Bangladeshi
Militancy Outfit, Hizbut Towhid, Openly Preaching Jihad and Killing of Jews and
Christians
By
Keeping Rohingya Issue Unresolved, Myanmar Is Inciting Jihad
Fatwas
Only ‘Scholarly Opinion’, Cannot Be Legally Challenged, Kuala Lumpur High Court
Told
No
Request from India to Extradite Zakir Naik Yet, Says Wan Azizah
‘ISIS
Module’ In Tamil Nadu: He Never Had Crime Record, Never Faced Social Media
Trouble, Says Arrested Man’s Kin
'Deep
Concerns': US Objects To UN Counterterrorism Chief's Visit To Xinjiang
Racist
Far-Right Says Islam Has No Place in Norway, Desecrates Holy Quran
Israel
Moves to Name Golan Settlement after Trump
South Asia
Bangladeshi
Militancy Outfit, Hizbut Towhid, Openly Preaching Jihad and Killing of Jews and
Christians
By
Keeping Rohingya Issue Unresolved, Myanmar Is Inciting Jihad
Muslims
'Targeted With Arbitrary Arrests' After Easter Massacre
Taliban
militants suffer heavy casualties in Farah, Herat operations
Taliban
should respect the will of the Afghan people: NATO SCR in Afghanistan
9
Taliban militants killed, wounded in Afghan Air Force airstrikes in Takhar
Afghan
forces repulsed twin Taliban attacks in Kandahar, 8 killed: Gen. Tadin Khan
--------
Southeast Asia
Fatwas
Only ‘Scholarly Opinion’, Cannot Be Legally Challenged, Kuala Lumpur High Court
Told
No
Request from India to Extradite Zakir Naik Yet, Says Wan Azizah
Talk
To Rulers about Uniform Shariah Law, Says Ex-MP
SIS
Slams Mujahid for Prioritising Shariah Crime Instead Of Banning Child Marriages
Thailand
ready to tap busy Muslim travel market
--------
India
‘ISIS
Module’ In Tamil Nadu: He Never Had Crime Record, Never Faced Social Media
Trouble, Says Arrested Man’s Kin
Kashmiri
Separatist Leaders Received Funds From Abroad, Utilised Them For Personal
Gains: NIA
NIA
search operation in Madurai for IS sympathisers
Photo
of gun wielding youth in Kashmir goes viral, police suspect terror link
Muslim
leaders to meet CM KCR on mosque issue
Encounter
under way between security forces, militants in Anantnag
Encounter
under way between security forces, terrorists in J&K's Anantnag
High
alert in Jammu & Kashmir after Pakistan inputs
--------
North America
'Deep
Concerns': US Objects To UN Counterterrorism Chief's Visit To Xinjiang
Washington
Pressures Baghdad to Sign Agreements with US Electricity Firms
Saudi
crown prince, Pompeo sends a message to Iran: End hostility or pay the price
US
may reveal Mideast peace plan in November: envoy
--------
Europe
Racist
Far-Right Says Islam Has No Place in Norway, Desecrates Holy Quran
Rivlin
meets delegation of European Muslim leaders in Jerusalem
--------
Mideast
Israel
Moves to Name Golan Settlement after Trump
US-Crafted
‘Deal Of Century’ Only Serves Zionists’ Interests In Region
Arab
Analyst Reminds of Netanyahu's Complete Silence on US Tensions against Iran
Israeli
PM’s wife sentenced for misusing state funds
Turkish
outpost in Syria shelled from Syrian government forces area
Israel
in possession of close to 100 nuclear warheads: SIPRI
Yemen
launches fresh retaliatory attack on Abha airport
Palestinian
prisoners stage new hunger strike in Israeli jail
--------
Pakistan
Lt
Gen Faiz Hameed Made ISI Chief In Military Shake-Up
Pakistani
Activist Known for Criticism Killed In Islamabad
Parents
refusing polio vaccination not to face police cases
President
approached to halt execution of mentally ill Ghulam Abbas
Centre
has given 31pc extra funds to Sindh govt: Naqvi
Bilawal,
Maryam met to hide their fathers’ corruption: Firdous
Comments
sought from CS, ACS for declaring police as full-fledged dept
Pakistan
eyes new horizons with Russia
Q-4
dialogue on Afghan refugees repatriation to start tomorrow
--------
Arab World
US-Led
Coalition Plans to Turn Raqqa Derelict Military Airport into Helicopter Base
Terrorist
Commanders in Northern Hama Blame Each Other for Failure in Attacks on Syrian
Army
Yemeni
Missiles Hit Military Positions in Saudi Arabia
US-Backed
Kurds Collaborating with Mossad to Spy on Regional States
Iraqi
MP: US, Turkey Plotting to Dissolve Hashd Al-Shaabi
Rocket
fire kills 12 civilians in regime-held village in Syria: State media
Saudi
F-15C Eagles fly in formation with US Air Force counterparts
UAE
FM urges Arab solidarity in meeting with Egypt’s Sisi
Syrian
forces launch retaliatory strikes in Idlib, Hama
12
civilians killed after mortar attack hits Syrian wedding party
Saudi
envoy attends launch of palm of peace initiative
--------
Africa
Beyond
Tough Resolve, Do More to Neutralise Shabaab Threat
Junta
General Vows to Send Perpetrators Of Khartoum Carnage To ‘Gallows’
Bandits
kill 34 villagers in Nigeria: Police
French,
Malian forces kill 20 militants in operation: Mali army
Libyan
officials say Haftar's forces fighting Daesh in south
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: http://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/new-age-islam-news-bureau/bangladeshi-militancy-outfit,-hizbut-towhid,-openly-preaching-jihad-and-killing-of-jews-and-christians/d/118906
--------
Bangladeshi
Militancy Outfit, Hizbut Towhid, Openly Preaching Jihad and Killing of Jews and
Christians
June
16, 2019
After
remaining underground for many years, notorious militancy outfit Hizbut Towhid
(HT) has re-emerged and has started holding meetings in various cities and
towns in Bangladesh. According to a video clip dated June 13, 2019, a leader of
this notorious group is seen encouraging its members in continuing jihad and
‘qital’ [slaughter] of Jews and Christians. This group also has been running a
channel on YouTube.
The
YouTube channel named ‘Hezbut Tawheed’ has 17, 681 subscribers and thousands of
people are watching these extremely disturbing videos. Website of this group is
hezbuttawheed.org. Facebook page of this group is facebook.com/htiwot, facebook.com/systempaltai,
etc. This group also runs a vernacular newspaper named Dainik Bojrshokti, while
it also runs a news portal named JTV Online. Another daily newspaper named
Dainik Desher Potro was banned by the government in 2014.
It
may be mentioned here that, due to series of investigative reports and
research-based articles published in Blitz, the government had blacklisted this
notorious group a few years back. Ever since its emergence, HT had published
lots of jihadist propaganda materials and books promoting religious hatred,
jihad, and killing of non-Muslims. This group is clearly asking its followers
to wage jihad and has been openly demonizing anti-jihadist forces.
Quoting
Koran, leader of HT are seen asking people to wage jihad and confront those who
are denouncing jihad and killing of innocent people in the name of jihad.
The
leaders of HT even are claiming to have been cleared by the law enforcing and
security agencies in Bangladesh for the continuation of their activities.
One
of the notorious publications of HT is ‘Dajjal’, a book demonizing Jews and
Christians and encouraging Muslims in waging jihad and killing Jews and
Christians.
Leaders
of this group are pronouncing jihad and killing of Jews and Christians as
mandatory for the Muslims by quoting Koranic verses.
It
is a matter of grave concern as to how Bangladesh authorities are allowing such
open activities of this notorious group. Such activities of HT are continuing
in a time when fighters of Islamic State are displaced from Iraq and Syria and
are feared to have been spreading throughout the world. Notorious jihadist
outfits like Al Qaeda and Islamic State would find Hizbut Towhid as their
ideological allies.
It
may be mentioned here that, Hizbut Towhid denounces democratic system and advocated
Caliphate. It also denounces the empowerment of women.
