Connect with us

ASIA

Pakistan bans ethnic Pashtun party PTM; Political insecurity looming

Published

on

Imposition of ban on Pushtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has made surprising its stalwarts and activists at the time when they are busy in finalizing of arrangements in connection with three days, Pushtoon Jirga scheduled at Jamrud Khyber from Friday.

The ban imposed/notified by the Federal Government through its interior ministry under Anti-Terrorism law of 1997 law is being opposed and criticized by Human Rights activists and analysts. Pakistan Interior Ministry in a statement said that the PTM has been included on the list of proscribed organizations under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, because of its involvement in “certain activities that are prejudicial to the peace and security of the country.”

Former Interior Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Syed Akhtar Ali Shah believes it misuse of anti-terror law as, “PTM is purely a political organization, raising voice in favor of its concerns through political and non violent ways.” On the other hand, he said, “government organs are silent and helpless towards those hardliner religious groups, which are publicly following violent ways. In this respect, he diverted attention towards TLP, which since 2016-2017 involved violent means by issuing murder edicts of former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and ex-Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah. On such grounds, TLP also banned a couple of years but the federal government had withdrawn the decision on Punjab request. Instead of banning PTM, the government must address its demands, which may be helpful.  

Pakistani forces fired tear gas, beaten and arrested PTM activists

On the other hand, the volunteers and supporters of PTM from all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially from terrorism and violence hit regions of Waziristan, Swat, Khyber, Bajaur and Bannu regions are pouring in to help in arrangements. 

Recently, the activists and volunteers of PTM had organized their tent on the site, whereas a three days Pakhtoon Quami Jirga will be commenced from October 11 next. 

However, the camp was destroyed by the Pakistani police personnel. In the wake of the situation, police action included firing tear gas shells, beating and arresting the activists throughout. Moreover, heavy contingents of police force had deployed earlier on main Pak-Afghan Highway, continuing firing of tear gas shells against them. PTM activists resisted the move with pellet-blows and succeeded in maintaining occupation of the site, where they resumed installation of tents and other arrangements. 

But the police resorted to firing of tear gas shells against the PTM organizing camp in accordance with directives from the Interior Ministry of the Federal Government. Soon after, Chief Minister through a brief social media disowned police action but later on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs through a notification directed police force for action against the PTM activists on the grounds of what it called “found involved in patronizing and assisting incitement of hatred and contempt against the state and its institutions, while exploiting sectarian and ethnic sentiments and also use of literature, print and electronic and other materials for the purpose.” 

Supporters and activists of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement take part in a protest against the military in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province [File: (AFP]

The leader of PTM, Manzoor Pashteen through a video message has directed all workers and supporters to reach in Jamrud for maintaining occupation of the site and ensuring holding of peaceful gathering scheduled on October 11 next.           

At the same time, Pakistan security forces also engaged in direct clashes with the supporters of Imran Khan, the former jailed Prime Minister of Pakistan. Khan is also leader of PTI political party.

Pakistan forces also arrested and beaten PTI members

At the moment there is a complete deadlock between federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government after arrest of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandhapur and takeover of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa house Islamabad by armed forces. Islamabad police has confirmed registration of FIR against leading PTI leaders. However, names of nominees nominated in FIR yet to be made public.

The situation is turning worse after the expiry of an injured policeman who succumbed in Islamabad hospital and summoning of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for discussing the situation erupted with arrest of Chief Minister and several others.

Though the PTI leaders are accusing the federal government for the arrest of deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan and other top PTI leaders, the matter in fact rests between the PTI and powerful military establishment. At the moment, the effective and powerful military establishment is not willing either to forgive deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan or to make him free. But in a bid to get the release of Imran Khan and his spouse, the PTI leadership is building pressure and criticism against the PML(N) led federal government.

According to an FIR registered by Islamabad police around 105 top persons including PTI leaders have been arrested, over 40 vehicles including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government controlled RESCUE 1122 vehicles and ambulances were also impounded by Islamabad and Punjab Police. The top Executive officer Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (nominated and posted by Federal Government) has also directed Secretary Relief for submitting detailed reports of RESCUE resources (vehicles and personnel) used in PTI agitations/protests against the federal government.

Some of top PTI leaders are publicly reaffirming support and loyalty to Imran Khan and Ali Amin Gandhapur but the internal situation is different whereas some of them have stock of reservation over the confrontation-focused policies against military establishment and federal government. Just for filling the blanks or signing enrolment, provincial ministers, MP’s and other office holders are witnessed in selfies but later they disappear during firing of tear gas shells and lathi charges.

