An intelligent writer: 2022-03-20

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Islamabad ready for 'biggest' political power show

The federal capital is all set to host a major political power show as the workers of ruling PTI from different parts of the country have started reaching the Parade Ground, where Prime Minister Imran Khan's PTI will stage the "biggest" rally.

PTI is all set to stage its "Amr-bel-Maroof" public gathering successfully in Islamabad as the political pressure mounts with the opposition parties also marching towards Islamabad ahead of the vote of no-confidence against PM Imran Khan.

The PTI has called their public gathering "Amr-bel-Maroof" in response to the Opposition’s no-trust motion to show support to the prime minister.

"Today is a battle for Pakistan [...] and not for PTI, it's a battle for the future of our nation," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a message issued hours before the gathering.

The premier urged the citizens willing to attend the rally to leave their homes early as there would be rush and blockages on the roads. He said that he fears that the people might not reach the venue on time.

"We are out to make Pakistan's history today," PM Imran Khan concluded.

Stage set

As the clock ticks towards PTI's rally, all the preparations of the event also move towards completion. The stage for the "biggest" rally has been made using 36 containers while a special container has been placed for the senior leadership.

Moreover, a special enclosure has been prepared for women where 800 seats have been arranged. The enclosure has been surrounded by safety sheets and barbed wires for security.

For the male participants of the rally, 6,000 chairs have been placed, while the organisers say that an order for 30,000 seats has been made.

Meanwhile, the workers and leaders of the JUI-F, representing the opposition parties' alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), are already at the venue of their rally to be held tomorrow (Monday) at Srinagar Highway. Whereas, PML-N caravan, “Mehngai Mukao March”, led by Maryam Nawaz and leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz are also on their way to join PDM to "say goodbye to the already ousted prime minister".

Prime Minister Imran Khan had tasked party leaders to gather one million people for the rally. Addressing a rally in Swat recently, the premier had urged the nation to reach Islamabad on March 27 to tell the world that Pakistanis "stand with the truth and are against corruption".

The interior minister said that everyone is allowed to hold public gatherings in Islamabad; however, according to the directions by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, no one will be allowed to enter the Red Zone.

He warned that nobody will be allowed to take the law into their hands as the apex court has tasked the interior ministry to maintain the law and order situation in the federal capital.

‘Those who stage sit-ins will be arrested’

Responding to the Opposition’s warning to stage a sit-in in Islamabad, the interior minister cautioned them against doing so and said action will be taken according to the directives issued by the court.

He said that the Opposition would have to seek permission again if they wanted to hold a rally today as well since they had been permitted to hold a gathering on Saturday only.

“If they stage a sit-in they will be arrested,” he said, adding that the federal government also has the authority to call army under Article 245 following approvals from the prime minister and the cabinet.

“Mehngai Mukao March”

PML-N’s “Mehngai Mukao March” kick-started on Saturday from Lahore's Model Town in the leadership of party's vice president, Maryam's leadership.

“[Prime Minister] Imran Khan‘s government has gone he is shouting every day. The government has gone we are going to say goodbye to it, Maryam said.

The PML-N leader said that the “people are echoing” the name of party supremo Nawaz Sharif due to the “incompetent government and inflation”.

“The government has gone a goodbye is left only. He’s (Imran Khan) is pleading but nothing will happen now,” said the PML-N leader. She added that move to oust PM Imran was taken by the government and not the Opposition.

Talking about the government allies who are yet to make a decision, Maryam said that no one will stand with the premier as his own party members were ditching him.

Since then all eyes have been on Islamabad as the Opposition is trying to cajole the PTI allies to leave the government, while PM Imran Khan and his ministers are trying to ensure that the allies do not jump ship.

Apart from the allies, many PTI lawmakers have also come out in the open and started to express their frustrations against PM Imran. However, they are yet to decide whether they would support the motion or go against it.

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JUI-F 'Mehngai' march enters Punjab

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Mehngai march which started from Karachi, Sindh has entered Punjab on Friday. The participants of JUI-F Mehngai march, who are on their way to Islamabad to participate in the joint opposition protest against PTI-led government, were warmly received by a large number of JUI-F supporters at the Iqbalabad Interchange.

Tight security arrangement had been made when the participants reached Rahim Yar Khan. A large number of JUI-F workers also joined the caravan in Rahim Yar Khan.

After a short stay in Rahim Yar Khan, the JUI-F Mehngai march left for Multan via Motorway. The JUI-F caravan is scheduled to reach Islamabad on March 27.

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Friday, March 25, 2022

PDM caravans head to Islamabad

Supporters of opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are heading to the federal capital for power show amid heightened political tensions.

Caravans of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) from Sindh have entered Punjab and will reach Islamabad after passing through various cities of Punjab, where they will also be greeted and joined by workers of the opposition.

Meanwhile, supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will leave for Islamabad from Lahore’s Model Town under the leadership of Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz.

Banners and posters in support of long march can be found in entire Lahore while local leaders of PML-N have been directed to gather supporters and reach Model Town office to join the central caravan lead by Hamza and Maryam.

Spokesperson of PML-N, Marriyum Aurangzeb urged people to join the long march and said that nation should stand with opposition in this decisive hour.

This march is a ray of hope for inflation stricken people of the country. This will prove to be a no-confidence motion against the government.

Meanwhile, the local administration of Islamabad has issued a show-cause notice to JUI-F organisers over the NOC violation ahead of the Islamabad public gathering.

The administration stated that JUI-F installed the stage in mid of the road of the Srinagar Highway and Abdul Majeed Hazarvi violated the NOC conditions.

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ICC: Pakistan bowl first in New Zealand showdown

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof has won the toss and elected to bowl first in their ICC Women s Cricket World Cup clash against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday.

While New Zealand still have a mathematical chance of reaching the semi-finals, Pakistan are playing for pride in this contest having won just once through their first six games.

The White Ferns need a resounding victory that boosts their net run rate and then rely on India and England losing heavily in their final matches on Sunday just to have any chance of sneaking in.

Veteran seamer Lea Tahuhu is out of the New Zealand side with a hamstring injury and Rosemary Mair is her replacement, while Pakistan have made two changes to their playing XI.

Nahida Khan and Aiman Anwer miss out, with Muneeba Ali and Anam Amin named included.

