ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will chair a meeting of the National Finance Commission on Monday (today) — only a third in 20 months — in the absence of at least three provincial finance ministers. The meeting comes amid provincial demands for more power and resources. The Constitution requires the commission to submit two progress reports every year to parliament. The commission is also required to finalise its biannual report for the period ending June…
Posts published in “Day: November 29, 2016”
LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday included 11 new ministers in his cabinet, besides appointing four new advisers. The total number of ministers in the provincial cabinet comes to 31 following the expansion which the analysts believe has been made keeping in view the next general elections. Besides strengthening party position in some constituencies, the move also aims at preventing the disgruntled elements from joining other parties. Some of the new ministers were…
The writer is a former ambassador, political analyst and Advisor to CRSS, an independent think tank. The Taliban are still dithering over whether they should resume talks with the Afghan government to promote national reconciliation. Consequently, Afghanistan continues to wallow, occasionally in blood and perpetually in chaos and instability. The new Taliban victories, incidentally on the rise, inversely affect the prospects for talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. In certain quarters, opinion prevails…
At least 12 Taliban insurgents were killed in an operation in western Farah province, local officials said on Tuesday. In addition, six other insurgents were injured. Iqbal Bahir, a spokesman for the provincial police chief said that the security forces launched a military operation in Balablook district of the province and also seized a number of vehicles and motorbikes belonging to the insurgents. However, Bahir did not provide more details about the operation nor of…
A top leader of the loyalists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group was killed along with at least 43 other militants in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the militants were killed during the joint military operations conducted by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. MoD further added that the operations were conducted in Pacher Agam district of Nangarhar and Deh Bala. According to MoD,…
At least 37 Deash insurgents were killed in joint Afghan and foreign troops operations in eastern Nangarhar province in the past 24 hours, local officials said. In addition, three other insurgents were injured. Attaullah Khoghyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor said that the security forces have launched a military operation in Pacheragam district of the province in which 30 insurgents were killed in the past 24 hours. “During the operation one of the judges…
By MUJIB MASHAL and FAHIM ABED KABUL, Afghanistan — As heavy snow fell on the muddy arena in northern Afghanistan where a traditional game of buzkashi — two teams of horsemen fighting for a dead goat — was underway on Friday, a scuffle broke out near the stands. It was not just another group of hotheaded fans going at it. The man who had thrown the punch is the vice president of Afghanistan, Gen. Abdul…
The central government is embarking on a massive policy shift designed to stem capital outflow by curbing mainland China’s outbound investment, sources informed of official instructions have told the South China Morning Post. Tighter control of outbound investment is likely to put an end to a trophy asset shopping spree by well-connected companies such as Anbang Insurance and Dalian Wanda, with Beijing ready to cut the supply of foreign exchange for such deals. Shanghai’s municipal…
China Takes a Chain Saw to a Center of Tibetan Buddhism By EDWARD WONG in The NY Times, Nov 29, 2016
LARUNG GAR, China — Atop a hill, a growling chain saw drowned out loudspeakers broadcasting a lama’s chants from a nearby temple. The chain saw, wielded by workers demolishing a row of homes, signaled the imminent end of thousands of hand-built monastic dwellings here at Larung Gar, the world’s largest Buddhist institute. Since its founding in 1980, Larung Gar has grown into an extraordinary and surreal sprawl — countless red-painted dwellings surrounding temples, stupas and…
A study by TOLOnews has found that human smugglers are operating openly in southwestern Nimroz province – which shares a border with Iran – and are smuggling dozens of migrants on a daily basis into Iran. According to the study, no one stops these convoys of pickup trucks, loaded with migrants, who are driven to the border at night. These migrants can spend days at the border town of Zaranj while they wait to be…
Ahmad Zia Massoud, the president’s special representative on reforms and good governance, on Sunday said in Herat city that major drug traffickers are in the National Unity Government (NUG) and they are preventing security forces from eliminating insurgents. Massoud, had been speaking at the inauguration ceremony of National Resistance Council and said as long as poppy fields exist in the country, the war will not stop. “Major drug smugglers are in the government departments and…