The writer is a member of the daily’s staff A SMALL line in a news story a few days ago caught my eye. The setting was a hearing in the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development at which high officials from the Planning Commission were answering questions about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The line that caused me to do a double take was this one: “The committee was informed that only Chinese industrialists…
Posts published in March 2017
By MA Mir in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2017. MUZAFFARABAD: Despite the tall claims of austerity and self-reliance, the cash-strapped Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government have failed to achieve its revenue collection target. During a high-level review meeting presided by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Wednesday, secretaries of all government departments shared their respective progress reports. The meeting was told that the government had collected a paltry Rs8.172 billion till January…
By Shabbir Mir in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2017. GILGIT: The regional leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has accused Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman of flouting merit while making appointments. The party further alleged that the chief secretary and inspector general of police were acting as the chief minister’s facilitators. “There is rampant corruption in every department and ironically the chief secretary and IGP are facilitating him instead of ensuring the rule…
AFP report in Daily Times Mar 09, 2017 BERLIN: A Pakistani man accused of spying for Iran went on trial in Germany on Wednesday for allegedly searching out potential attack targets for the Revolutionary Guards. The accused, named only as 31-year-old Haidar Syed M, remained silent – “out of fear”, according to his defence lawyer. He is accused of espionage “against Germany and another NATO member”, France, for the Quds Force, the foreign operations wing…
by Zhuang Pinghui & Liu Zhen in South China Morning Post, Mar 8, 2017 The Communist Party boss of one of China’s major Muslim regions has cited US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies in stressing the need to combat religious extremism. Li Jianhua, the party secretary of Ningxia, said on Tuesday that some radicals had turned religious belief, such as Islam, into extremists ideology, causing instability in the world. Last month, a video purportedly issued…
By Yu Ning in Global Times, Mar 8, 2017 Fighting has erupted in northern Myanmar again. According to the office of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de facto leader, rebels from a local armed ethnic group launched a surprise attack early on Monday against police and military posts in Kokang, a region bordering China. The clashes killed at least 30 people, including many civilians. Pictures of dead bodies of some Chinese civilians were circulated online…
By Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique in Dhaka Tribune, Mar 8, 207 Awamil League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said communal forces and the next general polls are the two major challenges for the ruling party. He said the communal forces still existed and the Awami League wanted to win the next parliamentary election. “They [communal forces] are working undercover very actively in the country and can launch sabotage at any moment. It would be…
By Mitoon Chowdhury in bdnews24.com, Mar 8, 2017 Chittagong:Bangladesh Customs Intelligence suspects that an inter-continental crime ring is active in Chittagong port and out to use the port for their criminal activities. Their suspicion came after they seized liquid cocaine laced in sunflower oil, the huge amount of counterfeit Indian rupees and, of late 12 containers full of smuggled liquors and cigarettes at the main port of the country. The 12 containers of smuggled items…
Report in The daily Star, Mar 8, 2017 Comilla: A police check post comes under attack in Comilla on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, a day after an attempted a bomb attack to snatch away a death row militant. Two persons were detained. In the photo, law enforcers inspect the spot on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Kutumbopur in Chandina. Photo: Star Star Report Police again came under attack by suspected militants during a routine check of…
By Qadeer Tanoli in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2017. ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties came down hard on the government for “not having a definite foreign policy” when dealing with the neighbouring countries. Speaking on a motion moved by PPP’s MP Shahida Rehmani seeking discussion on the country’s foreign policy, lawmakers in the lower house of parliament strongly criticised the government for not appointing a foreign minister. They believe that owing to a weak foreign policy…
By Tahir Khan in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2017 ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban’s senior political negotiators recently visited China on the invitation of the Chinese government, which has been making efforts to encourage the insurgent group to join the peace process, two Taliban officials have said. The Taliban Qatar office chief Sher Abbas Stanikazai led a five-member delegation for talks with the Chinese officials. The delegation comprised Maulvi Shahabuddin Dilawar, Jan Muhammad Madani, Salam…