New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine (c), Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Katey Martin, Frakie Mackay, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe, Rosemary Mair

Pakistan XI: Sidra Amin, Muneeba Ali, Bismah Maroof (c), Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz, Fatima Sana, Diana Baig, Nashra Sundhu, Anam Amin

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Da Silva steers West Indies into narrow lead in Test decider

Joshua da Silva s unbeaten maiden Test half-century in the Caribbean anchored a West Indies lower-order revival which pushed the home side ahead of England on the second day of the third and final Test on Friday.

Replying to the tourists first innings total of 204, da Silva s unbeaten 54 and vital contributions from Kyle Mayers, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach lifted the home side from the depths of 95 for six to 232 for eight at stumps.

While not nearly as dramatic as the last-wicket stand of 90 between Saqib Mahmood and Jack Leach on day one which resuscitated the English from 114 for nine, the West Indian version of tail-end resistance saw 137 runs added for the loss of two wickets.

In stark contrast to the dreary cricket which defined most of the drawn first two matches, da Silva (54 not out) and Roach (25 not out) will be keen to extend a ninth-wicket stand on the third morning which has already produced 55 runs and earned the home team a lead of 28 runs with two wickets in hand.

Chris Woakes led the England effort with the ball, taking three wickets in mid-afternoon to trigger a West Indies slide which seemed terminal until da Silva joined Mayers.

Successive partnerships of 33 with Mayers, 49 with Joseph (28) and the unbroken stand with Roach followed, the ninth-wicket pair unperturbed by the arrival of the second new ball half-hour before the close of play.

Da Silva s half-century, his fourth overall in Test cricket, has occupied more than three hours in which he faced 152 deliveries, stroking four fours.

"My home form hasn t been very good so it was especially pleasing to get runs in from of home support," said de Silva.

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Digital Markets Act: EU Negotiators Agree To Landmark Law to Curb US Big Tech Dominance

Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed Thursday on a landmark law to curb the market dominance of US big tech giants such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Apple.

Meeting in Brussels the lawmakers nailed down a long list of do’s and don’ts that will single out the world’s most iconic web giants as internet "gatekeepers" subject to special rules.

The "Digital Markets Act" (DMA) has sped through the bloc’s legislative procedures and is designed to protect consumers and give rivals a better chance to survive against the world’s powerful tech juggernauts.

"The agreement ushers in a new era of tech regulation worldwide," said German MEP Andreas Schwab, who led the negotiations for the European Parliament.

"The Digital Markets Act puts an end to the ever-increasing dominance of Big Tech companies," he added.

The main point of the law is to avert the years of procedures and court battles needed to punish Big Tech’s monopolistic behaviour where cases can end with huge fines but little change in how the giants do business.

Once implemented, the law will give Brussels unprecedented authority to keep an eye on decisions by the giants, especially when they pull out the chequebook to buy up promising startups.

"The gatekeepers -- they now have to take responsibility," said the EU’s competition supremo Margrethe Vestager.

"A number of things they can do, a number of things they can’t do, and that of course gives everyone a fair chance," she added.

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US, EU announce new partnership to undercut Russian energy

The United States and European Union on Friday announced a new partnership to reduce the continent’s reliance on Russian energy, a step top officials characterized as the start of a years-long initiative to further isolate Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin uses energy to “coerce and manipulate his neighbors” and uses the profits from its sale to “drive his war machine.”

Biden said the partnership he announced jointly with a top European Union official will turn that dynamic on its head by reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy sources, as well reducing the continent’s demand for gas overall.

The president said such a step is not “only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint” but “it’s going to put us on a stronger strategic footing.”

Under the plan, the U.S. and other nations will increase liquified natural gas exports to Europe by 15 billion cubic meters this year, though U.S. officials were unable to say exactly which countries will provide the extra energy this year. Even larger shipments would be delivered in the future. .

At the same time, they will try to keep their climate goals on track by powering gas infrastructure with clean energy and reducing methane leaks that can worsen global warming.

Although the initiative will likely require new facilities for importing liquified natural gas, the partnership is also geared toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels in the long run through energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy, according to the White House.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive arm, said it is important for Europe to shift away from Russia and toward energy suppliers that are trustworthy, friendly and reliable.
“We aim to reduce this dependence on Russian fossil fuels and get rid of it,” she said.

Russian energy is a key source of income and political leverage for Moscow. Almost 40% of the European Union’s natural gas comes from Russia to heat homes, generate electricity and power industry.

Biden was leaving Brussels after the announcement and heading to Rzeszów in Poland, where U.S. troops are based roughly an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border.

He will be briefed on the humanitarian response to the refugees streaming out of Ukraine and those still suffering inside the country. He also will meet with U.S. service members from the 82nd Airborne Division, who serve alongside Polish troops.

Biden is then expected to fly to Warsaw for talks Saturday with Polish President Andrzej Duda and an address to the Polish people before he departs for Washington.

While in Brussels, Biden participated in a trio of summits hosted by NATO, the Group of Seven industrialized nations and the European Union, all on Thursday. The extraordinary series of meetings reflects heightened concerns about the war in Ukraine, which has entered its second month.

Although Ukraine has resisted the Russian invasion much more successfully than initially expected, the conflict has become a grueling and bloody affair, with thousands of casualties on each side and millions of refugees fleeing the country.

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Jordan king hosts leaders of UAE, Egypt and Iraq for rare meeting

Jordan s King Abdullah II hosted leaders from Egypt, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates on Friday for "consultative" talks, state media said. The meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba was "consultative", according to state television.

An official source requesting anonymity told AFP that the "consultative brotherly meeting dealt with recent international and regional developments". The source did not elaborate.

A statement from the royal court said others in attendance included Jordan s Crown Prince Hussein and Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz.

The meeting comes just a day before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to travel to Israel, the West Bank, Morocco and Algeria to discuss the Ukraine war, Israeli-Palestinian relations and Iran.

Israel said it would host a "historic summit" from Sunday of top diplomats from the United States and three Arab states with which it has normalised ties -- the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

Earlier in the week, Egypt hosted the Israeli and UAE leaders for unprecedented three-way talks as Russia s invasion of Ukraine rocks energy and food markets and major powers inch toward a revived Iran nuclear deal.

The summit was held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh between Sisi, the Abu Dhabi crown prince and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Analyst Oraib al-Rantawi, head of the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, said "most" of the parties to Friday s meeting in Jordan are "historic allies and friends of Washington but are linked to Moscow through deep ties and interests".

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Corona claims 4 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has reported 4 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,523,590. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,340 on Saturday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 189 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan has conducted 30,417 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 189 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 0.62 percent.

