one gives a read to the autobiography of Richard Nixon, the ex-president of America titled as “The Leaders” one can understand that use of undiplomatic and even derogatory language in diplomatic discussions is not an exception. Further, Pakistan is part of the capitalism which sets the prevailing economic, social and political order so when we have tied our knot with an international order the question of conspiracy loses its worth. To conclude, Khan’s conspiracy myth is nothing but a mirage and a debacle portraying a very bad impression of Pakistan as a state.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/06052022-imran-khans-conspiracy-myth-a-debacle-oped/
Rising Violence by Separatists Adds to Pakistan’s Lethal Instability
By Zia ur-Rehman
Shari Baluch was a 30-year-old mother of two children and a schoolteacher. Late last month, on a university campus in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, she detonated a suicide bomb, killing herself and four others, including three Chinese teachers.Releasing a photo of her wearing fatigues and flashing a victory sign, the Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility, extending a recent wave of deadly attacks by Baluch separatists.
Baluch separatism is just one of the forces threatening the nation’s already tenuous unity and stability, including violent insurgencies by the Islamic State affiliate known as ISIS-K and the resurgent Pakistani Taliban.
An ethnically fragmented nation of more than 200 million people, Pakistan has long suffered from lack of economic development, corruption and volatile politics. The nuclear-armed military and its feared intelligence service exert significant influence over governments, and in the past have overthrown them.
Baluchistan is a large, arid province in southwestern Pakistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan. It has rich mineral resources and a long coastline, but only about 12 million people across an area roughly the size of Germany. Since Pakistan’s founding in 1947, it has faced five insurgencies in the region, the most recent and persistent one underway since 2003.
Insurgent groups have fought repeatedly against political centralization and resource exploitation, in return facing heavy state repression and human rights abuses.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is developing a Chinese-operated deepwater port in Gwadar, Baluchistan, and a transportation network linking Gwadar to China. Pakistan’s government views such foreign investment as vital, and is eager to strengthen ties with China as a counterweight to Pakistan’s archrival, India.
But to the separatists, the development projects put Beijing squarely on the side of the exploiters and oppressors, so in recent years, many targets of insurgent violence have been Chinese.In 2018, B.L.A. militants killed four people in an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, and in 2020 the group mounted an assault on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, which is 40 percent owned by Chinese investors, killing three people. In both cases, the assailants were also killed. Last August, a B.L.A. suicide bomber killed two children in an attack on Chinese nationals in Gwadar.
Ms. Baluch blew herself up last week near a van transporting Chinese language teachers for the Confucius Institute, a worldwide network of cultural centers financed by the Chinese government. The B.L.A. called the institute a “symbol of Chinese economic, cultural and political expansionism.” Chinese development work must stop, it threatened, “otherwise our future attacks will be even harsher.”Pakistan has long complained that Baluch separatists operated out of hide-outs in Afghanistan, while the former Afghan government often accused the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI, of aiding the Taliban. After the Chinese consulate attack in 2018, a suicide bomber killed the B.L.A. commander and several associates — not in Pakistan, but in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Afghan officials blamed the ISI for that bombing.By 2020, the Baluch insurgency had been greatly weakened by years of counterinsurgency operations, rifts among separatist groups, fatigue and government incentives for the militants to lay down their weapons.Pakistani officials hoped that the Taliban takeover last year would end Afghanistan’s use as a haven for Baluch insurgents. After the Gwadar attack, the Taliban detained and expelled a large number of families of separatists, according to Baluch insurgent groups. But the intensity and frequency of attacks started rising sharply last year, demonstrating the militants’ growing sophistication and aggressiveness. The number of terrorist attacks in Baluchistan nearly doubled in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, and the pace has kept rising this year. Insurgents have started resorting to suicide attacks, and the April 26 bombing in Karachi showed a new willingness to use women as assailants.In February, B.L.A. militants staged twin assaults on two military posts in Baluchistan. Pakistan’s military said that 20 attackers and nine military personnel were killed. Days earlier, an attack on another military post by a different group, the Baluch Liberation Front, killed 10 soldiers. The major separatist groups’ leadership has shifted in recent years from traditional tribal chieftains living in self-exile in Europe to more militant former student leaders. The groups have also formed an operational alliance to pool resources — one major reason the insurgency has intensified, security experts and officials said. They also link the insurgency’s upswing to its recruitment of youth, mainly students. The heads of two separatist groups formerly led a banned student group, the Baluch Students Organization-Azad, which operates clandestinely and, according to law enforcement officials, is a major source of insurgents. As a student, Ms. Baluch, the suicide bomber, was associated with the group, according to her family. “Exposure of Baluch students studying in the country’s prestigious universities, rising literacy and participation in ethnic politics are some major factors that have deepened awareness of socio-economic and political grievances among the youth,” said Muhammad Amir Rana, director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies. In the town of Turbat, where Ms. Baluch taught science, a student claimed to have known at least five others who had joined the insurgency during the past two years. “They are mentally prepared to kill themselves for the cause,” said the student, who insisted on anonymity out of fear for his safety. Pakistan’s security agencies have cracked down on educated Baluch youth, forcibly “disappearing” suspected militants, sometimes for years, without trial, according to news reports, student advocates and human rights groups.