Posts published in “Day: September 23, 2016”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is unlikely to accept India’s offer seeking its cooperation to investigate the Uri attack because of Modi government’s ‘malicious campaign’ to defame Islamabad by prematurely blaming it for the latest incident, officials familiar with the development said on Thursday. India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit and informed him that it was ready to provide details including fingerprints and DNA samples of militants killed in Uri attack if Islamabad ‘wishes to…

China’s transition from the observer status to full membership was to come up in the now unlikely Saarc summit in Pakistan. Saarc has not made much headway in terms of intraregional trade due mainly to the Pakistan-India tensions. In these days of globally integrated economies and regions, Saarc falls in the group of the least integrated regions of the world. With a policy of economic integration without political interference, China aims to achieve its strategic…

ISLAMABAD – Political experts and economists have yesterday unanimously asked the federal government to address the grievances and concerns of smaller provinces regarding CPEC on a priority basis as delay might give room to anti-state elements to exploit the situation to their advantage. The panelists were also unanimous that Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China is discriminatory in nature against Pakistan and stressed that Pakistan should be given preferential market status by China. The economists…

The Communist Party of China has started to ensure that its nearly 90 million members are paying their full membership fees consistently and on time. Many CPC members are finding that they have to pay thousands of yuan at once for fees that have gone unpaid since as early as 2008 when revised Party regulations ordered members to pay a greater ratio of their income as Party dues. Daisy, an employee of a Beijing State-owned…

Patrols in the South China Sea by Chinese Air Force jets have become a “regular” practice to improve their combat readiness, an air force spokesperson said on Thursday. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force spokesperson Shen Jinke was quoted by China News Service as saying that they sent H-6K bombers and other aircraft, including fighters, scouts and tankers to patrol islands and reefs in July. The air force aims to simulate a combat environment over…

The sun has yet to rise over Lhasa, but dozens of colourfully dressed pilgrims are already gathered and reciting prayers at the entrance to Jokhang, the most sacred temple in Tibetan Buddhism. Many of those gathered – Tibetans and Han Chinese visitors – say religion is flourishing under Beijing’s rule, with adherents enjoying the freedoms they need to follow their faith. But this sense of freedom does not extend to the men who live inside…

The writer is a retired lieutenant general of the Pakistan Army and a former federal secretary. He has also served as chairman of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Board There is today far less attention by the US on Afghanistan as its focus has shifted primarily towards the civil war in Syria and Iraq. The growing threat of the IS in the Middle East, Russia’s more aggressive posture in Europe and China’s growing assertiveness in Southeast…

After months of backdoor peace negotiations between the National Unity Government (NUG) and one of the country’s militant groups, Hizb-e-Islami, the two sides are apparently edging closer to sealing a ground breaking peace agreement. In the peace deal, which TOLOnews has seen, it has been stated that with consideration of the needs of the nation in terms of sustainable peace and security, social justice and development, all political forces and political elites of Afghanistan need…

As hopes for a peace deal between government and Hizb-e-Islami gathers fresh momentum, the Afghan High Peace Council (HPC) announced on Tuesday that the details of the peace accord with the militant organization will be shared with the public and media once the agreement is signed. The HPC and Hizb-e-Islami delegation are set to sign the much-awaited accord in two days. According to the HPC, the text of the peace agreement has been finalized. On…

At least 29 loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed separate airstrikes in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. The provincial police commandment in a statement said the militants were killed in Haska Mina, Kot and Achin districts. The statement further added 11 of the militants were killed during the first airstrike in Sepai and Wech Kot areas of Kot district. 3 more militants were killed during the second…