Tuesday, December 4, 2018
حکومت کو خطرہ ہوا تو وہی بچائیں گے جو لیکر آئے ہیں: زرداری
سابق صدر آصف زرداری نے کہا ہےکہ موجودہ حکومت کو خطرہ ہوا تو وہیں
ٹنڈوالہیار میں میڈیا سے گفتگو کے دوران آصف زرداری نے وزیراعظم کے بیان پر تنقید کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ مرغی خریدیں اور اس کے انڈے بیچ کر دیکھیں کتنی خوشحالی آتی ہے، ہم نے پہلے ہی کہا تھا یہ ملک نہیں سنبھال سکتے، ملک کے حالات گھمبیر ہیں، کٹھ پتلیاں ملک کے حالات سنبھال نہیں سکتیں، ملکی معاملات کو چلانے کے لیے ایسی لیڈر شپ کی ضرورت ہے جسے زمینی حقائق کا پتا ہو۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ قومی حکومت بننے یا قبل از وقت الیکشن کی پیشگوئی نہیں کرسکتا البتہ یہ ضرور سمجھتا ہوں کہ ان سے ملک نہیں چلتا۔
سابق صدر کا کہنا تھا کہ بلے والوں کی پوری کوشش ہے کہ سسٹم توڑ دیں، ہم جمہوریت کو مضبوط کریں گے تاکہ کسی اور کو موقع نہ ملے، ڈکٹیٹر شپ سے بدترین جمہوریت بہتر ہے اور اسی سوچ کے تحت پارلیمنٹ میں بیٹھے ہیں تاکہ کوئی یہ نہ کہے کہ ملک نہیں چلتا، چلو اب گھر جاؤ، ہم یہ نہیں ہونے دیں گے ۔
آصف زرداری نے مزید کہا کہ اٹھارویں ترمیم کی کچھ شقوں کا بہانا بنا کر وہ 1973کا آئین منسوخ کرنا چاہتے ہیں، شقوں کا بہانہ بناکر دوبارہ ون یونٹ کی سیاست شروع کرنا چاہتے ہیں، ہم نے ون یونٹ کے خلاف بھی جدوجہد کی تھی، ہم دوبارہ ون یونٹ کی سیاست نہیں ہونے دیں گے، ون یونٹ کی مخالفت ہم نے کی ہے اور کرتے ہیں، جب تک جان میں جان ہے جنگیں ہوتی رہیں گی۔
پیپلزپارٹی کے شریک چیئرمین کا کہنا تھا کہ موجودہ حکومت کو خطرہ ہوا تو وہیں بچائیں گے جو انہیں لے کر آئے ہیں، ہم کیوں سپورٹ کریں گے، عمران خان جو کچھ کررہے ہیں ڈھکے چھپے نہیں، کہہ کر کررہے ہیں، وہ کہتے ہیں ساری اپوزیشن کو جیل میں ڈال دوں گا، تو بسم اللہ، ہم میں جیل جانے کا صبر اور برداشت ہے،کیا عمران خان جیل جاسکتے ہیں اور کتنے دن برداشت کرسکتے ہیں، جیسی کرنی ہے ویسی بھرنی بھی ہوگی، جو ہمیں جیل بھیجے گا پھر تو آنے والے اسے بھی بھیجیں گے کیا وہ برداشت کرلیں گے؟
انہوں نے کہا کہ میاں صاحب نے احتساب عدالت اور قانون ہمارے لیے بنائے تھے جو خود ان کی گلے پڑگئے، وہ آج خود احتساب عدالت میں کھڑے ہیں۔
سابق صدر کا کہنا تھا کہ مجھے موجودہ حکومت کی کوئی خارجہ پالیسی نظر نہیں آتی، ان کی تو ایک ہی پالیسی ہے گورنر ہاؤس کی دیوار گرانا، پرانی دیوار آخر کیوں توڑی جارہی ہے، گورنر ہاؤس میں میوزیم یا لائبریری، جو بھی بنائیں دیوار کی ضرورت تو ہوگی۔
آصف زرداری نے کہا ہمارا فرض ہے کہ لوگوں کو نوکریاں دیں تاکہ گھروں کے چولہے جلیں، کراچی میں 50 ہزار دکانیں گرادی گئیں، بیروزگار کرکے کہا جارہا ہے ٹینٹ میں بیٹھیں، پہلے متبادل انتظام کرتے، عمارت بناتے جگہ دیتے اور پھر گراتے تو بات بنتی۔
پیپلزپارٹی کے شریک چیئرمین نے کہا کہ شوگر ملوں سے متعلق پالیسی وفاق کی چل رہی ہے ، جے آئی ٹی نے شوگر ملوں کوسیل کررکھا ہے، نقصان ہوگا تو برداشت کرنا پڑے گا لیکن افسوس ہے کہ نقصان غریب کا ہورہا ہے۔
ان کا کہنا تھا کہ جب بھی پیپلزپارٹی کی وفاق میں حکومت آئی تو آبادگاروں کو فائدہ ہوا، ہم نے بیمارصنعتوں کو فعال کیا تاکہ روزگار بڑھے اور نوکریاں ملیں، ہماری اور موجودہ حکومت کی سوچ میں فرق ہے، ان کی سوچ بیکار سوچ ہے اس سے نقصان ہوگا۔
آصف زرداری نے کہا کہ بھارت اور دیگر طاقتیں افغانستان میں بیٹھ کر دہشت گردی کو بڑھا رہی ہیں، صدر ٹرمپ افغانستان میں موجود بھارت اور دیگر قوتوں کی دہشتگردی پر بھی کچھ جواب دیتے۔
https://urdu.geo.tv/latest/193876-
One year on, families of Peshawar Institute martyrs still waiting for compensation
The prayers for the martyrs of last year’s attack at Peshawar’s Agriculture Training Institute were held at the institute on Saturday.