“These days, law enforcement agencies consider every university student from Baluchistan a potential militant,” said Faisal Nawaz, a student from Panjgur, in Baluchistan, who is studying at the University of Karachi.Separatist attacks have been concentrated in the sparsely populated Makran region of Baluchistan, where residents depend on illegal cross-border trade with Iran in fuel and other commodities. In a desert area that has few job opportunities, smuggling can be a matter of survival. But the official border crossings were closed in March 2021, making the trade harder and worsening the misery of the local population.“If the government set up industries for us, the youth would not be involved in dangerous business,” said Sakhi Dad, 28, who said he took up smuggling after graduating from a university and failing to find other work. In November, a protest movement led by a Gwadar-based cleric, Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, mobilized thousands of people, calling on the government to address the plight of people in Makran. They demanded relaxation of border trade, easing of security checkpoints created to protect Chinese workers at the Gwadar port, and an end to illegal trawling that is devastating the livelihood of local fishermen. The government has responded with vows to improve conditions. On April 23, the new prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, in a visit to Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, cited neglect of the region as a cause of violence, and promised to “raise the issue of forced disappearances with powerful quarters.” Pakistan’s military leadership has broadened its public interactions in Baluchistan, trying to present a friendlier face, particularly in Makran. After the February attacks, the army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, and other military leaders visited Baluchistan to meet political leaders and university students, and asked the local administration to open the border to trade. He also encouraged the youth to join law enforcement agencies. “For the first time, local leaders expressed their grievances and anger openly to the military’s leadership,” said a local political leader who attended the meeting with General Bajwa in Turbat in March. He requested anonymity to speak freely. “But without a political solution to bring an end to the long-running conflict, the insurgency will remain a challenge for Islamabad.” Less than two months after General Bajwa’s visit, Ms. Baluch carried out her suicide attack.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/world/asia/pakistan-baluchistan-violence.html
#Pakistan #PPP - Telephone Call between the Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and the U.S. Secretary of State
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received a telephone call today from the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
During the phone call, Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the assumption of his Office and expressed the desire to continue strengthening the mutually beneficial Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relationship.
Exchanging views on various aspects of Pakistan-U.S. relations, the Foreign Minister underscored that Pakistan and the United States have a longstanding broad-based relationship. He added that constructive and sustained engagement between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest was vital to promote peace, development, and security in the region and beyond. The Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan’s vision was focused on human development, regional connectivity, and a peaceful neighborhood.
Building on the Pakistan-U.S. cooperation in dealing with the Covid pandemic during the last two years, Secretary Blinken invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit to be held virtually later this month. An invitation was also extended by the Secretary of State for Pakistan’s participation in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on 18 May 2022.
The Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State agreed to remain in contact and enhance engagement on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26960/
آرمی چیف کو گورنر کے خط پر رضا ربانی کا ردعمل
سینیٹر رضا ربانی نے کہا ہے کہ آئینی بحران پر گورنر پنجاب کا آرمی چیف کو مبینہ خط پی ٹی آئی کا دُہرا معیار بے نقاب کرتا ہے۔
پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی (پی پی پی) کے سینیٹر رضا ربانی کا کہنا ہے کہ اگر ادارے آئین کے ساتھ کھڑے ہوں تو انہیں تضحیک کا نشانہ بنایا جاتا ہے، خط پی ٹی آئی کے عہدے داروں کے ذریعے آئین کی خلاف ورزی کی دانستہ کڑی کو ظاہر کرتا ہے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ سپریم کورٹ اور لاہور ہائی کورٹ آئینی ذمے داری ادا کرتے ہوئے آئین کی خلاف ورزی کو روک رہی تھیں، سپریم کورٹ اور لاہور ہائی کورٹ کے خلاف مہم چلائی گئی۔
رضا ربانی کا کہنا تھا کہ سیاسی لڑائی کو قواعد، قانون اور آئین کے دائرے میں رہ کر طے کیا جائے۔
واضح رہے کہ 4 مئی کو گورنر پنجاب عمر سرفراز چیمہ نے آرمی چیف جنرل قمر جاوید باجوہ کو خط لکھ کر پنجاب کی موجودہ صورتحال میں کردار ادا کرنے کی اپیل کی تھی۔
خط میں آرمی چیف سے پنجاب میں آئینی فریم ورک پر عمل درآمد، وفاقی اور صوبائی حکومتوں پر عوامی اعتماد بحال کرنے کے لیے کردار ادا کرنے کی بھی اپیل کی گئی ہے۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/1082939
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Address human rights violations seriously: Hina Jilani to Pak Government
Amid rising cases of forced disappearances in the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson Hina Jilani on Friday asked the Shehbaz Sharif’s government not to take the issues of human rights violations lightly.
The report said the PTI government failed to get the long-awaited bill passed to criminalise enforced disappearance as a separate autonomous offence despite making commitments since 2018, Dawn reported.
It further explained that the highest number of enforced disappearances (1,108) reported by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance in 2021 was in Balochistan while the highest number of pending cases – 1,417 – were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In February, a large group of protesters held a week-long sit-in in Islamabad against enforced disappearances in Balochistan.Ms Jilani and HRCP Secretary General Harris Khalique, along with members of the commission, launched the report.Highlighting the issue of freedom of expression, the report pointed out that at least in nine cases, journalists were intimidated or silenced.
“Although the Prime Minister met a three-member delegation from the sit-in, no progress was made towards recovering their family members,” read the report, adding two students from the University of Balochistan allegedly disappeared in November, stated Dawn.
