UN Security Council seeks inquiry into mass graves in Gaza

UN Security Council seeks inquiry into mass graves in Gaza
Palestinians check the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Al-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip on May 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas movement. (AFP)
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Updated 12 May 2024
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UN Security Council seeks inquiry into mass graves in Gaza

UN Security Council seeks inquiry into mass graves in Gaza
  • Council members express oncern over reports of mass graves in and around Nasser and Al-Shifa medical facilities in Gaza
  • Security Council statement did not say who would conduct the investigations into reports of mass graves in Palestine 

NEW YORK: The UN Security Council has called for an immediate and independent investigation into mass graves allegedly containing hundreds of bodies near hospitals in Gaza.
In a statement, members of the council expressed their “deep concern over reports of the discovery of mass graves, in and around the Nasser and Al-Shifa medical facilities in Gaza, where several hundred bodies, including women, children and older persons, were buried.”
The members stressed the need for “accountability” for any violations of international law.
They called on investigators to be given “unimpeded access to all locations of mass graves in Gaza to conduct immediate, independent, thorough, comprehensive, transparent and impartial investigations.”

FASTFACT

The World Health Organization said in April that Al-Shifa, in Gaza City, had been reduced to an ‘empty shell,’ with many bodies found in the area.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been repeatedly targeted since the beginning of the Israeli military operation in the Palestinian territory following the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Gaza-based Hamas militants.
The World Health Organization said in April that Al-Shifa, in Gaza City, had been reduced to an “empty shell,” with many bodies found in the area.
The Israeli army has said around 200 Palestinians were killed during its military operations there.
Bodies have reportedly been found buried in two graves in the hospital’s courtyard.
The UN rights office in late April had called for an independent investigation into reports of mass graves at Al-Shifa and the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.
Gaza officials said at the time that health workers at the Nasser complex had uncovered hundreds of bodies of Palestinians they alleged had been killed and buried by Israeli forces.
Israel’s army has dismissed the claims as “baseless and unfounded.”
The statement on Friday from the Security Council did not say who would conduct the investigations.
But it “reaffirmed the importance of allowing families to know the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives, consistent with international humanitarian law.”
Israel’s offensive has killed at least 34,943 people in the Gaza Strip, primarily women and children, the Health Ministry in the territory said.

 


Pakistan’s Punjab launches campaign to plant 634,000 trees in Lahore to curb smog

Pakistan’s Punjab launches campaign to plant 634,000 trees in Lahore to curb smog
Updated 21 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Punjab launches campaign to plant 634,000 trees in Lahore to curb smog

Pakistan’s Punjab launches campaign to plant 634,000 trees in Lahore to curb smog
  • Punjab to plant 634,000 trees along banks of River Ravi in Lahore, says provincial minister
  • Provincial government has already planted 105,000 trees over 44 acres of land, she says 

ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province has launched a campaign to plant 634,000 trees in Lahore in its bid to curb smog in the eastern city, a minister of the provincial government said on Sunday. 

Air pollution or smog choked Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, particularly Lahore, for weeks in November 2024, sickening nearly two million people and shrouding vast swathes of the province in a toxic haze.

The intense air pollution forced Punjab to close schools and offices, ban outdoor activities and shorten timings for restaurants, shops and markets last year in a bid to control the smog. Lahore also consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities in the world. 

Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the provincial government has launched the tree plantation project on 978 acres of land on the banks of River Ravi in Lahore. 

“A tree plantation campaign in Lahore is essential to end air pollution and extreme heat,” Aurangzeb said. “A green belt on 978 acres on the banks of the Ravi River will provide fresh oxygen and clean air to citizens.”

She urged citizens to join the government in its efforts to erect “a wall of trees” in Lahore to ensure a smog-free Lahore, adding that 105,000 trees have already been planted on 144 acres of land near River Ravi. 