As
a counter-militancy expert, in my understanding, this re-emergence of Hizbut
Towhid poses a grave threat to Bangladesh’s internal security as well as
regional and global securities, as under-cover members of this outfit are being
spread throughout the world.
What
is Hizbut Towhid?
According
to Wikipedia, this is a Bangladesh based religious group, which is currently
blacklisted by Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies for their connection with
militancy. Muhammad Bayazeed Khan Panni, the family of the traditional Panni
family of Tangail, founded Hezbut Tawheed on 16 February 1995. After the death
of Panni in 2012, Hossain Mohammad Selim of Noakhali district took charge of
the organization. According to its website, it has offices and organizational
activities in all the districts of Bangladesh. Hizbut Towhid’s current leader
Salim’s father is a union council member in Noakhali district.
Although
the organization claims that they are working against militancy and
communalism, the group was blacklisted by Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies in
2008. Bangladesh Bank also issued a warning to the banking sectors of
Bangladesh against joining any program organized by the group or its associated
bodies.
As
part of their determination of waging jihad, Hizbut Towhid members carry
tobacco powder and hammer, which are considered to be the most convenient
weapon in killing “enemies of Islam”. They spray tobacco powder on the eyes of
their targets and his the target’s head with hammer.
Hizbut
Towhid wants to destroy ‘Judeo-Christian’ populace
According
to information, leaders of notorious Hizbut Towhid give extreme jihadist
indoctrination to its members and encourage them to destroy ‘Judeo-Christian’
populace as well as the Western nations and Israel. With this mission, members
of HT have been entering various Western nations since the formation of this
group. It is also learned that members of HT are gathering information on
various five-star hotels, restaurants and key-point installations in Bangladesh
under the disguise of an event management company. Owner of this event
management company has been an active member of this group for many years.
Hizbut
Towhid joined hands with JMB
Members
of the Bangladeshi security agencies are completely unaware of a fact that
since 2014, Hizbut Towhid has secretly formed an alliance with banned militancy
outfit Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB). It was already learned by the
counter-militancy and counter-terrorism organizations that since 2015, JMB has
been working as the franchise of Islamic State (ISIS) in Bangladesh. It is a
matter of grave concern as to how the Bangladesh authorities are allowing a
notorious group like Hizbut Towhid to operate openly in the country, recruit members
and continue giving jihadist indoctrination to people.
Conclusion:
Bangladesh
government needs to immediately ban Hizbut Towhid and bring the members of this
notorious group into the book.
https://www.weeklyblitz.net/news/bangladeshi-militancy-outfit-openly-preaching-jihad-and-killing-of-jews-and-christians/
--------
By
keeping Rohingya issue unresolved, Myanmar is inciting jihad
June
17, 2019
Anita
Mathur
The
international community should have applied massive pressure on Myanmar by
imposing sanctions for Naypyitaw’s dilly-dally in resolving the Rohingya
crisis.
In
2017, due to massive violence and genocide committed by the Myanmar army with
the help of radical Buddhist populace, hundreds and thousands of Rohingyas fled
to Bangladesh thus creating a massive refugee crisis. Bangladeshi Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, being sympathetic to the repressed and persecuted
Rohingyas has ordered to open country’s borders with neighbouring Myanmar.
Later, under her leadership, Bangladesh made all-out efforts in getting
international support in resolving the crisis. But, until now, there are no
such actions initiated by the international community except mere lip-service.
On
the Rohingya crisis, unfortunately, China and India are clearly standing behind
Myanmar, which has possibly forced Bangladesh government is reaching into a
controversial arrangement with Myanmar. Diplomatic analysts are seeing this
written arrangement are suicidal, as the terms are ambiguous and impractical as
Dhaka is insisting repatriation of the refugees within 24 months.
After
playing dilly-dally with Bangladesh for over two years and fooling the
international community with its false promise of taking back over one million
Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, Myanmar has now resorted to its nefarious
agenda of making its Rakhine state totally Rohingya free – more precisely –
Muslim free.
In
January 2018, Myanmar agreed to take back 1,500 Rohingya each week adding that
it aimed to return all of the over one million to Myanmar within two years. At
that time, Bangladesh side said, it aimed to repatriate families together, as
well as orphans and children born out of unwarranted incidence – meaning
children conceived as a result of rape by the Myanmar military and Buddhists.
On
January 16, 2018, Myanmar’s foreign secretary U Myint Thu told BBC Burmese,
“The repatriation process will commence on 23 January”.
He
said three more transit camps were “under construction”, and there were plans
to “build new villages”.
Rakhine’s
state secretary, U Tin Maung Swe, told BBC Burmese: “The houses are not yet
built. We plan to build them under a cash-for-work project. We will give them
both money and jobs. The returnees will build their homes by themselves”.
It
may be mentioned here that, the Rohingya crisis has been described as ethnic
cleansing by the United Nations and the United States. Despite widespread
accusations of human rights violations, Myanmar has consistently denied
persecuting its Rohingya minority.
Myanmar
army’s admission of committing crime against humanity
According
to reports in the international media, in January 2018, Myanmar army had on
document admitted saying its soldiers were involved in unlawfully killing
Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine state. However, it did not admit the cases of
mass rape of Rohingya girls and women [even minor children] by the members of
the Myanmar army.
International
media saw this as a rare admission of crime against humanity committed by the
Myanmar military. In November 2017, the military exonerated itself of blame in
the violence and flat out denied unlawfully killing any Rohingya people,
burning villages, raping girl and women and robbing-off possessions.
Shall
Suu Kyi and Myanmar military officials face genocide charges?
In
December 2017, United Nations high commission Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called for
an international criminal investigation into the perpetrators of genocide in
Myanmar, including Aung San Suu Kyi and the head of the armed forces Gen Aung
Min Hlaing.
That
said, genocide is one of those words that gets bandied about a lot. It sounds
terrible – the so-called “crime of crimes”. Very few people have ever been
convicted of it.
The
crime was defined after the Holocaust. Member countries of the newly founded
United Nations signed a convention, defining genocide as acts committed with
intent to destroy a particular group.
Human
rights experts said, for the crime of being the abettors to the genocide on the
Rohingyas, Aung San Suu Kyi and the head of the armed forces Gen Aung Min
Hlaing should definitely be tried in the international criminal court.
They
said, Bangladesh already has shown the highest level of tolerance on this issue
and there is really no further scope for Dhaka to unnecessarily wait for any
actions from Myanmar on the issue of taking back the Rohingya refugees.
India
joins pro-Myanmar propaganda
In
the recent months, members of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its
ideological allies such as Rashtriya Syamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Shiv Sena (SS)
have started propaganda branding Rohingyas as “Bengalis from Bangladesh”. In
some international media, these groups even are denouncing the sovereignty of
Bangladesh by demanding annexation of the country by India while others are
indicating expulsion of over four million Bangla-speaking Indian Muslims into
Bangladesh. One of the RSS sources claimed Indian Prime Minister may begin the
process of “sending the illegal Bengali migrants” back to Bangladesh by the
year-end.
On
various groups in the social media, particularly Facebook, Indians are branding
the Rohingyas as jihadists and are even going further by saying “those who will
support the Rohingyas are also jihadist cohorts”.
An
intelligence source indicated saying Indian authorities are going to refrain
from siding with Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue as it too is actively
considering pushing over four million Bengali speaking Muslims into Bangladesh.
The
source said, expelling those “illegal migrants” from India is a part of the
electoral pledge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this time he may move
ahead with it as his anti-Muslim notion has mainly played a key role behind
BJP’s landslide victory in the recent-past general election.
Is
Modi going to show ungratefulness to Bangladesh?
It
is well-documented that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her
government has wholeheartedly helped India in combat and dismantling separatist
groups such as United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Without Sheikh Hasina’s
help, India would not be able to resolve this massive crisis. Moreover,
Bangladesh has helped India in various forms, including letting it use the
Bangladeshi land, sea and river route in transporting goods into the
northeastern states in India.