The report also threw light on the lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot by a mob on allegations of blasphemy and the savage murder of human rights defender Nazim Jokhio allegedly by PPP lawmakers.The HRCP asked the government to take steps for protecting the freedom of expression and rights of vulnerable and excluded groups.“With 5,279 rape cases and 478 honour killings and the macabre murder of Noor Mukhaddam in Islamabad, women’s rights activists rightly spoke of a ‘femicide emergency’ in Pakistan in 2021,” the report said.
It further pointed out delays in court cases and said by year-end there were over 2.14 million cases pending in the judiciary against the 2.15 million in 2020, a slight fall in the backlog of cases.
The HRCP report said a total of 172 laws were enacted by parliament and provincial assemblies: 58 federal and 114 provincial laws.
The report said UN human rights experts called on Pakistan to halt evictions of residents from Gujjar nullah and Orangi nullah in Karachi, and separately appealed for the release of Stephen Masih, a Pakistani Christian from Sialkot detained for two years on blasphemy charges.
Death plenty was awarded to at least 125 convicts in 2021, including three women, a fall from at least 177 people in 2020, it added.
According to Dawn, the transgender community continues to be marginalised both socially and economically. In Karachi alone, more than 200 threatening video and audio messages sent to transgender persons were reported, creating a sense of fear and insecurity among the community.
Children between the ages of six and 15 years, both boys and girls, remained as susceptible to abuse and violence as other marginalised groups, the report quoted, citing sources.Moreover, in January, Islamic State militants kidnapped and killed 11 coal miners from the Shia Hazara community, which led to a multiple-day protest against the incident by the community in Quetta, demanding that the then Prime Minister Imran Khan visit their camp. However, Mr Khan termed their demand ‘blackmailing’ and refused to visit them.In August, the Prime Minister officially launched the much-disputed Single National Curriculum (SNC) for primary schools and seminaries, claiming that this initiative would reduce educational disparities.
However, the SNC drew strong criticism from education experts and human rights defenders for its lack of inclusivity, over-emphasis on Islamic religious content at the expense of religious minorities and poor pedagogy, read the report.
Islamabad’s state terror and crimes against humanity are most unconscionable. In fact, violence against women and girls, including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage, is quite endemic throughout Pakistan.
https://theprint.in/world/address-human-rights-violations-seriously-hina-jilani-to-pak-government/937845/
EDITORIAL: #Pakistan - Shame -
On International #LabourDay, #PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari links sustainable development to change in toiling workers’ conditions
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the dream of sustainable development in the country will remain unfulfilled unless the conditions of the toiling workers change.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the ideology and manifesto of PPP is based on the welfare and progress of the workers. He said that the 1973 constitution piloted by Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto guarantees fair wages to the workers, protection of their lives, and equal relationships with the employers, adding that the first-ever Labour Policy introduced by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the country is a paradigm for the rights of the workers in Pakistan. “The Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme (BESOS), the first provincial tripartite labor policy introduced by the Sindh government during 2013-18 tenure, and the provision of land for landless farmers are just a few of the countless other steps taken by the people’s governments”, he pointed out.
PPP Chairman praised the current unity government for raising the minimum wage to Rs 25,000 per month. He said that the failed economic policies of the previously selected regime had severely damaged the national economy, making it difficult for the poor to survive, adding that despite such a difficult situation, the PPP stands in the field to protect the interests of the workers and bring them relief.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has assured all the workers and trade unions of the country that his party, following the ideology of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the philosophy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, will continue to play the role of advocate and protector of Pakistani workers’ rights.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26940/
Friday, April 29, 2022
#Pakistan - No conspiracy, but what now?
It’s been clear for quite a while – to anybody but PTI and its supporters, that is – that there’s nothing substantial at all in former PM Imran Khan’s much-trumpeted claim about a US-backed and financed conspiracy to remove him from the top job.
And once again the National Security Committee (NSC) has come to the same conclusion about the controversial cable forwarded by the previous Pakistani ambassador to the US, especially since the latter was made to appear in person and answer questions this time, but that is hardly going to be the end of the matter because the ball is, once again, in PTI’s court; at least as far as the public sphere is concerned.
So, what now? Is Imran Khan going to reject this as well and brand everybody in the NSC a traitor to Pakistan for not blindly swallowing everything that is thrown to them? This is a very sensitive moment because the NSC involves all services chiefs and treating its verdicts with such contempt means crossing all the wrong red lines; which in turn means that he and his followers must be prepared for the legal and political fallout that is bound to come.
It’s a shame that he’s wound the pro-PTI crowd up so tightly about a threat that apparently does not even exist and, for all intents and purposes, was only hatched to avoid the embarrassment of seeing Imran Khan become the first Pakistani PM to be thrown out through a legal, constitutional vote of no confidence. But since that still happened, it’s not immediately clear why he’s hanging on to a narrative that is clearly not going to stand up to the scrutiny of any legal process.
Or does he intend to make the courts even more controversial than he already has? He’s been asking for an open judicial probe, but what’s that going to see that the NSC didn’t? And since the most likely result will be the same, and Imran’s most likely response will also be the same, when does the legal process step in to restore sanity? Also, shouldn’t the overarching national narrative also now touch upon the likely fate of individuals and crowds that take the law into their own hands and itch for a confrontation with central and powerful state institutions just because their fallen hero said so?