At least nine people were killed and 28 others were injured in an attack on the Agriculture Training Institute on December 1, 2017.
The then federal government had announced Rs1 million for the families of the martyrs but they have yet to receive the money.
https://www.samaa.tv/video/2018/12/one-year-on-families-of-peshawar-institute-martyrs-still-waiting-for-compensation/
At least nine people were killed and 28 others were injured in an attack on the Agriculture Training Institute on December 1, 2017.
The then federal government had announced Rs1 million for the families of the martyrs but they have yet to receive the money.
https://www.samaa.tv/video/2018/12/one-year-on-families-of-peshawar-institute-martyrs-still-waiting-for-compensation/
Monday, December 3, 2018
CHAIRMAN PPP BILAWAL BHUTTO'S MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSON WITH DISABILITIES
December 02: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party has stressed upon the Pakistani society to focus on the abilities instead of disabilities in the ‘differently-abled persons’ as the world is going to observe “International Day of Persons with Disabilities” under the United Nations’ them of “Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities” on Thursday December 03.
In his message on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that an estimated one billion people on the planet living with different disabilities need an inclusive policy of human kind to assimilate them into society as equal partners in human development.
PPP Chairman said that treatment to the special persons reflects the moral and social values of a nation hence governments and society in the country should redouble their efforts to provide them fair and equal access to education, employment, transportation and in every aspect of human development.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the Federal government, Provincial Governments, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan government to implement the 2% job quota for the ‘Disabled persons’ in both government and private sector.
کراچی(2دسمبر) پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے آج اقوام متحدہ کی جانب سے پوری دنیا میں منائے جانے والے خصوصی افراد کے عالمی دن کے موقع پر اپنے پیغام میں زور دیا ہے کہ خصوصی افراد میں معذوری نہ بلکہ قابلیت کو تلاش کیا جائے، انہوں نے کہا کہ ایک اندازے کے مطابق اس دنیا میں ایک ارب خصوصی افراد رہتے ہیں ، ضرورت اس بات کی ہے کہ انسان ذات کی حیثیت سے انہیں انسانی ترقی میں برابر کا حصیدار بنانے کے لیے معاشرے کے تمام شعبوں کے ساتھ منسلک کیا جائے،پیپلزپارٹی کے چیئرمین نے مزید کہا کہ خصوصی افراد سے ہونے والے سلوک سے ہی قوم کے اخلاقی اور معاشرتی اقدار کی عکاسی ہوتی ہے اس لیے ہمارے معاشرے اور حکومتوں کو چاہیے کہ انہیں انسانی ترقی کے تمام شعبوں تعلیم، روزگار، آمدرفت اور دیگر میں مناسب اور برابر رسائی کے لیے کوششیں دگنی کریں، بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے وفاقی حکومت، صوبائی حکومتوں اور آزاد کشمیر اور گلگت بلتستان حکومتوں پر زور دیا کہ سرکاری اور خانگی شعبوں میں خصوصی افراد کی ملازمت کے
https://pppnewsupdate.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/chairman-ppp-bilawal-bhutto-zardaris-message-on-international-day-of-person-with-disabilities/
#Pakistan - On what basis is it claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has transformed into heaven, asks CJP
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday, while hearing a suo motu case on disposal of medical waste from public hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, questioned on what basis it is said that the province has been “transformed into heaven”.
