Boko Haram killed 'at least 60' in NE Nigeria: Amnesty

The human rights group's Nigeria director Osai Ojigho said "at least 60 people" were killed while satellite imagery showed "mass burning" of structures used by displaced people.

Boko Haram killed at least 60 civilians in an attack on the remote town of Rann in northeast Nigeria earlier this week, Amnesty International said on Friday.

The human rights group's Nigeria director Osai Ojigho said "at least 60 people" were killed while satellite imagery showed "mass burning" of structures used by displaced people.

"Eleven bodies were found within Rann town, and 49 were found outside," the group said in an emailed statement, adding that some 50 people were still missing.

It quoted one of 10 civilian militia members who travelled to Rann to bury the dead as saying the bodies found outside the town all had gunshot wounds.

"This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to possible war crime, and those responsible must be brought to justice," said Ojigho.

The death toll made it the "deadliest" by Boko Haram on Rann, she added.

In January 2017, a botched Nigerian air strike intended to hit jihadists killed at least 112 people as aid workers distributed food.

Burning buildings

Rann, which is some 175 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, has now been hit four times since March last year.

The first attack killed three aid workers and saw three others kidnapped. Two of the three were later executed. The second attack happened in early December.

On January 14, fighters loyal to the Boko Haram faction led by Abubakar Shekau attacked a military position.

Some 9,000 people fled across the border into Cameroon but were sent back, as troops from Nigeria's eastern neighbour were deployed to Rann as reinforcements.

Cameroonian forces were withdrawn last Sunday, which the United Nations said forced more than 30,000 people to flee in fear of another attack.

AFP has been told the remaining Nigerian soldiers also withdrew because there were not enough of them to fight off Boko Haram if they came in greater numbers.

Amnesty's Ojigho said "environmental sensors detected fires" in and around Rann on Monday and Tuesday, indicating the jihadists returned after the troops pulled out.

Analysis of satellite images indicated the two attacks had left most of the town "heavily damaged or destroyed", and "well over 100" structures had been burned down.

Many of the structures destroyed date back to 2017, indicating they had been constructed for those who had fled to Rann in search of refuge from the fighting.

Call to investigate

Rann had been home to some 35,000 internally displaced people (IDPs), according to the International Organization for Migration.

Amnesty International said it wanted Nigeria to investigate the withdrawal of troops, as it "may have left tens of thousands of civilians exposed" to attack.

On Wednesday, the Norwegian Refugee Council called on Cameroon to keep open its borders to those fleeing Boko Haram attacks.

More than 27,000 people have been killed in nearly 10 years of fighting, while some 1.8 million others remain homeless and reliant on aid for food, shelter, healthcare and water.

The UN this week said it needed $848 million (741 million euros) to fund projects for affected civilians in Borno state and two other northeast states over the next three years.

An additional $135 million was required to help the 228,500 Nigerian refugees who have fled to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, it added.

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Kashmir is the key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy: Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday Kashmir is the key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Talking to media before flying off to London to attend a conference on Kashmir, Qureshi said Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue was well-explained and clear.

“We will continue raising our voice against Indian oppression on innocent and unarmed Kashmiris in the India-occupied valley.”

He said Pakistan would continue political and diplomatic support to the people of held Kashmir.

On Saturday (Feb 2), Qureshi telephoned Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to discuss the situation of Indian occupied Kashmir.

Diplomatic sources said that FM Qureshi and Syed Ali Shah Geelani discussed the atrocities and grave human rights violations by the occupied Indian forces in held Kashmir.

The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights report on human rights violations in Kashmir and the Kashmir Conference of London were also discussed by the two leaders.

On this occasion, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani lauded the role of Pakistan for extending continuous moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris struggling for achieving their right to self-determination.

All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, on January 7, had appreciated the efforts of Pakistan in supporting a settlement to the long-pending Kashmir dispute, Kashmir Media Service reported.

A statement released by Syed Ali Gilani, had read that the joint press conference of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara expressed serious concern over the issues faced by the Muslim community worldwide.

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PM Khan will arrive in Lahore on a day-long visit

Prime Minister Imran Khan will arrive in Lahore on a day-long visit on Sunday.

According to the details, PM Imran Khan will land at Lahore airport around 2 pm and would chair a high level meeting at the Chief Minister House.

During his visit, the prime minister would hold separate meetings with Punjab chief minister and governor.

The prime minister would be briefed on police reforms and the investigations of Sahiwal incident, said sources.

Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, on January 21, had promised reforms in Punjab police after the Sahiwal incident and had said anyone found guilty will be given an “exemplary punishment.”

In a tweet, earlier this morning, the incumbent premier said the grief and anger of the people of Pakistan over the Sahiwal incident was understandable & justified.

“I assure the nation that when I return from Qatar not only will the guilty be given exemplary punishment, but I will review the entire structure of Punjab police & start process of reforming it,” he had added.

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Hamza Shahbaz departs for London

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has left for London on Sunday morning.

Shehbaz will first land in Doha and subsequently move to London.

On Feb 1, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered Hamza Shahbaz’s name to be taken off the Exit Control List.

It had granted him a one-time exemption to travel abroad.

Hamza Shahbaz has informed the LHC in writing about his schedule of visit.

His counsel, Azam Nazir Tarar informed the court on Friday that Hamza Shahbaz will depart for London on February 3 and scheduled to return on February 12.

 

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Medical board at Services Hospital to examine Nawaz today

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been admitted to Services Hospital Lahore after deterioration of his health on Sunday.

A six-member medical board will examine Sharif and conduct his blood and sugar tests as well as electrocardiography (ECG).

The board will decide today whether to keep Sharif in the hospital or release him.

Sharif was shifted to Services Hospital, Lahore from Kot Lakhpat Jail on Saturday amid tight security.

Sharif has been hospitalised on the recommendation of a special medical board constituted by the Punjab government to examine his health condition.

Earlier on Saturday, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar approved a request for shifting the Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo to the hospital.

A notification elucidating the CM’s orders was issued by the Punjab Home Department.

The decision was taken keeping in view the health condition of Nawaz Sharif.

According to his medical report, Nawaz Sharif is facing serious health issues and he requires necessary treatment at the hospital.

The medical board had sent the report to the provincial home ministry, urging the Punjab government to shift the ousted PM to a hospital.

Sharif has reportedly developed cardiac complications.

The board, which was formed on January 25 by the Punjab government, comprises cardiac experts from Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC), Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC).

According to reports, Nawaz’s personal physician Dr Adnan also briefed the board about the medical history related to his heart ailment.

Sharif’s family also urged that he should be shifted to a hospital as the PML-N supremo was not getting proper medical facilities in the prison.

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Hamza and his family are worried about Nawaz’s illness

Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz has said that the reports in media about former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s deteriorating health were worrisome and demanded that the family and nation be told truth about his health on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference here, Shahbaz said that the deposed former premier was suffering from various ailments and the government should realise that nothing is beyond health.

Talking about the ongoing debate about new provinces in Punjab, he said that the government had promised so much for the creation of ‘south-Punjab’ province prior to elections, however, the government should also take into account the longstanding demand of a ‘Bahawalpur province’.

He said that the PML-N was ready to support the federal government unconditionally if it wanted to create new provinces, suggesting that the people of Bahawalpur should also be asked about their wishes through a referendum.