Punjab’s battle against smog led it to install Pakistan’s first locally designed smog cleaning tower in Lahore in December 2024. Smog towers are large-scale air purifiers designed to reduce pollution by filtering out fine particulate matter and other harmful pollutants. 

Using fans, the towers draw in polluted air, which passes through high-efficiency filters to capture PM2.5 and PM10 particles, which pose severe health risks. The cleaned air is then released back into the surrounding area, improving local air quality.


Pakistan to launch highly anticipated Champions Trophy tournament in Lahore today

Pakistan to launch highly anticipated Champions Trophy tournament in Lahore today
Updated 16 February 2025
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Pakistan to launch highly anticipated Champions Trophy tournament in Lahore today

Pakistan to launch highly anticipated Champions Trophy tournament in Lahore today
  • Key figures from ICC, PCB, other boards, foreign envoys and cricket legends to attend event at Lahore Fort
  • Defending champions Pakistan will play first match of the tournament on Feb. 19 against New Zealand 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch the highly anticipated Champions Trophy cricket tournament at the iconic Lahore Fort today, Sunday, state-run media reported as participating teams other than India arrive in the host country. 

Defending champions Pakistan are the hosts of the Champions Trophy 2025 edition, an eight-nation 50-over cricket tournament. The first match will be played from Feb. 19-Mar. 9 when Pakistan face New Zealand in the southern port city of Karachi. 

The ceremony will be attended by key figures from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and ICC member boards. Foreign envoys, former cricketers and Pakistan’s political leadership will also attend the event. 

Some captains of competing teams are also likely to attend the event at the sprawling lawns of the fort.

“The ceremony at the Lahore Fort will officially launch the tournament,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday.

Despite Pakistan hosting the tournament, four matches, including the first semifinal, will be co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan.

The UAE was inducted as the co-host after the Indian cricket board refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan to play in the tournament due to political tensions and security concerns. 

The Indian team will play its group matches against Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand at the Dubai Cricket Stadium while the first semifinal will also be played at the same venue.

The final of the tournament will also be played in Dubai if India qualify for it. The traditional captains’ photoshoot will not take place ahead of the trophy due to the absence of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. 

New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, England and Afghanistan have already reached Pakistan. Only two warm-up matches are scheduled in Pakistan while the third and last one will be played in the UAE between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh.

Pakistan won the Champions Trophy tournament in 2017 under former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed’s leadership, beating India in the final by 180 runs in a one-sided contest. 


Pakistan finance minister to attend Emerging Market Economies conference in Saudi Arabia today

Pakistan finance minister to attend Emerging Market Economies conference in Saudi Arabia today
Updated 16 February 2025
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Pakistan finance minister to attend Emerging Market Economies conference in Saudi Arabia today

Pakistan finance minister to attend Emerging Market Economies conference in Saudi Arabia today
  • Muhammad Aurangzeb to take part in panel discussion moderated by IMF’s managing director, says state media 
  • Nine-session conference will be attended by 200 participants, 36 speakers from 48 countries, says Radio Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will represent Pakistan at the two-day Emerging Market Economies Conference today, Sunday, in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla city, state broadcaster reported. 

The conference is being held from Feb. 16-17 in AlUla in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Kingdom’s Ministry of Finance.

The nine-session conference would be attended by 200 participants and 36 speakers from 48 countries. The event will bring together emerging market finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers, public and private sector leaders, international institutions and academics.

“He [Aurangzeb] is scheduled to participate in a high-level panel discussion, moderated by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, on the topic of ‘The Path to Emerging Markets,’” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

Aurangzeb is attending the conference at the invitation of his Saudi counterpart Mohammed Al-Jadaan. The two ministers met ahead of the conference on Saturday, stressing the importance of unlocking the full potential of their economic relationship. 

Their discussions highlighted opportunities for enhancing bilateral trade, investments and financial collaboration, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday, with both ministers expressing their dedication to unlocking the full potential of their countries’ strategic partnership. 

