Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As the world celebrated the 12th Rabbi-ul-Awwal, or Eid-ul-Milad-un-Nabi as the birthday of Prophet Muhammed, the radical Muslims in Pakistan’s Punjab province chose to attack and demolish Ahmadiyya Baits (Ahmadiyya places of worship), an episode marking yet another way minorities are harassed in the country. They also carried out rallies against the Ahmadiyyas, threatening them with chants of violence and death. “Groups of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) members attacked (29.09.23) Baits located in Mahmoodabad (Jhelum district) and at Okara city (Okara district) and demolished their arches and mehrabs,” sources told IBNS. The radical outfit also threatened the Baits’ caretakers…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has strongly criticized Pakistan’s widespread expulsion of Afghan refugees. He has labelled it as inappropriate and inconsistent with the principles of good neighbouring and humanitarian values, Khaama Press reported. Karzai asserted that Pakistan’s problems are unrelated to Afghanistan and Afghan migrants. He further said that Pakistan’s action starkly contrasts the country’s four-decade-long history of extending brotherhood and hospitality to Afghan migrants. He highlights the significant positive impact of Afghan migrants on Pakistan’s economic and social sectors. Karzai then urged Pakistan to reevaluate its stance towards Afghanistan, advocating for a more forward-looking and prudent…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The European Commission has officially opened an investigation into China’s electric vehicle sector. It says it is “in possession of sufficient evidence” that Beijing has provided subsidies that would damage the electric vehicle (EV) market in the EU. Should member states agree with the severity of the Commission’s finding, it could lead to an import duties on Chinese vehicles. A statement published in the Official Journal of the European Union said that based on public information, the subsidies “pose an imminent threat of injury to an already vulnerable EU industry”. Beijing however has hit-back at the idea, reports…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a landmark development aimed at revolutionizing cross-border remittances, India’s National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the UAE’s Al Etihad Payments have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This strategic partnership is set to make remittances between the two nations as smooth and cost-effective as domestic transactions, ushering in a new era of financial connectivity. The crux of this groundbreaking agreement is the introduction of a beneficiary identifier, be it a mobile number or Virtual Payment Address (VPA), for users in both countries. This move will drastically simplify the remittance process, enabling individuals to send and receive…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan is set to announce this year a list of critical technologies it wants to protect from the reach of China, a top Taiwanese official told Nikkei Asia. “Before the end of the year, the National Science and Technology Council will announce what are considered core technologies that need to be protected,” Wellington Koo, secretary-general of Taiwan’s National Security Council, told Nikkei Asia. “The policy will define national core technologies and cover industries including semiconductors, agriculture, aerospace and ICT [information and communication technology],” Koo said. “It will deal with investments, manpower, operations and technology transfer in these areas.”…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The federal and provincial authorities of Pakistan authorities are scrambling to put together a plan to deport more than a million undocumented Afghans and other foreigners, Dawn reported on Thursday. This comes as a deadline looms to undertake one of the biggest deportation operations in modern times. Following up on the recommendations of the apex committee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on September 27, the federal apex committee on Tuesday set an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants, including a proportionately large number of Afghans, to leave by October 31 or face imprisonment and deportation. The short deadline has caused ripples…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A shutter-down and wheel jam strike was observed across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as protests against high inflation and illegal taxes on electricity bills intensified. Shops in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawalakot, Kotli and other major cities remained shut and trades and locals carried out protest marches with slogans against the Pakistan government. Protesters shouted slogans like “Riyasat Hamari – Kabza Tumhara – Namanzoor Namanzoor” (Our land – your ownership – unacceptable unacceptable) and “Gundagardi nahi chalege” – State (sponsored hooliganism not acceptable). People in the region are incensed due to the brutal behaviour of security forces, violations of human rights…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: At least two people including a 12-year-old child were killed and at least one was injured as a result of a shooting at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Pakistani Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Wednesday. “On October 4, at 4 pm, an Afghan sentry employed at Friendship Gate of Chaman Border Crossing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan opened unprovoked and indiscriminate firing at pedestrians moving from Pakistan to Afghanistan,” Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted the ISPR as saying in a statement, adding that two people have been killed, including a child, and one child has been injured. The wounded…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: On 18 August, Pakistan’s media watchdog directed all TV channels to stop giving airtime to 11 people: a group including journalists considered close to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, individuals accused of criticising the military or the government, and others that have been ‘proclaimed offenders’ or absconders by courts. It was not the first time that the watchdog, PEMRA, whose members are bureaucrats, media professionals and members of civil society, was in the news in recent months. PEMRA has banned Khan three times from TV channels since he was ousted from power in April 2022. Nearly two hours after…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Ray Dalio, founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, said on Tuesday that the relationship between China and the United States is “on the brink of red lines,” although he does not see a war on the way. Speaking at the Greenwich Economic Forum, Dalio said that there are irreconcilable differences between the world’s two biggest economies, citing as examples the independence of Taiwan, the battle for chips and geopolitics. “U.S.-China relationship relations are in a number of areas on the brink of red lines,” he told the audience of investors, adding that a war is unlikely. “Neither country…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China responded with mocking derision when Taiwan unveiled its first Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS), which displaces approximately 2,700 tons, at a ceremony in Kaohsiung on 28 September. Taiwan is planning to construct up to eight such submarines and, despite China’s rhetoric, they will present significant challenges to China’s military in any potential conflict. Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of National Defense, described Taiwan’s submarine program as “a broom attempting to hold hack the tide”. He also called the effort “idiotic nonsense”. With bluster typical of Chinese officialdom whenever it comes to the topic of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In the midst of escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the US military began two weeks of multilateral exercises on Monday with its Philippine allies and other foreign partners, according to CNN. As per a US Navy news release, Sama Sama 2023 will be the sixth and largest version of the drills as participants from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia join the US and the Philippines in the defence exercise. “In Tagalog ‘Sama Sama’ is a phrase that means ‘together’ and there could not be a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) expressed solidarity with the ongoing struggle against the Marhi Jalbani Massacre in Sindh, Pakistan by holding a protest on October 1 opposite 10 Downing Street, the residence of the UK Prime Minister. A large number of Sindhi, Baloch, and other human rights advocates from across the UK joined the protest. On September 28, Pakistan Rangers and the Police fired indiscriminately at innocent villagers in Marhi Jalbani, Sakrand, Sindh, resulting in many casualties. The participants chanted slogans condemning the Marhi Jalbani massacre. The speakers emphasized that Pakistan operates as a security state devoid of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday barred a group of alleged beggars/human traffickers from travelling to Saudi Arabia on the pretext of performing Umrah at the Multan airport. An FIA spokesperson said that eight passengers, possessing Umrah visas, were primed for their journey to Saudi Arabia. However, during the standard immigration procedure, they failed to provide substantiated reasons for their travel. Following intense questioning by immigration officials, the passengers disclosed their true intention – to beg in the name of charity in Saudi Arabia. The offloaded passengers hailed from Punjab’s Lodhran district and comprised five men and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Terming the India-US ties one of the most defining partnerships, several top Biden administration officials praised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s commitment to this bond, calling him the “architect” of modern US-India relations. These accolades came during a special reception hosted by India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, in honor of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The event was attended by notable figures from the Biden administration, including US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, President Biden’s domestic policy advisor Neera Tanden, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian universities have made strides in the Times Higher Education’s (THE) World University Rankings 2024, with five of the nation’s leading institutions showcasing remarkable improvements. The Indian Institute of Science catapulted from its previous ranking in the 251-300 band to an elevated position in the 201-250 range. Similarly, Anna University surged from the 801-1000 category to a more prominent 501-600 ranking, while Aligarh Muslim University made noteworthy progress, advancing from the 801-1000 band to the 601-800 tier, according to an official release. Bharathiar University also saw a commendable ascent, climbing from the 801-1000 band to the 601-800 category.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: light services of the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) were disrupted after five three Boing 777 aircraft were grounded as they had no engines, ARY News reported on Saturday, adding that the fleet included two permanently grounded aircraft. According to the ARY News, a total total of 7 aircraft out of 12 are currently operational while another is lying dysfunctional in Jeddah. The national airline needs $60 million for the maintenance of its aircraft. Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul haq Kakar has asked his minister for Privatisation, Fawad Hasan Fawad, to fast-track the privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Protests have erupted across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as citizens voice their discontent against exorbitant electricity bills. In response to a call by local leaders, residents from all corners of PoK have taken to the streets, demanding an end to what they perceive as an unjust burden of high power costs. Protesters have issued a stern warning, expressing their determination to bring the entire region to a standstill if their demands are not met immediately. A protester passionately exclaimed, “As you all know, since last night, a curfew-like situation has been created by the administration in certain areas and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senator Afnan Ullah Khan got an FIR filed against the former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s lawyer, Sher Afzal Khan, for allegedly assaulting him on a live media show, Dawn news reported on Saturday. The Pakistan-based news daily reported that the FIR was registered at the Aabpara police station on Friday under Sections 352 (punishment for criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Dawn News reported that PML-N senator stated in the FIR, “During the heated debate, Sher Afzal Marwat suddenly attacked me and tried to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday said that Aditya-L1 spacecraft has travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh kilometres from Earth, successfully escaping the sphere of Earth’s influence. It is now navigating its path towards the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1). This is a major milestone for the Aditya-L1 mission, and for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is the second time in succession that ISRO could send a spacecraft outside the sphere of influence of the Earth, the first time being the Mars Orbiter Mission. ISRO took to X to announce the update. “Aditya-L1…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Amid the ongoing protest sit-ins, the civil society activists in Muzaffarabad city in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK) threw electricity bills into the river and appealed to the people that they should not pay their electricity bills, Dawn reported. Tens of hundreds of electricity bills were thrown into the water and an equal number of them were torched in Rawalakot on Thursday. Since September 20, the People Action Committee in Muzaffarabad has set up a sit-in camp with an appeal to the populace to stop paying their electricity bills, first at a roundabout in front of the Press Club and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The finance ministry on Wednesday forecast inflation to surge by 3-4 percentage points to 31 per cent in September compared to 27.4pc in the preceding month mainly because of a major increase in fuel prices. Inflation was likely to ease due to the double-digit base effect in September, but the significant rise in fuel prices offset it, said the Economic Advisors’ Wing of the Ministry of Finance in its monthly economic update & outlook for September. Together with this, the upward adjustment in energy tariffs is further likely to intensify inflationary pressures in the coming months as these…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Suicide bombings ripped through two mosques in Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 57 people, including seven children, as believers marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, police and health officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, from which the death toll could climb, with many people seriously injured and others having been trapped beneath the wreckage. In the first blast, in Mastung in the southwestern province of Balochistan, the bomber detonated his explosives near a police vehicle where people were gathering for a procession, senior police official Munir Ahmed said. At least 52 people…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: At least 50 people, including a senior police official, were killed when a suspected suicide bomber blew himself up near a procession commemorating Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday, confirmed police. Police officials confirmed that DSP Mastung Nawaz Gishkori was among those killed. Secretary Health Balochistan Asfandyar Khan Kakar said at least 100 people were injured in the attack. Officials expressed fear that the number of casualties may increase. According to Mastung’s assistant commissioner, the blast took place near Al-Falah Mosque, where people were gathering to participate in the procession. The area was cordoned…