These are very worrying times. And the least the political elite can do is respect the law of the land and the pivotal institution that deliver and implement it. So far, PTI has shown little respect for the law. It should change its ways or take responsibility for the confrontation that is going to define this society for a while to come.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/924624/no-conspiracy-but-what-now/
Turkey tightens visa policy for Pakistan nationals
Days after some Pakistanis were found to be involved in the abduction of four Nepal citizens in Istanbul, Turkey has decided to tighten its visa policy for nationals from Pakistan, local media reported on Thursday.
This comes after four Nepal citizens were kidnapped “at gunpoint” from Taksim Square by a group of six Pakistan nationals. As per the reports, the Nepalis were also subjected to torture by these Pakistanis after being abducted.“The Turkish government has tightened the visa policy for Pakistanis after crimes reportedly involving Pakistanis,” reported Arab News quoting Pakistani media outlet, Aaj News.
“The government has also stopped issuing temporary residence permit for Pakistanis,” it added.
As per the media reports, the abductors also demanded a ransom of 10,000 euros. Later on, the police conducted a raid against the kidnappers and they were successfully nabbed and arrested.
In another incident earlier, some Pakistani nationals were also detained by the Turkish authorities for protesting the ouster of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan from power. However, after the intervention from Pakistani diplomats the arrested protesters were released.
Notably, a significant number of Pakistanis live and work in Istanbul, Ankara and other major cities across Turkey. In addition, every month hundreds of Pakistani citizens visit the transcontinental country, reported Arab News.
https://theprint.in/world/turkey-tightens-visa-policy-for-pakistan-nationals/936153/
ریاست مدینہ کے جھوٹے دعویداروں نے مسجد نبوی کی حرمت کو پامال کیا ہے، پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے سیکرٹری جنرل سید نیر حسین بخاری
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے سیکرٹری جنرل سید نیر حسین بخاری نے سانحہ مسجد نبوی ص پر شدید دکھ افسوس کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے زمہ داران کی شدید الفاظ میں مزمت کی ہے انہوں نے کہا ہے کہ ماہ مقدس رمضان المبارک میں مسلمان خوشنودی خداوند تعالیٰ کیلئے عمرہ ادائیگی کا فریضہ سر انجام دیتے ہیں افسوس کا مقام ہے کہ ریاست مدینہ کے جھوٹے دعویداروں نے مسجد نبوی کی حرمت کو پامال کیا ہے عبادت کے اعلئ ترین مقام پر عبادت کی بجائے دھینگامشتی اور بدامنی پھیلانے والے مزہب اسلام ہر بد نما دھبہ ہیں نیر بخاری نے مزید کہا ہے کہ حرمت و تقدس کی سرزمین جہاں اونچی آواز میں گفتگو کی ممانعت ہے وہاں شیطانیت کا مظاہرہ کیا گیا جسکی جتنی مزمت کی جائے کم ہے نیر بخاری نے مطالبہ کیا ہے کہ عمران خان حرمت رسول ص سے ناآشناء اپنے پیروکاران کے قابل مزمت اقدام پر مخلوق خدا سے معافی مانگے
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26931/
Thursday, April 28, 2022
#Pakistan - Terrorists cannot sabotage Pak-China friendship - Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and State minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday visited Chinese Embassy in Islamabad and extended their condolences over loss of lives during terrorist attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi yesterday.
During the meeting, they said that the terrorists cannot sabotage Pak-China friendship.
The Foreign Minister said the relationship between Pakistan and China is based on generations-long loyalty.
He said terrorists nefarious designs cannot sabotage Pak-China friendship and he also recorded his impressions in the guest s book at the Chinese Embassy.
Earlier today, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had taken oath as a federal minister.President of Pakistan ArifAlvi administered the oath to the PPP Chairman.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the oath-taking ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, which was attended by former president Asif Ali Zardari, ex-prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and a large number of parliamentarians, party workers, and government officials.
The close family members of Bilawal Bhutto including his sister Aseefa Bhutto and maternal auntSanam Bhutto – the sister of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, also attended the ceremony.
The development comes after Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira said last week his party chairman would take oath within two days.
https://dunyanews.tv/en/World/650443-Terrorists-cannot-sabotage-Pak-China-friendship,-says-Bilawal
Iranian FM felicitates Bilawal for taking oath as foreign minister
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday received a felicitation call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
They underscored the importance of fraternal ties between the two countries.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked Iran s support over the Kashmir issue.
"FM B (Bilawal) BhuttoZardari received felicitation call from Iranian FM Amirabdolahian. Underscored imp (importance) of fraternal ties. Thanked for Iran s support on Kashmir & solidarity with Palestine. Iranian FM invited B (Bilawal) Bhutto Zardari to visit Iran who also reciprocated the invitation," Foreign Office Spokesperson said in tweet.
