World
politics
Sikh leader murder: Another Indian suspect arrested in Canada
TORONTO: A fourth person has been arrested and charged with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, Canadian police said on Saturday, in a case that strained diplomatic relations with India.
Canadian police earlier this month arrested and charged three Indian men in the city of Edmonton in Alberta and said they were probing whether the men had ties to the Indian government.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced Saturday that Amandeep Singh, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in Nijjar’s killing.
Singh, an Indian national who resided in Brampton, Surrey and Abbotsford, was already in custody for unrelated firearms charges out of Peel, Ontario, IHIT said.
Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in June outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. A few months later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited what he said was evidence of potential Indian government involvement, prompting a diplomatic crisis with New Delhi.
Nijjar was a Canadian citizen campaigning for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India. The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated New Delhi, which had labeled Nijjar a “terrorist”.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza nears 35,000
GAZA – The Ministry of Health in Gaza says 28 people were killed as a result of Israeli military operations in the most recent 24 hours. The Ministry said that 69 people had been injured in the same period.
Altogether, since October 7, 34,971 people have been killed in Gaza and 78,641 injured, the Ministry said.
At least 47 people have been killed, including children, in Israeli airstrikes in northern and central Gaza Friday evening and overnight, according to three hospitals in the area. Among those killed were journalist Bahaa Okasha, his wife and 12-year-old son, in an airstrike on the Kasasib neighborhood in northern Gaza’s Jabalya refugee camp, according to Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Three others were killed in a separate airstrike in Jabalya, the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Saifiya, told CNN. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital also said it received 30 bodies overnight in strikes that hit Al-Maghazi, Al-Masdar village and Al-Zawaida in central Gaza. The figure includes 20 children, according to the hospital’s initial estimate.
The hospital is still receiving bodies through Saturday morning as more are retrieved from under the rubble, according to a CNN stringer there. Al-Awda Hospital said it also received 11 bodies from two different airstrikes in Nuseirat in central Gaza on Friday evening.
A CNN stinger at the hospital filmed several children treated earlier in the day who were injured in airstrikes, including one boy who had a severed arm.
The Civil Defense in Gaza said Saturday it estimates about 10,000 bodies are trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza.
“For months, we’ve been working with simple equipment, which drains us (of) our time and effort,” spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal said. The group says Israel has destroyed 70 to 80% of Civil Defense’s capabilities.
What the group does: Civil Defense and medics are the first responders in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes and work on rescuing survivors and retrieving bodies when they are able to reach the sites of the attacks.
Situation in Rafah on ‘knife’s edge’: UN chief
Rafah is “on a knife’s edge,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday amid ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city.
“The situation in Rafah is on a knife’s edge, as airstrikes continue throughout southern Gaza. Over 1 million Palestinians, half of whom are children, have crowded in the Rafah Governate for shelter,” Guterres said at a news conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
Warning against a feared Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, he said: “A massive ground attack in Rafah would lead to an epic humanitarian disaster and pull the plug on our efforts to support people as famine looms.”
Guterres highlighted that the UN is working to facilitate the resumption of vital supplies to Gaza, which has long been under strict Israeli blockade, through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, including urgently needed fuel.
“Meanwhile, our health partners tell us that all the key medical facilities in Rafah could soon become inaccessible or inoperable — including the only dialysis department still operating in Gaza,” he added.
“Around 100,000 Palestinians are moving north from Rafah, yet humanitarian partners have no tents or food stores left in south Gaza,” he further said.
Guterres stressed that under international humanitarian law, the safety of civilians must be ensured in a conflict.
“And, of course, what happens in Gaza has profound repercussions in the occupied West Bank, where we see a deeply disturbing spike in settler violence, excessive use of force by the Israeli Defense Force (military), demolitions and evictions,” he said.
He urged more global efforts to advocate for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, the prompt and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages held in the enclave, and a major increase in life-saving assistance.
Pointing out that more conflicts have been erupting across the globe, Guterres said the destiny of Palestinians, Israelis, and the entire region “hangs in the balance.”
Israeli forces have continued their military attacks in the eastern areas of Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip, since Monday, leading to the displacement of more than 100,000 Palestinians from these areas to the southwestern part of the Strip.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack last Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 people. More than 34,900 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 78,500 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Putin says nuclear forces ‘always’ on alert in Victory Day speech
They are the heads of five ex-Soviet countries — Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — as well as the leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau.
In a high-profile snub, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signalled he would not attend amid a spat between the two allies, even though he was in Moscow on Wednesday evening for a regional summit.
