Tag Archives: #panjabCM

ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

APHC URGES WORLD TO PLAY ROLE FOR RELEASE OF KASHMIRI DETAINEES

  All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) has appealed to the UN and international human rights organizations including Asia Watch and Amnesty International to put pressure on India to release all Kashmiri political detainees including the Hurriyat leadership stuffed under inhuman conditions in jails of India and the occupied territory. In a statement, APHC spokesman expressed serious concern over the continued illegal detention of thousands of people including APHC leaders, Ulemas, journalists, youth, activists and human rights defenders in different jails.

The statement said that illegal detentions and other repressive measures by the occupation authorities could not stop the Kashmiri people from continuing their struggle for securing their right to self-determination. It maintained that subjecting people to torture, wanton arrests, life-time imprisonments, and killings of innocent Kashmiris by the Indian forces’ personnel is an illustration of the ongoing serious situation persisting in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi regime’s anti-Muslim mindset and its colonial measures imposed one after another in Kashmir also indicate clearly what is in store for the Kashmiri people in the coming days. The spokesman expressed his deep concern over the plight of Kashmiri detainees including APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sofi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Meraajudin Kalwal, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Shahidul Islam, Moulvi Bashir Ahmed Irfani, Bilal Siddiqi, Ameer Hamza, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Abdul Samad Inqilabi, Fayaz Ahmed , Dr Muhammad Shafi Shariati, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Dr Hameed Fayaz, Abdul Rashid Dawoodi, Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri, Abdul Majeed Dar Almadni, Muhammad Sharief Sartaj, Noor Muhammd Fayaz, Fahim Ramzan, Gazi Moinudin, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Yousuf, Muhammad Yousuf Mir, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Hayat Ahmed Butt, Showket Hakeem, Mehrajudin Nanda, Maulvi Sajad, Adv Zahid Ali, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Showkat Ahmed Khan, Mohammad Ayub Dar, Mohammad Ayoub Mir, Sheikh Nazir, Younis Manzoor Waza, Mohammad Ansar Khan, Muzamil Fayaz Sofi, Shabir Ahmed Wani, Rouf Falhi, Mudasir Poswal, Moiez Riyaz Khan, human rights defenders Khurrum Parvez and Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, journalists Aasif Sultan, Irfan Majeed, Sajad Gul and Fahad Shah. Senior APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continues to remain under house detention in Srinagar, he spokesman added.

These detainees, he pointed out, are the worst victims of political vendetta by the Modi regime. He maintained the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir are proud of Hurriyat leaders and activists, who are either in jails or striving on ground for achieving a peaceful and sustainable solution to the Kashmir dispute as per the relevant UN resolutions.

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ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

“Commanding the Frontline: COAS General Syed Asim Munir Inspires Troops with Surprise Visit to the Line of Control”

COAS was briefed on the situation along the LOC and operational preparedness of the deployed formations. COAS met with officers and troops on the forward positions. He emphasised upon troops to extend all out support to the local population,
remain steadfast and discharge duties with utmost sincerity and devotion.

COAS appreciated officers and men for maintaining continued vigil, remarkable operational preparedness and high state of morale.

He further said that Pakistan Army is resolved to defend sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan against all kinds of threat and is determined to support just the cause of Kashmiris and seeks resolution of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with UN resolutions.

Earlier on arrival at LOC, COAS was received by the Corps Commander Rawalpindi Corps.

@OfficialDGISPR #PakistanArmy #Pakistan #Kashmir #LOC #ISPR

ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

“Wealth of the Few: 166 Billionaires in India Now Own More than 60% of the Country’s Wealth Despite Growing Hunger, Inflation and Health Crises”.

A recent Oxfam India report titled “Survival of the Richest: The India Narrative” revealed that just 5% of Indians own more than 60% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 50% have only 3%. In 2022, the country’s wealthiest man enjoyed a 46% gain in wealth. India’s top 10 richest individuals have a collective net worth of $335.7billion, a 32.8% rise from 2021. There are currently 166 billionaires in India, up from 102 in 2020.

Despite this startling wealth disparity, the nation is battling numerous challenges including hunger, increasing suicide rates, unemployment, inflation, worsening law and order situation and health crises.

The report also highlighted that by 2022, India has around 350 million hungry people, a growth from 190 million in 2018. This led to 65% of death among children under 5 being attributed to hunger, significantly higher than other countries.