In
return of such huge gesture and goodwill, Narendra Modi and his predecessors
have not reciprocated anything saves mere lip service. According to political
analysts, to Narendra Modi, his friendship with Bangladesh is of lesser
importance than his and his party’s political future. They know, by repressing
Muslims they can get much bigger support from the majority Hindus. For this
reason, Modi’s party comrades have been preaching radical Hindutva in the
country ever since BJP formed the government in 2014.
Narendra
Modi clearly has betrayed with Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue and even did
not feel repented for this. Now he is possibly going to repeat the same
betrayal by pushing over four million Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh
by falsely branding them as Bangladeshis.
Shall
Beijing shift from its Rohingya policy?
Although
there is not much hope of China siding Bangladesh or at least playing a neutral
role in resolving the Rohingya crisis by putting some extent of pressure on
Myanmar, political analysts are seeing a possibility of Beijing’s real role
this time, especially following Sheikh Hasina’s China trip, which would resolve
the crisis. Moreover, strategists in Beijing already are seeing the growing
India-Myanmar relations as a bad sign as such romance would ultimately reduce
China’s influence on Myanmar.
https://www.weeklyblitz.net/news/by-keeping-rohingya-issue-unresolved-myanmar-is-inciting-jihad/
--------
Fatwas
Only ‘Scholarly Opinion’, Cannot Be Legally Challenged, Kuala Lumpur High Court
Told
Ho
Kit Yen
June
17, 2019
Kuala
Lumpur: The High Court hearing a challenge by women’s rights group Sisters in
Islam (SIS) against the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) was told
today that a fatwa is merely a scholarly opinion and cannot be reviewed in
court.
Lawyer
Yusfarizal Yussoff, representing Mais, said fatwas do not fall under the jurisdiction
of the state administration.
“A
fatwa is merely an opinion by muftis on Islamic principles. It cannot be
challenged through judicial review applications in civil courts,” he said.
SIS
had sought to quash a 2014 fatwa by Mais stating that the rights group
subscribes to liberalism and religious pluralism and deviates from the
teachings of Islam.
The
Federal Court remitted the case to the High Court after receiving consent from
the relevant parties, namely SIS, the state fatwa committee, Mais and the
Selangor government.
The
consent allowed the religious authorities to raise any issue, including whether
the High Court has jurisdiction to hear case brought by SIS, the group’s
co-founder Zainah Mahfoozah Anwar and former federal minister Zaid Ibrahim.
Yusfarizal
also told the court today that the state religious officials have authority
over the group on grounds that it bears the word “Islam” in its name.
“The
company constitution states that the directors must be Muslim,” he added.
“Although
the company itself cannot profess a religion, Islamic elements can be attached
to it.”
This
argument was raised by SIS lawyer Surendra Ananth, who cited previous court
rulings stating that a company cannot profess a religion.
“The
fatwa committee acted beyond its powers in imposing the fatwa,” he added.
He
said the fatwa had also violated federal laws in ordering the seizure and ban
of any items related to SIS and telling the Malaysian Communications and
Multimedia Commission to block websites related to liberalism and religious
pluralism.
“The
home minister can only make orders to seize and ban items under the Printing
Presses and Publication Act,” he said.
High
Court judge Nordin Hassan set Aug 20 for a decision.
He
also ordered SIS, the state government and Islamic authorities named in the
legal challenge to file further submissions on a state Islamic enactment
provision allowing the shariah high courts in Selangor to hear judicial review
cases against Islamic authorities.
The
order comes after Selangor state legal adviser Masri Daud raised the the
Section 66A amendment of the Administration of Islamic Law (Selangor)
Enactment.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/06/17/fatwas-only-scholarly-opinion-cannot-be-legally-challenged-court-told/
--------
No
request from India to extradite Zakir Naik yet, says Wan Azizah
Adam
Abu Bakar
June
16, 2019
KUALA
LUMPUR: Malaysia has not received New Delhi’s request to extradite
controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik until now, says Deputy Prime Minister Dr
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Wan
Azizah said Putrajaya maintained Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s stance to
reject any request from New Delhi to deport the preacher.
“I
did ask Dr Mahathir, but for now, the government of Malaysia will not accept
any requests from India to extradite Naik.
“The
prime minister has answered, so that is our answer,” she told reporters when
met at the Pandan parliamentary constituency open house today.
Previously,
Mahathir had said that Putrajaya had the right to reject any request by India
to deport Naik, who is facing charges of misappropriating RM115 million.
The
prime minister reportedly said it was the same as Australia’s refusal to send
home Sirul Azhar Umar, who was found guilty of killing Mongolian woman,
Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Following
Mahathir’s statement, India’s external affairs ministry’s official spokesperson
Raveesh Kumar said India will continue pursuing its request for Naik’s
extradition.
Mahathir’s
decision was well-received by Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin who said
vocal critics of the preacher were more loyal to India than to Malaysia.
Asri,
one of Naik’s vocal supporters, also urged the Muslim community to support
Mahathir’s stance which does not bow down to “the cruelty and discrimination in
India”.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/06/16/no-request-from-india-to-extradite-zakir-naik-yet-says-wan-azizah/
--------
‘ISIS
Module’ In Tamil Nadu: He Never Had Crime Record, Never Faced Social Media
Trouble, Says Arrested Man’s Kin
By
Arun Janardhanan
June
17, 2019
Days
after searches by the NIA at Ukkadam, a Muslim-dominated area on the outskirts
of Coimbatore town in Tamil Nadu, the lane leading to the house of Mohammed
Azarudeen (32) wore a deserted look Friday. Two elderly men sat on the portico
of his double-storeyed house as his four-year-old son played with other
children.
Azarudeen,
who has been arrested by the NIA, is facing probe for a Facebook page he ran —
“KhilafahGFX” — to allegedly propagate IS ideology. An NIA statement had
alleged that he was the Facebook friend of Sri Lankan suicide bomber Zahran
Hashim and other members of the module behind the Easter Sunday attack.
Besides
Azarudeen, the NIA has arrested one of his associates and is questioning five
others. The NIA is also examining items seized during the searches, including
cellphones, pendrives, laptops, hard disks, a dagger, air gun pellets and
pamphlets of Popular Front of India, an Islamic outfit with roots in Tamil Nadu
and Kerala.
Investigators
are yet to ascertain if Azarudeen was only a follower of Hashim or they were in
touch. According to them, such information would emerge during examination of
the seized devices.
The
elderly man at Azarudeen’s home is his father, a neighbour said. The man
refused to identify himself and spoke from the other side of the gate, locked
from inside. Stating that he is clueless about the case, he said, “He is
married. He has a child. He never had a criminal record. He never faced any
trouble for his behaviour in social media too. We do not know, let us not talk
about the case.”
A
woman who lives in the house next to Azharudeen’s said, “He is so silent. I
never heard his voice.” Another elderly woman said Azardueen “rarely speaks to
anyone” unless there was something to convey. “I cannot believe that he can do
anything problematic,” she added.
“Every
second Saturday, half-a-dozen children used to come to his home to learn to
recite Quran. He (Azwarudeen) recites Quran beautifully,” said a neighbour.
A
kilometre from Azarudeen’s home is the office of Qibla Tours and Travels, where
he worked. The owner of the agency, Basheer, reportedly went to Kochi recently
after a call from investigators. Basheer was not available for comment.
“Basheer or Azardueen would sit at the agency. Some of their friends were
regular visitors. All of them, including Basheer, are in late 20s. They were
kind and helpful,” said a tailor who has a shop nearby.
Meanwhile,
the three youths picked up by Tamil Nadu police on Thursday for their alleged
activities on social media have been placed under arrest and cases registered
against them. The three had allegedly celebrated the Easter Sunday attack, but
police said they were watching them from before that.
None
of the three has any criminal record. One of the youths, A Shajahan, lives at
Anbu Nagar in Ukkadam. His mother Tajunniza said that about six months ago,
Shajahan was summoned by police to Chennai. “They said he had shared a friend’s
Facebook post. He was in Chennai for two days. We were told that it was a
deradicalisation project and police explained to him, with the help of an Imam,
to not engage in such social media posts. His phone was confiscated then,” she
said.