https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/650460-Iranian-FM-felicitates-Bilawal-for-taking-oath-as-foreign-minister
ملک کو چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری جیسے وزیر خارجہ کی ضرورت ہے ،عمران خان نے پاکستان کو دنیا میں تنہا کردیا تھا اورچیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری اپنے نانا شہید اور والدہ شہید کی طرح ملک کا وقار بحال کریں گے۔
وفاقی وزیر تخفیف غربت اور سماجی تحفظ اور پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی پارلیمنٹیرینز کی مرکزی اطلاعات سیکرٹری شازیہ عطا مری نے کہا ہے کہ ملک کو
چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری جیسے وزیر خارجہ کی ضرورت ہے
،عمران خان نے پاکستان کو دنیا میں تنہا کردیا تھا اورچیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری اپنے نانا شہید اور والدہ شہید کی طرح ملک کا وقار بحال کریں گے۔ ان باتوں کا اظہار آج انہوں نے اپنے جاری کردہ بیان میں کیا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ صدر آصف علی زرداری نے عالمی سطح پر ملک کو باوقار ممالک میں شمار کرایا تھا ،آزاد، خود مختار اور باوقار خارجہ پالیسی ہمارا بنیادی اصول ہے اوردنیا چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری کوبہترین وزیر خارجہ کی حیثیت سے دیکھے گی۔
انکا مزید کہا کہ موجودہ جمہوری حکومت کو بے شمار مسائل ورثے میں ملے ہیں اور یقین ہے پاکستان تمام مشکلات سے نجات حاصل کرے گابلاول بھٹو زرداری کا وزیر خارجہ بننا دنیا کیلئے بہترین پیغام ہے اوردنیا محترمہ بینظیر بھٹو شہید کیامن اور جمہوریت کیلئے جدوجہد کی قدر کرتی ہے
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/26923/
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
تاریخ کے سب سے کم عمر وزیر خارجہ کو مبارک ہو، آصفہ بھٹو
سابق صدر آصف زرداری اور شہید محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو کی چھوٹی صاحبزادی آصفہ بھٹو نے اپنے بھائی اور چیئرمین پی پی بلاول بھٹو کو وزیر خارجہ بننے پر مبارکباد دی ہے۔
آصفہ بھٹو نے اپنے تصدیق شدہ ٹوئٹر اکاؤنٹ پر بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی حلف برداری کی تقریب کی تصویر شیئر کی جس میں وہ وفاقی وزیر کا حلف اُٹھا رہے ہیں۔
اُنہوں نے اپنے ٹوئٹ میں بلاول بھٹو سے مخاطب ہوتے ہوئے لکھا کہ پاکستان کی تاریخ میں سب سے کم عمر وزیر خارجہ کو مبارک ہو۔
اپنے ٹوئٹ میں آصفہ بھٹو کا کہنا تھا کہ یہ کام مشکل ہے اور پچھلی حکومت نے ہماری بین الاقوامی حیثیت کو ٹھیس پہنچائی ہے لیکن مجھے اس میں کوئی شک نہیں کہ آپ ہمارے ملک، پارٹی اور خاندان کا سر فخر سے بلند کریں گے۔
واضح رہے کہ پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے وزیر خارجہ کے عہدے کا حلف اٹھالیا۔
ایوانِ صدر اسلام آباد میں چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری سے صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے حلف لیا۔
صدر عارف علوی اور وزیر اعظم شہباز شریف نے وفاقی وزیر بلاول بھٹو سے حلف برداری کے بعد مصافحہ کیا۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی حلف برداری کی تقریب میں صدر پیپلز پارٹی پارلیمنٹیرین آصف علی زرداری اور آصفہ بھٹو زرداری موجود تھے۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/1079721
بلاول کا بطور وفاقی وزیر حلف، نواسے کو نانا والا عہدہ مل گیا
چیئرمین پیپلز پارٹی پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے محض 33 برس کی عمر میں پاکستان کے 37 ویں وزیرخارجہ کا حلف اُٹھا لیا اور ملک کے سب سے کم عمر ترین وزیر خارجہ ہونے کا اعزاز بھی اپنے نام کرلیا۔
لیکن کیا آپ جانتے ہیں کہ پیپلز پارٹی کے بانی ذوالفقار علی بھٹو بھی اس عہدے پر تین مرتبہ براجمان رہ چکے ہیں اور کئی کارہائے نمایاں انجام دے چکے ہیں۔
اب جب نئی حکومت میں بلاول بھٹو نے وفاقی وزیر کے عہدے کا حلف اٹھایا اس کے ساتھ ہی انہوں نے پاکستان کی سیاسی تاریخ میں ’دوسرے بھٹو‘ کی بطور وزیرخارجہ بننے کی تاریخ رقم کردی۔
کہا جاتا ہے کہ ذوالفقار علی بھٹو سے بہتر وزیر خارجہ ، پاکستان کی تاریخ میں کبھی کوئی دوسرا نہیں رہا اور ان کے کارہائے نمایاں تاریخ کا ایک سنہری باب ہیں۔
ذوالفقار علی بھٹو 24 جنوری 1963ء کو رسمی طور پر ایوب حکومت میں اس عہدہ پر فائز ہوئے لیکن یہ بات بھی دلچسپ ہے کہ اس سے قبل ہی وہ کئی بڑے بڑے خارجی امور سر انجام دے چکے تھے اور پھر بھٹو جیسا دور اندیش رہنما ایوب حکومت کی خارجہ پالیسی میں ریڑھ کی ہڈی کی حیثیت اختیار کرگیا۔
بھٹو ، ایوب حکومت میں صرف ساڑھے تین سال تک یعنی 66-1963 میں باقاعدہ وزیرخارجہ رہے، جنرل ایوب کے بعد 7 دسمبر 1971ء کو جنرل یحییٰ خان کو بھی بھٹو کی ضرورت پڑی تھی، ان نازک حالات میں جب بھارتی فوج ڈھاکہ کے دروازے پر کھڑی تھی۔
ذوالفقار علی بھٹو کی اصل صلاحیتیں اس وقت سامنے آئیں جب دسمبر 1971ء میں وہ صدر بنے، بھٹو پانچ سال سے زائد عرصہ تک ایک مکمل خودمختار وزیرخارجہ تھے جو سربراہ مملکت بھی تھے۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/1079689
بلاول بھٹو نے وفاقی وزیر خارجہ کے عہدے کا حلف اٹھالیا
ایوانِ صدر اسلام آباد میں چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری سے صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے حلف لیا۔
صدر عارف علوی اور وزیر اعظم شہباز شریف نے وفاقی وزیر بلاول بھٹو سے حلف برداری کے بعد مصافحہ کیا۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی حلف برداری کی تقریب میں صدر پیپلز پارٹی پارلیمنٹیرین آصف علی زرداری اور آصفہ بھٹو زرداری موجود تھے۔
تقریب حلف برداری میں وزیر داخلہ رانا ثناء اللّٰہ، نوید قمر، شیری رحمٰن، خورشید شاہ، وزیر مملکت خارجہ حنا ربانی کھر اور سلیم مانڈوی نے بھی شرکت کی۔
بلاول بھٹو کی حلف برداری کی تقریب میں شہید محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو کی بہن محترمہ صنم بھٹو نے بھی خصوصی شرکت کی۔
Sunday, April 24, 2022
Families of disappeared people in Balochistan seek tangible govt intervention
Beleaguered families from Balochistan whose members have disappeared over the last many years due to action of the Pakistani security agencies, are demanding tangible government action on the issue than mere lip service by successive Prime Ministers.