KP health secretary appeared in court as a bench headed by Justice Nisar heard the suo motu case.
As the hearing went under way, the chief justice inquired, “Why is KP health secretary not present? The health secretary always appears on his behalf.”
The top judge then asked the KP health secretary whether he has visited the Peshawar mental hospital to which he replied saying he did last week.
Justice Nisar continued, “Over there, humans are kept in worse conditions than animals.” At this, the provincial health secretary said, “We took measures for improvement of conditions after your visit. We are also establishing a separate campus.”
The top judge further remarked, “I got samples from my visit and expired medicines are given over there. Doctors don’t even visit.”
“On what basis do you claim that KP has been transformed into heaven. The province is in tatters,” he added. “I will visit in three to four days and see what improvement has been made.”
The hearing of the case was then adjourned for two months.
KP health secretary’s briefing
During the hearing, the provincial health secretary informed the bench, “4,000kgs of medical waste is produced daily from the 63 public hospitals in KP and machines can only dispose off 3,600kgs of waste.”
At this, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked, “Even now, 480kgs of medical waste is not disposed in KP hospitals.”
Further, the chief justice added, “The provincial government failed to make arrangements for proper disposal of waste.”
The health secretary then said, “860kgs of medical waste is produced daily from 158 private hospitals in KP and they have the capacity to dispose 532kgs of waste on a daily basis.”
When Justice Ahsan said, “We have given you till December 2019 to ensure proper disposal of medical waste”, the provincial health secretary said, “We will try our best to make sure the matter is resolved by June next year.”
https://www.geo.tv/latest/220508-on-what-basis-is-it-claimed-that-kp-has-transformed-into-heaven-asks-cjp
Indian diplomacy and defence were always two steps ahead of Pakistan in 1971 war
SALIL TRIPATHI
Indira Gandhi traveled around the world, charming some governments, annoying others, and gradually changed public perception about East Pakistan.
There is an old military adage that says that generals like to fight the last war.
It became famous during World War II, when France’s famed Maginot Line, built to prevent German aggression from the east, proved useless, because Germany invaded France through Belgium instead, avoiding the newly-built fortification along the Franco-German border. During the Six Day War in Operation Focus in 1967, Israel launched spectacular simultaneous attacks on Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian air bases making runways and hundreds of aircraft of the three countries inoperable. On December 3, Pakistan decided to do the same and launch a pre-emptive strike on India.
But the Pakistani commanders apparently forgot that many Indian commanders had gone to the same British military academies, and some had also served together in the British army. They too had followed battles elsewhere and knew what lessons to draw. The Pakistani raids failed badly because India had anticipated Pakistan’s plans and had already moved its aircraft elsewhere, keeping them protected in bunkers. In fact, on the same night the Indian air force was able to retaliate with massive air strikes.
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What Pakistani planes wanted most was to inflict damage on parked aircraft, but there were no sitting ducks for them to shoot. India’s aerial combat strength was not affected. Pakistan had targeted twelve Indian airfields and dropped 183 bombs and reported 120 hits, but damage to Indian aircraft was minimal. Pakistan had managed to surprise India, but the raids failed to disable Indian air power.
Later that night, Indira Gandhi addressed Indians on radio even as the Indian air force was striking back. She said: ‘I speak to you at a moment of great peril to our country and our people. Some hours ago, soon after 5.30 pm on the 3rd December, Pakistan had launched a full scale war against us… Today a war in Bangladesh has become a war on India… I have no doubt that by the united will of the people, the wanton and unprovoked aggression of Pakistan should be decisively and finally repelled… Aggression must be met and the people of India will meet it with fortitude, determination, discipline and utmost unity… We must be prepared for a long period of hardship and sacrifice.’
Squadrons of Indian Canberras flew against airfields in Murid, Mianwali, Sargodha, Chander, Risalewala, Rafiqui, and Masroor, and caused severe damage in Sargodha and Masroor. The IAF also hit the east—Tejgaon and Kurmitola airports in Dacca. Within two days, India had complete air superiority in East Pakistan.
Rokeya Kabir heard Indira Gandhi on the radio that night. ‘We now knew that the end would come soon. We saw Indian fighter planes in the sky. We saw the Indian army going into Bangladesh—we were filled with joy,’ she said.
The land battles began in the west before spreading to the east. Indian land forces were ably commanded by Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, who headed India’s Eastern Command. Maj. Gen. K.P. Candeth who had helped India take over Goa in 1961 commanded the Western Command. And Lt. Gen.
J.F.R. Jacob of the Eastern Command made detailed plans to take over Dacca.