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Thursday, March 24, 2022

More than 600 children with cancer evacuated from Ukraine

More than 600 children with cancer have now been evacuated from Ukraine in order to resume life-saving treatment in Europe and North America.

About 200 hospitals worldwide have offered care - without which, the children have no chance of survival.

Doctors helping to co-ordinate the international effort say it's the largest rescue mission of its kind.

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CPEC extend to Afghanistan says China

Beijing welcomes Afghanistan’s active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure plan proposed by China, and is willing to push for extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday as he made a surprise visit to Kabul.

Wang met acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss political and economic ties, including starting work in the mining sector and Afghanistan’s possible role in China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, according to a statement from an Afghan foreign ministry spokesman.

China was willing to promote the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan, making the latter a bridge for regional connectivity, Wang said on Thursday .

He also said China hoped Afghanistan would fulfil its commitment of not allowing any external forces to use its territory as a tool to oppose neighbours, or harm the security of other nations.

Wang visited Kabul on Thursday, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said, the highest-level visit by a Chinese official since the Taliban took power last year and a day after many in the global community were angered by the group’s closure of girls’ high schools.

China is among just a handful of countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, that has sent a minister to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in August.

Foreign governments, including Beijing, have held back on formally recognising the Taliban administration, with many saying the Taliban need to prove their commitment to human rights, counter-terrorism and inclusive governance.

The visit came after widespread global condemnation of the Taliban administration a day earlier, when it unexpectedly ordered girls home from high school, an abrupt U-turn on policy after having said earlier in the week school would be open to all students.

China will host a meeting of regional foreign ministers later this month, and the statement said Muttaqi would also participate in the meeting.

Earlier in September, Pakistan also discussed Taliban-led Afghanistan joining the multibillion-dollar CPEC infrastructure project.

“Regional connectivity is an important element of our discussion with Afghan leadership and our way forward for our economic interaction with Afghanistan,” said Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s envoy to Kabul, in an interview with Reuters at the time.

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No-Confidence Motion, Joint opposition convenes parliamentary members meeting

The joint opposition parties have convened a parliamentary members meeting to be held today (Friday) for consultation on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran.

According to sources, the meeting will be held in Parliament House at 10:00am during which a strategy will be chalked out for today’s National Assembly session.

Sources further informed that consultations would also be held on expected protests by the joint opposition parties against the government and the Speaker National Assembly during the assembly session.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari called on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday night in Islamabad for consultation on no-trust motion.

According to sources, the joint opposition stalwarts held consultation on no-trust motion to be tabled against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly today.

Sources said that the joint opposition leaders during their meeting decided that Fateha would be offered for the departed soul of PTI MAN Khyal Zaman at the start of the National Assembly proceedings as it is the tradition that Fateha is offered on the death of any member at the beginning of the assembly session.

After the Fateha Khwani, the opposition will table no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sources said that opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif would present no-confidence motion against PM Imran on behalf of the joint opposition.

The meeting also decided that the leaders of joint opposition parties would be responsible to bring 161 out of 162 opposition members for the assembly session while Ali Wazir, a member of the opposition, is in jail.

Sources said that no production order was issued for Ali Wazir to attend the National Assembly session. It was also decided in the meeting that the opposition will request National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to issue a production order for Ali Wazir to attend the assembly session.

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Four soldiers martyred in gun battle with terrorists in North Waziristan: ISPR

Four soldiers were martyred in North Waziristan's Hassan Khel area during an exchange of fire with terrorists who attempted to infiltrate into Pakistan from Afghanistan in the night between March 23 and March 24, the military's media affairs wing said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a group of terrorists tried to infiltrate into Pakistan at midnight, but their attempt was foiled due to the "alertness and timely response of army troops".

The terrorists, however, retaliated by opening fire, the statement said, adding that the soldiers "reciprocated in a befitting manner".

"The terrorists, having failed, fled ... and as per intelligence reports, suffered heavy casualties," the statement read, adding that four soldiers embraced martyrdom after fighting "gallantly" during the gun battle.

The martyred soldiers have been identified as 34-year-old Lance Havaldar Wajahat Alam, who was a resident of Gilgit-Baltistan's Ghizer area, 25-year-old Sepoy Sajjid lnayat, a resident of Sheikhupura, 32-year-old Sepoy Maqbool Hayat, a resident of Ghizer, and 22-year-old Sepoy Sajjid Ali, who was a resident of Skardu.

"The Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the ISPR statement said.

Earlier this month, security forces had killed another four militants during two intelligence-based operations North Waziristan.

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PPP assures MQM-P of ‘accepting demands’ to seek support for no-trust move

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has assured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan MQM-P of accepting its “demands” in return for support in the opposition’s no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The development came after a delegation of the MQM-P, which is an ally of the ruling PTI, met the PPP leadership including its chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari at a luncheon hosted by the latter in Islamabad on Thursday.

The MQM-P delegation included convenor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Aamir Khan, Aminul Haq, Wasim Akhtar and Javed Hanif.

Both the parties discussed the prevailing political situation in the country, a statement issued by the PPP said.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other PPP ministers and office-bearers including Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Murtaza Wahab and Rukhsana Bangash were also present at the occasion.

The meeting took place in a “very pleasant” atmosphere and both the parties agreed to form a joint committee for the implementation of the MQM-P’s demands, the insiders said.

“Members of both the parties will sit down and work out a roadmap for progress and action on the MQM-P's points,” they added.

On the other hand, the sources also said that the MQM-P has not given any assurance to the PPP so far regarding the support in the no-trust move and will take its final decision after consultation.

In a statement, MQM-P senior leader Aamir Khan said that the consultation was underway and no decision has been taken thus far regarding parting ways with the PTI-led coalition government.

He said all decisions will be taken keeping in view the interests of Karachi and its people and added that they would announce their decision before voting on no-confidence motion.

Earlier this month, both the parties agreed to form a long-term working relationship in the “wider interest of the nation” in a meeting held to discuss the political situation arising out of the no-trust motion tabled against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In a statement, the PPP said that the leadership of the two parties discussed the prevailing political situation in the country and that both the sides “agreed on a long-term working relationship in the wider interest of the nation”. “The PPP also agreed with all the points of the MQM-P.”

The MQM-P sources, while sharing details of the meeting, said that the PPP offered governorship of Sindh to the MQM-P among other things. However, they added that consensus on having a working relationship was a positive step but the PPP needed to practically prove a few things before the voting on the no-trust motion.