“The PML-N has tabled the resolution for creation of new provinces in the national assembly, and we have assured of ‘unconditional support’ to the government on this issue”, he said.

He said that the former Punjab government had allocated Rs. 600bn for development, but the new government hadn’t used any of it so far.

“We raised south Punjab’s budget from previous 16 per cent to 22 per cent and the region alone had an allocation of Rs. 228bn”, he claimed.

“Today, entire Punjab’s budget is only Rs. 222bn”, he said.

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PM to inaugurate ‘Thal Express’ on Feb 12: Railways Minister

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Saturday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate ''Thal Express'' on February 12.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Sheikh Rasheed said that the duration of journey between Lahore and Karachi would be reduced by 30 minutes after the inauguration of Lai Expressway on March 1.

He said that Railways had launched two freight trains while more freight trains would be started in near future as well.

The minister said that number of freight trains would be increased by 20.

Sheikh Rasheed said that all measures were being taken to raise Railway s’ income and added that he would hold a meeting on Main Line 1 project (ML1) in this week to finalize the new tender.

Sheikh Rasheed hinted to resign after the completion of ML-1 and Lai Expressway.

He further said that freight company’s headquarter had been shifted from Lahore to Karachi.

He said that a VIP train, Jinnah Express would be launched on March 30 and added that another VIP trian after the name of Syed Ahmad Khan train would be launched soon.

Sheikh Rasheed said that he would listen online complaints from 9 to 10 am on daily bases to improve the performance of Railways.

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Experts: US-S. Korea Ties Can Weather Troop Cost-Sharing Dispute

Amid the U.S. diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea, Washington and Seoul are negotiating a new deal on sharing the cost of maintaining U.S. forces in South Korea, because the last Special Measures Agreement (SMA) expired Dec. 31.

Military experts told VOA they expect South Korea and the U.S. will remain firm allies despite the dispute that centers on a disagreement about how much the U.S. wants South Korea to pay as its share.

Washington wants double the $850 million Seoul paid last year to cover the cost of stationing about the 28,500 American troops on more than 20 bases in South Korea.

Since March, Seoul and Washington have held 10 rounds of talks but remained deadlocked, raising fears that President Donald Trump might threaten to draw down forces as he prepares for a second summit with North Korea.

Washington and Seoul need to reach an agreement for the new cost-sharing deal by mid-April. Otherwise, about 8,700 Koreans employed by the U.S. forces in South Korea may be put on leave. Seoul is covering those costs until the new agreement is reached as the provisions of the expired SMA stipulates.

Room for compromise

Bruce Bechtol, a retired Marine and former intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency who now studies North Korea’s military at Angelo State University in Texas, believes “there’s a room for compromise on both sides.”

He said the disagreement over the cost “happened every year there’s been SMA talks in the past.” He continued, “In the end, we reached a deal that everyone could agree on.”

General John Tilelli, a retired four-star general who was commander of the U.S. and South Korean Combined Forces Command (CFC) from 1996 to 1999 said, “The negotiations should be viewed with the focus of what it takes to deter North Korea and its large conventional forces and weapons of mass destruction and cause North Korea to denuclearize and become a country that believes in the right of its people to be free.”

Tilelli continued “There should be nothing that weakens the [South Korean] and U.S. alliance.”

David Maxwell, a former U.S. Special Forces colonel who served on the CFC and is now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, believes a strong bond between Washington and South Korea “can transcend the current friction.”

But he thinks, in the end, South Korea “will have to increase funding to satisfy Trump.”

North Korea

Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp. research center, however, expressed concern that North Korea will use the opportunity to drive a wedge between the two allies.

“North Korea’s got to love what’s going on,” Bennett said. “North Korea really would like to see the end of the U.S.-[South Korean] alliance. … They want there to be much less … rationale for the U.S. troops to be in South Korea.”

Washington initially asked Seoul to contribute $1.6 billion but later reduced the amount to $1.2 billion; Seoul rejected both. Washington slashed the amount again but suggested the deal be extended for only one year instead of the usual five.

Seoul contends that it is not asking the U.S. to pay for the property use, and Washington argues that $850 million is a fraction of the total cost of about $2 billion.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his disdain for alliances and threatened to pull out of NATO, America’s military alliance with Europe. At his first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June, Trump canceled joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises that he thought were too expensive.

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Karate Champ Takes On New Foe in France, DRC: Sexual Violence

Women's marches last weekend in cities around the world show just how much attention the #MeToo movement has drawn to the issue of sexual violence. But experts say there is a long way to go. An EU report says one in 20 women in Europe has been raped, and many still do not report sexual assaults.

But in France, a triple world karate champion is teaching women to heal through her sport—both at home and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Laurence Fischer has faced some tough adversaries, but nothing like the one she's dealing with today. It's often invisible and hard to beat: the trauma from sexual assault and violence endured by women in her class.

Everybody here has a different story. M'bamoussa Soumare was raped by a relative in her native Mali at the age of 12.

Soumare says her family forced her to marry her rapist two years later, and she underwent excision. She had one child after another and her husband beat her. Finally, last year, she managed to flee to France, with help from a sister living here.

Soumare landed at La Maison des Femmes, or The Women's Home, a special center for female victims of violence, outside Paris.

"Some of them are victims of domestic violence, others of incest. All kinds of violence in fact. We try to help them according to their story," said Dr. Ghada Hatem, a gynecologist and founder of The Women's Home. Many of the women who come here are African immigrants. But plenty of French women have shared their experiences.

"There are many enquiries (studies) that show that about seven women in 10 are victims of violence. So we are all concerned," she said.

The center offers medical and psychological treatment — but also therapeutic classes, like this one, taught by former triple world karate champion Laurence Fischer.

"Karate is a way to connect yourself to yourself. Because of the trauma, there's kind of a disassociation ... because of the suffering, they cannot connect," said Fischer.

Fischer began teaching karate to women after retiring from competition, more than a decade ago. Since 2014, she goes yearly to a country where sexual violence is so widespread it's called the rape capital of the world'— the Democratic Republic of Congo. She works with the Panzi Foundation in eastern DRC, founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege. Two years ago, she launched an NGO called Fight for Dignity. Karate not only helps women to heal, she says, but to regain their self-confidence.

"It's incredible how it can impact their relations with their children, with their boyfriend, with the way to find job after, the relations with the others because we are not only brain, we are body. And when both are connected, it's very powerful," said Fischer.

She began teaching karate at The Women's Home a year ago.

"I think that karate is a very good sport for these women. It gives them better self esteem," said Dr. Hatem. "And Laurence has special work around the vagina and clitoris and all the sexual assaults. And it's very important for our patients to work on their own bodies through this trauma."

Fischer and her students gather for tea after every class. It's a time to get to know each other, and to make friends. Thirty-year-old Aissata Djiakite has been going to The Women's Home for more than a year.

She says when you're sexually attacked, you feel weak and battered. But with karate you really want to live. She says Fischer is extraordinary — she helps the women emerge from their pain, and gives them back an appetite for life.

Fischer plans to return to the DRC, not just to work with Panzi. She wants to help some of her female graduates there to start karate classes in their villages — so they can help other women ... fight for dignity.