On 4 December, Pakistani troops attempted to reach Jaisalmer but India pushed them back at the desert border post of Longewala in Rajasthan. When the mechanized Pakistani infantry moved in, the Indian infantry was able to hold out because it was confident of receiving air cover. Pakistan’s failure to destabilize the IAF was now hurting its advance. It had not anticipated that the IAF would be combat-ready, because it had thought that Operation Changez Khan would have demolished many Indian aircraft. But the Indian ability to bomb from the air made Pakistani ground troops vulnerable. Obstacles India had placed along the border confused Pakistani troops in darkness. The following day, India took over Pakistani territory in Basantar in the Punjab-Jammu sector.
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Once the battle shifted east, Pakistani vulnerability was exposed. India’s Eastern Command was backing three Mukti Bahini brigades and thousands of irregular troops (such as the Kaderia Bahini), against Pakistan’s three divisions. Planes took off from the Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant and struck Chittagong, Barisal and Cox’s Bazar, making Pakistan’s navy in the east inoperative and blockading the ports, cutting off escape routes for Pakistani troops. Indian ground attack quickly overran the country. Pakistan could not mount an effective defence, because its soldiers were scattered along the border to deal with small incursions from the Mukti Bahini. East Pakistani towns along the border fell quickly to the Indian forces. An Oxford scholar, Frank Jackson, wrote a paper on the war soon after it ended, in which he explained that Indian border advances were successful because ‘Pakistani forces had largely withdrawn from scattered border-protection duties into cleverly fortified defensive positions at the major centres inside the frontiers, where they held all the major “place names” against Mukti Bahini attacks, and blocked the routes of entry from India’. But the defensive move was not effective in keeping Indians at bay.
Kaderia Bahini was supporting the Indian army. Kader Siddiqui, better known as Tiger Siddiqui, said he had sent field-eye sketches of possible targets to bomb in Dacca, and the IAF bombed those spots on the first few days. When the Indian forces found it difficult to cross the Brahmaputra in Jamalpur, Siddiqui’s fighters attacked Pakistani defenders so that Indian troops could advance. Siddiqui’s moment of vindication was on 11 December, when Tangail fell.
India’s numerical strength was overwhelming. It had two army corps from West Bengal, one from Meghalaya, and one detached formation that included paratroopers who would land in Tangail. The air force provided air cover. Pakistan had more than four divisions. But Pakistan was unable to add new troops from West Pakistan because Indira Gandhi had forced Ceylon not to offer its airport to refuel Pakistani military aircraft anymore. If Indian armed forces were successful, it was not only because of their preparedness, but also because of the masterly diplomacy Indira Gandhi showed in the months leading up to the war. She travelled around the world, charming some governments, annoying others, and gradually changed public perception and diplomatic opinion while effectively cutting off all supplies to East Pakistan.
She agreed to wait for the torrential monsoon to subside, and then forced Pakistan to make the error which justified the massive Indian retaliation. On 6 December, she declared in the Lok Sabha that India recognized Bangladesh.
Bhutan followed in a few hours, and later that week, Poland joined. The radio station Shadheen Bangla Betar Kendra changed its name to Bangla Betar (Bangladesh Radio), dropping the assertive ‘Shadheen’, independent, because it now believed it was independent. Once you are independent, you don’t need to proclaim it. On 7 December, Mukti Bahini troops took command of Jessore, Sylhet, and Moulobi Bazar.
India’s success also owed much to the brilliant planning of Lt. Gen. Jacob. Manekshaw’s early thinking was to invade East Pakistan by capturing the border provinces of Khulna and Chittagong. But that would leave the prize— Dacca—beyond reach, because other Indian officials thought the UN would intervene and demand a ceasefire. Marching through Bangladeshi wetland wasn’t an easy prospect either. Jacob however felt advances were possible by ensuring that the army would keep moving throughout the country. A successful campaign had to end with the surrender of Dacca. As the Pakistani army was staying close to towns and defending them, the smart strategy lay in bypassing the towns and following trails that the Mukti Bahini would identify, and thus neutralize Pakistani strength in towns by using alternative routes to reach Dacca.
The strategy would eventually succeed. India sidestepped facing Pakistani troops, their communication was disabled and they were left encircled. Jacob thought Dacca would fall within three weeks; in the end it would crumble in two weeks.
Extracted from ‘The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War And Its Unquiet Legacy’ by Salil Tripathi, with permission from Aleph Book Company.
India’s military retains 4th spot in global ranking, Pakistan drops to 17
AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA
In the Global Firepower List 2018, third-ranked China leads India in terms of active military personnel with its 21.83 lakh personnel as against India’s 13.62 lakh.