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ECP serves notice on Bilawal over Malakand rally

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a notice to Chairman Pakistan People s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for addressing a public meeting in Malakand on March 23.

The district monitoring officer (DMO) Malakand had served the notice to Bilawal Bhutto for addressing the public meeting in violation of the code of conduct for the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa phase-II.

The notice added, "It has come to the knowledge through monitoring teams and media that you have participated in a public meeting at Tehsil Dargai District, Malakand as a part of election campaign of PPP candidates for Tehsil, despite issuance of advisory letter on March 22." It said, "You were allowed to participate in election campaign of candidate as per clause 16 (i) of the revised Code of Conduct issued by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)." The clause says, "The parliamentarians like members national assembly, provincial assembly and senate are allowed to participate in the election campaign.

They will strictly abide by the code of conduct directions, instructions and regulations issued by the ECP and violations thereof will entail legal consequences including contempt proceedings as contemplated in section 10 of the elections act 2017." The ECP added the Jalsa was held and Bilawal Bhutto had addressed in violation of clause 30 of the Code of Conduct.

In exercise of the powers, conferred upon the DMO, under section-234 (3) of Election Act, 2017, Bilawal Bhutto has been called upon to appear in person or through counsel to explain position for violating the clause 30 of the Code of Conduct, on 25th March at DMO Malakand.

The commission said that in case failure to appear and submit written reply by due date, the matter will be dealt with and decided under the law, rules and available record in absence.

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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Russia to expel US diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Russia on Wednesday said it was expelling US diplomats in retaliation for Washington s step to remove 12 of Moscow s representatives to the UN based in New York.

"On March 23, a note with the list of the American diplomats declared persona non grata was handed to the head of the American diplomatic mission who was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the ministry said in a statement.

The decision was taken in response to the expulsion by Washington of Russian diplomats at the UN in New York, the source said.

"The US side has been given firm notice that any hostile action by the United States against Russia will be met with a resolute and appropriate response," the statement added.

A US State Department spokesperson confirmed it had received the list from Moscow.

"This is Russia s latest unhelpful and unproductive step in our bilateral relationship. We call on the Russia government to end its unjustified expulsions of US diplomats and staff," this official said.

"Now more than ever, it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments."

The United States expelled 12 members of the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN in early March amid an open crisis with Russia over Ukraine on charges of espionage.

"The US has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the US by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security," the spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN, Olivia Dalton, announced in a statement.

The Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoli Antonov, denounced it as a "hostile move" by the United States, stressing that the actions were a cause of "deep disappointment and absolute rejection" in Moscow.

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Thailand to ban use of digital assets as payments from April - SEC

Thailand has issued rules to ban digital assets from being used to pay for goods and services from April 1, the market regulator said on Wednesday.

The move was in line with earlier discussions between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) on a need to regulate such activity by digital asset business operators as it could impact the country’s financial stability and overall economy, the SEC said in a statement.

Digital asset business operators that provide such services must comply with the new rules within 30 days from the effective date, it said.

The BOT has said repeatedly that it does not support cryptocurrencies as payments. It will hold a briefing on regulatory guidelines for banks’ digital asset business later on Wednesday.

In January, the regulator in Indonesia also warned financial firms not to offer and facilitate crypto sales, amid a boom in its usage.

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About current political situation talks between PPP, MQM-P to be held today

The decisive round of talks between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) will be held in Islamabad today.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah along with his cabinet members will meet the MQM-P leadership in continuation of the series of political meetings between the two parties to review the current political situation, including the no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

According to sources, progress is likely to be made on the proposed agreement between the PPP and the MQM-P during the meeting. The ongoing talks between the joint opposition and the MQM-P have also raised some new demands and today’s talks would be fruitful.

Sources also informed that the senior PPP leaders and legal experts have objected to some of the provisions of the proposed agreement between the PPP and the MQM-P.

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Nadra: unclear about potential taxpayers’ data status

The plan to broaden the tax base is facing delays as the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) is unclear about the status of data of potential taxpayers.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Nadra had signed an agreement to come up with data of potential taxpayers for uploading on the FBR web portal for the voluntarily filing of tax returns. As part of the agreement, the FBR has already shared its data with Nadra for verification.

Earlier, the government has claimed to have collected data of over 43 million people to identify potential taxpayers for bringing them under the tax net. The campaign on the voluntary filing of tax returns on the basis of this data was to be launched in December 2021 and then in January, but missed in both cases by the FBR.

Nadra will scrutinise and filter the data sent by the FBR to identify the potential taxpayers while using a scoring system. Similarly, it will also process the data to compare it with certain indicators through Artificial Intelligence to identify non-filers and then share the data with the FBR within a period of 40 days for uploading on its specific web portal.

Last week, a high-level meeting was also convened in the FBR to review the status of the data. The meeting was also attended by senior Nadra officials, the source said, adding Nadra wants FBR to take ownership of the status of data after uploading it on its website.

Another source claimed that Nadra has no confidence in the data mainly because of the mechanism used for evolving it. “Nadra is not satisfied with the data,” the source said, adding Nadra wanted FBR to take responsibility if any issue arises after uploading on the website.

According to the source, the FBR has conveyed to Nadra that the tax machinery has no mechanism to check or verify the data. The only system is to issue a notice to a person and then follow the procedures laid down in the Income Tax Ordinance.

In the first phase, Nadra has provided data of 100 people, which according to the source was returned back on the plea of deficiencies. As a result, the sharing of data would now be further delayed.

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Nation celebrating Pakistan Day with patriotic zeal and zest

The nation is celebrating the 82nd Pakistan Day with zeal and fervor today (March 23), with the joint armed forces parade going on in full swing in the federal capital to exhibit the country’s military prowess and cultural diversities.

President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Ajmal Khan Niazi, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak are at the venue attending the parade.

The parade includes contingents of the tri-services, paramilitary forces and civil armed forces.

One of the important highlights of the parade is the fly-past of the newly inducted J-10C fighter jets. The J-10C aircrafts, equipped with cutting-edge technology, were inducted into the Pakistan Air Force’s squadron earlier this month.

The dignitaries participating in the 48th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are also witnessing the Pakistan Day Parade as Guests of Honor.