His
sisters said that after returning from Chennai, he was scared to use social
media or cellphone. “He rarely touched his phone. His laptop was mostly used by
us to watch movies. The police team had brought his old phone on Thursday and
were checking it with his new phone. After about five hours of search, the
police team left with him,” said one of his sisters.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/is-module-in-tamil-nadu-he-never-had-crime-record-never-faced-social-media-trouble-says-arrested-mans-kin-5783623/
--------
'Deep
concerns': US objects to UN counterterrorism chief's visit to Xinjiang
15
Jun 2019
The
United States and other western countries have objected to a visit by the
United Nations counterterrorism chief to China’s remote Xinjiang, where UN
experts say some 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are held in
detention centres.
Vladimir
Voronkov, a veteran Russian diplomat who heads the UN Counterterrorism Office,
is in China at the invitation of Beijing and is due to visit Xinjiang’s capital
Urumqi, according to an email sent by his office to countries that raised
concerns.
US
deputy secretary of state John Sullivan spoke with UN secretary-general António
Guterres on Friday “to convey deep concerns” about Voronkov’s trip because
“Beijing continues to paint its repressive campaign against Uighurs and other
Muslims as legitimate counterterrorism efforts when it is not”.
“The
deputy secretary expressed that such a visit is highly inappropriate in view of
the unprecedented repression campaign underway in Xinjiang against Uighurs,
ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslims,” the US State Department said in a
statement.
“The
UN’s topmost counterterrorism official is putting at risk the UN’s reputation
and credibility on counterterrorism and human rights by lending credence to
these false claims,” the statement said.
China
has been condemned internationally for setting up the detention complexes,
which it describes as “education training centres” helping to stamp out
extremism and give people new skills. Western states are worried Voronkov’s
visit will validate China’s justification for the centres, diplomats said.
“China
will, and is, actively saying that what they’re doing in Xinjiang is good
terrorism prevention,” said a UN security council diplomat, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
“The
visit by Voronkov validates their narrative that this is a counterterrorism
issue, when we would see it more as a human rights issue,” said the diplomat,
adding that if Voronkov did not speak out after visiting Xinjiang then “silence
could be seen as implicit acceptance, at worst UN complicity”.
The
email from Voronkov’s office, seen by Reuters, said China planned the itinerary
for Voronkov, whose office helps states implement a global counterterrorism
strategy adopted by the UN general assembly. The email said his office does
“not expect any public statements” on his visit to Xinjiang.
He
will be visiting Xinjiang before UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, who
has repeatedly pushed China to grant the United Nations access to investigate
reports of disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly of Muslims in
Xinjiang.
“This
mission is not connected in any manner to upcoming visits by other senior UN
officials, including the high commissioner of human rights. We would like to
assure you that [Voronkov’s] visit is not intended to undermine or overshadow
the visit of Ms Bachelet,” the email said.
China’s
envoy in Geneva said on Thursday that he hoped Bachelet would visit China,
including Xinjiang, and “we hope to define a time which is convenient to both
sides”. The last visit by a UN human rights chief to China was in 2005.
The
email from Voronkov’s office said he had already visited Russia, Britain, the
United States and France which, along with China, make up the five permanent
veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council.
Human
Rights Watch UN director Louis Charbonneau said that instead of sending
Voronkov to Xinjiang, Guterres should “be calling for the immediate closure of
‘political education’ camps” and pushing for unfettered access for Bachelet and
other rights experts.
Guterres
raised the plight of Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region with the Chinese
government’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, during a visit to Beijing in April.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/15/deep-concerns-us-objects-to-un-counterterrorism-chiefs-visit-to-xinjiang
--------
Racist
far-right says Islam has no place in Norway, desecrates holy Quran
June
16, 2019
Europe
has once again shown its racist and Islamophobic colors, targeting Islam and
Muslims in the country.
The
leader of the far right Stop Islamization of Norway (SION) group Anna Braten
insulted Muslims and their religion, saying that “Islam has no place in the
country” and that the holy Quran should be destroyed en masse.
Throwing
the holy book on the ground, in the largely Muslim-populated area of Drammen,
which is 45 kilometers from the capital Oslo, demonstrators protested against
Islam, claiming it should be banned.
Police
intervened as Braten attempted to burn the sacred text while 30 Norwegian
activists and Muslims demonstrated against the anti-Muslim protest.
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/racist-far-right-says-islam-has-no-place-in-norway-desecrates-holy-quran-3483361
--------
Israel
moves to name Golan settlement after Trump
June
17, 2019
RAMAT:
The Trump name graces apartment towers, hotels and golf courses. Now it is the
namesake of a tiny Israeli settlement in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet convened in this hamlet on Sunday
to inaugurate a new settlement named after President Donald Trump in a gesture
of appreciation for the US leader’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the
territory. The settlement isn’t exactly new. Currently known as Bruchim, it is
over 30 years old and has a population of 10 people.
Israel
is hoping the rebranded “Ramat Trump,” Hebrew for “Trump Heights,” will
encourage a wave of residents to vastly expand it.
“It’s
absolutely beautiful,” said US Ambassador David Friedman, who attended Sunday’s
ceremony. Noting that Trump celebrated his birthday on Friday, he said: “I can’t
think of a more appropriate and a more beautiful birthday present.” Israel
captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in
1981. Most of the international community considers the move illegal under
international law.
But
during a visit to Washington by Netanyahu in March, just weeks before Israeli
elections, Trump signed an executive order recognising the strategic
mountainous plateau as Israeli territory. The decision, the latest in a series
of diplomatic moves benefiting Israel, was widely applauded in Israel.
“Few
things are more important to the security of the state of Israel than permanent
sovereignty over the Golan Heights,” Friedman said. “It is simply obvious, it
is indisputable and beyond any reasonable debate.” After the cabinet decision,
Netanyahu and Friedman unveiled a sign trimmed in gold with the name “Trump
Heights” and adorned with US and Israeli flags.
Addressing
the ceremony, Netanyahu called Trump a “great friend” of Israel and described
the Golan, which overlooks northern Israel, as an important strategic asset.
“The
Golan Heights was and will always be an inseparable part of our country and
homeland,” he said.
Developing
Ramat Trump will not be easy. Ringed by high yellow grass and landmines, it is
roughly 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Syrian border and a half hour drive
from the nearest Israeli town, Kiryat Shmona, a community of about 20,000
people near the Lebanese border.
According
to Israeli figures, almost 50,000 people live in the Golan, including about
22,000 Jewish Israelis and nearly 25,000 Arab Druze residents.
While
Israel has encouraged and promoted settlement in the Golan, its remote
location, several hours from the economic centre of Tel Aviv, has been an
obstacle. The area is home to small agriculture and tourism sectors but
otherwise has little industry.
The
eight-year Syrian civil war, which at times has resulted in spillover fire into
the Golan, also could present an obstacle to luring new residents.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488690/israel-moves-to-name-golan-settlement-after-trump
--------
South Asia
Muslims
'targeted with arbitrary arrests' after Easter massacre
by
Lisa Fuller & Rukshana Rizwie
June
17, 2019
Hasalaka,
Sri Lanka - On May 17, police in central Sri Lanka arrested Abdul Raheem
Mazahina, a soft-spoken 47-year-old grandmother, because of the pattern on her
dress.
The
dress's motifs look like ship wheels, but police told Mazahina, a Muslim, they
were arresting her because the pattern resembled the dharmachakra, a Buddhist
symbol.
Mazahina,
who has asthma and hypertension, had worn the dress many times before and no
one had taken notice.
"If
it was a dharmachakra, someone would have pointed it out to me," she said.
Sri
Lanka's Department of Buddhist Religious Affairs later told authorities that
they were unable to determine whether the symbol on the dress was in fact a
dharmachakra.
Police
in Hasalaka - which lies 130km east of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo - charged
Mazahina under a hate speech law, as well as another law that prohibits
insulting religions with the "malicious intention of outraging religious
feelings", said her lawyer Fathima Nushra Zarook.
