Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A protest was staged at the Karachi fish harbour on Sunday over the murder of a cart vendor, ARY News reported. After the funeral of Saddam Hussain, the vendor, who was stabbed to death at the harbour, his relatives launched the protest. The protesters said that criminals extort protection money in the fish market and workers, who refuse to pay, are subjected to violence, ARY News reported. “The criminals have the patronage of police and the fish market administration,” one of his relatives alleged. A strike against murder was observed at the fish harbour, during which routine business…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The International Rescue Committee, Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, Islamic Relief Worldwide, CARE, Intersos, and some other organisations have highlighted the urgent situation of 5,00,000 individuals who have returned to Afghanistan and are facing critical needs for food, shelter, and employment during the winter, TOLO News reported. In response, these organisations are urging the international community to enhance support for the families returning to Afghanistan. “Since the economic situation of Afghanistan is unfortunately dire and a large number of Afghan immigrants enter the country in the winter season, the aid of the international community must be focused…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Pakistan Army chief, General Asim Munir’s maiden visit to the United States of America seems to have struck a discordant chord even before he had time to step into the Pentagon. As soon as the General and his entourage had departed, his spin doctors went into overdrive, passing on orders to the television channels and newspapers that coverage of Palestinians must be restricted and so should be any news of PTI and women leaders like Khadija Shah, a well-known Pakistani American fashion designer who had been locked up for tweeting against the army. But luck was not…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In the midst of all the chaos counting achievements and failures of the organization an important voice was missed: Jamal Baloch, the representative of Balochistan. Jamal Baloch voiced his concerns and raised the issue of Pak-occupied Balochistan at the global platform. Pak-occupied Balochistan is on the frontline of climate disaster. When given the stage, Jamal said a paradoxical proverb of Pak-occupied-Balochistan—rain. He said, “In Balochistan, we have a saying: Rain is what we strive for, and rain is what we are afraid of.” This duality reflects the stark reality. Balochistan desperately needs rain to break the cycle of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Large-scale protests have erupted across Balochistan after an alarming rise in cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances spanning different demographics in the region, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) stated in a report. Notably, the month of November witnessed an alarming rise in cases of human rights violations throughout Balochistan. 65 incidents of enforced disappearances were recorded, spanning different demographics from under-age to disabled persons, newlyweds, students, doctors, shopkeepers, and labourers. 39 extrajudicial killings were reported, including 10 previously disappeared persons killed by state forces in fake encounters Throughout the month, Balochistan witnessed a tragic toll…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) offers trade incentives for developing countries, but Pakistan’s eligibility for this program is contentious. Despite benefiting since 2014, Pakistan’s compliance is dismal, marked by human rights violations, labour abuses, poor governance, and environmental negligence. Blasphemy cases and labour rights breaches persist, undermining GSP+ criteria. Governance crises, fostering extremism over development, led to conflicts and economic distress. A deepening economic crisis, driven by mismanagement and substantial debt, further questions Pakistan’s suitability for GSP+ extension. As the scheme’s expiration looms, Pakistan’s inability to meet standards makes its renewal unjustifiable. The EU must uphold…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a distressing sequence of events, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has been rocked by a string of terrorist attacks, escalating tensions and leaving a trail of casualties. The latest assaults, occurring within days of each other, have not only claimed the lives of Police personnel but have also heightened concerns about the region’s security and stability. On Friday, two separate attacks targeted Police in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. At the Nala Joint Post, terrorists unleashed a barrage of heavy weapons, including hand grenades, resulting in the death of two police personnel. Seven others sustained injuries in the assault but were swiftly moved to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: According to their accounts, even though they have legal documents for staying in the country, the police harass them. They want the Islamic Emirate to pay serious attention to their issue. “They are harassed a lot when they go out or want to do their work, some of them are harassed by the police, and ask for documents,” said Farhad, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan. “The UNHCR, in general, pays no attention to the refugees, we can’t appeal to them, because this is a symbolic organization and pays no attention to refugees,” said Samiullah Azizi, a human rights…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The run up to the National Assembly election Bhutan has not carried any encouraging news for Beijing. With the media in China cheering over the fond hope of the Bhutan government stepping up its engagements with Beijing, India will be keenly watching the results of the ongoing National Assembly election in the Himalayan kingdom. But, the result of the primary round of the two-stage process of election in Bhutan is rather encouraging for New Delhi and to the detriment of Beijing. In the primary round of the poll, the People’s Democratic Party led by former Prime Minister of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Australia has condemned China’s “pattern of dangerous actions” in Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in West Philippine Sea (WPS) over the weekend. In a statement on X (formerly twitter) shared by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu (pic) on Wednesday (Dec 13), Australian government said the actions of Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) create “risks of miscalculations.” “The Australian Government shares the grave concerns of the Philippines Government about a pattern of dangerous actions conducted by Chinese vessels against Philippines vessels and crew in the South China Sea, including incidents near Scarborough Shoal and at Second Thomas…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Four individuals accused of violating the law while overseeing donations to create mani stones were reportedly apprehended in Kegudo town of Kham in Tibet on December 12 at 8:30 a.m. local time, according to Tibettimes. Annually, Kegudo observes the tradition of inaugurating mani stone engravings on auspicious occasions. This year, donations were collected from various Tibetan regions to produce thousands of mani stones. A source disclosed that this year witnessed a substantial influx of donations from other regions, estimated at 2.5 million yuan, which exceeded the production of the previous years. Local law enforcement arrived at the scene,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo vowed Monday to take the “strongest action possible” in response to a semiconductor chip-making breakthrough in China that a House Foreign Affairs Committee said “almost certainly required the use of U.S. origin technology and should be an export control violation.” In an interview with Bloomberg News, Raimondo called Huawei Technology’s advanced processor in its Mate Pro 60 smartphone released in August “deeply