Pakistan Day holds a significant place in the history of the country. Pakistan Day is celebrated each year on March 23 to mark the passage of the Lahore Resolution that led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia in 1947. The historic resolution, known as the Pakistan Resolution, was approved on March 23, 1940.

Special dua ceremonies were held at the mosques after Fajr prayers for eradication of coronavirus from the country and also seeking solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country. The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals.

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Change of guards ceremony held at Allama Iqbal's mausoleum

A prestigious change of guards ceremony was held Wednesday at the mausoleum of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal. A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force assumed ceremonial guard duties with traditional spirit and enthusiasm.

Air Vice Marshal Zubair Hassan was chief guest on the occasion. He laid a floral wreath at the grave of Dr Iqbal, and prayed for progress and prosperity of the country on the occasion. He also penned down his impressions in the Visitors’ book.

The nation is celebrating Pakistan Day with a commitment to ensure progress, prosperity and a strong defense of the country.

The National flag has been hoisted at all major government buildings.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2022

No coronavirus-related death reported in the last 24 hours

For the first time in almost two years, no coronavirus-related death was reported in Pakistan in the last 24 hours.

The nationwide tally of fatalities from the novel coronavirus stands at 30,333 on Wednesday while the confirmed positive cases in the country has surged to 1,522,862.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 443 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan has conducted 34,476 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 443 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 1.28 percent.

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Islamabad: Pakistan Day parade continues

The main parade of Pakistan Day is continues inIslamabad.

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Cause of China jet crash still unknown as hunt for black boxes continues

Crash investigators on Tuesday said they do not yet know why a China Eastern jet carrying 132 people plunged from the sky, with recovery teams still scouring a forested mountainside for flight recorders from the pulverised Boeing aircraft.

No survivors had been found nearly 36 hours after Monday's crash — the deadliest air disaster in three decades in China, a country that had maintained an enviable air safety record.

“With the current information, we are unable to make a clear judgement on the cause of the accident,” Zhu Tao, director of the aviation safety office at China's aviation authority, told reporters late on Tuesday.

He said the focus is now on “the search for flight recorders”.

Questions have mounted over the cause of the crash, which saw the stricken jet drop 20,000 feet in just over a minute before plunging into rugged terrain in southern China on Monday afternoon.

The velocity of the impact left twisted metal and passengers' belongings scattered across a swathe of forest.

The airline has officially acknowledged that some aboard the jet, which was travelling from the city of Kunming to the southern hub of Guangzhou, had perished — but has stopped short of declaring all on board dead.

Contact has been made with the families of all on board, said Sun Shiying, chairperson of China Eastern Airlines Yunnan.

The crashed plane, which was nearly seven years old, had met all airworthiness requirements pre-flight, he told reporters at Tuesday's press conference.

President Xi Jinping called for a full probe shortly after the crash as search teams armed with drones descended upon the site in a rural area of Guangxi province.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has said it will conduct a two-week safety inspection across the industry.

On Tuesday, scorch marks were visible from the crash and resulting fire, rescue workers told AFP, with one speculating that passengers had been “totally incinerated” from the intensity of the blaze.

A villager near the sprawling crash site, giving only his surname Ou, recounted hearing a “sound like thunder” followed by a blaze that blistered the surrounding hills.

A torn wallet and burned camera lens were among the eviscerated possessions captured on video by a reporter from the state-run People's Daily who was able to enter the crash site.

But AFP journalists were blocked at a hillside checkpoint by a group of men identifying themselves as Communist Party members who said they had “orders from above” to prevent access.

The disaster occurred after a high-speed vertical nosedive, according to a video carried by Chinese media. AFP could not immediately verify the video's authenticity.

Flight MU5735, which took off from Kunming shortly after 1pm (0500 GMT), lost contact over Wuzhou, a city in the Guangxi region, according to China's aviation authority.

The foreign ministry said on Tuesday they believed all passengers on board were Chinese nationals.

In Guangzhou airport, staff assisted loved ones of the 123 passengers and nine crew members aboard the plane, which stopped sending any flight information after dropping a total of 26,000 feet in altitude in just three minutes.

Relatives and friends of those onboard endured a grim wait for news.

A user on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, wrote that he was a friend of a crew member on the crashed plane.

“I will miss you forever,” he wrote, describing the “enthusiasm” his friend took to his new job this year.

One woman had told local media that she had changed her flight plans at the last minute to board an earlier plane — but her sister and four friends had boarded the stricken China Eastern jet.

The disaster prompted an unusually swift public reaction from Xi, who said he was “shocked” and called for “absolute safety” in air travel.

State media said Vice Premier Liu He, a powerful official close to Xi who usually deals with economic matters, had been dispatched to the area to oversee rescue and investigation work.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed the plane sharply dropped from an altitude of 29,100 feet to 7,850 feet in just over a minute.

After a brief upswing, it plunged to 3,225 feet, the tracker said.

Despite a huge boom in travel, China has a strong flight safety record.

Chinese media reported that the airline will now ground all its Boeing 737-800 jets.

The deadliest Chinese commercial flight accident was a China Northwest Airlines crash in 1994 that killed all 160 people onboard.

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No-Confidence Motion, Joint opposition delegation meets MQM-P leaders

Amid rising political temperature in the country in the wake of no-confidence motion moved against Prime Minister Imran Khan, a joint opposition delegation called on Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) leaders in Islamabad on Monday night.

According to sources, the meeting between the opposition delegation and MQM-P leaders Amir Khan, Waseem Akhtar and Amin-ul-Haq was held in the Parliament Lodges.

The opposition delegation comprised of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Pakistan People’s Party stalwarts Khursheed Shah and Suhail Anwar Sial.

Sources said that discussion was held on the current political situation in the country in the wake of the no-trust move against the Prime Minister Imran Khan tabled by opposition parties in the National Assembly.

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770th annual Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (RA) to start from today

Three-day celebrations in connection with the 770th annual Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (RA) will begin in Sehwan Sharif today (Tuesday).

A large number of devotees from all the four provinces and foreign countries have arrived in the city to participate in the three-day celebrations of the annual Urs.

Strict security arrangements have been made in this regard. Police and Ranger personnel have been deployed on duty for security of devotees whereas walk-through gates have been installed at all the entry points of the shrine.

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Monday, March 21, 2022

OIC FMs to meet in Islamabad today

The Council of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will meet today at the inaugural session of the 48th session being hosted by Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in his keynote address at the inaugural session will highlight Pakistan’s role and contribution towards OIC and deliberate on the challenges faced by the Muslim world.