New Delhi: India’s military has secured the fourth position on a global index of 136 countries ranked on the basis of their military capabilities, trailing behind United States, Russia and China.
While India has maintained its position among the top five nations in the Global Firepower (GFP) List 2018, Pakistan has slipped four spots to 17 from 13 in 2017.
The top three military powers too have held on to their ranks. France rounded up the top five. The United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Turkey and Germany complete the top 10, in that order.
Ireland, Montenegro and Liberia are three new additions to the list this year.
The GFP index ranked the countries based on 55 parameters, including military resources, geographical factors, logistical flexibility, natural resources, local industry and available manpower.
India, China, Pakistan
China leads India in terms of active military personnel with its 21.83 lakh personnel as against India’s 13.62 lakh. Pakistan has 6.37 active personnel.
China’s defence budget continues to be over three times more than India’s.
India remains ahead of Pakistan on most parameters, but the number of attack helicopters available with the western neighbour is significantly higher at 49, compared to India’s 15.
An increase or decline in ranking can be related to equipment/manpower attrition, financial instability, population and resource fluxes, etc, said the report.
It also said that India is looking beyond its position as a top military importer to that of a top military exporter and has several high-profile programmes to market.
Pakistan’s military, however, continues to be challenged by internal unrest, disaster relief operations and standing global requirements in the fight against terrorism, added the report.
The GFP index didn’t consider nuclear stockpiles, but gave weightage to recognised and suspected nuclear powers in terms of additional bonus.
Available manpower was a key consideration in the ranking, a factor understood to have helped India and China significantly because of the strength of their armed forces.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
#YellowVests #giletsjaunes - #France’s Dangerous Yellow Vest Protesters
By Gregory Viscusi
The “Yellow Vests” protests now challenging President Emmanuel Macron have exposed a widening hole in the center of French politics—created by Macron himself.
It was Macron whose election in May 2017 all but obliterated the two establishment parties that had run France for 30 years. His own political movement had been launched less than a year before and his closest opponent for the presidency was from the far-right. By positioning himself as a reformer, Macron, 40, had hoped to establish a centrist consensus.
Instead, with his popularity now at record lows and his Republic on the Move far from becoming a real political party, the president faces widespread opposition across the country, especially outside major cities. The “Yellow Vests”—“gilets jaunes” in French—reflect France’s frustration at a young leader whose agenda is perceived as favoring the rich and whose manner is regarded as aloof and arrogant.“The ‘gilets jaunes’ movement will probably peter out, but not the anger, which is likely to go on and take new forms maybe more dangerous for Macron,” said Jim Shields, a professor of French politics at Warwick University in the U.K. “It’s hard to see how he can complete controversial reforms like pensions and unemployment insurance without yet more blood on the pavement.”
The grassroots movement, organized through social media and without real leadership, has led to two weeks of sporadic and mostly peaceful blockades of roads, fuel depots and warehouses. A protest Saturday in Paris exploded into violence that left over 100 injured and more than 400 arrested, as well as burned cars and looted stores in the heart of the capital. Named after the colored vests motorists must keep in their cars for emergencies, the campaign began as a protest against higher gasoline taxes to reduce emissions. It’s now expanded to other demands and has the support of three-quarters of the French public, polls show.
“We are talking about cost of living and Macron is talking ecology,”
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| France got a new 21st Century Mary Antoniate. |
“We pay more and more for fewer and fewer services. Where is the money going?” he asked. He wants the movement to focus on finding leaders at the local level and slimming its demands: “We need to focus on the basics: taxes, bringing back the wealth tax, politicians’ salaries, pensions, minimum wage.”
As he spoke, standing on Avenue Marceau near the Arc de Triomphe, a line of riot police blocked access to the monument and tear gas was being fired on the other side of the circle. Denis said he condemned the violence.
The movement itself is split between moderates who want to create a structure to negotiate with the government, and radicals who reject any form of leadership. An attempt by eight local spokespeople to create a national committee was disbanded after four days when they received threats. Only two of the eight invited leaders showed up for a planned meeting Friday with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
The Yellow Vests at this stage aren’t likely to evolve into a political party like Italy’s Five Star Movement because they lack a charismatic leader, said Sylvain Boulouque, a historian who has written books about extremist parties. But there’s no way their votes will go to the center-right Republicans or the center-left Socialists, the main establishment parties. Neither party has recovered from being marginalized in the 2017 election, the second round of which pitted Macron against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
“This is a movement that holds all institutions and the establishment in disdain,” Boulouque said. “They aren’t going to vote for parties whom they hold responsible for the past 30 years.”Most Yellow Vests supporters will split their votes between Le Pen’s National Rally and Jean-Luc Melenchon’s far-left France Unbowed, Boulouque said. Together, they received 41 percent of the vote in the first round of presidential voting in 2017.
