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Pakistan to discuss Gaza ‘genocide,’ Islamophobia at OIC meeting in Cameroon today

Pakistan to discuss Gaza ‘genocide,’ Islamophobia at OIC meeting in Cameroon today
A man pushes a child sitting in a cart along a street in central Gaza City on August 27, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Updated 29 August 2024
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Pakistan to discuss Gaza ‘genocide,’ Islamophobia at OIC meeting in Cameroon today

Pakistan to discuss Gaza ‘genocide,’ Islamophobia at OIC meeting in Cameroon today
  • Pakistan’s foreign secretary to attend two-day OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Yaoundé
  • Climate change, “terrorism,” and other global challenges will also be discussed, says state media
Updated 29 August 2024
Arab News Pakistan
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi will lead a delegation of his country today, Thursday, at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cameroon to discuss Israel’s war in Gaza and rising incidences of Islamophobia around the world, state-run media reported. 
The two-day event will be held in Cameroon’s capital city of Yaoundé. Pakistan actively participates in CFM meetings to address issues affecting the Muslim world, including Palestine, Kashmir and counterterrorism, while promoting regional cooperation, economic development and Islamic solidarity, and fostering collaboration with other member states to tackle common challenges and opportunities. 
“At the meeting, the foreign secretary will share Pakistan’s perspective on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and dire humanitarian situation,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday. 
The Pakistani official will also underline the imperatives of solidarity and unity of the Muslim Ummah and speak on the rising Islamophobia and xenophobia cases in various parts of the world, Radio Pakistan said.
It added that issues of climate change, “terrorism” and other contemporary global challenges will also be discussed during the meeting. 
“On the sidelines, the foreign secretary will hold bilateral interactions with his counterparts from participating OIC member states,” the state media said. 
Israel has carried out near-daily raids across the West Bank and Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, killing over 40,000 Palestinians. 
Israel’s relentless military campaign has triggered outrage and protests worldwide, with many countries demanding a ceasefire in the Middle East as the death toll surges. 
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Topics: War on Gaza Pakistan Palestine #OIC

Pakistan court rejects Imran Khan acquittal plea in £190 million land bribe case

Pakistan court rejects Imran Khan acquittal plea in £190 million land bribe case
Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan court rejects Imran Khan acquittal plea in £190 million land bribe case

Pakistan court rejects Imran Khan acquittal plea in £190 million land bribe case
  • Khan and his wife are accused of receiving land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon 
  • Khan aides say land donated to a trust for charitable purposes, real estate developer denies wrongdoing
Updated 7 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Thursday turned down acquittal pleas by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife in a case in which they are accused of receiving land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust.
The charitable trust was set up by Bushra Khan, Khan’s third wife, and Khan in 2018 when still in office. Pakistani authorities have accused Khan and his wife of receiving the land, worth up to 7 billion rupees ($25 million), from a property developer charged in Britain with money laundering.
Authorities accused Khan of getting the land in exchange for a favor to the property developer by using 190 million pounds repatriated by Britain in the money laundering probe to pay fines levied by a court against the developer. Khan’s aides have previously said that the land was donated to the trust for charitable purposes. The real estate developer has also denied any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, an accountability court turned down a plea by Khan and Bushra to be acquitted in the case. The plea was filed following a Supreme Court verdict last week restoring amendments to the country’s anti-graft laws approved in 2022 that Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said had put the land bribe case outside the jurisdiction of the National Accountability Bureau, which had filed and is currently investigating it.
“After hearing the arguments of the parties concerned, the court rejected Imran Khan’s acquittal petition and fixed the cross-examination of the last witness for tomorrow,” Pakistan’s Samaa News reported. Other Pakistani media also widely reported on the ruling.
The National Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2022 limited the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) jurisdiction to cases involving corruption of over Rs500 million, reduced the term of the chairman of the bureau and prosecutor general to three years and transferred all pending inquiries, investigations and trials to other authorities. The amendments were passed by the then coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his first term as PM from 2022-2023.
Imran Khan, who had at the time recently been ousted as prime minister through a vote of no-confidence in parliament, petitioned the top court against the amendments, claiming they were passed to benefit the influential, including top politicians, and would legitimize corruption in the country. 
In September last year, the Supreme Court, led by then Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, declared changes to the National Accountability Ordinance unlawful and ordered the restoration of corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn after amendments in the law came into effect.
The federal government led by PM Sharif and other parties filed intra-court appeals against the judgment, which were accepted by a five-member Supreme Court bench led by the current chief justice, Qazi Faez Isa. 
Last Friday, the Supreme Court announced that it was restoring all the changes to the accountability law.
Khan, who has been in jail since August last year in a slew of cases, had also become a beneficiary of the restored amendments, his party said at the time, arguing that he could now move the courts for acquittal in at least two major corruption cases, namely the land bribe case and an investigation involving the illegal sale of state gifts while he was PM.
“Detailed verdict is awaited but in the light of short order, it’s safe to say new Toshakhana [state gifts] case against Imran Khan can no longer continue as it exceeds Rs500 million cap, making it ineffective, as per the new amendments,” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a statement to media after Friday’s SC judgment. “It will also impact the £190 million case.”