Enforced disappearances, which began several years ago in Balochistan and erstwhile Fata on the pretext of fighting terrorists and insurgents, have extended to major urban centres, including Islamabad, KP and Sindh over the years, Dawn reported.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he would raise the issue of Balochistan’s missing persons with “powerful quarters”, vowing to raise his voice on the issue, Dawn reported.
However, many including Sammi Deen Baloch, the daughter of Dr Deen Muhammad who has been missing since mid-2009, isn’t too optimistic about Prime Minister’s assurance, the report said.
“Ever since the PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) came to power in 2008, all Prime Ministers have talked about the missing persons,” Baloch said, adding, “All of them have vowed to address the issue. But there has been no progress to this day.”
“Like Shehbaz Sharif, other Prime Ministers, including Imran Khan, assured us that the issue of Baloch missing persons is their top priority, but we have yet to see the results,” Baloch further said.
Following persistent campaigning by family members of these missing people and human rights groups, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was established in March 2011, but that too managed to trace only a handful of those missing, the report said.
In 2022 alone, till now, 158 persons have been reported as “missing” to the commission.
Some rights activists estimate there still remain over 2,000 unresolved cases with the commission. In many cases, rights groups have blamed the security agencies for taking away people over suspicion of their involvement in militant activities — a charge repeatedly denied by the authorities.
Earlier this month, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah equated enforced disappearances with treason. The remark came during the hearing of missing journalist Mudassar Naaru’s case at the IHC. Naru, a journalist from Lahore, went missing in August 2018.
“Can anyone be disappeared without their [federal and provincial governments’] will? No,” the judge declared. “People going missing are the incompetence of the State. The Executive is responsible if the state agencies are not in control. Why don’t we declare the executive responsible for it?”
Enforced disappearances are used as a tool by Pakistani authorities to terrorize people who question the all-powerful army establishment of the country, or seek individual or social rights. Cases of enforced disappearances have been majorly recorded in the Balochistan and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces of the country which host active separatist movements.
A recent report unveiled by the US revealed that over 8,000 people were missing in the country during 2021 including 1,200 missing in Sindh province in the last six months.
https://theprint.in/world/families-of-disappeared-people-in-balochistan-seek-tangible-govt-intervention/929269/
Pakistan top body says no US plot in ex-PM Imran Khan’s removal
The National Security Council, a body of top civil and military leaders, says it found no evidence to support any conspiracy theory.Pakistan’s National Security Council, a body of top civil and military leaders, has rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s accusations that the United States had conspired to topple his government through a parliamentary vote of confidence.Khan, 69, who led the nuclear-armed South Asian country of 220 million people for three and a half years, had accused Washington of backing a conspiracy to remove him. Asad Majeed, former Pakistan ambassador to the US who had written a cable to Islamabad about Washington’s take on Khan’s Moscow visit, briefed the civil and military leaders on a forum called National Security Committee (NSC).“The NSC after reviewing the contents of the communication, the assessment received, and the conclusion presented by the security agencies, concludes that there has been no conspiracy,” a statement from the office of new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who chaired the NSC meeting, said on Friday. It said the country’s premier spy agencies informed the NSC that they found no evidence to support any conspiracy theory. The removed leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, the day Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine. Khan initially blocked the no-confidence move, saying the NSC had endorsed the alleged conspiracy. Opposition parties and analysts have said the military helped Khan win the election in 2018, which they both deny, but that the support waned after a falling-out over the appointment of the country’s next intelligence chief late last year. Khan has aired his conspiracy allegations in three huge public rallies he has held since he was removed on April 10. He has demanded snap elections. The next parliamentary election is due in 2023. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/23/pakistan-top-body-says-no-us-plot-in-ex-pm-imran-khans-removal
Ilhan Omar's trip to Islamabad may boost Pakistan's far-right - analysis
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Ilhan Omar went on an apparently unofficial trip to Pakistan where she met with a number of officials including ousted PM Imran Khan.US Congress member Ilhan Omar visited Pakistan recently on a trip that potentially raises controversial subjects because she went to Kashmir and the trip could inflame Pakistani far-right nationalists. The Times of India noted that Omar’s visit was “unofficial” and that her visit to “occupied Kashmir (PoK) did not represent the United States government in any way.” The report noted that India had condemned her trip to contested Kashmir as violating India's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Omar has been outspoken in condemning Israel, Saudi Arabia and other US partners and allies, and it was unclear why she chose to make a controversial visit to Pakistan at this time. Recently, Pakistan carried out an airstrike in Afghanistan that massacred civilians. Reports say that dozens were killed in the airstrike and the New York Times said that 45 had been killed, citing to Afghan officials. Omar has in the past slammed the US for airstrikes in Somalia and Syria and in Afghanistan but has been silent on the Pakistani airstrike and human rights abuses. Omar tweeted about her trip from her personal Twitter account to her 3 million followers rather than her Congressional one which has 1 million followers. This was apparently an example of how this was a personal trip even though Pakistan officials took time to meet with her and