Politico-turmoil in Pakistan is detrimental to the safety of region aimed Middle East tension

Despite Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor’s frequent appeals for intervention, the federal government is playing the role of silent spectator. This mysterious role on the part of the federal government is also generating stock of questions and confusions. No one can deny the fact that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandhapur is helpless before Imran Khan and reluctant to settle the issues through table talks with the federal government but it is also a fact that unlike of past, the federal government had failed in playing its due role in settling the issues or ensuring smooth working relations with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Politico-turmoil in Pakistan, especially allowing fueling an anarchy like situation in Khyber at the time when war clouds from the Middle East are hitting the rest of Asian Regions, relations between Kabul and Islamabad are  deteriorating day by day. Almost all powers and authorities have been monopolized by the powerful military establishment and no one amongst the political squad is capable of playing the role as mediator for reconciliation on all internal and external fronts. Almost all people from all over the country are uncertain and disappointed. Worries of common men are intensifying with each passing day, which is harmful for the very future of the country and its people.

ASIA

Taliban denies Pakistan claims Jaffar Express “terrorists” were in contact with leaders in Afghanistan

Published

on

The recent attack on the Jafar Express passenger train in the Pakistani province of Balochistan by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has sparked a number of reactions, including strong condemnation from the National Resistance Front and some Afghan jihadi organizations. Many people asked for designation of the BLA as a terrorist group.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said that “India has been involved in terrorism. In the particular attack on Jaffar Express, the terrorists had been in contact with their handlers and ring leaders in Afghanistan.” The statement came a day after the rescue operation for the Jaffar Express attack was completed and all the 33 BLA fighters, who hijacked the Jaffar Express which was carrying over 400 passengers, were killed.

The Pakistani military said that 21 passengers have been killed and the remaining hostages have been freed. And also, four Pakistani security forces killed during the rescue operation in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district.

Shafqat Ali Khan added that “the terrorists have safe havens in Afghanistan, and Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to prevent groups like the BLA from using its soil for terrorism.”

Pakistani Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the Jaffar Express incident changed the rules of the game.

“Whoever did this will be hunted down and brought to justice,” he said, adding that the terrorists had nothing to do with Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan. In a statement, the ISPR said that intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed that the attack was orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from Afghanistan, who were in direct communication with the terrorists throughout the incident.

Taliban urges Pakistan to restrain from irresponsible statement rather resolve their own security issues.

The Taliban Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balki asked Pakistan to refrain from giving irresponsible remarks and instead focus on the security situation and internal issues of the country.

“We categorically reject baseless allegations by a Pakistani army spokesman linking the attack on a passenger train in Balochistan province with Afghanistan, and urge the Pakistani side to focus on resolving their own security and internal problems instead of such irresponsible remarks,” Balkhi added.

Balkhi furthered that “no members of Balouch opposition have presence in Afghanistan, nor have they ever had or have any links with the Islamic Emirate.”

He expressed his saddened by the loss of life of innocents in the incident, lamenting that “sacrificing civilians for political objectives is unjustifiable”.

Baloch struggle against injustices.

The incident came despite the fact that the Baloch struggle against injustices by the Pakistani military began in 1948. These struggles are in response to systematic discrimination, political marginalization, the “kill and dump” policy, and the unjust exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources.

Given these facts, a fundamental question arises: What is the difference between the oppression of the Pakistani military against the Baloch and the oppression of the same military’s proxy forces in the form of the Taliban against the people of Afghanistan?

“What difference should there be between the BLA and those who have condemned it, to call one a terrorist group and consider themselves legitimate fighters, while both groups have resorted to armed resistance in response to injustice and oppression,” Rahmatullah Nabil former Afghan spy head said.

It seems that condemning the Baloch freedom movement indicates a double policy that can add to the distrust of the narrative of the struggle of these movements. “I think it is essential to address such issues by paying attention to the historical and social roots of the conflicts and responding to them with a fair and impartial approach.”

 

Continue Reading

ASIA

Premier Li calls for accelerated efforts to meet China’s economic goals

Published

on

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged officials to do their utmost in the race to achieve key targets, such as maintaining an economic growth rate of around 5%, as set out in the “two sessions” held last week.