Police
spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara told Al Jazeera Mazahina is one of 2,289 people -
including 1,820 Muslims - who were arrested "in connection to the Easter
bombings or related incidents", though he confirmed that the charges
against Mazahina only pertain to her dress.
Over
250 people died and 500 were wounded on April 21 in a coordinated series of
bombings on churches and luxury hotels across the country. the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
While
1,655 of those arrested have been released on bail, 634 are still in custody,
either because they have been remanded or they are under investigation,
Gunasekara said.
Of
the 423 who have been remanded, 358 are Muslims.
"At
the police station, the officer in charge made me remove my headscarf and put
on the dress while other officers took photographs of me," Mazahina said,
fighting back tears.
During
the 17 days that she spent behind bars, guards repeatedly referred to Mazahina
as a "terrorist", she said.
On
June 3, a magistrate court released Mazahina on bail, but she has to return to
court in November. If convicted, she could face up to two years in prison.
EU
'deeply concerned'
Three
quarters of Sri Lanka's population is Buddhist, while less than 10 percent are
Muslim. Hindus and Christians make up the remainder of the population.
Mazahina's
blood pressure increased while she was in prison and she has been ill since
returning home. Her husband, Munaf, took leave from his job as a day labourer
to care for her. As a result, the family has no source of income.
The
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), a government body, has received
several complaints regarding arbitrary arrests of Muslims, according to its
chairperson Deepika Udugama.
"We
are deeply concerned and will write to the acting inspector general of police
... with examples of such arrests and the recommendations," she said.
In
a 2017 report, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions said it
"identified systemic problems within [Sri Lanka's] criminal justice system
which placed defendants at a high risk of arbitrary detention".
However,
before the Easter attacks, arbitrary detentions targeted ethnic Tamils, who are
Hindu and Christian.
Sri
Lanka fought a 26-year-long civil war against the separatist Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who fought for an independent Tamil homeland.
When
asked if police had any concerns about arbitrary arrests of Muslims, police
spokesperson Gunasekara said: "How can I say this? If anyone has an
objection, they can complain to police headquarters or the HRCSL."
He
claimed that the police headquarters had yet to receive any such complaints.
On
Wednesday, the European Union issued a statement saying that they are
"deeply concerned by the political and religious pressure being directed
at Sri Lanka's Muslim community which is undermining peace and reconciliation
in the country".
Jezima
(not her real name), 58, told Al Jazeera that police in Badulla district
refused to let her file a complaint after her husband went missing in police
custody.
Police
asked Jezima's husband to report to a police station to explain why he had two
passports.
Jezima
said she was not concerned because there was a simple reason for the passports:
one was expired and one was current.
But
her husband never came back from the police station and police refused to give
Jezima his whereabouts.
After
searching for 12 days, Jezima sought help from HRCSL, which tracked her husband
to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo.
The
CID assured Jezima it would release her husband by June 3. But over a week
later, he was yet to come home.
Al
Jazeera also spoke to 20-year-old Aslam Rizwi, who had been detained for
possessing a damaged SD memory card, and his neighbour 19-year-old Abdul Arees,
who was arrested for having footage of the Easter bombings on his phone which
he had received on a WhatsApp group.
Sri
Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem, who resigned from his ministerial
portfolio last week citing the government's failure to protect Muslims, said
that they were being harassed and detained for trivial reasons.
"It
is true that the perpetrators of the April 21 bombings were from our community,
but from the first day onwards, the Muslim community have assisted the
Tri-Forces in rooting out these individuals, yet we have also suffered
immensely during this process," he said.
The
crackdown has been particularly severe in Kattankudy, the east coast hometown
of the alleged mastermind of the Easter attacks, Zaharan Hashim.
"Everyone
is afraid. So many innocent people have been arrested," said a university
lecturer in Kattankudy, who asked not to be named. "People call the police
on us if they think we look suspicious," he said.
The
All Ceylon Jammiathul Ulema, an organisation advocating for Muslims' civil
rights in Sri Lanka, is testifying before the Parliament Select Committee,
which is investigating the Easter attacks.
Mufti
Rizvi, who leads the organisation, appealed to the committee to take immediate
action on increasing reports of arbitrary detentions.
"An
elderly man was arrested for having a Quranic verse, a poor woman was arrested
for wearing a dress which had the pattern of a ship's wheel and a pregnant lady
was arrested for wanting to vomit," he said. "How can you expect
de-radicalisation to happen in the country if this continues?"
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/muslims-targeted-arbitrary-arrests-easter-massacre-190613123018003.html
--------
Taliban
militants suffer heavy casualties in Farah, Herat operations
16
Jun 2019
The
Afghan security forces backed by coalition air power conducted separate
operations in Farah and Herat provinces inflicting heavy casualties on Taliban
militants.
The
207th Zafar Corps in a statement said the Special Forces conducted an operation
in Shinwan Village of Bala Bolok district.
The
statement further added that the Special Forces killed 9 Taliban militants and
detained two others.
The
Special Forces also destroyed a captured Humvee vehicle during the same
operation.
Meanwhile,
the 207th Zafar Corps said the security forces conducted a similar operation in
Pashtun Zarghoon district of Herat and killed 6 Taliban fighters.
Full
report at:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-militants-suffer-heavy-casualties-in-farah-herat-operations-03637/
--------
Taliban
should respect the will of the Afghan people: NATO SCR in Afghanistan
15
Jun 2019
The
NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Ambassador Nicholas Kay has
called on Taliban to respect the will of the Afghan people, insisting that the
Afghan people want peace and reduction in violence.
He
made the remarks during a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Ambassador
Kay further added “The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces that NATO
trains, advises and assist are achieving on the battlefield what the Afghan
people want, which is peace.”
He
also added “And we call upon the Taliban to sit in an intra-Afghan dialogue
with fellow Afghans, the Government of Afghanistan as soon as possible and
reach a negotiated end to this conflict.”
“The
Afghan people demand peace. The Afghan demand reduction in violence. And the
Taliban should respect the will of the Afghan people,” he added.
Meanwhile,
Ambassador Kay said NATO Allies are working closely with the Government of
Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan to bring about the conditions for a
lasting peace.
Full
report at:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-should-respect-the-will-of-the-afghan-people-nato-scr-in-afghanistan-03619/
--------
9
Taliban militants killed, wounded in Afghan Air Force airstrikes in Takhar
17
Jun 2019
The
Afghan Air Force carried out multiple airstrikes in Takhar province killing at
least 7 Taliban fighters.
The
informed military sources said Monday that the airstrikes were carried out in
Ishkamish district.
The
sources further added that the airstrikes also wounded 2 Taliban fighters.
The
Taliban militants have not commented regarding the airstrikes so far.
https://www.khaama.com/9-taliban-militants-killed-wounded-in-afghan-air-force-airstrikes-in-takhar-03642/
--------
Afghan
forces repulsed twin Taliban attacks in Kandahar, 8 killed: Gen. Tadin Khan
16
Jun 2019
The
Afghan security forces repulsed twin Taliban attacks in Kandahar province.
The
Police Chief of Kandahar Gen. Tadin Khan Achakzai said a group of Taliban
militants attacked a security check post in Takhta Pul district.
Gen.
Tadin Khan further added that the security forces killed three Taliban
militants during the clash.
The
security forces also confiscated three motorycles following the clash, Gen.
Tadin Khan added.
Meanwhile,
the Taliban militants attacked police forces on Kandahar-Tarinkot highway which
was also repelled by security forces.
According
to Gen. Tadin, the security forces killed five Taliban militants during the
same clash.
Full
report at:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-repulsed-twin-taliban-attacks-in-kandahar-8-killed-gen-tadin-khan-03640/
--------
Southeast Asia
Talk
to Rulers about uniform shariah law, says ex-MP
Robin
Augustin
June
17, 2019
PETALING
JAYA: A former MP has urged federal leaders to get the views of the Rulers on
plans for a uniform code of shariah criminal laws for all states.
Tawfik
Ismail, former MP for Sungai Benut, said it was the right thing to do, as the
Rulers were heads of Islam in their states, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for
other states.