highlighted her role as a member of Congress. Omar’s selective highlighting of human rights issues was noted by the Times of India. It noted that she has critiqued India and has been critical of the Biden administration for not critiquing human rights issues in India. The Tribune in India asked who funded the visit by the member of US Congress since it appeared the visit was not sponsored by the US. India External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi, "We have noted that US Representative Ilhan Omar has visited a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan.” Meanwhile, Omar’s Twitter account has highlighted her trip. She retweeted an article published in the Asian Telegraph over the weekend that was headlined “Ilhan Omar exposes Indian deceitfulness.” She also posted a photo of her meeting a person at a “refugee village.” She retweeted a photo visiting a university and also visited a fence that apparently divides Pakistan-controlled Kashmir from India. She met the foreign minister of Pakistan, according to a video posted online; and she met with Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz. She also met Pakistani president Arif Alvi at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad and the speaker of the national assembly, according to tweets she shared. She also met with recently ousted Pakistan leader Imran Khan. A member of the Pakistan PTI party posted the photo of her and Khan, noting that they discussed Islamophobia and working against Islamophobia globally. Even as she met Pakistani officials, there were a series of attacks on Shi’ite Muslims in Afghanistan. Bombings targeted a boys' school and mosques during Ramadan. Some 33 people were murdered in the attack on a mosque in Kunduz province, including children. There were other attacks on Muslims in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and in Kabul. Despite speaking about Islamophobia, it does not appear Omar condemned or mentioned the attacks. She did reference Ramadan, however, in tweets about Christians singing on an airplane in the US. She tweeted that “the original snowflakes had a complete and glorious meltdown,” noting in response to criticism that “it’s Ramadan and I am gonna pray for y’all….May God cleanse your hearts.” The trip to Pakistan is unusual for a member of Congress. India condemned the trip and her visit to “a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan. If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business.” While Pakistani officials who met Omar appeared to treat it as an official visit, The Dawn in Pakistan highlighted US comments that the visit was unofficial: “Imran Khan is still blaming the US for his ouster from PM’s office while he’s also asking his supporters to keep protesting outside the White House. But yesterday, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar met with Mr. Khan in Islamabad. It was an hour-long meeting. Close associates of Mr. Khan claim that the United States is trying to clear the air with Mr. Khan." Responding to a journalist who had asked if it was true that Omar was representing the Biden government on her trip, US State Department spokesman Ned Price replied, "Well, as I understand it, Representative Omar is not visiting Pakistan on US government-sponsored travel, so I’d need to refer you to her office for questions on her travel." This is one of the concerns that the trip raises. Imran Khan is a right-wing populist who often blames the US and others for problems in Pakistan. Pakistani politics leans to the far-right and has numerous extremist groups. In addition, there are often attacks on minorities in Pakistan. These include recent attacks on Sikhs, Hindus and Christians. Often in Pakistan, minorities are lynched or arrested on the basis of accusations of blasphemy. A man from Sri Lanka was beaten to death last year, and courts said that up to 88 people engaged in the lynching of the man. Videos were posted online of his corpse being burned by mobs. Pakistani leaders like Khan complain about Islamophobia, but Pakistan is one of the leading countries when it comes to attacks on Muslims, such as Shi’ites who are frequently attacked. More Muslims are killed in far-right Islamist attacks in Pakistan than in most countries in the world, meaning that it is Pakistan that appears to push Islamophobia. For instance, in March, a bombing of a mosque in Pakistan killed 56 Shi’ite Muslims. While Omar’s visit did not appear to mention human rights or condemn attacks on minorities in Pakistan, she has in the past raised issues of human rights in Kashmir, when it comes to Indian-controlled areas. In 2019, she led six members of Congress in a letter to call on the US ambassador to India and Charge d’Affaires in Pakistan to “use diplomatic relationships with the Indian and Pakistani governments to respect human rights and deescalate the current crisis in Jammu and Kashmir.” The letter noted that “this presents a tremendous danger to global peace and a clear national security risk for the United States. Pakistan and India are both valued allies, crucial to our interests in the region, including the Afghanistan peace process. It is of the utmost importance that we leverage our relationships with their governments to deescalate the situation.” The letter was signed by Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva, Andy Levin, James P. McGovern, Ted Lieu, Alan Lowenthal and Donald S. Beyer. In the past, Pakistan has supported extremists in Kashmir. This led to the Kargil war in 1999 which could have ignited a larger regional conflict. In 2008, Pakistani extremists from the group Lashkar-e-Taiba attacked the Indian port city of Mumbai, murdering 164 people. The murderers, who had been based in Pakistan, arrived by sea. The BBC noted that “ten heavily-armed militants, all Pakistani nationals, had arrived by sea in the evening, split into groups, hijacked vehicles and attacked targets including the main railway station, two luxury hotels, a Jewish cultural center and a hospital. The 60-hour siege of the city had left 166 dead and soured ties between India and Pakistan.” The Jewish cultural center in question was a Jewish Chabad center where Jews were purposely targeted. The recently ousted Pakistani leader Khan has often used dog whistles that could lead to antisemitism. For instance, his former wife was the target of antisemitic abuse. In 2021, Sky News reported that the vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League had said her son was not being “raised in the lap of Jews.” Recently, as Khan was trying to avoid being ousted as Pakistan’s