The theme of the session is ‘Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development,’ which will be held at the Parliament House.

More than 100 resolutions will be considered during the two-day session.

The session coincides with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan’s independence.

On March 23, the visiting foreign ministers will visit the Pakistan Day parade venue and witness the professional capability of Pakistan’s armed forces and the traditional floats of all the provinces, reflecting the national unity.

Later in the day, Foreign Minister Qureshi along with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha will hold a joint press stakeout following the conclusion of the session.

The summit will also discuss developments in Afghanistan and its humanitarian consequences for the Afghan people and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Many African issues will also be on the summit’s agenda, including the situation in Mali, the Sahel region, and Lake Chad, and the situation in Central Africa and the Republic of Guinea.

The OIC foreign ministers will also discuss developments in Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and other regions during the summit.

Pakistan has a proud history of hosting major OIC events including Summits and Council of Foreign Minister (CFM) meetings. The country hosted the 2nd OIC Summit in Lahore, in February 1974. An Extraordinary OIC Summit was held in Islamabad in 1997, on the occasion of Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee.

Pakistan also hosted the OIC CFMs on four occasions – 2nd Session in December 1970, 11th Session in May 1980, 21st Session in April 1993 and the 34th Session in May 2007. The 1st and the 17th Extraordinary Sessions of the OIC CFM, were held in Islamabad, in January 1980 and December 2021, respectively.

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U.S. asks judge to sanction Google in pretrial document fight

The U.S. Justice Department, which has accused Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google of breaking antitrust law in its search business, asked a judge to find that the company abused an attorney-client privilege designation to avoid turning over documents.

In a court filing, the Justice Department asked for Google to be sanctioned for creating a "Communicate with Care" program that trains workers to include an attorney and a request for advice when writing about sensitive business matters.

"Often, knowing the game, the in-house counsel included in these Communicate-with-Care emails does not respond at all," the department said, adding that many of the emails had to do with revenue share agreements that Google had struck with other companies.

A Google spokesperson said that the company had given the government more than 4 million documents. "Our teams have conscientiously worked for years to respond to inquiries and litigation, and suggestions to the contrary are flatly wrong," the spokesperson said.

The Justice Department asked for the documents to be produced if the in-house counsel did not reply. It asked U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to hold a hearing to discuss the matter.

The Justice Department filed the lawsuit against Google in 2020, with trial expected in September 2023.

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Oil Extends Rally On Russia Embargo Talk, Stocks Rise

Oil prices extended their rally Tuesday on supply worries as European leaders debated banning imports from Russia, though equities stood their ground despite a tepid Wall Street lead and the prospect of a sharper hike in US interest rates.

Both main crude contracts started the week by soaring more than seven percent Monday as EU nations discussed following Washington and putting an embargo on Russian energy imports for its war in Ukraine.

Some members are pushing to ramp up pressure on Vladimir Putin with more sanctions over his invasion, though others including Germany -- which still relies on Moscow’s fuel -- have been reluctant to target the key sectors.

Adding to upward pressure on oil was a warning from Saudi Arabia that Yemeni rebel attacks on its oil facilities pose a "direct threat" to global supplies, after Red Sea facilities belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco were targeted.

The surge in oil prices has been a key driver of turmoil on world markets in recent weeks as demand surges owing to economic reopenings just as supplies are strained.

That, along with a spike in the cost of other key commodities such as metals and wheat caused by the war, has sent inflation rocketing and caused a headache for central banks already trying to wind down pandemic-era monetary policy.

"It seems energy traders are growing more confident that supply shortages are just around the corner," warned OANDA’s Edward Moya.

"China’s decision to avoid broad lockdowns is also helping oil prices as the short-term crude demand hit should be temporary. The oil rollercoaster ride remains a geopolitical trade and right now it seems the risks are growing and that could push crude prices higher."

There is a growing fear that the global economy could endure a period of stagflation in which prices soar by growth stalls.

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Ukraine's Zelensky rules out surrender, presses Putin for talks

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said his country would be "destroyed" before it surrenders its cities to invading Russian forces, as he doubled down on a call for direct talks with Vladimir Putin as the key to ending the war.

As Russia defended overnight strikes that reduced a Kyiv shopping mall to rubble, killing eight, US President Joe Biden held a call with European leaders to address the increasingly "brutal tactics" employed by Moscow -- undeterred by unprecedented Western sanctions.

But despite a soaring civilian toll, the Ukrainian president made clear his countrymen would not "hand over" the capital, the eastern city of Kharkiv, or the heavily bombarded and besieged Mariupol.

"Ukraine cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums," he said. "We should be destroyed first."

Nearly a month after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, Moscow has meanwhile ramped up its air and sea operations, flying 300 sorties in the past 24 hours, in a "desperate" bid to turn the tide against the Ukrainian resistance, a senior US defence official said.

In Kyiv, a new 35-hour curfew was ordered from 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) Monday, after Russian strikes -- likely a missile -- laid waste to the "Retroville" shopping complex where AFP reporters saw six bodies covered by black sheets on the ground.

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Corona claims 2 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has reported 2 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,522,419. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,333 on Tuesday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 228 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan has conducted 27,741 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 228 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 0.82 percent.

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US genocide designation brings little comfort to Rohingya camps

The US decision to brand a crackdown by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya minority as genocide is a victory for human rights campaigners but will do little to alleviate the suffering of those still languishing in camps, activists say.

Hundreds of thousands of the mostly Muslim Rohingya community fled the Buddhist-majority country for Bangladesh in 2017, bringing stories of rape, murder and arson, while another 600,000 remain in refugee camps in junta-ruled Myanmar.

On Sunday, Washington said the violence amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, with media reporting the decision could be followed by further sanctions and limits on aid, among other penalties against the already-isolated junta.

Thin Thin Hlaing, a Rohingya rights activist welcomed the move.

"I feel like we were living through a blackout but now we see a light, because they recognise our suffering," she told AFP.

But she added: "My parents, my sister and my niece still have to live in camps in bad conditions and with no standard of human rights."

More outrage towards Myanmar's military — already an international pariah — will do little to change the wretched conditions many Rohingya live in, said David Mathieson, an analyst formerly based in the country.

"It's hard to see how it (the designation) will improve the lives of people who have suffered from crushing state repression and extreme violence," he said.

"The Myanmar military didn't care about the accusations when they started, and given they're now fighting almost everyone else in the country, I doubt this finding will affect them in any way."