Pakistan is navigating a fragile economic recovery under a $7 billion IMF loan program secured in September 2024, after implementing austerity measures and policy reforms to avert a sovereign default in 2023.

To facilitate Pakistan’s economic recovery, Saudi Arabia signed 34 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $2.8 billion last October to boost private sector investment in key areas, including energy, infrastructure and technology.

The global conference takes place at a time when the world economy is facing persistent shocks, trade tensions between major world powers, geopolitical instability and tight financial conditions. 


Pakistan slashes petrol price by Rs1 per liter for next fortnight

Pakistan slashes petrol price by Rs1 per liter for next fortnight
Updated 16 February 2025
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Pakistan slashes petrol price by Rs1 per liter for next fortnight

Pakistan slashes petrol price by Rs1 per liter for next fortnight
  • Pakistan’s Finance Division also announces reduction in the price of diesel by Rs4 per liter
  • Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed fortnightly based on international oil price fluctuations 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan this week announced reducing the price of petrol by Rs1 per liter and of diesel by Rs4 per liter for the next fortnight, a notification from the Finance Division said this week, attributing it to price fluctuations in the international oil market. 

The development takes place after Pakistan increased the price of petrol by Rs1 per liter on Feb. 1. After the latest decline, the price of petrol has been fixed at Rs256.13 per liter while that of diesel has been set to Rs263.95 per liter. 

“The Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has reviewed and adjusted consumer prices for petroleum products in view of recent fluctuations in the international oil market,” the notification said on Saturday. 

The Finance Division also announced reductions in the prices of other petroleum products.

The government slashed the price of kerosene oil by Rs3.20 per liter to Rs171.65, while the price of high speed diesel has been reduced by Rs5.25 per liter to Rs155.81 per liter.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted fortnightly, based on fluctuations in international energy markets and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

The mechanism ensures that the net impact of changes in import costs is passed on to consumers, helping to sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.

Fuel price increases typically push consumer prices higher across sectors, causing economic strain and fueling popular resentment among the masses. 
 


Pakistan and Saudi naval forces conclude maritime exercise with live weapons firing

Pakistan and Saudi naval forces conclude maritime exercise with live weapons firing
Updated 16 February 2025
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Pakistan and Saudi naval forces conclude maritime exercise with live weapons firing

Pakistan and Saudi naval forces conclude maritime exercise with live weapons firing
  • Naseem Al Bahr-XV followed the Aman exercise that brought together navies from several states
  • Both navies executed complex scenarios, including joint maneuvers and anti-submarine warfare

KARACHI: The Pakistan Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) on Saturday concluded a bilateral maritime exercise with a live weapons firing display in the North Arabian Sea, demonstrating combat readiness, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
The Naseem Al Bahr-XV followed the larger multinational Aman exercise, which brought together navies from several countries to promote regional maritime cooperation.
However, unlike Aman, which focuses on soft power, multinational coordination and humanitarian operations, Naseem Al Bahr is a biennial exercise designed to enhance operational preparedness and joint warfare capabilities between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
This year’s edition involved four naval vessels — Pakistan’s PNS Zulfiquar and Saudi Arabia’s HMS Jazan, HMS Al Yarmook and HMS Hail.
“Exercise NASEEM AL BAHR-XV featured advanced maritime operations, and the participating assets of both navies executed a diverse range of complex scenarios, including joint maneuvers, Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare and integrated Maritime Security Operations,” the official statement said.
“The exercise provided an opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation, enhance interoperability and demonstrate a shared commitment to ensuring maritime security,” it added.
The exercise concluded with a live weapons firing demonstration, with the participating ships successfully launching a variety of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.
The statement said all the ships engaged their designated targets with precision, reflecting their combat preparedness and war-fighting capability.
Senior officials, including the commander Royal Saudi Naval Forces and Pakistan’s chief of naval staff, attended the event.