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SMQ quashes PPP's 18th Amendment concerns

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday dismissed opposition parties' concerns regarding the 18th Amendment as he assured that the provinces' constitutional rights are under no threat.

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday had said that the 18th Amendment was in danger as it was being attacked from different sides, but all opposition parties were firm in their resolve to foil these attacks.

He reiterated his concerns today during a visit to the Karachi Press Club with party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

"The 18th Amendment is being attacked," Bilawal said. "This amendment came into existence through a lot of struggle. Shaheed (martyred) Bhutto's 1973 Constitution was reinstated. Now the reinstated Constitution is under attack from the government and other places.

"The PPP cannot tolerate this. We will struggle at all fora and go into review on some decisions. Our institutions are being prised away. For this, even if I have to do a long march I would do one."

Hours later, Qureshi, while talking to media representatives at Kotla Mahar in Multan, said that opposition parties are making undue hue and cry as there was no threat to the 18th Amendment, constitutional rights of the provinces and democracy.

However, he said that there could be threat to personal interests of some individuals.

The foreign minister said that the PTI government had immense respect for constitutional rights of the provinces.

Qureshi further stated that the federal government would not make any effort to dislodge the PPP government, adding that the real threat to the Sindh administration was not from the PTI but from its poor governance and corruption.

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You will be surprised to know about Bilawal Bhutto's 'marriage plan'

In a surprising turn of events, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari revealed his marriage plans during a press talk in Karachi and guyz you will be surprised to know that he is thinking of marrying in each of the four provinces.

During a media talk in Karachi Bilawal was thrown a googly from a journalist who cheekily to know his marriage plans asked when he will get married? “The people of Pakistan wish to see him in two avatars, one as prime minister and secondly as a married man,” asked the reporter.

Further stressing on his point the reporter asked whether he will be getting married before becoming the prime minister or afterwards.

Bilawal Bhutto in a lighter mood replied:” Detailed and comprehensive, strategic meetings are underway, we are planning the exact time to get married before or after elections or during or after the election campaign.”

Bilawal further went on, “A report is under process regarding whether I should marry once or get a bride from each of the four provinces to guess the electoral impact of such a decision.”

He mockingly remarked that he will divulge the details as soon as the complete report is presented to him.

The PPP chairman has been getting many marriage proposals, who can forget a Multan woman who made way to the Gillani House professing her undying love for him and her wish to get married to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Earlier, Bilawal said that a lot of girls are approaching for marriage but his sisters’ approval is a must in order for him to get married.

Talking to journalists in Ubauro Town of Ghotki district in November last year he said: “There are too many (marriage) offers, but the woman will have to convince my sisters first. It is a very difficult task, fate will get us hitched if any woman succeeds in this task,” he added.

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Info minister responds to criticism over increase in Hajj expenses

Information Minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain on Saturday questioned that how can the government provide any subsidy to the pilgrims when the previous government left nothing in the national exchequer.

Addressing a public gathering in Gujranwala, he criticized, “The opposition says that we are not providing subsidy to pilgrims. How can we do that when you have left nothing in the national exchequer."

“Now no Pakistani hospital is being liked by Nawaz Sharif when he get his own treatment them. He remained in power for 30 years but cannot choose any hospital from the country,” bashed Fawad.

He said we inherited a weak economy with mounting debt due to corrupt practices and failed policies of the previous governments.

The minister pointed out that loans taken during the last ten years are more than those taken in entire seventy years’ history of Pakistan.

Chaudhary Fawad Hussain notified that opposition starts giving lame excuses of democracy in danger when they are made accountable of their corruption.

He said the money looted from Pakistan is unveiled in Dubai and London and the government will pursue those who plundered the national wealth for their personal gains.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan set an example by living in his own house in Banigala and leaving the Prime Minister House. He takes public money as a sacred trust between government and people," said Fawad.

Information Minister said rule of law will be ensured for every Pakistani and no one will get exemption. has said the country has achieved numerous successes on diplomatic front in a relatively short period of time.

He declared that Pakistan has assumed an important place in international affairs due to a vigorous foreign policy of PTI government.

The Minister said Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen and other countries see an important mediation role of Pakistan in the region, thanks to charismatic and effective leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

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China Greets Lunar New Year With Celebrations, Travel Rush

China is greeting next week's Lunar New Year with celebrations and a travel rush that will see an estimated 3 billion trips by people around the country.

Thousands of passengers toted bundles of clothes and gifts at Beijing train stations Friday, ahead of the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. It's a time for people to return to their hometowns to reunite with family and friends.

"Wow, there's a lot of people,'' Li Pingping, a beauty salon worker from Henan province, said as she steeled herself for a 17-hour train ride home.

The year of the pig in the 12-year Chinese astrological cycle starts Tuesday; it follows the year of the dog.

On the festival's eve, people gather for reunion dinners, give red packets of pocket money to youngsters and light firecrackers at midnight.

The capital, Beijing, and other cities are festooned with lanterns and other decorations to mark the holiday, which is also celebrated in Vietnam and by ethnic Chinese communities around Asia.

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Woman divorces groom for calling her 'stupid' minutes after getting married

The case of a Kuwaiti couple who got divorced just minutes after getting married went viral on Twitter after the groom called his bride “dumb” for slipping

The newly married couple parted ways and walked out of the court just after signing their marriage contract, reports Step Feed.

The bride got annoyed after the groom ridiculed her for tripping while walking out of the courtroom. Instead of helping her when the bride tripped, the man called her “stupid” for slipping.

Outraged by his behaviour on their wedding day, the woman marched right into the courtroom and demanded a divorce.

Now called “the quickest divorce in Kuwait,” the case went viral on Twitter shortly after being reported.

Many Twitterati displayed their shock over this unusual case, while others ridiculed it with some extra humour.

أسرع قضية طلاق في العام 2019 .. بعد إنتهاءهم من إتمام العقد خرجت الزوجة من الباب فتعثرت وسمعت زوجها يقول «ثول» فرجعت للقاضي وأصرت على فسخ العقد. pic.twitter.com/50R2TE6kQX

— ديوان الكويت ?? (@aldew3n_q8) January 27, 2019

Some were quite supportive of the woman’s decision,

“A strong woman… I would’ve done the same thing.”

جدعة. كنت هعمل زيها.

— Alyaa Gad, MD (@AlyaaGad) January 27, 2019

“Yup, that’s me right there”

Yup, that’s me right there https://t.co/fJ6rXh54fk

— ʜᴇɴᴅ ?? (@_Burero) January 27, 2019

“If this is how he acts right at the beginning, it’s better to leave him”

أسرع قضية طلاق في العام 2019 .. بعد إنتهاءهم من إتمام العقد خرجت الزوجة من الباب فتعثرت وسمعت زوجها يقول «ثول» فرجعت للقاضي وأصرت على فسخ العقد. pic.twitter.com/50R2TE6kQX

— ديوان الكويت ?? (@aldew3n_q8) January 27, 2019

“A marriage with no respect, is a failed one right from the beginning”

زواج مافيه احترام هذا زواج فاشل من البداية زين سوت فيه اذا هذا مستوى الفاظة لا يتزوج بنات الناس يقولها "ثول" وحده توك مالج عليها بتصير شريكة حياتك وام عيالك تدقرها جذي...