The Kremlin scheduled a summit of leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union — a regional bloc of some ex-Soviet states — the day before the parade.
Putin ‘s Victory Day address comes as his troops make advances in Ukraine and just after he took oath for an unprecedented fifth term.
The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition.
Russia’s army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, and it has since made gains on the front lines as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages.
Thursday’s festivities come two days after Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration to deliver “victory” to Russians.
“We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, realise everything we have planned, and together, we will win,”
Mirwaiz reiterates to fight for peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute
SRINAGAR – Senior leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has reiterated to continue his struggle for finding a peaceful resolution to the long-standing Kashmir dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a media interview, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq lamented that despite over seven decades since the dispute over Kashmir began, a final settlement still remains elusive. He emphasized the importance of respecting the aspirations and will of the Kashmiri people and reaffirmed the Hurriyat’s dedication to peaceful methods of dialogue and cooperation to achieve a resolution. He said, “The Hurriyat, formed in 1993, was a political initiative for supporting a political resolution of this long-standing issue on the democratic principle of respect for the aspirations and will of the people of J&K”. “The Hurriyat’s political endeavour remains favouring peaceful methods of dialogue and cooperation between the parties as means to a resolution”, he added.
He criticized India’s illegal actions of August 5, 2019 as having further complicated the issue and disempowered the people of IIOJK. He said, “The government of India made drastic unilateral changes and complicated the dynamics of the Kashmir issue in 2019. The alterations have further disempowered people”. Referring to the events of post-1947, the Mirwaiz said, “The new neighbours (India and Pakistan) took the Kashmir problem to international fora, fought war three to four times and signed bilateral agreements. However, a final settlement still eludes us”. He also criticized India’s attempt to project the ongoing parliamentary elections in IIOJK as a representation of the people’s will in the larger context of the Kashmir conflict.
Whereas, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has paid glowing tributes to senior Hurriyat leader, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, on the eve of his third martyrdom anniversary in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to Kashmir Media Service, senior APHC leader and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Chairman, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai who challenged India’s illegal occupation and political injustice in IIOJK for decades died in Indian captivity on May 05, 2021. The statements said the best way to pay tribute to the iconic leader is to follow his teachings and fulfill his mission. The APHC leaders said Ashraf Sehrai and other martyrs will continue to live in the Kashmiris’ hearts for his sacrifices for the freedom cause.
Universities hold graduation ceremonies as students protest across the US
WASHIGTON – Graduation ceremonies are set to take place at colleges and universities in the US this weekend after weeks of protests that saw more than 2,100 people arrested on more than 40 campuses across at least 25 states.
The wave of pro-Palestinian protests and college officials’ concern for safety have already started affecting commencements. In Michigan, protesters interrupted the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance commencement ceremony Friday, according to a video from a reporter with CNN affiliate Richmond Times-Dispatch. And, the University of Vermont’s president announced Friday that Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, will no longer deliver the commencement address. Some of the protesters on the campus had called on the university to rescind its invitation to Thomas-Greenfield. All this comes weeks after the University of Southern California decided to rescind valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s invitation to speak at its ceremony. USC now plans hold a “family graduate celebration” on May 9, the school announced Friday, just over a week after canceling the main graduation ceremony. Campus operations are expected to resume “in full” on Monday at the University of California, Los Angeles, according to a university release.
A law enforcement presence continues to be stationed around campus to help promote safety,” the release said. Campus operations will remain limited — and classes will be remote — through the weekend, the university said. “Work, events and research activities are encouraged to remain remote or be rescheduled wherever possible during that period,” the release said.
Student affairs staff will be on campus “to support our students,” the school said, adding that people should avoid the Royce Quad area.
The quad was the location of violence this week when several dozen men repeatedly attacked UCLA’s pro-Palestinian protest encampment late Tuesday with crude weapons, according to video provided to CNN. More than 200 people were arrested Thursday on suspicion of resisting orders to disperse from the now-dismantled encampment on the campus, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block saidThursday. UCLA classes were canceled Wednesday, and classes were remote starting Thursday. Nearly all pro-Palestinian protests rocking college campuses across the US have called for universities to divest from Israel in some form. Many universities have an endowment, which is donated funds generally invested in stocks, bonds and other financial instruments to help the university earn money. At Columbia, a group of students wants the college to divest its $13.6 billion endowment from any company linked to Israel, including Microsoft and Amazon. Protesters at other schools, such as Cornell and Yale, want their universities to stop investing in weapons manufacturers.
US says it supports Pak efforts to combat terrorism
WASHINGTON – US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has said that the United States supports Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism.