Although polls show the French public overwhelmingly supports the demands of the Yellow Vests, respondents don't see anyone else handling the situation better than Macron. An Ifop poll released Nov. 22, after the Yellow Vests’ first major strike, said 26 percent thought Le Pen would do better and 21 percent chose Melenchon. The center-right establishment party was chosen by only 15 percent and 6 percent went for the Socialists—who controlled both the presidency and the parliament until Macron arrived.
That hasn’t kept other parties from jumping onto the Yellow Vests’ bandwagon. “All this violence is the fault of the government refusing to listen, of its arrogance, its disdain for common people,” Le Pen said on BFM TV Saturday. Recent polls have shown that her anti-immigrant, anti-European Union party will get the most French votes in next May’s European Parliament elections.
Macron himself was in Argentina Saturday attending a G-20 summit. He returned Sunday and went straight to visit the damage to the Arc de Triomphe before holding an emergency meeting with top ministers. There was no statement after the 90-minute session.
In a speech Nov. 27 he outlined the need to maintain the gasoline taxes as part of efforts to wean France off fossil fuels, but offered “town hall-style” debates about the country’s environmental policies and vague promises of reviewing future tax increases.
Macron doesn’t face national elections until 2022 and has prided himself on sticking to his policies no matter how low he goes in the polls, saying the unpopular tax and labor law reforms he pushed through early in his term will eventually pay off in higher growth and job creation. He now faces two unpalatable choices: breaking his promises not to back down on his program or further deepening his unpopularity.
Why People in Yellow Vests Are Blocking French Roads: QuickTake
But even several of his own deputies have said the government should consider postponing gasoline tax increases planned for January, which Macron’s ministers have so far ruled out.
Macron hasn’t helped himself with some ill-judged comments, such as saying on trips abroad that the French are resistant to change, or telling an unemployed gardener in Paris in September that he just had to cross the road to get a job. Many protesters Saturday turned those comments around, writing on their vests: “Macron, we’re crossing the road.”
گورنر ہاؤس کی دیوار توڑنے سے کیا ہو گا؟
وسعت اللہ خان
وزیرِ اعظم عمران خان کی زیر صدارت یکم دسمبر کو پنجاب کابینہ کے اجلاس میں ہونے والے فیصلوں کی تفصیل بتاتے ہوئے صوبائی وزیرِ اطلاعات فیاض الحسن چوہان المعروف حاجی نرگس نے کہا کہ لاہور کے گورنر ہاؤس کا لان جو دو ماہ پہلے ہی عوام کے لیے کھول دیا گیا ہے، اب وزیرِ اعظم کے حکم پر اس کی بیرونی دیواریں بھی اگلے دو تین روز میں گرا دی جائیں گی۔ گورنر ہاؤس کو چڑیا گھر، عجائب گھر اور آرٹ گیلری میں بدل دیا جائے گا۔ اس کے سات سو کنال احاطے میں قائم سکول کو علیحدہ کر دیا جائے گا۔
بقول چوہان صاحب دیوار ڈھانے کا مقصد عوام کے زہن سے ان اداروں اور عمارات کی ہیبت نکالنا ہے۔ یہ کوئی تاریخی عمارت نہیں بلکہ نمائشی جگہ ہے۔ وزیرِ اعلی کے مشیر نے بھی ایک ویڈیو پیغام میں اس فیصلے کا اعلان کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ یہ عمارات نو آبادیاتی اقتدار کی علامت کے طور پر تعمیر کی گئیں تاکہ یہ جتایا جا سکے کہ حکمران طاقتور اور عوام کمزور ہیں۔
ملک میں اس وقت جیسا علمی و تحقیقی ماحول ہے اس میں یہ کہنے کی چنداں ضرورت نہیں کہ گورنر ہاؤس کے احاطے میں ہی اکبرِ اعظم کے ایک عم زاد محمد قاسم کی قبر ہے اور اس کے اردگرد موجودہ عمارت مہاراجہ رنجیت سنگھ کے ایک مصاحب خوشحال سنگھ نے اپنی رہائش کے لیے بنائی تھی۔