“We must improve measures and accelerate their implementation, race against time amidst various uncertainties, and work quickly and proactively,” Li said on Wednesday at a State Council meeting, one day after the conclusion of the annual meetings of China’s top legislative and advisory bodies.

As Beijing outlined a series of policies to boost growth in the face of economic headwinds, Li called on all state institutions to “take the initiative to fulfill their responsibilities and take more positive steps to complete their tasks.”

Although Chinese leaders emphasized their confidence in the future of the world’s second-largest economy, they also highlighted ongoing challenges such as weak domestic demand and intensifying trade frictions with the US during the two sessions.

According to a summary of Wednesday’s meeting reported by Xinhua, Li asked officials to “closely monitor changes in the situation and make good policy preparations to ensure they can be launched in a timely manner and deliver results as soon as possible.”

In his work report last week, Li emphasized that China’s growth target of around 5% for 2025 underscored the leadership’s determination to tackle challenges and achieve results.

While China announced further fiscal stimulus measures during the two sessions, following a package in the last quarter of 2024, it faces uncertainties not only domestically but also externally, particularly due to the trade war with US President Donald Trump.

At Wednesday’s State Council meeting, a work plan was discussed and adopted that clarified the division of key tasks for this year among different departments and emphasized inter-departmental coordination.

According to a separate meeting held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on the same day, these tasks include expanding the scale of 5G telecom technology applications and accelerating the development of 6G.

Li Lecheng, the Party Secretary of the Ministry, pledged to continue efforts to upgrade traditional industries, accelerate the digitalization and green transformation of the manufacturing sector, and accelerate the application of artificial intelligence, especially in areas such as electric vehicles, the low-altitude economy, and biomanufacturing.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, 1.664 million electric bicycles were sold and replaced nationwide from January 1 to Tuesday, accounting for 120.4% of the total number in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, a leading state-owned bank, pledged on Wednesday to provide at least 6 trillion yuan (829.2 billion US dollars) in financing to private enterprises over the next three years, Xinhua reported.

Bank Chairman Liao Lin said at an event in Beijing that the aim was to “support businesses to stick to their core businesses” and “help the economy continue to recover and improve.”

Continue Reading

ASIA

Zhao Leji misses key political meetings, citing respiratory infection

Published

on

For the first time in recent history, the head of China’s top legislature was absent from the closing of the parliamentary meeting known as the “two sessions” on Tuesday.

Zhao Leji, 68, the third-ranking official and chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), was unable to attend due to a “respiratory infection,” according to his deputy, Li Hongzhong, who presided over the closing ceremony.

Zhao last appeared in public on Saturday at the first meeting of the NPC presidium.

For the first time in decades, not all members of the Politburo Standing Committee attended the closing meeting of the NPC.

However, Zhao’s name was mentioned when Li announced the voting results of the NPC’s annual work report.

“The deputies of the NPC listened to and reviewed the work report presented by Chairman Zhao Leji on behalf of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. The session fully approved the work of the Standing Committee over the past year, agreed with the tasks proposed in the report for the coming year, and decided to approve the report,” Li said.

According to Li, the work report was approved by an overwhelming majority.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang both appeared relieved as they left the stage after the ceremony concluded.

For the first time since the pandemic, Covid-19 tests were not required to attend the two sessions.

Zhao was also absent from the closing of the annual session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Monday, which was attended by the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee, including President Xi.

Since the 1980s, it has become a political norm for all top leaders of the ruling party to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the annual NPC and CPPCC sessions as a political endorsement of the national legislative and political advisory sessions.

The annual event also serves as a platform for party and government leaders to hear the views of non-party Chinese elites on China’s most pressing issues.

In addition to missing the closing of the CPPCC, Zhao also did not attend two meetings of the NPC’s presidium on Monday, which are usually overseen by the NPC chairman. Instead, state news agency Xinhua said that NPC Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong was “entrusted by Zhao Leji” to preside over the two meetings.

At the meeting where Zhao last appeared in public on March 8 at the NPC presidium, it was decided to submit the draft decision on the amendment of the Deputies Law and the draft revisions to the government work report and the central and local government budgets to the NPC for consideration.

Zhao, who was promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee in 2017, served as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s top anti-corruption and political discipline body, until 2022, succeeding Wang Qishan.

At the 20th Party Congress in 2022, he was reappointed to the Politburo Standing Committee, becoming the third-ranking member. In March 2023, he was appointed chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, succeeding Li Zhanshu.

Continue Reading

MOST READ

Turkey