Briefing the media here yesterday, Vedant Patel said that United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in combating threats to regional security.
Vedant Patel said that we support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights.
He also said that our partnership with Pakistan on security issues includes a high-level counter-terrorism dialogue, funding robust counter terrorism capacity, and building programmes and supporting a series of US and Pakistan Military-To-Military engagements.
Replying to a question, Vedant Patel said that Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs John Bass is on a visit to Doha and Islamabad.
In Doha, he’ll meet with senior Qatari Officials and other Diplomatic Missions to discuss support for Afghanistan and other shared security interests in the region, and in Islamabad we expect him to meet with Senior Pakistani Officials and discuss a range of regional and bilateral issues as well.
Economy (world)
PAKISTAN
Politics
Afghan nationals offloaded at Peshawar airport over fake passports
Five Afghan nationals were offloaded from an overseas flight at Peshawar airport over fake passports.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration offloaded the Afghan woman and her four children from a UK-bound flight over fake documents.
The Afghan nationals were travelling to UK after illegally entering Pakistan, the FIA spokesperson said.
The Afghan nationals got their passports from the agent, which were declared fake by the Afghan Consulate.
In a separate action, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offloaded a passenger at Karachi airport over fake travel papers.
The FIA-Immigration offloaded a passenger Tauseef Ahmed from an overseas flight over fake travel documents. “Accused Tauseef Ahmed was traveling with a fake visa of Japan on his passport,” FIA officials said.
“The accused was transferred to the FIA’s anti-human trafficking cell Karachi for investigation”, FIA spokesperson said.
Prior to this, nine alleged beggars travelling to Saudi Arabia in the disguise of Umrah pilgrims were offloaded at Multan airport.
South Punjab to have special economic zones, says Gillani
Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani has stated that special economic zones will be established in South Punjab.
Addressing the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday, the former prime minister said that the government was committed to promoting education.
He said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had done a lot of work for education and infrastructure.
Gilani emphasised that his party believed in serving the people, adding that the welfare and development of underprivileged areas were their top priority.
He also assured that they would ensure the timely completion of development projects.
Govt taking all measures for economic recovery: PM
ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed Pakistan’s desire to attract investment from the UK and other countries on Saturday, highlighting the country’s vast potential in diverse areas including agriculture, food security, information technology, tourism, and mining.
He was talking to British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott, who called on him at the PM House. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief Economist and Director of the Economic and Evaluation Directorate, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, London, Professor Adnan Khan.
The prime minister said, “Pakistan and the United Kingdom enjoy long-standing relations that are further strengthening with the passage of time.”
He also emphasised the government’s commitment to improving governance structures and introducing institutional reforms. He learned that the government was taking measures at the micro and macroeconomic levels to recover the country’s economy. Moreover, he said the digitization process of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was in a final stage.
The British delegation felicitated the government’s initiative to declare an education emergency in the country and expressed support for Pakistan’s recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday appreciated the outstanding performance of the players of Pakistan National Hockey Team in the Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, 2024, played in Malaysia.
The prime minister said that due to the brilliant performance, the national team reached the final game.
“They also played well against Japan in the final. Win and loss are a part of the game. The national team has won the hearts of entire nation,” PM Office Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the prime minister as saying.
He further observed that after a long time, the national team had reached the final of a mega tournament which was very encouraging.
The prime minister reiterated that the government was taking all steps for the promotion of sports in the country; particularly of the national game of hockey.
Japan won the final position after beating Pakistan in the nail-biting contest through penalty shootouts with a margin of 4-1 that followed the scheduled match which ended in 2-2 draw.
Imran has rejected many offers, claims Alvi
SIALKOT – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former president Dr Arif Alvi said Saturday that the party founder Imran Khan would choose to stay behind bars instead of striking any deal.
The former president also called for finding a solution to end political disputes among the parties via dialogue. He made the statement while addressing the district bar in Sialkot. The former president said that he knew the PTI founder for a long time who he said always prioritised the supremacy of the Constitution.
Referring to his meeting with the incarcerated Khan, Alvi said that he questioned the party founder that if they had entered a blind alley but the PTI founder was optimistic about a way out from the prevailing political crisis. The PTI senior leader claimed that he found no signs of fear on Khan’s face when he met him in the jail. He added that the PTI founder was given “many offers but he rejected them all”.
The jailed former premier insisted that there would be no end to the political uncertainty without finding a “constitutional” solution, and only option left was holding dialogue, he added. The politico said that “only civilians can rule Pakistan”.
He termed the formation of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government as an “accidental democracy in Pakistan”.