انگریزوں نے پنجاب پر قبضے کے بعد یہ جگہ خوشحال سنگھ کے بیٹے تیجا سنگھ سے ڈھائی ہزار روپے میں خریدی اور اسے لیفٹننٹ گورنر ہاؤس قرار دے دیا ۔اس عمارت کے پہلے انگریز رہائشی رابرٹ منٹگمری تھے۔ گویا یہ عمارت لگ بھگ پونے دو سو برس سے زیرِ استعمال ہے۔
اسی طرح عوام کے لیے اتوار کے اتوار کھولا جانے والا گورنر ہاؤس پشاور کم و بیش سو برس پرانا ہے۔ کوئٹہ کا گورنر ہاؤس انیس سو پینتیس کے زلزلے کے بعد دوبارہ تعمیر ہوا۔ کراچی کا گورنر ہاؤس اسی برس پرانا ہے۔ پاکستان بننے کے بعد کراچی کا گورنر ہاؤس کچھ عرصہ گورنر جنرل ہاؤس اور ایوانِ صدر بھی رہا۔ ان سب عمارات اور ان کے احاطوں پر نادر و تاریخی عمارات کے تحفظ کا ایکٹ مجریہ انیس سو پچھتر لاگو ہوتا ہے۔
حکمرانوں کے زیرِ استعمال محلات و دفاتر عوام کے لیے کھولنا کوئی نئی یا غیر معمولی بات نہیں۔ بکنگھم پیلس، وائٹ ہاؤس، کریملن اور دلی کے راشٹر پتی بھون کے کچھ حصے عوام کے لیے مخصوص دنوں میں کھولے جاتے ہیں۔ تہران کا قصر سعد آباد کمپلیکس تو پورا کا پورا عجائب گھر ہے۔ ریاستیں ان عمارات کی حفاظت تاریخی ورثے کے طور پر کرتی ہیں اور ان کا تشخص توڑ پھوڑ اور خستگی سے بچاتی ہیں۔
پاکستان میں راولپنڈی کا سابق ایوانِ صدر جس میں ایوب خان ، یحییٰ خان اور بھٹو رہے کئی برس پہلے اسے خواتین یونیورسٹی میں تبدیل کر دیا گیا۔ البتہ عمارت کی شکل صورت میں کوئی تبدیلی نہیں کی گئی اور فرنیچر بھی محفوظ ہے۔
سرکاری و تاریخی عمارات تک عام آدمی بالخصوص محققین اور طلبا کی رسائی یوں ضروری ہے کہ ماضی اور طرزِ حکمرانی سے روشناس رہا جا سکے۔ ضروری ہے کہ اسلام آباد کا ایوانِ صدر، وزیرِ اعظم ہاؤس، وزرائے اعلی کی سرکاری رہائش گاہ اور جی ایچ کیو اور بڑے بڑے گالف کورسز اور جمخانوں کو بھی عوام کے لیے کھولا جائے اور گائڈڈ ٹورز کا بندوبست کیا جائے۔
بے شک ان عمارات میں درس گاہ، عجائب گھر یا آرٹ گیلری کھولی جا سکتی ہیں لیکن خود یہ عمارات بھی کسی تاریخی تعلیم گاہ سے کم نہیں۔
اور جب آپ گورنر ہاؤس کی دیوار توڑنے جیسے اہم ترین کاموں سے فراغت پا جائیں تو باقی مسائل کے نپٹارے کے بارے میں بھی سنجیدگی سے دل کے بجائے دماغ سے سوچیے گا۔ پچھلے تہتر برس میں یہ ملک بذات ِخود تماشا بن چکا ہے۔ آپ کو ووٹ جا بے جا تبدیلیوں کے لیے نہیں اس عجائب گھر کو پھر سے ایک نارمل ملک بنانے کے لیے ملا ہے۔ پانچ برس میں سے سو دن گذر چکے ہیں۔
https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan-46418753
WHO: #HIV Epidemic Spreads at Alarming Rate in #Pakistan
Pakistan is registering approximately 20,000 new HIV infections annually, the highest rate of increase among all countries in the region, warns the World Health Organization (WHO).
The international body says mortality among Pakistanis living with the virus, which causes the deadly AIDS disease, is also rising, in spite of the availability of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy.
The latest government figures show that only 16 percent of the estimated 150,000 people living with HIV had been tested and only 9 percent have access to lifesaving treatment.
"The remaining 135,000 people are walking around in the communities as carriers of (HIV) infection who are ready to transmit infections to those who are not infected, even to their unborn babies," Dr. Saima Paracha of the National AIDS Control Program, told VOA.
Officials say the HIV epidemic in Pakistan remains largely concentrated among the key populations, including people who inject drugs, the transgender community, sex workers and their clients and men who have sex with men.
"The drivers of infection are now the sexual networks and they are ready to spill the infection into the general public," Dr. Paracha cautioned.
Paracha says the Pakistani government offers free HIV testing and treatment, but she notes the marginalized key populations continue face widespread stigma and discrimination in the society.
