Pakistan likely to skip Ukraine peace summit
More than two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pakistan is now facing yet another diplomatic challenge. Pakistan is among the countries from the so-called Global South invited to the Ukraine Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland on June 15 and 16. Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed at the weekly briefing last week that Pakistan was invited to the summit. However, sources said that Pakistan was likely to skip the peace summit as part of its efforts to maintain "neutrality." Meanwhile, the summit in Switzerland, which hopes to pave the way for a peace process in Ukraine, has drawn delegations from more than 50 countries.
Source:The Express Tribune
June 03, 2024 01:49 UTC
More election tribunals for Punjab
THE Pakistani Election Commission keeps acting as though upholding justice is of no concern to it. The relevant ordinance gives the Commission the authority to name anyone to electoral tribunals without considering the opinions of the LHC chief judge. It is important to note that these electoral tribunals are meant to render decisions on complaints from defeated candidates regarding alleged irregularities and violations of the law that occurred during the voting process. Regarding the current issue, it is important to remember that the chief judge of the LHC sent a list of nominees to the ECP in order to establish additional tribunals in Punjab, where the volume of complaints greatly beyond the capacity of the two tribunals that have already been established. The ECP held up these appointments and declined to name further tribunals for weeks, until Mr. Gilani’s law appeared out of nowhere to solve the “problem” completely.
Source:The Patriot
June 02, 2024 20:04 UTC
How to avert a hot spell
Marked by these events, climate change has inflicted a range of detrimental impacts, including habitat degradation, deforestation, disruption of aquatic ecosystems, shifts in animal migration patterns, species extinction, and alterations to plant growth cycles. Although contributing negligibly to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan bears a severe brunt of the consequences of global warming. Risky climate events will increase, increasing disaster risk, particularly for vulnerable poor and minority groups. The Ministry of Climate Change in Pakistan established in 2019, aims to tackle climate change adaptation, enhance energy conservation, and optimize fuel mix usage. Given Pakistan’s vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change, urgent global action is imperative to avert heatwaves and safeguard lives.
Source:The Patriot
June 02, 2024 20:04 UTC
Chile joins developing nations rallying behind genocide case against Israel at international court
Unprecedented coalition talks were set to start to find a way forward for Africa’s most advanced economy. The ANC was the party of Nelson Mandela and freed South Africa from the apartheid system of white minority rule in 1994. South Africa is a leading voice for its continent and the developing world on the global stage and is due to take over the presidency of the Group of 20 rich and developing nations late this year. “Everyone is looking to see if South Africa can weather the storm and come out the other side,” political analyst Oscar van Heerden said on the eNCA news network. The DA has long said it will not work with the EFF and MK, calling them a “doomsday coalition” for South Africa.
Source:The Nation
June 02, 2024 16:28 UTC
Helen Mary Robert becomes first Christian woman brigadier in Pakistan Army
Colonel Dr Helen Mary Robert has made history as the first Christian woman to be promoted to the rank of brigadier in the Pakistan Army. A pathologist in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps, Col. Dr Helen Mary has dedicated 26 years to serving her country. Colonel Dr Helen Meri considered it an honour to serve the country and the nation while living in the Pakistan Army. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) lauded her achievement, stating, "Colonel Dr Helen Mary is a living example of merit without distinction in the Pakistan Army." Read more: Minority visibilityThe Pakistan Army has long upheld the vision of the nation's founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Source:The Nation
June 02, 2024 16:23 UTC
An Appreciable Policy Shift
This policy was presented to the nation and the world at large with the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) about a year ago. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia in early April 2024 to perform Umrah. Following this visit, a high-level Saudi delegation, led by the Foreign Minister, arrived in Islamabad under the special instructions of the Saudi Crown Prince. The delegation interacted with their Pakistani counterparts to explore how Saudi Arabia could help Pakistan through investments in various sectors. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia again in late April 2024 to attend a special session of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.
Source:The Nation
June 02, 2024 15:17 UTC
El Salvador’s ‘all-powerful’ Bukele starts second term
SAN SALVADOR - El Salvador’s gang-busting President Nayib Bukele will be sworn in for a second term Saturday, more popular -- and more powerful -- than ever. “What he has demonstrated is that the law is irrelevant and that he can do whatever he wants, how he wants,” public policy expert Carlos Carcach told AFP, describing Bukele as an “all-powerful” president. Bukele insists that drastic action is needed to cure the country of the “cancer” of gangs. Another problem for Bukele: El Salvador’s public debt has skyrocketed on his watch to more than $30 billion, or 84 percent of GDP. In a bid to revitalize El Salvador’s dollarized, remittance-reliant economy, Bukele in 2021 made bitcoin legal tender -- the first country in the world to do so.