leader, he pushed conspiracies. “Embattled Pakistani premier Imran Khan is brandishing a big conspiracy, based on anti-Americanism and antisemitism. How many voters buy his claim of a coup will decide the country's future,” an oped at Haaretz noted. The overall context of all this is that Pakistan is a volatile place currently in political turmoil. The Pakistani air force attack on Afghanistan harmed civilians, and it appears extremists targeting Shi’ites are gaining more influence in Afghanistan which could spill over to Pakistan. The fact that Pakistani officials gave the US member of Congress a lot of time in meetings and a trip to Kashmir could portend Pakistan’s attempt to use the Kashmir issue to inflame tensions. Overall, the visit was a missed opportunity for Omar to hold Pakistan to the same standard as India in terms of human rights issues and to raise the rights of minorities in Pakistan. It’s possible that far-right populists in Pakistan might see the visit as an opening to push their agenda. This could be bad for Afghanistan and India and spread tensions in South Asia. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-704904
Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to take oath as foreign minister 'in a day or two', confirms senior PPP leader
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will take oath as Pakistan’s foreign minister in a day or two, a senior party leader said on Saturday, ending speculation that all allies of the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are not on the same page. The Bhutto-Zardari family’s 33-year-old scion who is the front-runner for the coveted post of the foreign minister did not take the oath on Tuesday, giving rise to speculation about his reluctance to join the new government.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/pakistan-bilawal-bhutto-zardari-to-take-oath-as-foreign-minister-in-a-day-or-two-confirms-senior
Qamar Zaman Kaira, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, in a conversation with journalists on London confirmed that Bilawal will take oath as the foreign minister in a day or two, the Geo News reported. A day after he excused himself from taking the oath as the foreign minister, Bilawal headed to London where he met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif during which they discussed the “overall political situation” in Pakistan and vowed to work together on issues pertaining to politics and national interest. Information Minister Mariyum Aurangzeb had earlier assured that the PPP Chairman would take the oath after he returns to Pakistan.Kaira told reporters that Bilawal had left for Pakistan after he held two meetings with the PML-N supremo to exchange views on political matters, the Geo report said.PPP is the second largest party in the current coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who was appointed on April 11.In their last meeting, Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal — the two key allies in the ruling coalition — discussed ways forward after a “constitutional victory for democracy, the rule of law and supremacy of parliament” and agreed to work closely to “repair the rot across the board,” read a joint statement. The joint statement said that during the meeting both leaders agreed that they have accomplished a great deal whenever they work together. Matters relating to the broad roadmap for the future with the consensus of all democratic forces and the unfinished business left on the “Charter of Democracy” were also discussed in the meeting. Nawaz Sharif — against whom several corruption cases were launched by the government of former prime minister Imran Khan — had left for London in November 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him a four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment. The 72-year-old former prime minister had given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan, citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors.Chairman PPP @BBhuttoZardari will take oath as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister within 2 days. pic.twitter.com/AzGgfVgZYl
— Qamar Zaman Kaira (@QamarKairaPPP) April 23, 2022
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Taliban Bans TikTok, Popular Video Game In Afghanistan
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have banned the social media application TikTok and popular online game PUBG, saying the move is aimed to protect younger generations from a bad influence.
Spokesman Inamullah Samangani tweeted that the Taliban government on April 21 instructed the Communications and Information Technology Ministry to restrict access to the two digital platforms, as well as instructing it to close all channels that broadcast what he called immoral programs.
"The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is required to block PUBG games and an application called TikTok, which misleads the younger generation," Samangani tweeted.
"Likewise, it must prevent as much as possible the publication of any channel that publishes immoral material and programs."
Chinese-owned TikTok, a global short-video platform popular with younger audiences, has been criticized for what some experts said was a negative impact on children and young adults' mental health due to the risk of addiction and its potential for bullying and enabling sexual predators.
PUBG: Battlegrounds, or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, is a player-versus-player online shooter game developed by South Korean gaming company Krafton. PUBG allows up to 100 players to engage in what is known as a battle royale -- a type of large-scale last-man-standing video deathmatch.
Experts say it would be difficult to completely bar the applications in Afghanistan because they can still be accessed via proxy applications and virtual private networks.
The Taliban returned to power in August following a blitz offensive across Afghanistan amid the hasty withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from the war-wracked country.
The militant group promised a softer version of the harsh Islamist rule that characterized its first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, when any form of entertainment was banned and punished severely.
But many restrictions, especially on women's rights to education, have still been imposed by the Taliban rulers since they seized control of the country last year.
https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/taliban-bans-tiktok-video-game-pubg/31814523.html
Friday, April 22, 2022
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