Plans
for a uniform code of shariah criminal laws were announced yesterday by the
minister for Islamic affairs, Mujahid Yusof. The National Council of Islamic
Religious Affairs said discussions would be held with all state religious
leaders for a consensus on a uniform code. At present, each state has its own set
of shariah laws and the punishments for certain offences vary from state to
state.
Tawfik
said that although the matter was only at a proposal stage, it was only proper
that the government seek the Rulers’ input.
He
also raised his fear that the move for uniform shariah criminal laws was a step
closer towards greater centralisation of power over religion by the Federal
Government.
He
also spoke of his fear that discussions on a uniform shariah criminal code
could be used as a backdoor towards implementing harsh punishments for Islamic
criminal offences some time in the future.
“The
record has shown that PAS-controlled states lean towards harsher penalties,” he
said, citing the move by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to table a private
members’ bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act with
enhanced penalties.
The
bill would have empowered the shariah courts to impose a higher level of fines
and a greater amount of whipping on certain Islamic criminal offences. The
proposed bill, known as RUU355 from its Malay short-form, created a storm of
controversy, with some politicians alleging that it was a prelude towards
implementing hudud punishments.
However
Hadi’s motion to obtain Dewan Rakyat approval to table the bill failed to be
adopted and the proposed bill expired.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/06/17/talk-to-rulers-about-uniform-shariah-law-says-ex-mp/
--------
SIS
slams Mujahid for prioritising Shariah crime instead of banning child marriages
16
June 2019
BY
AZRIL ANNUAR
KUALA
LUMPUR, June 16 — A progressive Muslim women’s group today criticised a
minister and a government council for not prioritising the standardisation of
Islamic family laws standardisation or raising the minimum marriage age across
the country.
In
a press statement today, Sisters in Islam (SIS) said that it only takes
political will for the two reforms to take place, instead of standardising
Shariah criminal laws in Malaysia as announced by Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
“The
current state of IFL (Islamic family law) in Malaysia is in shambles as it
dangerously and unfairly exposes women to being victims of the system.
“For
example, laws amended in 1994 has allowed illegal marriages without the court’s
permission to be registered upon payment of a small fee. This has resulted in
new marriages being secretly solemnised in Thailand.
“The
current provisions for polygamous marriages continue to cause devastating
structural, emotional and economic consequences borne by all family members,
including and especially onto children,” said SIS in the statement.
SIS
recalled that in its first incarnation in 1984, the IFL was lauded as among the
most progressive marriage legislation in the world. However, several rounds of
amendments had regressed the laws in its ability to protect women’s interest
and uphold justice and equality for them.
The
group also claimed that the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs
Malaysia (MKI) and Mujahid had basically ignored instructions from Prime
Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last year to end child marriages by
standardising the minimum marriageable age for children.
“Despite
a directive from our Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last year, only
literally a handful of states have committed towards ending child marriage with
many other states refusing.
“A
plan for standardisation which is led directly by Datuk Seri Mujahid Rawa’s
office as suggested by MKI will not only pave the way to push this important
agenda forward, but also do so in a way which is consultative and therefore
binding to all states.
“The
priority of MKI should be the standardisation of IFL and child marriage for all
states in Malaysia,” the statement said.
Full
report at:
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/06/16/sis-slams-mujahid-for-prioritising-shariah-crime-instead-of-banning-child-m/1762695
--------
Thailand
ready to tap busy Muslim travel market
17
JUN 2019
Halal
tourism is one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors, with faith-based needs and
behaviour from Islamic travellers gaining, according to the Global Muslim
Travel Index (GMTI) 2019, an annual survey by Mastercard and CrescentRating.
In
its fifth edition, the GMTI revealed robust growth in the market and named
Thailand as a friendly country for Muslim travellers.
The
Muslim travel market is expected to reach US$220 billion by 2020 with 160
million tourists, rising 36% to $300 billion with 230 million travellers in
2026.
The
GMTI 2019 shows that Thailand ranked second among the top 10 preferred
destinations for Muslim travel among countries outside of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with a score of 57, behind Singapore with 65.
Thailand also ranked 18th out of 130 destinations for Muslims worldwide.
The
GMTI report uses criteria from the CrescentRating ACES model to consider four
key measurements: services, environment, communications and access to
evaluating each destination.
The
report provides market insights for tourism operators to understand and prepare
for the needs of Muslims tourists, such as prayer facilities, washroom
facilities, gender-based recreational facilities and services with privacy, as
well as halal food.
By
the same token, halal travellers can ensure that the destination for their next
trip is Muslim-friendly.
The
top 10 non-OIC destinations also included Japan, Taiwan, South Africa and South
Korea, which continued their upward movement, indicating that these
destinations are becoming friendlier for Muslim tourists, the report said.
Growing
market
In
Thailand, an estimated 3.6-3.7 million Muslims visited Thailand last year,
accounting for nearly 10% of total international arrivals.
As
the market trend is promising, the Tourism and Sports Ministry has launched a
project for the development of halal tourism and services.
The
Tourism Department in March hired Sasin Graduate Institute of Business
Administration at Chulalongkorn University to carry out a project, including
in-depth research on the demands of Muslim travellers and their behaviour in
order to design tourism products and services to fit their needs and meet halal
criteria, said a source in the department.
The
institute must introduce at least four travel routes and use them as pilot
tracks for the department to develop other destinations. These future travel
routes should be tested by tourism experts such as bloggers specialising in
tourism.
A
handy travel guidebook for the routes, containing other tourism destinations,
hotels, food restaurants, mosques and products from Muslim communities, should
be produced, the source said.
Sasin
is set to hold training courses for Halal tourism for tourism operators and
related government and private agencies for some 700 participants nationwide.
The department expects the project to be completed by mid-September.
Proposed
Halal routes
Sukre
Sarem, a lecturer for the Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn
University, has praised the halal travel route project because it would let
Muslim visitors experience the culture, arts and communities of Thai Muslims.
"Travel
routes should also provide tourism destinations and allow visitors to
experience authentic Muslim cultures and learn about the communities
here," he said.
Speaking
at a seminar, Mr Sukre, also an expert on Muslim history in Thailand, pointed
to several potential travel routes that could inspire Muslim travellers,
especially relating to Islamic heritage in Thai history.
In
the capital, paintings of Turkish soldiers are at Chakri Maha Prasat Throne
Hall in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Ban Khrua, an old community that
dates back to the reign of King Rama I, has conserved Islamic art, in
particular the Ottoman Empire symbol on the pediment.
In
addition, there are many picturesque mosques scattered around the capital.
Mr
Sukre said the river route along the Chao Phraya River could be a perfect trail
to see residents from different cultures and religions that live together in
peace and harmony.
"Islamic
heritage can also be traced along land roads such as along the Airport Rail
Link route, which runs past many Muslim communities," he said.
Full
report at:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1696452/thailand-ready-to-tap-busy-muslim-travel-market
--------
India
Kashmiri
separatist leaders received funds from abroad, utilised them for personal
gains: NIA
June
16, 2019
The
NIA has alleged that its probe into terror financing in Jammu and Kashmir has
revealed that hardline separatist leaders received funds from abroad and
utilised them for personal gains — from amassing properties to paying for
foreign education of their kin.
The
agency has interrogated several top leaders of Hurriyat Conference and other
organisations and claimed that they had confessed to receiving funds from
Pakistan to fuel separatist sentiments among the people of Kashmir Valley.
In
a statement issued Sunday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said the
firebrand leader of Duktaran-e-Milat, Asiya Andrabi, was grilled by it about
the educational expenses of her son in Malaysia incurred by Zahoor Watali, who
was arrested in a terror funding case.
“During
interrogation, Asiya Andrabi admitted that she had been collecting funds and
donations from foreign sources and Duktaran-e-Milat had been organising
protests by Muslim women in the valley,” it claimed.
The
NIA has already approached the relevant authorities for providing evidence
relating to certain bank accounts used by Asiya Andrabi’s son Mohammad bin
Qasim while he was in the university, it said.