— ع³ (@aishaaalaqeel) January 27, 2019

Other’s weren’t even able to handle the news,

“I can’t believe this.”

ما تدش العقل ?

— فهد علي الشبلي (@q8123x) January 27, 2019

Some thought that the newlywed woman was after an excuse to get a divorce,

تدور الزله اشكره? https://t.co/gQ00LdxcoG

— ??‍? (@itsteacherx) January 27, 2019

Divorce rates are on the rise across the Gulf region.

Astronomical divorce rates in #Kuwait prompt proposal on mandatory marriage counselling https://t.co/8PeJydJl8q @gulf_news @abdulhamidahmad

— Layelle Saad (@LayelleSaad) January 28, 2016

Divorce rates are relatively high in recent years and 2019 isn’t changing anything.

Kuwait ranked 2nd in the Arab world when it comes to soaring divorce rates, according to a survey.

In 2017, statistics released by Kuwait’s Ministry of Justice showed that around 60 per cent of marriages in the country ended in divorce.

The main reason for divorce includes “interest-driven marriages” which indicates that many newlyweds only get married for the financial assistance they get from the state.

This article appeared originally in Step Feed.

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Diana wanted to marry and live in Pakistan: Jemima Goldsmith

Years after her passing, late Princess of Wales, Diana, has been in the headlines for both right and wrong reasons. Be it her lavish Royal wedding to Prince Charles, her struggles settling into the British monarchs, or how she longed to break free from the quintessential royal norms.

However, what the world talked about most was her crumbling marriage that inevitably resulted in her speculated affair with Pakistani doctor, Hasnat Khan. The Princess wanted to marry him and was ready to leave Britain, according to her close friend and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s former wife, Jemima Goldsmith.

In a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair, titled “The Grandmother Prince George Never Knew”, Jemima spilled beans on how Diana was head over heels for Hasnat, a heart surgeon in the UK.

Contrary to her other ‘affairs’, the one with Hasnat wasn’t much publicised. Jemima told the magazine, “Diana was madly in love with Hasnat Khan and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan, and that’s one of the reasons why we became friends.”

She went on, “She wanted to know how hard it had been for me to adapt to life in Pakistan.” Diana turned to Jemima for advice in reference to the latter’s own marriage with a Pakistani man, which made her move to Pakistan.

According to Jemima, Diana would often consult her about living in Pakistan when she paid visits to the country. The PM’s ex-wife also stated that Diana visited her twice in Pakistan.

“Diana went to Pakistan to help raise funds for Imran’s hospital, but both times she also went to meet his family secretly to discuss the possibility of marriage to Hasnat.”

Sarah Ellison, Vanity Fair’s contributing editor claimed, “Princess Diana was reportedly in a relationship with Hasnat Khan from 1995 to 1997. Diana and Hasnat wanted to get married but the latter’s mother never gave approval. The princess had told two of her friends that she wanted a daughter with him.”

Friends tell Ellison that Diana made a point to get to know Hasnat’s family, specifically seeking the approval of his mother, Naheed.

“For a son to marry an English girl is every conservative Pashtun mother’s worst nightmare,” Jemima told Ellison. “You send your son to be educated in England and he comes back with an English bride. It’s something they dread.”

But according to Ellison, Hasnat’s decision to not marry Diana may have been the “greatest” gift to the princess.

Ellison spoke to some of Diana’s friends who insisted that she had broken off the relationship out of frustration that Hasnat wasn’t agreeing to marry her, or even make their relationship public. Jemima added, “He hated the thought of being in the glare of publicity for the rest of his life.”

“Everybody sells me out,” Diana told a friend the summer of her death, stated Ellison. “Hasnat is the one person who will never sell me out.”

As her love affair with the doctor ended, Diana began a new relationship with Dodi Al Fayed. Diana and Dodi, the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, are said to have started their relationship soon after in the French Riviera.

The Princess’ divorce from Princes Charles was finalised in 1996. Soon after vacationing together, Diana and Dodi died in a high-speed car crash on August 31. She was just 36 while Dodi was 42.

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Russia suspends nuclear missile treaty after US move

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia was suspending its participation in a key Cold War-era missile treaty in a mirror response to a US move the day before.

Moscow and Washington have long accused the other of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces agreement, which was signed in 1987 and resolved a crisis over Soviet missiles.

President Donald Trump last year announced plans to withdraw unless Russia fulfilled its obligations.

“Our American partners have announced they are suspending their participation in the deal, and we are also suspending our participation,” Putin said of the agreement, following a US deadline for cooperation.

Putin said during a televised meeting with foreign and defence ministers Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu that Russia would no longer initiate talks with the US on disarmament.

“We will wait until our partners have matured enough to conduct an equal, meaningful dialogue with us on this important topic,” the president said.

Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan with last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the treaty ended a superpower buildup of warheads that had frightened Europeans.

It banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (300 to 3,400 miles).

The deal addressed Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.

President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was starting a process to withdraw from the agreement in six months.

Trump said he would like to “get everybody in a big and beautiful room and do a new treaty,” but in the meantime, the United States “can't be put at a disadvantage.”

Disputed missile
The US in December gave Moscow a 60-day deadline to dismantle missiles it said breached the agreement.

But Moscow has insisted the disputed 9M729 missile is allowed under the treaty. The defence ministry last month invited journalists and foreign military attaches to a briefing on the weapon system.

Lavrov on Saturday repeated Russian accusations that Washington itself has been in violation of the deal for many years.

The foreign minister said Russia had “tried everything to save the treaty” in several rounds of diplomatic talks.

Putin meanwhile said Russia would seek to develop medium-range missiles in response to what he said were similar projects in the US.

He has previously warned of proliferation of weapons but on Saturday told the ministers Russia would “not be drawn into a costly new arms race”.

Russia would only deploy intermediate- and short-range missiles in Europe or elsewhere in answer to similar moves from the US, he added.

European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of the treaty's demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the United States formally leaves in August.

Beijing on Saturday also expressed concern over the mutual suspension, calling for the US and Russia to engage in “constructive dialogue”.

China's foreign ministry has ruled out the possibility of negotiating a new multilateral pact that includes Beijing.

NATO earlier said that US allies “fully support” its withdrawal and agreed that Russia's 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems, whose range is the cause of US concerns, violated the treaty.

Lavrov at Saturday's meeting voiced concerns that Washington's decision to withdraw from the INF could jeopardise the extension of the New START treaty.

That agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads held by Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021.

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FBR revises land valuations upwards for 20 major cities

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday issued a flurry of notifications regarding upward revisions in the valuation rates of immovable property in 20 major cities of the country.

The average increase in valuations is around 20 per cent, but some areas have seen a much sharper revision in taxable rates. The new rates, which the FBR will use to calculate withholding and capital gains taxes when properties in notified areas are bought and sold, are applicable from February 1, 2019.

Among the largest cities, the area-wise categorisation of Karachi reveals that the city has been divided into 196 areas for the purposes of valuation.

Under the categorisation scheme, properties on Abdullah Haroon Road, Bath Island, I.I. Chundhrigar Road and PECHS are among 22 localities listed under the 'A-1' category. Residential plots in this category have been valued at Rs42,000 per square yard, while commercial plots have been valued at Rs120,000 per sq. ft.