concerning” and said the Commerce Department investigates such things vigorously. The United States has banned chip sales to Huawei, which reportedly used chips from China chip giant Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: There is less than a month left until Taiwan’s general election takes place in January 2024. Increasing Chinese pressure on Taiwan makes this election a closely watched event, both by the Beijing government and the international community. In such a crucial time and space, various discussions and events are happening around Taiwan with China in focus. In consideration of this important period, Dolma Tsering, a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of the National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University and a group of young Tibetan scholars organised a week-long Tibet tour talk from 4th to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan’s military drove away four attempts by Chinese forces to approach the island’s sensitive contiguous zone last month, Taiwan security officials said, in what they see as a ramped-up Chinese campaign to “intimidate” voters before key elections. Taiwan officials have repeatedly warned that China is trying to sway voters toward candidates seeking closer ties with Beijing, whose government has framed the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between “peace and war” and urged Taiwanese to make the “right choice”. Taiwan has complained during the past four years of regular Chinese military incursions as Beijing increases…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Anti-Chinese sentiment was again shown by the anti-coup protesters of Myanmar’s military throughout November 2023. This happened after the documents of the meeting between the PLA Navy’s warships and the Myanmar military regime in December 2023 were leaked to the public. In the document, it was stated that China asked the Myanmar military to provide better security, as well as intelligence (data) on ethnic minority armed groups in the oil and natural gas (Migas) pipeline belonging to China that crosses Myanmar. “Safeguarding the security of bilateral cooperation projects is a shared responsibility of both China and Myanmar. This…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Villagers set ablaze the wheat shortage facility of a farmer who allowed his daughter to study and ride a motorcycle with her younger brothers to school in Ratodero town of Larkana district in Sindh province of Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported on Monday. It reported that the incident took place in Zangeja village, within the limits of Lashari police station on Sunday. Aushaq Zangejo alleged that he was threatened by the villagers to stop his daughter Zainab Zangejo from riding the motorbike but he did not pay heed to their warnings. The girl told the local media that…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Turkey is cracking down on Chinese electric vehicle imports, the latest country to do so after the European Union launched its own probe into the Asian country’s EV subsidies. Companies importing EVs to Turkey must have at least 140 authorized service stations spread evenly across the country and open a call center for each brand, according to a Trade Ministry decree published last month. The onerous requirement is widely seen as targeting Chinese vehicles. Imports from the EU and countries that have free-trade agreements with Turkey are exempt from the decree. Importers have only until the end of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: One in four iPhones could soon be manufactured in India as Apple joins a growing list of companies seeking to reduce their reliance on China. The tech giant is aiming to build more than 50 million phones in India annually within the next two to three years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Despite the mass expansion, China will remain the largest producer of iPhones – which cost up to $1,599 – thanks to its mammoth Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. Firms have become increasingly worried about their overdependence on China, fueled by diplomatic efforts by the US and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) organised a conference in London to address the human rights violations in Balochistan and to provide a platform where impassioned voices could highlight the ongoing human rights issues in Pakistan. The conference was organised at the Sindhi Centre in London on Sunday. According to an official statement by the BHRC, the gathering brought together esteemed scholars and representatives from various oppressed regions in Pakistan and Iran. It helped in “providing a platform for them to illuminate the severe human rights abuses perpetrated by oppressive regimes in these regions,” the statement read. BHRC…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Naveed Walter, President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), stressed that even after 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was created in Pakistan, it has not been fully practised and implemented in the country. HRFP observed Human Rights Day at the Vision Hall in Pakistan’s Faisalabad on Sunday and the event was conducted on “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All”. The “theme of December 10, 2023, marks 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was created in 1948,” HRFP said in an official release. “Unfortunately, even after 75 years, the UDHR…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Canada is broadening a probe of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and freezing its participation in the multilateral organization indefinitely, the government said Friday. Ottawa had temporarily suspended its involvement in the AIIB in June after a whistleblower asserted that China’s ruling party pulls the strings at the bank. The AIIB, a project pushed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, was launched in 2016 to counter Western dominance of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It has 106 global members, including Australia, Canada, France and Germany. “In consultation with some of our closest international partners, Canada is…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China has felt pressure from the United Kingdom and the European Union as a dozen Chinese firms were accused of supplying Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war machine. After the Group of Seven (G7) leaders discussed the Ukraine war in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the UK sanctioned 46 companies and individuals, most of which are based in Russia while three are Hong Kong-registered. It’s the first time that the UK has sanctioned Chinese firms on account of the Ukraine war. During the meeting, the G7 leaders reaffirmed a commitment they’d made at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Awami National Committee will hold a huge protest on December 15 against the Chilas terror attack, high inflation and wheat and flour crises in Gilgit Baltistan. According to Daily K2, a local Urdu newspaper, “It was said that people are jolting due to inflation and the government should refrain from targeted subsidy surveys or else there would be a strong reaction.” There is anger and resentment among the people of Gilgit Baltistan, as at least 10 people were killed and 21 passengers were wounded on December 2 when a Rawalpindi-bound bus from nearby hills was attacked by…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says a Chinese military surveillance balloon was spotted in the Taiwan Strait, as well as a large-scale movement of military aircraft and ships. The ministry said the balloon passed southwest of the northern port city of Keelung on Thursday night, then continued east before disappearing, possibly into the Pacific Ocean. However, there seemed to some uncertainty about whether the balloon was operated directly by the People’s Liberation Army, the military branch of China’s ruling Communist Party. The ministry referred to it both as a “PLA surveillance balloon” and as “1 PRC’s balloon,” using the acronym…