Topics: Imran Khan

Pakistan finance minister says all matters relating to bailout program ‘settled amicably’ with IMF

Pakistan finance minister says all matters relating to bailout program ‘settled amicably’ with IMF
Updated 50 min 33 sec ago
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Pakistan finance minister says all matters relating to bailout program ‘settled amicably’ with IMF

Pakistan finance minister says all matters relating to bailout program ‘settled amicably’ with IMF
  • The statement came after the IMF said its executive board will meet on September 25 to discuss new loan to Pakistan
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif said “friendly countries” had played a major role in helping Pakistan meet the IMF requirements
Updated 50 min 33 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Thursday that matters relating to Pakistan’s fresh $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program will be finalized this month, hours after the lender said its executive board will meet on September 25 to discuss the bailout.
The IMF statement allayed fears of a prolonged delay in much-needed funds for Pakistan. The South Asian nation struck a staff level agreement with the global lender in June, but board approval for the 37-month program has been pending since then.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier on Thursday that “friendly countries” had played a major role in helping meet requirements placed before Islamabad by the IMF, which included arranging additional external financing and rolling over debt.
Islamabad has for years relied on China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for financial assistance to meet external financing requirements and avoid sovereign default, which it came close to last summer.
“All matters with the IMF have been settled amicably,” Finance Minister Aurangzeb said in a statement. “These matters will be finalized in the meeting of the IMF board this month.”
Pakistan’s last $3 billion IMF program helped avert a sovereign default last year, amid a decline in foreign exchange reserves to critical levels, currency devaluation and record inflation.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s sovereign dollar bonds rallied, with the 2031 maturity trading 1 cent higher to bid at 79.93 cents on the dollar, according to Tradeweb data.
Pakistan has been struggling with boom-and-bust cycles for decades, leading to 22 IMF bailouts since 1958. The latest economic crisis has been the most prolonged and has seen the highest-ever levels of inflation, pushing the country to the brink of a sovereign default last summer before an IMF bailout.
The conditions of the fresh IMF bailout have become tougher such as higher taxes on farm incomes and electricity prices. The bailout is aimed at cementing stability and inclusive growth in the crisis-plagued South Asian country.

Topics: Pakistan IMF Talks IMF bailout Muhammad Aurangzeb

Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support

Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support
Updated 59 min 3 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support

Pakistan’s Affan Salman, World Youth Scrabble champion, hopes for government support
  • 16-year-old studied words for six hours a day, practiced with siblings to prepare for the tournament
  • With Salman’s win, Pakistan has become the only country ever to win the world youth title five times
Updated 59 min 3 sec ago
BURAQ SHABBIR

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Affan Salman, who brought home the World Youth Scrabble Championship (WYSC) 2024 trophy this month, said he hoped his win would motivate more kids to take the word game seriously and participate in global competitions, calling on the government to support the Pakistan Scrabble Association and provide funds for training and international travel.
The WYSC is organized by the World English-language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) annually. The championship was first held in 2006, with the inaugural event taking place in Australia.
Salman,16, participated in the 19th edition of the WYSC held in Sri Lanka from September 6-8. This is the fifth time Pakistani players have claimed the championship title, which is a record.
“It was an unreal feeling and initially I couldn’t believe that I became the champion. But when everyone started congratulating me, I realized I have won,” Salman told Arab News in an interview this week.
Salman played 23 games out of 24 and was crowned the champion in the 19th round.
“In this tournament, I made a highest point-scoring word of 158 points and that word was almagest,” he said, spelling out the word for an influential treatise on astronomy written by the Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy in the second century AD.
Pakistan won two trophies, one for the championship title and the other for being the top-ranked team, with four of its players in the top ten. India’s Madhav Gopal Kamath, who stood fourth in the tournament, was one of the toughest opponents, Salman said.