A 100 per cent upward increase has been made in the valuation of immovable properties in some sectors of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi. In the rest of the areas of the city, the FBR has revised its valuations by 15 to 20pc.

Lahore is a primary focus of the property re-evaluation drive, where 1,234 areas have been re-evaluated for tax collection purposes.

According to the notifications issued, residential properties in Gulberg have been assessed at between Rs1,656,000 per marla to Rs1,224,000 per marla, while commercial properties have been valued at between Rs3,168,000 per marla and Rs1,728,000 per marla.

Residential and commercial properties in Zaman Park have been revalued to Rs691,200 per marla and Rs1,368,000 per marla, respectively.

The valuation of 28 areas of Rawalpindi and 90 areas of Islamabad has also been revised upwards by the FBR.

In Rawalpindi, residential areas in Satellite Town have been valued at Rs3,000,000 per marla while commercial areas have been valued at Rs1,680,000/marla.

Residential properties in DHA have been valued at between Rs420,000 and Rs132,000 per marla, while commercial areas have been estimated at Rs3,000,000/marla.

In Islamabad, the upscale localities of F-6 to F-11 have been valued between Rs50,460 per square yard to Rs58,260 per square yard.

On the other hand the valuation of commercial spaces in F-6 start at 29,700 per square yard and go up to 148,500 per square yard. In F-11 Markaz, the value ranges from Rs142,560 per square yard to Rs19,800 per square yard.

A total of 339 areas of Peshawar and 426 areas of Quetta have also been re-evaluated by the board.

Residential properties on Peshawar's Mall road have been valued at Rs1,322,795, while commercial properties here have been estimated at Rs5,732,110 per marla.

In Sadar Bazar, residential areas are valued at Rs1,322,795 per marla while commercial areas will cost Rs5,732,110.

The revised property valuation rates have brought them to around 60 per cent of their actual market values, FBR spokesman Dr Hamid Ateeq Sarwar told The Express Tribune.

He further said another phase of re-evaluation would kick off from July or September to bring the rates to 80pc of market values.

Other cities and the number of areas whose property valuations have been revised upwards by the FBR include:

Jhang – 623 areas
Gujrat – 538 areas
Sialkot – 701 areas
Sargodha – 31 areas
Sahiwal – 338 areas
Multan – 593 areas
Mardan – 17 areas
Jhelum – 892 areas
Hyderabad – 26 areas
Abbottabad – 7 areas
Bahawalpur – 424 areas
Gujranwala – 186 areas
Faisalabad – 811 areas
Sukkur – 22 areas

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Several cities in Pakistan experience earthquake tremors

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake jolted several cities in the northern parts of the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Kohat, Swat, Mianwali and Sargodha, on Saturday evening, following a 2.9 magnitude tremor felt in Karachi earlier in the day.

According to media, the tremors were also felt in parts of North India.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department's National Seismic Monitoring Centre in Islamabad, the earthquake took place at a depth of 208 kilometres in the Hindu Kush Region in Afghanistan at a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale.

As per the Met department, the quake in Karachi occurred at 7:38am and was recorded at a 2.9 magnitude on the Richter scale. Local media reported that tremors were felt in several parts of the megalopolis, with users taking to Twitter to inquire about the quake.

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USAID Stops Assistance in West Bank and Gaza, Official Says

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has ceased all assistance to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, a U.S. official said Friday.

The decision was linked to a Jan. 31 deadline set by new U.S. legislation under which foreign aid recipients would be more exposed to anti-terrorism lawsuits.

The deadline also sees the end of about $60 million in U.S. aid for the Palestinian security forces, whose cooperation with Israeli forces helps maintain relative quiet in the West Bank.

Congress' Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA) empowers Americans to sue foreign aid recipients in U.S. courts over alleged complicity in "acts of war."

The Palestinian Authority declined further U.S. funding over worries about its potential legal exposure, although it denies Israeli accusations that it encourages militant attacks.

"At the request of the Palestinian Authority, we have wound down certain projects and programs funded with assistance under the authorities specified in ATCA in the West Bank and Gaza," a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday.

"All USAID assistance in the West Bank and Gaza has ceased."

Future of USAID unclear

It was unclear how long the cessation would be in effect.

The official said no steps were currently being taken to close the USAID mission in the Palestinian territories, and no decision had been made about future staffing at the USAID mission in the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

USAID is the main agency administering U.S. foreign assistance in the Palestinian territories. According to its website, the agency spent $268 million on public projects in the West Bank and Gaza as well as Palestinian private sector debt repayment in 2017, but there were significant cuts to all new funding through the end of June 2018.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said: "The suspension of aid to our people, which included critical sectors such as health and education, will have a negative impact on all, create a negative atmosphere, and increase instability."

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Ismail Rudwan condemned the stopping of aid, deploring what he called "politicized money."

Humanitarian cuts

The USAID announcement comes after humanitarian officials in the West Bank and Gaza said they were facing a general cutback in funding from donors worldwide.

Last year Washington cut hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the Palestinians, which included funding to humanitarian groups supported by USAID.

The U.S. cuts were widely seen as a means of pressuring the Palestinian leadership to resume the peace talks with Israel and to engage with the Trump administration ahead of its long-awaited Middle East peace plan.

As a result, dozens of NGO employees have been laid off, health and unemployment programs have been shut down, and infrastructure projects halted.

In August, Washington announced an end to all U.S. funding for the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees. The agency received $364 million from the United States in 2017.

In January the World Food Program cut food aid to about 190,000 Palestinians due to a shortage of funds.

Diplomatic sources said Palestinian, U.S. and Israeli officials were trying to find ways to keep the money flowing to Abbas' security forces.

"We will find a solution to these things. I won't get into details," Israeli security cabinet minister Yuval Steinitz told Israel Radio on Thursday.

USAID will continue to implement conflict management and mitigation grants in Israel, with Jewish and Arab participants, the official said.

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Strong 6.1-magnitude quake rocks western Indonesia

A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Mentawai on Saturday, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The earthquake hit at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) in the Mentawai island region in West Sumatra province, some 100 kilometres southeast of the town of Tuapejat and 200 kilometres south of the major port city of Padang, according to the USGS.

Officials are still assessing the impact but there were no immediate reports of damage and casualties.

"The quake was felt very strongly in Tuapejat. Our officers are still assessing the impact but so far everything is safe," said the head of Mentawai search and rescue agency Akmal, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

The quake left residents of Padang, on the west coast of Sumatra, panicking for a moment.

"It was very scary. This is the second quake we felt today. Our house was shaking, so we ran outside," Ira, a resident of Padang told AFP.

Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth due to its position straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.

Mentawai was hit by a tsunami in 2010 which killed more than 400 people and Padang suffered from a deadly earthquake in 2009 where more than 1,100 lives were lost.

Last year, the Indonesian archipelago was hit by an earthquake and tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island which killed around 2,200 people.

At the end of the year, an erupting volcano in the middle of the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands killed more than 400 people.

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Neelum Jhelum power project starts generation of electricity: WAPDA

A detailed inspection of Neelum-Jhelum power project has been concluded and the power house has started generation of electricity as per schedule, a spokesman of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) said on Saturday.

