Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A Hong Kong court on Friday (Dec 22) rejected a bid by the legal team for pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai to have a sedition charge against him dropped, in a closely watched national security trial. The trial began on Monday for Lai, who is charged with “collusion” with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law, a charge that carries a potential life sentence. He is also accused of “conspiracy to produce seditious publications” – a colonial-era offence that has been revived after decades of disuse – which is considered a lesser charge as it carries a shorter…

Muhammad Siddique Ali Pirzada: Corruption casts its ominous shadow upon the very core of Pakistani society, inflicting immeasurable harm on the nation’s progress and the livelihoods of its people. The recent revelation from Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) with the support of its partner organizations in Sindh, Punjab, KP, and Balochistan. The survey was conducted from October 13th to October 31st, 2023. The National Corruption Perceptions Survey lays bare the magnitude of this malignant blight, underscoring an urgent and uncompromising need for a sweeping overhaul to combat the insidious grip of corruption. This piece delves deep into the survey’s findings, unearths…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chinese activist Li Qiaochu has been tried for “inciting subversion of state power” in a case seen as part of China’s sprawling crackdown on dissent. Ms Li’s lawyer Li Guobei said she was denied entry to the closed-door trial held in Linyi, Shandong on Tuesday. The 32-year-old faces a possible jail term of five years or more. She has been in custody since March 2021, after tweeting about the harsh detention conditions of her partner and fellow activist Xu Zhiyong. Her trial concluded at 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Tuesday without a verdict, according to a Facebook…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Member of Opposition of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and former provincial finance minister Javed Ali Manwa has said bad governance in Pakistan has reached its peak and the government has failed to solve the public’s problems, which is provoking the people, DailyK2 reported. The former provincial finance minister said the Pakistani government is running on the signals of minor assistants due to which the problems are increasing day by day. At this time, Gilgit-Baltistan is in darkness and the government has no policy on how to bring the people out of the darkness, he said. The minister further said…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Head of Coordination Committee of Islami Tehreek Pakistan (ITP) Sheikh Mirza Ali and other leaders have said that the facilities that were given to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are being gradually removed, DailyK2 reported. The remarks were made during a joint press conference in Skardu in Paksitan-occupied Kashmir. Ali said that until the constitutional status is determined, any initiative taken by the federal or provincial government regarding the abolition of any kind of tax or wheat subsidy will not only be rejected but will also receive a strong response. Mirza Ali said that Gilgit Baltistan, being a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: On December 18, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a new report on “Assessing Blasphemy in Pakistan.” The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Its commissioners are appointed by the President and by Congressional leaders of both political parties. The report starts by commenting an incident familiar to readers of “Bitter Winter.” In August 2023, a mob attacked the Christian community of Jaranwala, Punjab, burning and demolishing dozens of churches and homes following ill-founded accusations of blasphemy. “The attacks in Jaranwala represent the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The witnesses against Hong Kong media tycoon and activist Jimmy Lai were strongly mistreated by the Chinese authorities to bring out the ‘desired’ confessions, raising questions about whether his testimony will be voluntary and reliable, an investigative report by The Washington Post stated. Hong Kong’s highest-profile trial since the 2020 crackdown will begin on Monday, with Andy Li Yu-hin as the key witness. Li’s testimony will be crucial to the government’s case against Jimmy Lai, the billionaire media mogul and founder of Apple Daily. Lai is charged under the national security law with “colluding with foreign forces.” Hong…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Vietnamese activism has always revolved around anti-China rallies, but the reaction to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam on December 12-13 was subdued since Hanoi has imprisoned critics, and activists and academics point to a culture of fear among those who are still at large, Voice of America (VOA) reported. Vietnam consented to become a part of Beijing’s “community with a shared future” during the visit last week. As leaders of China, and Vietnam; 36 agreements focused on heightened cooperation were inked by the nations, including ones pertaining to security and cooperative efforts to advance the development…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Scores of doctors and paramedical staff of three hospitals functioning under public-private partnership (PPP) mode have been ‘forced’ to leave their jobs owing to non-payment of their salary for the last 11 months, sources in the health department said here on Sunday. They told Dawn that a number of doctors and paramedical staff of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals, Nawagai, Pashat Salarzai and Category-D Hospital, Larkholozo Mamond, which were running under the PPP mode, had quit their jobs in protest against non-payment of their salary for last 11 months. The sources though did not mention the exact number of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Massive crowds gathered at Dera Gazi Khan in Balochistan as the March against Baloch genocide staged a sit-in against the arrest of several Baloch cadre as well as against the disappearance of Baloch people. Thousands of people were seen participating in the ongoing rally by the Baloch Unity Committee in Dera Ghazi Khan. Ghayur Baloch of Makran, Jhalawan, Sarawan, Kohistan, Koh-e-Sulaiman and Dera Ghazi Khan are raising their voice against state terrorism. The protestors held placards and banners with slogans like stop your terrorism in the state of Balochistan. The Protestors said the the Baloch nation will no…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Thousands of workers working in hotels, restaurants, tandoors, and the general public will besiege the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) office against a 137 per cent increase in tariff of natural gas. The protesters have decided to besiege OGRA, Islamabad office . The protesters have warned police and other law enforcement agencies not to interfere otherwise they will face the music. Last time, police not only baton-charged the protesters but registered cases against them for recording their protest against the hike in gas and electricity tariffs. In reality, the government has increased gas tariffs by over 200…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Police conducted a crackdown and detained “at least 20 participants, including women”, who joined the long march against the alleged “extra-judicial killings” by the Counter Terro­rism Depart­ment (CTD) in Turbat, Balochistan, as it entered the city on Sunday. According to details, the long march of the Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC), led by Mohammad Asif Laghari and originating from Balochistan, was intercepted by police on Shah Sikander Road in Dera Ghazi Khan city. The police said that the participants of the march resisted, upon which they detained several men and women and transferred them to the police lines. The…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistani security agencies detained a large number of protesters, a majority of them women, who joined the long march against the Baloch Genocide in Balochistan province on Sunday. The police also erected barricades on the highway in Kohlu to intercept thousands of protesters marching from Turbat to Islamabad via Quetta with an aim the draw attention to the serious issues of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of the Baloch. The Long March was taken out a few weeks ago by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee to raise the human rights violations in Balochistan. Abdul Rahman Baloch, a member of…

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: 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: 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: 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: 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…