Since ousting Aung San Suu Kyi's government last year, the junta has doubled down on widespread perceptions that the Rohingya are interlopers from Bangladesh and continues to deny them citizenship, rights and access to services.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing — who was head of the armed forces during the 2017 crackdown — has dismissed the word Rohingya as "an imaginary term".

Any sanctions that may follow Washington's designation are also unlikely to damage or dislodge the generals behind the crackdown, Mathieson added.

"Short of the US either actively blocking arms sales... or supplying anti-aircraft assistance to the resistance as they're doing in Ukraine, then Washington has little leverage or punitive options it can exert," he said.

Suu Kyi

The designation also makes uncomfortable reading for a shadow "National Unity Government" (NUG) dominated by lawmakers from Suu Kyi's ousted party, which is working to overturn the coup.

Her National League for Democracy was in power during the 2017 crackdown and her government's handling of the crisis deeply tarnished her reputation abroad.

Her office denied claims that fleeing refugees had suffered rape, extrajudicial killings and arson attacks on their homes by Myanmar troops.

When a genocide case opened at the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2019, the Nobel laureate travelled to the court to defend the generals, who a little over a year later would oust her government and plunge the country into turmoil.

Last year, the NUG invited Rohingya to "join hands" to end military rule, promising to repatriate those who fled to Bangladesh and grant citizenship to the minority.

But it holds no territory and has not been recognised by any foreign government, leaving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya at the mercy of authorities on either side of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.

"Unfortunately, the determination itself by the United States won't help bring Rohingya home," Manny Maung, Myanmar researcher at Human Rights Watch told AFP.

"But I hope this is an indicator that the Rohingya will finally have a path towards seeking justice for what has been done to them."

The determination "should have been done way before," said one Rohingya at a camp for those displaced by the crisis near Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's western Rakhine state.

"I believe the US decision will help" the Rohingya's case at the ICJ, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Asked about the impact on day-to-day life in the camp of wooden huts at the end of a potholed road, he replied: "I don't know."

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Gas cylinder blast in karachi

Four person including two brothers received serious injuries due to a gas cylinder blast in Clifton area of the provincial capital.

It can be seen in the footage that ablaze erupted in the house. The residents of the locality reached the site of the incident with in a moment. Four men were injured due to gas cylinder blast. They have been shifted to hospital for medical treatment.

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Third Test, Australia won the toss

Australia won the toss and chooses to bat in the third and last test match of the series between Pakistan and Australia which is scheduled to be played in Lahore on Monday at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Earlier test matches played in Rawalpindi and Karachi remained undecided. The series is currently level at nil-nil after the first two Test in Rawalpindi and Karachi ended in draws. Hence, both teams are yet to win a test in the series.

The third test will decide which team will win the series as it is crucial for both teams.

Pakistan Squad
Babar Azam(c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Zahid Mahmood

Australia Squad
Pat Cummins(c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Mark Steketee, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Josh Inglis.

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Sunday, March 20, 2022

Corona claims 2 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has reported 2 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,522,191. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,331 on Monday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 303 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan has conducted 30,300 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 303 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 1.00 percent

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ECP issue notice to PM for attending Malakand rally

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday issued a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan for participating in a rally in Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of the second phase of the local government (LG) polls.

The election commission has served notice to PM Imran Khan over the violation of the election code of conduct. According to the ECP, the prime minister has violated the provision of the Revised Code of Conduct, Elections Act 2017, and the Rules made thereunder.”

The notice was served by District Monitoring Officer of Election Commission to PM Imran, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Federal Ministers Murad Saeed and Ali Zaidi, Senator Faisal Javed, MNA Junaid Akbar, MPA Shakeel Khan and MPA Pir Mussawir.

They have been directed to submit the clarification over the code violation via in person or through their lawyers at the office of District Monitoring Officer of Election Commission on March 22 at 10:00am.

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UN hopeful of progress at Syria constitution talks

Talks on a new constitution for Syria resume this week in Geneva, with the United Nations mediator hopeful of making headway. Back in October, the sixth round of discussions between 15 representatives each from President Bashar al-Assad s government, the opposition, and civil society, ended with no agreement on how to move things forward.

But UN envoy Geir Pedersen said the two co-chairs -- from the government and the opposition -- had now come up with an improved procedure for finding common ground on the final day of the talks, which will be on Friday.

"Syria remains one of the gravest crises in the world and there is a clear need for progress towards a political solution," Pedersen told reporters on Sunday.

The Syrian Constitutional Committee was created in September 2019 and first convened a month later.

The tentative negotiations are aimed at rewriting the war-torn country s constitution. It is hoped the talks could pave the way towards a broader political process.

"The committee should work in a way that builds trust and confidence," Pedersen said.

"During this session I hope to see the constitutional committee work with a sense of seriousness and purpose and determination to make progress that the situation demands.

"If the three delegations do what they have said they will do, I hope that we can see some steady progress."

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Telegram booms as Russia's digital landscape shrinks after invasion of Ukraine

Popular messaging application Telegram has become a go-to platform since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has benefitted from the gap left by Russia’s blocking of Facebook and Instagram, offering a platform for mass messaging in a way similar to social media.

The platform also provides one of the last windows on Russia, but also an open channel to the horrors facing an under siege Ukraine.

"Our main hope is connected with Telegram channel," Galina Timchenko, director of the independent news site Meduza that Russia has moved to block, told the Committee to Protect Journalists.

According to daily figures provided by Telegram, the app has been downloaded over 150 million times since the beginning of the year, with the official figure of half a billion active users dating back to January 2021.

Prior to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Telegram benefitted from not using the same economic model of the big American platforms that generate revenue with data on their users.

Downloads jumped in 2021 when a report from ProPublica investigative journalists claimed that Facebook teams were viewing messages sent via WhatsApp, contrary to company assurances.

At the same time, Telegram has benefitted from the image of its creators, brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, Russian citizens who left their home country in 2014.

Under pressure from the authorities, Nikolai sold his stake in VK, which he had created, rather than hand over the personal data of activists to the government.

"Telegram is now a very nice revenge story, and we all love a good revenge story," said Enrique Dans, a professor specializing in information systems at the IE Business School in Madrid.

"Will that be enough to make Telegram the world’s favorite messaging app? That’s a whole lot to say. The app still has a lot of things to demonstrate in areas such as security, encryption and business model," he added.