The project was closed for 29 days from January 5 under the construction agreement for inspection, the Wapda spokesman said.

After removing water from the tunnel a detailed inspection conducted, which found the civil works and electrical and mechanical equipment power house meeting the required standards, the spokesman said.

The underground draft tubes, Bonut gates, MIVs, generation units, related equipment were needed minor repair, which has been conducted, the spokesman said.

After filling the dam the gates of the spillways and the dam structure were also tested and found the gates operating satisfactorily.

Presently, the water flow in Neelum river is 60 cubic meter per second, which is generating a unit of the hydro-power project and generating 242 megawatts of electricity, Wapda statement said.

The project will generate 969 megawatts when it will run with its full capacity on availablity of required flow of water, the statement said.

The Neelum-Jhelum power project has been completed and it will supply 4.6 billion units of inexpensive electricity to the national power grid in year 2019-20, the spokesman added.

The project will generate Rs. 50 billion revenues each year, the statement added.

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NA production orders of Shehbaz Sharif, Saad Rafique challenged in SC

The production orders issued for Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif and MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique by NA speaker Asad Qaiser have been challenged in the Supreme Court.

The two Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders are currently in the National Accountability Bureau’s custody over corruption charges.

The petitioner requested the apex court in his plea that earliest date be fixed for hearing.

He sought February 7 as the date for hearing of the case.

He said the case needs attention on emergency basis.

A similar application was rejected by the Islamabad High Court on Jan 21 that challenged Shehbaz’s appointment as the Public Accounts Committee chairman.

Shehbaz Sharif is presently in jail on judicial remand in a case pertaining to the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scheme scam.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested him on October 05 last year.

Whereas, former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique along with his brother Salman Rafique is in NAB custody in connection with a probe into the Paragon Housing Society case.

The Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif was elected Chairman of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a meeting of the committee at Parliament House in Islamabad in December as per tradition of the parliament.

The government after a deadlock with the opposition reached an agreement over the election of the opposition leader as chairman of the PAC.

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Hate speeches: ATC exempts Wasim Akhtar from appearance

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted an exemption to Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar and Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Amir Khan from appearance in the next hearing of two cases pertaining to hate speeches.

Dr Farooq Sattar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan and other MQM-P leaders appeared before the ATC judge as he resumed the hearing into the cases.

During the hearing, the court granted a plea moved by Wasim Akhtar and Amir Khan seeking exemption from personal appearance in the next hearing fixed for March 1.

It directed the investigation officer to produce the complainants of the cases along with a detailed investigation report.

Earlier today, the ATC handed down an amended indictment to the mayor and 20 others in 12 May, 2007 violence case.

An amended charge-sheet was presented before the court by police framing new charges against the accused persons.

Wasim Akhtar also appeared during the case hearing today.

However, mayor Karachi, Umair Siddiqui and other people nominated in the case denied charges before the court.

The ATC also indicted other absconding persons in the case including Abdul Zahid and issued their arrest warrants.

Zahid had already filed a bail plea before the anti-terrorism court.

His lawyer had also furnished arguments to seek release of his client.

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Liquor case: Sharjeel Memon avoids indictment as lawyer skips hearing

Former information minister Sindh, Sharjeel Memon, appeared before the court of the judicial magistrate in a liquor case on Saturday.

Alongside the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, other people nominated in the case also turned up before the court.

However, the lawyer representing the ex-minister and other co-accused persons skipped the hearing, giving his clients another chance to evade indictment.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till March 2.

On the morning of September 1 last year, then Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had paid a surprise visit to PPP leader Sharjeel Memon’s room at the Ziauddin hospital and found three bottles of liquor.

The chief justice’s visit not only caught the former Sindh minister off guard but also spurred the police into action after discovery of the bottles of liquor from his hospital room.

Memon was then shifted to Central Jail, Karachi and three people, including a security guard, were arrested while CCTV footage and other evidence had also been collected from the room for investigation.

On Oct 23, 2017, the former provincial information minister was taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after his bail plea was rejected in a corruption case pertaining to the award of advertisements at inflated rates by misusing his power.

Memon was also indicted last year in February along with former information secretary of Sindh Zulfiqar Ali Shalwani and 13 others in the aforementioned corruption reference.

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Promotion of agriculture among top priorities of government: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan says promotion of agriculture is among top priorities of the government.

Chairing a high-level meeting relating to agriculture and food processing in Islamabad, he said the federal government will extend all-out assistance to provincial governments to fully utilize the potential in this sector.

The Prime Minister sought recommendations from provinces within a week to further strengthen the agriculture sector.

He also sought recommendations for utilizing the technology and other assistance extended by China and other friendly countries for promotion of agriculture.

Imran Khan directed the provincial governments to identify the impediments and problems in the way of increasing agricultural exports.

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Governor GB Raja Jalal, Usman Dar discuss matters of mutual interests

Governor Gilgit Baltistan Raja Jalal Hussain held a meeting with Special assistant to Prime Minister Muhammad Usman Dar in Islamabad.

During the meeting, they discussed different matters of mutual interests with special focus to youth development in Gilgit Baltistan.

On the occasion, Usman Dar said interest free loans will be provided to youth of Gilgit Baltistan enabling them to get honorable livelihood through their own business.

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Saad Rafique, Salman Rafique sent to jail on 14-days judicial remand

An accountability court on Saturday sent former railways minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, and his brother Salman Rafique on a 14-day judicial remand to jail in the Paragon Housing scheme case.

The former minister and his brother were produced before the court by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Saturday). Accountability judge Syed Najmul Hasan will hear the case.

Rejecting the NAB’s plea for further physical remand of the duo, the court instead granted 14-day judicial remand and sent them to jail.

Later, speaking to media, Saad Rafique said the NAB had no proof against him or his brother. “Whoever talks about the rights faces the same treatment that we are currently going through,” he moaned.

He said he was facing the treatment for adhering to the Constitution and the law.

The former minister claimed that prime minister was trying to influence the Public Accounts Committee.

Rafique and his brother have so far completed 53-day remand in the case. Khawaja brothers are currently being investigated by the accountability watchdog for alleged corruption in Paragon Housing Society case and accumulating wealth beyond known sources of income.

Rafique and his brother were arrested on Dec 11 after the Lahore High Court rejected their bail plea. During the hearing, the former minister’s counsel informed the court that his client had nothing to do with PAS and was being framed in the case.

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42 deaths occurred of Lassa fever in Nigeria

In Nigeria, 42 deaths have occurred in the latest outbreak of Lassa fever.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control had declared on 21st of last month an outbreak of the disease, which kills hundreds in Nigeria every year.

A total of 538 suspected cases were reported from 16 of the country’s 36 states, 213 of which were confirmed positive, 325 negative and two probable cases, it said in a situational report.

Lassa fever, named after the Nigerian village where it was first discovered, is transmitted from the excreta or urine of Mastomys rats, which are commonly known as “multimammate rats”.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, dizziness, sore throat, malaise, cough, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and hearing loss.

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Wasim Akhtar, 20 others handed amended indictment in May 12 carnage case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday handed down an amendment indictment to Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar and 20 others in 12 May, 2007 violence case.

An amended charge-sheet was presented before the court by police framing new charges against the accused persons.

Wasim Akhtar also appeared during the case hearing today.