Regarding May 9 riots, Alvi claimed that no one should make unilateral decision to hold someone responsible, claiming the PTI has “evidence” of the events.
Alvi added that his party welcomed high-level Saudi Arabia’s delegates who are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan. He said that the Imran Khan-founded party also supports the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He was of the view that all stakeholders wanted to improve the national economy. He further said that there is a temporary crisis in the country which would end after a “positive leadership” came into power.
Pointing towards the judiciary, Alvi said that all eyes were on the top court after six judges raised their voices against the alleged inference in the judicial affairs.
CM Maryam, German company official discuss development projects
LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said that cooperation between TUV Rheinland and the Punjab government will further solidify mutual relations between Germany and Pakistan.
In a meeting with Mr. Benedik Aneselmann, Regional Executive Vice President of TUV Rheinland Company, Germany, here on Saturday, the CM discusses matters related to the provision of their technical assistance for welfare projects in Punjab, including third party monitoring, project management, certification and auditing of development projects were discussed in the meeting.
The Chief Minister invited them to benefit from rich business opportunities in Punjab.
Mr. Benedik Aneselmann assured the Chief Minister of his support for welfare projects in Punjab. It was decided in principle to collaborate for making the monitoring of development projects more effective with the use of modern technology. It was also agreed to provide technical assistance and expertise for the successful completion of projects in Punjab. Benedik Aneselmann appreciated the vision and dedication of the Chief Minister for the welfare of people in Punjab, and expressed his determination to play a constructive role in this regard. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif appreciated the commitment of TUV Rheinland for providing innovation and sustainable solutions in Punjab.
Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D and other relevant officers attended the meeting.
Dar to attend Pak-China FMs’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing
Gold rate dips by Rs300 per tola
Rupee gains 8 paisas
ISLAMABAD – Pakistani rupee on Friday gained 08 paisas against the US dollar in the interbank trading and closed at Rs 278.12 against the previous day’s closing of Rs 278.20. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market, however, stood at Rs 277.10 and Rs 279.60 respectively. The price of the Euro increased by Rs 1.31 to Rs.299.93 from Rs 298.62, according to the latest economic data of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The Japanese Yen remained constant at Rs 1.78 whereas an increase of Rs1.48 was witnessed in the exchange rate of the British Pound, which was traded at Rs 348.59 compared to the last closing of Rs 347.11.
The Emirates Dirham decreased by 03 paisas whereas Saudi Riyal went down by 2 paisas and were traded at Rs 75.72 and Rs 74.15 respectively.
SBP-held forex reserves surge to over $9 billion
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) have increased to over $9 billion after getting last tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at $14,458.9 million as of 03-May-2024. The break-up of the foreign reserves position showed that foreign reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan are $9,120.3 million and net foreign reserves held by commercial banks are $5,338.6 million. “During the week ended on 03-May-2024, SBP reserves increased by $1,114 million to $9,120.3 million mainly due to receipt of $1.1 billion from IMF as final tranche under SBA program,” the State Bank of Pakistan said on Thursday.
Pakistan has borrowed a $9.796 billion loan from international lenders in the first nine months (July to March) of the current fiscal year to build the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The country has received $6.899 billion in budget and project financing and another $2.2 billion came in State Bank of Pakistan’s account.
The government had budgeted $17.619 billion from multiple financing sources for the current fiscal year including $17.384 billion loans and $234.60 million grants. The govt received only 55.6 percent in the period from July to March in the current financial year.
The country has received tranche after completing second IMF programme. Pakistan had completed the first IMF programme in 2015-16. Now, the country has completed the IMF programme for the second time out of total more than 20 programmes.
Pakistan had recently requested the IMF for a fresh loan programme. Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb stressed that apart from the IMF, no plan B could be imagined, with the new staff-level agreement expected in June or July. The IMF mission is likely to visit Pakistan in next few days to finalise the salient features of the upcoming bailout package under the $6-$8 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme. The size of the next EFF programme will be finalised during the upcoming parleys between the two sides.
Meanwhile, workers’ remittances recorded an inflow of $2.8 billion during April 2024. In terms of growth, during April 2024, remittances increased by 27.9 percent on y/y basis.
Cumulatively, with inflow of US$ 23.8 billion, workers’ remittances increased by 3.5 percent during first 10 months of FY24 compared to the same period last year.
Remittances inflows during April 2024 were mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia (US$ 712.0 million), United Arab Emirates (US$ 542.3 million), United Kingdom (US$ 403.2 million) and United States of America (US$ 329.2 million).