While the platform run from Dubai claims to be secure, it does not encrypt messages by default, as does the Meta owned WhatsApp says it does.

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"I will forgive you, come back” Imran khan

He made the statement at the end of the rally and with utmost conviction. Earlier, he told his party’s dissident MNA that he would “forgive” them if they return to the party.

Imran Khan also said that he would not enter a compromise to save his government.

The prime minister addressed a rally in Dargai tehsil of Malakand district on Sunday.

Towards the end of the address, he said he has good news to share with people. Referring to Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman as “three stooges” Imran Khan says, “the three stooges” – who have hatched a grand conspiracy using money – should learn that “you are going to lose this match.”

Earlier, Imran Khan said he would not enter a compromise to save his government. “If I have to sell my conscience to save my government, I damn as such a government,” he said

He also praised India for “always” maintaining a neutral foreign policy.

Imran Khan accused the opposition of trying to serve western interests.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has told the dissident PTI MNAs that a party’s head is “like a father” to its members.

He said the days of Changa Manga have gone. “Through social media, every one has learnt your name and if you leave the party, people will say that you did that for money, though you may say that your conscience has an awakening and this is the reason that you voted against Imran Khan, but people would not believe in you.”

He warned the dissidents that on social media they will always be called “sellers of conscience” and it would become impossible for them to attend weddings. “You would ruin your future. People would not forgive you.”

Imran Khan said that MNAs who “have made the mistake, I will forgive you, come back.

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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION SUMMONED ON MARCH 25

The session will convene at 11am on Friday and will be the 41st session of the current National Assembly.

It was summoned after the joint opposition made the requisition for it under Article 54 of the Constitution along with the submission of the no-confidence motion against the prime minister on March 8.

According to Article 54, once a session of the National Assembly has been requisitioned with signatures of at least 25 per cent of the members on it, the speaker has a maximum of 14 days to summon a session.

Therefore, the speaker had to call the lower house in session by March 22. However, the notification issued by the NA media department, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, explained that on January 21 a motion was adopted by the National Assembly to allow the exclusive use of its chamber for the 48th session of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers on March 22 and 23.

It further said that due to its own chamber's unavailability, the NA Secretariat had asked the Senate Secretariat to provide its chamber for the lower house's session but it was also unavailable due to renovation work.

The notification further said that the chairman CDA and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad were also approached for the provision of a suitable place outside the Parliament Building but "they have informed in writing that no suitable place is available at present in Islamabad."

"In view of the aforementioned facts and circumstances, it is evident that no suitable place would be available for holding the session of the National Assembly till 24th March," the notification issued in Qaiser's name stated.

"Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me under clause (3) of Article 54 of the Constitution ... I herby summon the session of the National Assembly on the first available date i.e. 25th March."

After the NA is in session, the rules of procedure dictate that the secretary will circulate a notice for a no-confidence resolution, which will be moved on the next working day.

From the day the resolution is moved, it "shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days," according to the rules.

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World economy shut down during Corona and supply chain affected by Corona: Farrukh Habib

Farrukh Habib said that Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce has brought together all the chambers of the country which needs time. Pakistan's textile exports have tripled.

He said that during Corona, world economy was shut down and supply chain was also affected due to Corona. Textile exports will reach 21 billion this year.

Farrukh Habib said that during the Corona epidemic, businessmen stood by the Prime Minister and it was the duty of the governments to create facilities for the traders while the government provided facilities to the business community at all times.

He said that the business community appreciated the policies of the Prime Minister and the business community should stand by the Prime Minister for the development of the country. When we got the government, we had a deficit of billion.

The Minister of State said that we will continue our work for the hoisting of the green crescent flag.

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Pakistan all set to host OIC FMs moot next week

The government is all set to host a two-day meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Islamabad .

The 48th summit of the OIC-CFM will be held on March 22 and 23 under the theme: "Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development."

Taking to Twitter, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said the session will coincide with 75th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan's Independence Day.

Pakistan has invited the worthy guests to attend Pakistan Day parade on Wednesday and witness the professional capability of Pakistan's armed forces and the traditional floats of all the provinces, reflecting the national unity, he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, OIC said the session will address many topics and the activities of the OIC General Secretariat on implementing the resolutions adopted on various issues in the Islamic world, including the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds.

The summit will also discuss developments in Afghanistan and its humanitarian consequences for the Afghan people, and the prevailing situation in Indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, read the statement.

The statement further said many African issues will also be on the summit's agenda, including the situation in Mali, the Sahel region, and Lake Chad, and the situation in Central Africa and the Republic of Guinea.

It said the OIC Foreign Ministers will also discuss developments in Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and other regions during the summit.

For this crucial meeting, the Parliament House has been selected as the venue, where the plenary sessions will be held.

Meanwhile, talking to newsmen in Islamabad, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi the OIC session is a significant as it is being held at an important phase when the Muslim Ummah is confronted with a host of challenges, including the Kashmir and Palestine issues.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said various global challenges like economic contraction and its fallout, and climate change, will also come under consideration.

More than 100 resolutions will be considered during the session.

A day earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad had said that the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers session was an international event in the country and no one could dare create any hindrance in it.

Talking to a private TV channel, he challenged the opposition to dare stop the moot, adding that the state would provide full protection to it. He strongly reacted to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s warning of staging a sit-in at the National Assembly and blocking the OIC Council of FMs session in the Capital.

He said they would handle the opposition in a ‘polite’ manner. “We will send them back in a civilised manner,” he added. Rashid said the participants in the moot were the guests of Pakistan.

PTI Central Secretary General and Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar strongly reacted to the statement made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari against the OIC Conference, alleging he was always afraid to speak in defence of people of Islam.

“Bilawal Zardari! We knew that you are always afraid to speak in defence of the people of Islam and their rights, but we did not expect you to express such anti-Muslim sentiments by openly threatening to disrupt the OIC meeting,” he argued.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had knocked at the international conscience to take measures against Islamophobia and protect the sanctity of Holy Prophet (PBUH), while the entire Muslim world supported the resolution, tabled by Pakistan in the UN General Assembly.

He noted that the support of the United Nations for the resolution of Pakistan and its willingness to make concerted efforts to eradicate Islamophobia at the international level was a historic achievement for the Muslim Ummah on which the frustration among the opposition was significant.

Asad emphasised that the conference would be held in any form which would show the solidarity of the Muslim Ummah and the whole world would see it. “If the PPP chairman or his followers can stop it, then stop it,” he said.

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