Another
hardline separatist leader, Shabir Shah, had to face some tough time when he
was confronted about his businesses, including a hotel in Pahalgam which is
allegedly funded through foreign funds received by him from Pakistan, the
statement said.
“During
the custodial interrogation, Shabir Shah was confronted with evidence relating
to transfer of money by Pakistan-based agents and representatives of APHC (All
Parties Hurriyat Conference) factions to parties affiliated to Hurriyat in J
and K. He was also confronted about his investments in various hotels and
businesses in Pahalgam, properties in Jammu, Srinagar and Anantnag,” the NIA
said.
The
NIA had registered a case in May, 2017 against terrorists belonging to Jammat
ud Dawah, Duktaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and other
separatist leaders in the state for raising, receiving and collecting funds to
fuel separatist and terrorist activities and entering into a larger conspiracy
for causing disruption in Kashmir Valley and for waging war against India.
The
agency has so far charge-sheeted 13 accused, including leader of Jammat-ud
Dawah Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, head of proscribed organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen
Syed Salahuddin, seven separatist leaders, two hawala conduits and some
stone-pelters.
Watali
is one of the main hawala conduits who used to generate and receive funds from
Pakistan, ISI, UAE and had floated various shell companies to disguise foreign
remittances for further transfer to separatist leaders and stone pelters in the
valley, it said.
The
agency said these funds were used to fuel unrest in the Kashmir valley and
organise violent agitations and anti-India activities which resulted in large
scale violence leading to numerous injuries and deaths of civilians and
security forces.
Evidence
relating to funding of these separatist elements through Pakistan and UAE-based
businessman, ISI, High Commission of Pakistan in Delhi has been collected and
presented to the NIA Special Court in the charge sheets, it said.
Watali’s
bail was rejected by the Supreme Court, on a plea by the NIA, as the apex court
observed that the Delhi High Court has not appreciated the material which found
favour with the designated court to record its opinion that there are
reasonable grounds for believing that the accusations are prima facie true.
The
agency has arrested Yasin Malik, leader of proscribed organisation JKLF, Asiya
Andrabi leader of proscribed organisation Duktaran-e-Milat, separatist leader
Shabir Shah of JKDFP and Masrat Alam of Muslim League.
Malik
told the agency that he was instrumental in bringing together the factions of
Hurriyat Conference and formed the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) which
spear headed the violent agitations in 2016 in Kashmir Valley by issuing
“Protest Calendars” leading to economic shut down for over four months and also
caused death and injuries to civilians and security forces during the violent
protests.
Malik
admitted that the JRL and Hurriyat Conference Gilani Group collected funds from
business community as well as certain other sources and ensured that economic
shut down and violent protests continue to disrupt the daily life of common
citizens in the valley, the agency said.
“Evidence
regarding many of Shah’s benami properties is being collected. He was
confronted with some of his personal staff and associates who have provided
vital information regarding the sources fund raising and investment details,”
it alleged.
Masarat
Alam, “the poster boy of stone pelters and violent agitations in Kashmir
valley” has told investigators that Pakistan based agents route the funds
through hawala operators which were transferred to the separatist leaders
including Syed Shah Gilani Chairman, the NIA said.
Alam
has also revealed that there are rifts in the Hurriyat Conference regarding
collection and use of fund, it said.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kashmiri-separatist-leaders-received-funds-from-abroad-utilised-them-for-personal-gains-nia-5783164/
--------
NIA
search operation in Madurai for IS sympathisers
Jun
16, 2019
CHENNAI:
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team carried out searches in Tamil Nadu's
Madurai on Sunday following information about suspected IS supporters,
officials said.
The
NIA officials searched three premises in Madurai on suspicion that the residents
there have contacts with the global terror outfit via social media.
The
search in Madurai, 470 km from here, follows the search operations carried out
by the agency in Coimbatore a few days back, and the arrest of two people on
June 12 and 14.
On
June 12, the NIA had conducted searches at seven locations in Coimbatore and
seized incriminating material including books and documents from the houses and
work places of six accused persons.
The
anti-terror agency had registered a case on May 30 against the six, who were
allegedly propagating ideology of the IS/Daesh on social media with the intention
of recruiting vulnerable youth into the organisation for for carrying out
terrorist attacks in south India, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The
NIA also said some of the accused persons and their associates were in touch
with Zahran Hashim - the mastermind of the Easter day bombings in Sri Lanka
that killed around 250 people - and his associates over social media, with the
intention of furthering the objectives of the IS in India.
The
NIA questioned the accused regarding the incriminating materials recovered
during searches and the content of their social media accounts and based on the
facts revealed of their pro-IS activities, Shiek Hidayathullah Y. was arrested
on June 14.
Scrutiny
of documents seized from his house revealed that he was associated with
proscribed terrorist organization, the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)
as well.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nia-search-operation-in-madurai-for-is-sympathisers/articleshow/69812808.cms
--------
Photo
of gun wielding youth in Kashmir goes viral, police suspect terror link
Jun
16, 2019
Ashiq
Hussain
A
picture of a young man from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district carrying a gun has
gone viral on social media triggering fears that he may have signed up for militancy.
The
police said that they were investigating the picture in which Imtiyaz Ahmad
Mir, a resident of Gulgam village in Kupwara can be seen. Mir was missing since
last week.
“His
gun wielding picture has been circulated on social media. We are verifying,”
said senior superintendent of police, Kupwara, Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar.
Locals
said that Mir, in his early twenties, ran a photocopy shop and went missing on
June 11 after he left home for the Kupwara market. His family has issued an
appeal requesting him to return.
The
picture shows him wearing a military vest and holding a rifle pointing its
barrel towards the ground while he is looking towards the camera. The date of
joining is shown as June 12.
The
photo is apparently stamped with Hizbul Mujahideen on its corner with the name
of ‘district commander’ Anantnag and Kupwara Mohammad Ashraf Khan alias
Mansoorul Haq’ . It also reveals the educational qualifications of the youth
saying he is a Hafiz-e-Quran and has done a diploma.
Youth
joining militancy in Kashmir sometimes declare it publicly by releasing a gun
wielding picture on social media.
The
apparent joining of Mir would take the number of active local militants of the
district to two.
“We
will now have two militants including Mir. The other one is also a local from
Kralpora area. He joined some 6 months ago,” said Dinkar.
Last
year in October, Manan Wani, a former PhD scholar of AMU and a resident of
Kupwara, who had left research to join militancy in Kashmir, was killed in an
encounter with security forces in his home district.
Earlier
this week, police in neighbouring district of Baramulla had said that two
youths joined militant ranks after a picture of a post-graduate student Junaid
Farooq posing with an AK-47 rifle went viral on social media.
A
resident of Hamray Pattan area, Junaid was the second youth who has joined
militancy in Baramulla police district.
In
April, a 19-year-old youth Adnan Ahmad Channa of Arampora went missing from his
house and joined militant ranks. Though his pictures were never released,
police suspect him of joining the militant ranks.
In
January, after the killing of three local Lashkar militants—Shuiab Akhoon and
his two associates Mohsin Mushtaq and Nisar Darzi—police had said they were the
last listed militants in Baramulla police district.
Full
report at:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/photo-of-gun-wielding-youth-in-kashmir-goes-viral-police-suspect-terror-link/story-vFCwSqlQqOEoshA36YR5oJ.html
--------
Muslim
leaders to meet CM KCR on mosque issue
17
Jun 2019
Malakpet:
Leaders representing different religious groups of Muslims have resolved to
represent the matter of Ek Khana Masjid, which was allegedly demolished by the
GHMC in Amberpet in April, by personally meeting Chief Minister K Chandrashekar
Rao.
At
the meeting organised by the Tehreek Muslim Shabban at its office in Azampura
on Saturday, various organisations including Jamaat e Islami, Jamait-ul-Ulema,
Sunni Ulema Board, Jamiat-e-Alhe-Hadees and Alame Jamiat-ul-Mashaiq resolved to
demand that the State government grant permission to offer namaz at Masjid-e-Ek
Khana in Amberpet, which was demolished by GHMC in April.