However, mayor Karachi, Umair Siddiqui and other people nominated in the case denied charges before the court.

The ATC also indicted other absconding persons in the case including Abdul Zahid and issued their arrest warrants.

Zahid had already filed a bail plea before the anti-terrorism court.

His lawyer had also furnished arguments to seek release of his client.

During last hearing of the case on Jan 19, an anti-terrorism court had expressed displeasure over Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar for failing to appear before it in four cases pertaining to the May 12, 2007 mayhem.

When the judge asked about the whereabouts of the mayor, his counsel submitted an application requesting an exemption for his client from today’s proceedings.

He stated that his client couldn’t turn up owing to his ill health.

“What did happen to the Karachi mayor?” questioned the judge who then directed the counsel to present his medical report on the next hearing.

On May 12, 2007, at least 50 people were killed and over 100 wounded in attacks on rallies of different political parties and the legal fraternity, who had attempted to receive the then deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at the Karachi airport ahead of a lawyers’ gathering.

Justice Chaudhry was forced to fly back to Islamabad after nine hours of being restricted to the airport.

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Punjab govt decides to shift Nawaz Sharif to hospital

The Punjab government on Saturday decided to shift incarcerated former premier Nawaz Sharif to a hospital in keeping with doctors’ recommendations.

Nawaz will be shifted from Kot Lakhpat jail to Services Hospital today, sources said.

In December last year, Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference by an accountability court.

A few days earlier, a team of doctors, including cardiologists, had conducted a medical examination of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo at Kot Lakhpat jail.

Blood samples of the former premier were sent to Jinnah Hospital and he had been taken to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) for further tests.

Three tests, including echocardiogram (ECG) and Thallium, were conducted of the former premier at PIC and his medical reports showed that his heart was bigger than normal.

Senior doctors had recommended that the former premier be shifted to a hospital.

Following the medical reports, PML-N leaders had criticised the federal and Punjab government for not granted the former premier "proper treatment" and rejecting his "fundamental rights".

'Not handing over medical reports to family raises questions'

Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said, "Such treatment of a three-time prime minister shows the moral degradation of the federal and Punjab government."

"The decision to not handover Nawaz's medical reports to his family is alarming and raises questions," she added.

Aurangzeb demanded that the nation be apprised regarding Nawaz's health and his medical reports be handed over to his family immediately.

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Accountability Court To Hold Hearing Of Paragon Housing Scam

An accountability court on Saturday is expected to resume hearing of the Paragon Housing Society scam case in which Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader and Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Khwaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique have been accused of embezzling nearly Rs2 billion.

Reportedly, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials will produce the Khwaja brothers before the court for another extension in their physical remand.

Earlier, their remand was extended till Feb 2 (today).

Meanwhile, a heavy contingent of police has been deployed around the court to prevent party workers from disrupting law and order situation.

In previous hearing, the Khwaja brothers’ counsel for the defence told the court that details of transactions of the last ten years had been handed over to the NAB.

However, the prosecutor had informed the court that according to records of the Paragon Housing Society an amount of Rs2 billion was transferred to sons of Salman Rafique and Nadim Zia, and 20 plots were owned by the Khwaja brothers.

On December 11, 2018, they were detained by the accountability watchdog after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their bail plea.

The NAB had launched an investigation into the alleged scam in November last year after a number of victims staged protests and held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club against what they termed the housing society’s fraud.

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Federal Investigation Agency declares 48 KKF vehicles suspicious

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday has declared 48 vehicles of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) as suspicious.

As per the latest development in money laundering probe against the foundation, FIA has sought verified documents of the vehicles and also informed Sindh Excise and Taxation Department in this regard.

Earlier, FIA had seized at least 29 properties worth Rs3.5 billion of the KKF in different areas of Karachi.

The federal institution informed that the money gained from these properties was either transferred to London banks through facilitators or was given to the families of deceased and imprisoned workers of the party.

Sohail Mansoor, Babar Ghauri and Ahmad Ali were among the facilitators who transferred the money to London, FIA told.

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Re-polling on 20 stations underway in Sargodha

Re-polling on twenty polling stations of National Assembly constituency, NA-91 Sargodha is in progress.

The polling process will continue till 5:00pm without any break.

Over twenty five thousand people are using their right of vote for which the election commission has setup sixty five polling booths.

Foolproof security arrangements are in place for conduct of polling process smoothly.

The results on these polling stations had been declared void by the Election Commission of Pakistan due to recovery of tampered ballot papers.

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People affording should perform Hajj: Qadri

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri on Friday said only those people who have resources should perform Hajj.

Talking to media in Peshawar, The minister said more than one hundred eighty-four thousand Pakistanis will go on Hajj this year. He said Hajj expenditures increase every year due to hike in prices.

It is to be mentioned here that as per new policy, the Hajj expenses for southern areas will be Rs4,26,000 which was Rs2,70,000 last year.

Besides this Rs1,56,000 raise has been made in the Hajj expenses for people living in northern areas taking it to a total of Rs4,36,000 from Rs2,80,000.

Finance Ministry adopted stance that the economic situation does not allow to provide the subsidy while Religious Affairs Ministry maintained that Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has already ruled in favor of subsidy.

Finance Ministry told that Rs8.15 billion will have to be given as subsidy under government Hajj Scheme and if provided under private scheme, the financial burden will rise to Rs14 billion.

Information Minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain while briefing media about important decisions of the cabinet told that under the new policy direct Hajj flights will also be launched from Quetta for the first time.

"The intending pilgrims will be provided biometric system facility at local level to expedite the processing of Hajj applications. About 1, 84, 000 aspiring Pakistani pilgrims will have the opportunity to perform Hajj this year," the minister asserted.

He informed that a quota of 10,000 pilgrims has been reserved for elderly citizens while another portion of 500 pilgrims has been fixed for low income group.

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China agrees to provide $2.5 billion loan to Pakistan

China has agreed to provide $2.5 billion in loans to Pakistan to boost official foreign exchange reserves that are not sufficient to provide cover to even two months of imports despite receiving $4 billion loans from two Middle Eastern countries.

“Beijing will place the $2.5 billion in deposits with the central bank,”. With the anticipated $2.5 billion deposits, China’s contribution in this fiscal year alone would surge to $4.5 billion.

In July, China had also deposited $2 billion with the State Bank of Pakistan. In the past five years, China has emerged as Pakistan’s single largest saviour in times of economic crisis.
The money is coming as part of the government’s strategy to secure breathing space till the time its macroeconomic stabilisation measures take effect.

After coming into power, Prime Minister Imran Khan had visited China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to arrange emergency loans to avoid a looming default.

Resultantly, Pakistan has secured $14.5 billion worth of commitments from these three countries that have helped largely bridged the external financing gap of the ongoing fiscal year.

Before coming into power, Khan was critical of taking loans to run the country but due to extremely low level of foreign currency reserves and financing requirements standing above $25 billion, the premier had to fly to Beijing and other capitals to seek loans.

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Government believes in spending public money on public: Information Minister

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the government believes in spending the public money on public.

Talking to a private news channel, The Information Minister said those who have looted the country must face law of the land. Fawad Chaudhry said the government will pursue the corruption and money laundering cases to their logical end, to bring back the looted money.