Source:The Nation
June 02, 2024 07:48 UTC
The USA Should know, India wouldn’t be of any help in the likely Taiwan war if China, to protect CPEC, takes-over PoJK from Pakistan by 99 years lease agreement. By Hem Raj Jain
– A new wave of militancy has threatened the next phase of CPEC – and potentially the China-Pakistan relationship as mentioned at https://thediplomat.com/2024/05/the-china-pakistan-economic-corridor-is-under-attack/ . But for more than Pakistan it should be a matter of concern for India because it may constrain China (Which has spent tens of billions of dollars in CPEC Project in Pakistan as reported at https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/07/07/cpec-attracted-25-4b-in-10-years-beijing/ ) to ‘ask’ Pakistan to handover PoJK (PoK + Gigit Baltistan) to China by 99 years lease agreement. China has already started strengthening military infrastructure in PoK (as reported at https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/china-enhances-military-support-to-pakistan-along-loc-in-kashmir/ar-BB1nfZ8K?ocid=BingNewsSerp and https://idrw.org/how-china-is-helping-pakistan-in-pok-with-military-supplies-along-loc/ ) and China is developing this military infrastructure in such a way that it can be used by Chinese military (the PLA with technologically advanced weapons and othe defense equipment ) and not merely by Pakistan military. Though India's help to the USA in likely Taiwan war is already not certain as discussed at https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/features/2022-11-14/if-china-invaded-taiwan-what-would-india-do ). This will of course eliminate any capability & possibility of India to help the USA in the likely Taiwan war and which will serve the intended objective of China.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 02, 2024 07:36 UTC
Pakistan PM congratulates nation’s first Christian female brigadier, calls her inspiration for women
This is the scene at the heat wave “bay,” a separate unit at the largest public hospital in the city, that is dedicated to heat stroke patients. “Definitely there are heat stroke patients coming in here at Nishtar Hospital,” Medical Superintendent Dr. Muhammad Kazim Khan told Arab News on Friday. In case of a heat stroke, patients spend up to eight hours at the facility before being discharged upon the physician’s advice, according to the medical superintendent. Diabetes, heart diseases and respiratory illnesses, associated with heat stroke, could become “very dangerous” for patients during a heat wave, he warned. “And there may be chances of heat wave patients increasing.”
Source:The Nation
June 01, 2024 21:10 UTC
Manmohan minces no words
Dr Manmohan Singh remains the only member of a minority to be Prime Minister of India. At the time of his Prime Ministership (2004-2014), his being a Sikh could be seen as him being almost a Hindu. Dr Singh, who was P.V. It was perhaps inevitable that Dr Singh would reject Mr Modi’s claims that Congress intended to give India over to the Muslims. However, though Dr Singh was a Sikh whose party was headed by a naturalized Italian, his Cabinet, his parliamentary majority, was overwhelmingly Hindu, and he could hardly do anything to alienate them.
Source:Pakistan Today
June 01, 2024 18:35 UTC
Pakistan to wait for Europe flights
Pakistan’s plans to resume direct flights to Europe have been delayed for another week, as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has not yet decided to lift the travel restrictions imposed on the country. The case of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other domestic operators has been referred to the Third Country Operators (TCO) board. The matter has been referred to the TCO board, which will make a final decision during its meeting next Saturday. The sources said officials of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would participate in the TCO board huddle. However, Pakistan will have to wait for a week to find out what lies ahead for the PIA and other domestic air carriers.
Source:The Express Tribune
June 01, 2024 15:49 UTC
Districts’ role key in preventing polio circulation: EOC
He was chairing a meeting on Friday to review readiness of districts regarding the polio eradication campaign starting from June 3 (Monday). “The positive environmental samples indicate that there are pockets of unimmunized children who are vulnerable to polio virus. The EOC coordinator instructed the provincial EOC team to develop a proforma to monitor performance of district officials on weekly basis based on key priority indicators including field meetings and priority community interventions. Mr Afzaal stressed on the district officials to multi-task which was need of the hour considering intense polio virus transmission and other health priorities. He announced that polio campaign will start from Monday June 3 which will continue for 7 days in mega districts including Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.
Source:The Nation
June 01, 2024 13:36 UTC
Grand opposition alliance in the making
ISLAMABAD - In order to build pressure over coalition government, a grand opposition alliance is in the making which will confront the government at all the platforms. The two sides exchanged views on the current political situation in Balochistan and expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the province. They urged the National Party Chief to join the Grand Opposition Alliance to defend the constitution and respect the genuine public mandate to govern the country. The National Party leadership will present the matter of joining the alliance to the Central Committee and inform the SIC/PTI leadership of the decision, National Party Chief said. The former Speaker Asad Qaiser remarked that a systematic and orchestrated campaign is being waged against the judiciary of Pakistan.
Source:The Nation
June 01, 2024 13:36 UTC
Ambiguous Financial Strategies
As the government led by Shehbaz Sharif continues to refine the upcoming budget, it may be premature to make assumptions about its contents. It will take a few more days for the budget ideas to become more solid and for their contents to be finalised. The PML-N’s uncertainty about the budget’s format is indicative of the unstable political climate in the nation. The incumbent party, on the one hand, is unwilling to lose more politicalThe PML-N’s uncertainty about the budget’s format is indicative of the unstable political climate in the nation. In a departure from tradition, the PTI government in KP revealed its next budget last week, far ahead of the federal budget.
Source:The Patriot
June 01, 2024 08:36 UTC
Record UN members recognize a Palestinian state
That 145 out of the 193 UN member states have recognized a Palestinian state has infuriated Israel. We remember on November 15, 1988, during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat unilaterally proclaimed an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Soon after, Algeria became the first to recognize an independent Palestinian state officially. Sweden, which has a large Palestinian community, became the first EU member in Western Europe in 2014, to recognize a Palestinian state. Malta and Slovenia have also expressed readiness to recognize a Palestinian state when the circumstances will be right.
Source:The Patriot
June 01, 2024 02:46 UTC