“There were two tough opponents, the number one player of India, Madhav Gopal Kamath, and the number one player of Sri Lanka, Adheesha Dissanayake,” the Pakistani player said.
“I played with Adheesha three times [out of which] he beat me one time. He beat me at a very crucial time in the tournament, in the 23rd round and I could see the championship going away.”
“NO GOVERNMENT SUPPORT”
Born and raised in Karachi, Salman has three brothers and is currently in the 10th grade, with a special interest in Computer Sciences. His elder brother Ali Salman won the world youth scrabble title in 2022 while his younger brother was also competing with him in this year’s edition.
“My father introduced us to scrabble,” Salman said. “He told me to play it in my spare time. I didn’t know we would start playing on a professional level and start winning as well.”
He said his elder brother was his inspiration.


“He taught me everything when we got into the depth of this game. Throughout the tournament, he motivated me a lot.”
To prepare for competitions, Salman studied words six hours a day and also played practice games with his brothers.
“There are word lists as well as a specific software through which we study words. It schedules words every day. Until we learn those words, the software doesn’t spare us,” the champion explained.
In the future, Salman says he wants to pursue computer engineering at the college level. He also hopes to participate and win big at the World Scrabble Championship (WSC), played to determine the world champion in competitive English-language Scrabble.
But for that he said government support was key.
“The government should collaborate with the Pakistan Scrabble Association … they should provide funds. If they cannot provide funds, they can at least sponsor our trips, that would make it much easier for us” Salman said.
“More kids will get motivated and feel that there is scope in scrabble.”

Topics: Affan Salman World Youth Scrabble Championship Scrabble

Construction begins of Afghan section of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India pipeline

Construction begins of Afghan section of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India pipeline
Updated 12 September 2024
AP
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Construction begins of Afghan section of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India pipeline

Construction begins of Afghan section of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India pipeline
  • The Afghanistan section was to have been completed in 2018, but construction was repeatedly postponed because of security concerns
  • The ceremony to weld the first joint of the pipeline section was observed by Afghan prime minister and the Turkmenistan president
Updated 12 September 2024
AP

ASHGABAT: Top officials of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan on Wednesday witnessed the start of construction of the Afghanistan section of the pipeline that will supply Afghanistan, Pakistan and India with natural gas from Turkmenistan’s vast reserves.
The Afghanistan section was to have been completed in 2018, but construction was repeatedly postponed because of security concerns. Only the Turkmenistan section has been finished.
The Wednesday ceremony to weld the first joint of the 100-kilometer (62-mile) pipeline section from Turkmenistan to the Afghan city of Herat was observed by Afghan Prime Minister Hassan Akhund, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamediv and his father and predecessor Gurbanguly.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid (L) attends the inauguration ceremony of the TAPI pipeline project at Islim Cheshma in the Tagtabazar district of Mary province on September 11, 2024. (AFP)


The pipeline will eventually supply 33 billion cubic meters of gas a year.
Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves, which are the keystone of its economy. After losing its gas trade with Russia, Turkmenistan sought to diversify its customers and currently exports mainly to China.
Gurbanguly Bersymukhamedov, who holds the title of National Leader of the Turkmen People, said that the pipeline project and ancillary projects will add 12,000 jobs in Afghanistan and more than 1 billion US dollars per year in revenue, according to the government newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan.

Topics: TAPI Pakistan Afghanistan India Turkmenistan Arab News Pakistan

US imposes sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program

US imposes sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program
Updated 12 September 2024
Reuters
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US imposes sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program

US imposes sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program
  • State Department says a Chinese research institute worked with Pakistan to procure equipment for Shaheen-3, Ababeel systems
  • The latest sanctions also targeted three China-based firms alongside Pakistan-based Innovative Equipment and a Chinese national
Updated 12 September 2024
Reuters

The US State Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Chinese research institute and several companies it said have been involved in supplying Pakistan’s ballistic missile program.
Washington similarly targeted three China-based companies with sanctions in October 2023 for supplying missile‐applicable items to Pakistan.
Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry had worked with Pakistan to procure equipment for testing rocket motors for the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel systems and potentially for larger systems.
The sanctions also targeted China-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Co, Universal Enterprise, and Xi’an Longde Technology Development Co, alongside Pakistan-based Innovative Equipment and a Chinese national, for knowingly transferring equipment under missile technology restrictions, Miller said.
“As today’s actions demonstrate, the United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur,” Miller said.
The embassies of China and Pakistan in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties Pakistan’s ballistic missile program US State Department Arab News Pakistan

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