Amidst all this, the wealth of billionaires swells daily by an average of $2.7billion despite the stagnated wages of 1.7 billion workers due to inflation.

ISLAMABAD, LATEST, WORLD

“Say Goodbye To The Maulana Azad National Fellowship:Centre Declares End For The Scholarship Program”

India: The Modi government has disclosed that they are planning on discontinuing the “Maulana Azad National Scholarship Scheme”, which was initially created and implemented in response to the recommendations of the Sachar Committee, at the beginning of 2022-23. The Fellowship, established in 2009, provided students of six minority communities – Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis, and Sikhs – with financial assistance in order to complete MPhil and PhD programmes.

This cancellation is certain to have a prejudicial effect on the Muslim, Sikh, and Christian students, as they will be deprived of a valuable opportunity to study and progress in their respective fields.Student organizations across India have denounced the recent rollback of Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) by the Modi-led BJP government as a ‘blatant injustice’, and have urged immediate reinstatement of the scholarship earmarked for students from minority communities.

This is seen as a violation of the Right to Education for the disadvantaged minority communities, and an affront to the vision of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for a more inclusive India. The Right to Education Act, 2009 mandates that the Central Government must provide compulsory and free elementary education to all. In this regard, the Punjab State Commission for Minorities has addressed an appeal to the Hon’ble Smt. Drupadi Murmu, President of India, called for directions to the Central Government to resume these schemes and grants for the benefit of the minority communities.

This past year has seen the Sangh Parivar attempt to deny Muslim women the right to education and to push its version of aggressive majoritarian cultural nationalism by taking over educational spaces. The stopping of MANF could be seen as part of this campaign, denying access to education as well as keeping higher studies in the hands of privileged few.

The latest announcement by the BJP government reinforces its hostile stance against minoritie.

ISLAMABAD, LATEST

At least 16 stranded snow-tourists die at Pakistan hill station

Islamabad:Pakistan, Jan 8 (Reuters) – At least 16 tourists died in freezing temperatures after being stranded in their vehicles in northern Pakistan, where thousands had flocked to enjoy the snow, officials said on Saturday.

With some 1,000 vehicles still stranded, the government has declared Murree, 64 km (40 miles) northeast of the capital Islamabad, a calamity hit area.

“For the first time in 15 to 20 years such large number of tourists flocked to Murree, which created a big crisis,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan’s interior minister said a video message.

The minister said that around 1,000 cars were stuck in the hill station, a town elevated from the nearby area, confirming that “16 to 19 deaths have occurred in their cars.”null

Army platoons and paramilitary forces have been deployed to help the civil administration in rescue operations, he said.

Late on Friday the government announced the closure of all roads leading to the station to stop any further influx of the tourists.

Soldiers walk as they take part in a rescue operation after a heavy snowfall in Murree, Pakistan January 8, 2022. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR)/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE.
People stand next to cars stuck under fallen trees on a snowy road, in Murree, northeast of Islamabad, Pakistan in this still image taken from a video January 8, 2022. PTV/REUTERS TV via REUTERS
Vehicles are seen on a snowy road, in Murree, northeast of Islamabad, Pakistan in this still image taken from a video January 8, 2022. PTV/REUTERS TV via REUTERS

People stand next to cars stuck under fallen trees on a snowy road, in Murree, northeast of Islamabad, Pakistan in this still image taken from a video January 8, 2022. PTV/REUTERS TV via REUTERSRead More

Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed shock over the “tragic deaths” of the tourists. “Have ordered inquiry and putting in place strong regulations to ensure prevention of such tragedies,” Khan said in a tweet.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry appealed to people to not visit the hill station.

Snowfall, which began on Tuesday night, continued at regular intervals, attracting thousands of tourists. Due to huge numbers of visitors, many families ended up getting stranded on roads.

Local media reported that over 100,000 vehicles entered the hill station.

Videos shared on social media showed entire families, including children, lying dead in their snow covered vehicles.

“Were the deaths caused by cold or carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning?,” Dr. Faheem Yonus, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Maryland UCH, said in a tweet. “CO is odorless, lethal if an idling car is buried in snow, the blocked exhaust (silencer) can quickly kill the passengers as they breath CO.”

Officials have given no word on the causes of the deaths.