Meanwhile, talking to Canadian High Commissioner Wendy Christine Gilmour in Islamabad, he said Pakistan is keen to further broaden areas of cooperation with Canada for mutual benefit of the people of both countries.

He said Pakistan and Canada share common views on matters of mutual interests including promoting democracy, ensuring good governance and women empowerment.

Fawad Chaudhry said the incumbent government firmly believes in freedom of expression.

The Canadian High Commissioner on the occasion said her country is looking the possibilities to further enhance trade and investment in Pakistan.

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Accountability Bureau recovers Rs298 billion from corrupt elements

National Accountability Bureau has recovered two hundred ninety eight billion rupees from corrupt elements and deposited in the national kitty during last thirteen months.

According to a NAB press release, eradication of corruption has become voice of the nation now.

The press release said NAB has established Complaint Cells at its regional offices while a separate Cell has also been established for listening the complaints of business community.

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SA win as Pakistan fail to achieve 193-run target

Faf du Plessis and Reeza Hendricks shared a record partnership as South Africa ended a nine-match Pakistan T20 winning streak in the first international at Newlands on Friday.

South Africa prevailed by six runs in a tense finish after being sent in and making 192 for six.

Pakistan came close, scoring 182 for nine.

"We were two boundaries behind," said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik.

In the end, it was the fielding of David Miller that made the difference. His two direct-hit run-outs, including the key wicket of Babar Azam, and a South African record four catches, meant that Pakistan kept losing wickets as they chased a challenging target. Miller was named man of the match.

Du Plessis hit 78 off 45 balls and shared a record second wicket stand of 131 off 74 balls with Hendricks, who made 74 off 41 deliveries.

Du Plessis said at the post-match presentation that he would not play in the remaining two matches, citing the need to rest ahead of two Test matches against Sri Lanka, starting on February 13.

"It will be a great opportunity for a new captain," he said but did not reveal who, in an inexperienced team, the new leader would be.

Du Plessis s dismissal in the 16th over sparked a mini-collapse. South Africa lost five wickets while scoring only 35 runs in the last 28 balls of the innings. It was the highest total in a T20 international at Newlands but Hendricks admitted at the innings break that South Africa had "lost our way a bit" after seeming to be on course for a total of around 220.

Left-arm fast bowler Usman Shinwari dismissed Du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen in the same over and finished with three for 31.

Pakistan made a fast start despite losing Fakhar Zaman in the first over. Babar Azam (38) and Hussain Talat (40) put on 81 off 61 balls for the second wicket. At one stage they were scoring at close to 10 runs an over but the scoring slowed against tight bowling by medium-pacer Andile Phehlukwayo and left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

The match turned in South Africa s favour when Talat was caught off Shamsi, to be followed in the next over by Babar s run out, after a superb piece of fielding by Miller.

Malik kept Pakistan in the game, scoring 49 off 31 balls before he was dismissed off the third ball of the final over.

"Overall we played well," said Malik, "but South Africa were good in all three departments.

Du Plessis said he was always confident of winning but admitted: "They are a very composed, experienced T20 team. Being so dominant for a lot of games, obviously they are very confident. They are a very good team. We did some really good things tonight."

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US announces withdrawal from INF missile treaty

The US has begun its withdrawal from the INF treaty with Russia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Berlin would continue talking with Moscow about its alleged violations until the withdrawal process was finished.

The White House announced Friday it would withdraw from a landmark Cold War-era missile treaty with Russia effective Saturday, raising the specter of a dangerous and costly arms race in Europe.

The withdrawal "will be completed in 6 months unless Russia comes back into compliance by destroying all of its violating missiles, launchers, and associated equipment," it said in a statement.

The US would develop "military response options" and work with its NATO allies "to deny Russia any military advantage from its unlawful conduct," it added, without elaborating.

Trump suggests new treaty

Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the US decision as a "strategy to rid itself of international legal obligations." It said it was, however, still prepared to maintain a dialogue with Washington.

Despite the suspension, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he was interested in holding talks to create a new arms control treaty.

"I hope that we're able to get everybody in a big and beautiful room and do a new treaty that would be much better," he said, without elaborating.

NATO backs US

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance "fully" supported the US withdrawal announcement.

"Russia is in material breach of the INF Treaty & must use next 6 months to return to full & verifiable compliance or bear sole responsibility for its demise," he said.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "Russia is not ready to restore treaty compliance."

"Without the treaty, there will be less security," he said, adding that all sides should avoid any talk of building up their arsenals and instead seek "comprehensive arms control."

What's the INF?

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) bans nuclear-capable missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,420 miles).

The United States and its NATO allies, including Germany, say Russia's 9M729 cruise missile exceeds the 500 kilometer limit.

The United States has also noted that China, which is not party to the INF, has built up a large arsenal of intermediate-range ballistic missiles in recent years.

The former US ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, told DW that was the main reason for the US withdrawal from the INF.

"The treaty does not deal with the new reality of a world in which countries like China are proliferating the deployment of intermediate nuclear and non-nuclear forces," he said.

Germany to talk with Russia

Shortly before the US decision was announced, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government would continue working with Russia after a US withdrawal.

"It is clear to us that Russia has violated this treaty," she said. "The important thing is to keep the window for dialogue open."

In December, the US said it would withdraw from the INF if Russia failed to prove its compliance by February 2.

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EU to grant Britain visa-free travel even with no-deal Brexit

EU nations have agreed to give the UK citizens visa-free travel even at the event of a no-deal Brexit. However, London responded with anger after the bloc described Gibraltar as a British "colony."

If Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, UK citizens should still be able to visit the bloc visa-free for up to 90 days, ambassadors of the remaining 27 EU nations said on Friday. The 90 days can be taken in any 180-day period, the envoys said in Brussels.

In a statement published on the European Council website, ambassadors said that the visa exemption was "granted on condition of reciprocity," meaning that the UK was also expected not to demand visas from EU citizens for short stays.

"In the event that the United Kingdom introduces a visa requirement for nationals of at least one member state in the future, the existing reciprocity mechanism would apply and the (EU) would commit to act without delay in applying the mechanism," they warned.

If adopted, the legislation would put British nationals in line with citizens of Canada and Australia, who are also allowed to visit the EU Shenghen area without visas for 90 days.

However, the proposal is separate from a long-term EU regulation, effective in 2020, that sets up a "pre-authorization" for travel by visitors from countries where the EU does not require a visa, at present more than 60.

Under this system, visitors can travel in and out of the EU for three yearrs for a €7 ($8). Britain will join this group after Brexit.

'Gibraltar is not a colony'

At the same time, the document irritated London by imposing new distinctions between UK citizens living in Gibraltar and the ones living on the British Isles, according to the Reuters news agency.

The proposed legislation also described Gibraltar as a "colony of the British Crown" and said its sovereignty was disputed by Spain.

"There is a controversy between Spain and the United Kingdom concerning the sovereignty over Gibraltar, a territory for which a solution has to be reached in light of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly of the United Nations," the document said.

London regards the strategically important region at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula as a British Overseas Territory.

"Gibraltar is not a colony and it is completely inappropriate to describe in this way," a spokeswoman for London said on Friday.

With the UK set to leave the EU on March 29, Spain is increasing its claims to the neighboring territory.

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