The fear of maltreatment, and punitive actions by law enforcers impacts the willingness of these populations to pursue testing, which remains a major challenge facing national efforts to treat and prevent the spread of HIV, she lamented.
Official estimates show that Pakistan has seen a 45 percent increase in new HIV infections since 2010.
"The number of new HIV infections will continue to increase dramatically if implementation rates of intervention remain at current levels," said Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, country head of WHO.
An official statement issued in connection with World AIDS Day quoted him as saying that Pakistan has the lowest rate of all regional countries in diagnosing people who are infected and linking them to care and treatment.
Naila Bashir, who heads the HIV treatment center at Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), told VOA the facility receives up to 40 new HIV patients every month, underscoring the alarming increase in the number of infections.
The center was established in 2005 and the number of patients has since increased from 22 to more than 3,000, including men, women and children of all ages, said Dr. Bashir.
HIV has never been a priority program in the national health system and the recent abolition of the federal health ministry and the devolution of its functions to the provinces, which lacked preparedness and capacity, have led to the increase in infections, say WHO experts in the country. However, they acknowledge the new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan is giving priority to tackling health emergencies in Pakistan, including HIV.
Federal Minister for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Aamir Mehmood Kiyani, says the government is working on a strategy to remove barriers and challenges in protecting people from HIV infections.
Kiyani told a seminar in Islamabad that since taking office three months ago, the government has moved to established 12 new HIV treatment centers while overall 33 such facilities have been working throughout Pakistan.
U.N. officials say the Pakistan government urgently needs to redouble efforts to "de-stigmatize HIV testing, advocate for confidential, non-discriminatory, community based care models and raise awareness about disease transmission, prevention treatment" to achieve reductions in new infections in affected populations.
https://www.voanews.com/a/who-says-hiv-epidemic-spreads-at-alarming-rate-in-pakistan/4683295.html
Sushma Swaraj slams Pakistan's Qureshi on 'googly' remark, says it 'exposed' him
Soon after union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal tweeted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan demanding action against his minister for his "googly remark", the man at the receiving end of criticism said his comment was "distorted" and "misrepresented".
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also clarified that the remark was "strictly with reference to bilateral interaction with the Indian government" in a tweet.
After the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan, which was attended by central ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri, Mr Qureshi had controversially said that "Imran (Khan) delivered a googly and India sent two ministers to Pakistan".
"The world watched, Pakistan watched, that PM Imran Khan bowled a googly at Kartarpur. As a result of the googly, India, that had refused to engage with Pakistan, had to send two ministers to Pakistan," he had bragged in a misplaced reference to Mr Khan's earlier career as a fast bowler in international cricket and cancelled talks between the two countries.
"Nothing can be more disgusting than this," Ms Badal snapped back today.
She accused the Pakistani minister of "hurting sentiments of Sikhs and peace efforts by equating attendance at function at Sri Kartarpur Sahib with trapping India by bowling a googly".
.@SMQureshiPTI As a devout Sikh I feel anyone having deep respect for Sikhism wud not politicise holy initiative of #KartarpurCorridor by calling it ‘googly’ or as a good ‘chaal’ as termed by u & ur prez. Sikhs are not pawns in chess. Pls, don't play with our faith.
In his defence, Mr Qureshi tweeted:
Dragging my comment towards "Sikh sentiments" is a deliberate attempt to misrepresent & mislead. What I said was strictly with ref to bilat.interaction with the Indian Govt. We have deep respect for Sikh sentiments & no amount of distortions or controversies would change it. 1/2
In deference to the long-standing desires of our Sikh brethren, we decided to open the Kartarpur Corridor. We have taken this historic initiative in good faith and will carry it forward in good faith. 2/2
Mr Qureshi's remark had come after India refused to attend the next SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meet in Pakistan, citing cross-border terrorism. "Unless Pakistan stops terrorist activities in India, there will be no dialogue and we will not participate in SAARC," Ms Swaraj had said.
She had also stressed that bilateral talks and Kartarpur corridor are "two different things". "The moment Pakistan stops terrorist activities in India, the dialogue can start. But the dialogue is not only connected with Kartarpur corridor," Ms Swaraj said.
In September, India had agreed to a meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Mr Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. But following the killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani terrorists, and the release of postage stamps "glorifying" terrorist Burhan Wani by the Pakistan government, India cancelled the talks.
During the religious ceremony on Wednesday, Imran Khan had said his government and army both want a "civilised relationship" with India. The cricketer-turned-politician added if India will take one step forward, then Pakistan will take two.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/misrepresented-pakistan-minister-after-criticism-over-googly-remark-1956755
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