The
Muslim religious heads and Islamic scholars also decided to meet Chief
Secretary, Home Minister, GHMC Commissioner and MPs (Hyderabad and
Secunderabad) and discuss about the issue.
Speaking
to The Hans India, Mushtaq Malik, the president of Tehreek Muslim Shabban, said
that though the Masjid-e-Ek Khana, which was demolished by GHMC, was already
registered with the Telangana State Wakf Board, it was illegally demolished.
The land on which Masjid was located did not have any title dispute either.
"Therefore, there should be a permission for offering Namaz. If there is
any law and order issue, the Telangana government should solve the issue,"
he pleaded.
Mushtaq
Malik also said that in 2018 the TSWB gave a letter to the GHMC and also
informed them if the road widening was an issue, the Wakf Board would discuss
the issue with authorities. But without any notice and consultations ith Wakf
Board, the GHMC suddenly demolished the Masjid in late night hours.
Full
report at:
https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/muslim-leaders-to-meet-cm-kcr-on-mosque-issue-538427
--------
Encounter
under way between security forces, militants in Anantnag
June
17, 2019
An
encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Anantnag district
of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, a police official said.
Acting
on credible inputs about the presence of militants in Achabal area of the south
Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there
this morning, the official said.
He
said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on
the forces, who retaliated.
The
exchange of firing was going on when last reports came in, the official said.
Full
report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/encounter-under-way-between-security-forces-militants-in-anantnag-5783841/
--------
Encounter
under way between security forces, terrorists in J&K's Anantnag
Jun
17, 2019
SRINAGAR:
An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag
district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, a police official said.
Acting
on credible inputs about the presence of terrorists in Achabal area of the
south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation
there this morning, the official said.
He
said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired
on the forces, who retaliated.
The
exchange of firing was going on when last reports came in, the official said.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/encounter-under-way-between-security-forces-terrorists-in-jks-anantnag/articleshow/69819637.cms
--------
High
alert in Jammu & Kashmir after Pakistan inputs
Jun
17, 2019
An
intelligence input about a major terror strike in Kashmir, reportedly shared by
Pakistan, has prompted a high alert in the Valley, a top security official said
on Sunday. The input talks about Al Qaeda's plan to carry out the attack in
Awantipora area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district, either before or during
the Amarnath Yatra beginning on July 1, to avenge the killing of Ansar
Ghazwatul Hind chief Zakir Musa, the official said.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/high-alert-in-jammu-kashmir-after-pakistan-inputs/articleshow/69817906.cms
--------
North America
Washington
Pressures Baghdad to Sign Agreements with US Electricity Firms
Jun
16, 2019
Ali
al-Qanemi told the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website on Sunday that
despite the US firms' incapability to supply Iraq with necessary electricity
and lack of progress in projects that they have been implementing, Washington
is pressuring the Iraqi government again to accept endorsement of agreements with
them.
He
added that when the Iraqi government signed a contract with Germany's Siemens
company to develop energy projects, the US pressured Baghdad to ink agreements
with American firms.
"This
shows that the US has started the war of companies," al-Qanemi said.
His
remarks came after the US granted Iraq a 120-day waiver from sanctions to let
the nation import electricity from Iran, the State Department said on Saturday.
The
decision by the Trump administration to allow Iraq to continue buying power
from neighboring Iran, which is under US economic sanctions, followed a phone
call Friday between Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Iraqi Prime Minister
Adel Abdul Mahdi.
“While
this waiver is intended to help Iraq mitigate energy shortages, we continue to
discuss our Iran-related sanctions with our partners in Iraq,’’ the State
Department said in an emailed statement.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000689
--------
Saudi
crown prince, Pompeo sends a message to Iran: End hostility or pay the price
June
17, 2019
JEDDAH:
The US will take all actions necessary — “diplomatic and otherwise” — to deter
Iran from disrupting Gulf energy supplies, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
warned on Sunday.
Pompeo
spoke hours after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the Kingdom would
“not hesitate in dealing with any threat against our people, sovereignty and
vital interests.”
The
twin warnings to the regime in Tehran followed last week’s attacks on two oil
tankers in the Gulf of Oman, widely assumed to have been carried out by Iran.
“We
don’t want war. We’ve done what we can to deter it,” Pompeo said in a TV
interview. “But the Iranians should understand very clearly that we will
continue to take actions that deter Iran from engaging in this kind of behavior.
“What
you should assume is we are going to guarantee freedom of navigation throughout
the Strait of Hormuz. This is an international challenge, important to the
entire globe. The US is going to make sure that we take all the actions
necessary, diplomatic and otherwise, that achieve that outcome.”
Pompeo
said the US was discussing a possible international response, and he had made a
number of calls to foreign officials about the tanker attacks.
He
said China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia relied heavily on freedom of
navigation through the strait. “I’m confident that when they see the risk, the
risk to their own economies and their own people, and outrageous behavior of
Iran, they will join us in this.”
The
Saudi crown prince, in an interview with the Arabic-language newspaper Asharq
Al-Awsat, said the Kingdom had “supported the re-imposition of US sanctions on
Iran out of our belief that the international community needed to take a
decisive stance against Iran.”
He
hoped the Iranian regime “would opt to become a normal state and cease its
hostile policy.”
Crown
Prince Mohammed said the Kingdom’s hand was always extended for peace, but the
Iranian regime had disrespected the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during
his visit to Tehran by attacking the two oil tankers in the Gulf, one of which
was Japanese. “It also employed its militias to carry out a shameful attack
against Abha International Airport. This is clear evidence of the Iranian
regime’s policy and intentions to target the security and stability of the
region.”
The
crown prince said the attacks “underscore the importance of our demand before
the international community to take a decisive stance against an expansionist
regime that has supported terrorism and spread death and destruction over the
past decades, not only in the region, but the whole world.”
Prince
Mohammed’s interview was “a message to Tehran, and beyond Tehran, to the
international community,” the Saudi political analyst and international
relations scholar Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri told Arab News.
“He
sent out the message that we do not want a war in the region. He was offering
peace, as is our nature, and that is what we are doing now. But if it is going
to affect our vital interests, our vital resources and our people, we will
defend ourselves and take action to handle any threat.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1511786
--------
US
may reveal Mideast peace plan in November: envoy
Servet
Günerigök
16.06.2019
WASHINGTON
The
long awaited Middle East peace plan may now be revealed in November, according
to U.S special envoy to the Middle East.
Speaking
at the conference of Jerusalem Post in New York, Jason Greenblatt said the
President Donald Trump administration "would have released the plan during
the summer" had not Israel called for September elections.
"We
haven’t made a decision on whether to delay now, potentially until as late
November 6th. I think the logic will dictate that if we wanted to wait until a
new government is formed, we really do have to wait, until potentially as late
as November 6th.
"But
we’ll decide that after Bahrain," he added, referring to a conference that
where the Trump administration is expected to reveal economic aspects of its
peace plan.
The
workshop is scheduled for June 25 and 26 and will reportedly be headed by U.S.
President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and
Greenblatt.
In
April, Kushner said the plan would be published after the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan, however, an Israeli newspaper released a leaked document on May 7
detailing the elements of the plan known as the "Deal of the
Century".
Based
on the leaks in the media, the so-called "Deal of the Century" will
call on the Palestinians to make major concessions to Israel regarding
Jerusalem’s status and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their
homes in historical Palestine.
Jerusalem
remains at the heart of the decades-long Middle East dispute, with Palestinians
hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might one day
serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-may-reveal-mideast-peace-plan-in-november-envoy/1505945
--------
Europe
Rivlin
meets delegation of European Muslim leaders in Jerusalem
June
17, 2019
President
Reuven Rivlin on Sunday met with a delegation of French imams and French and
Belgian Muslim activists in Jerusalem.
The
group was headed by Hassen Chalgoumi, an imam well-known in France for his
involvement in interfaith initiatives. The delegation of 40 Muslim leaders was
organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET), an organization that
seeks to strengthen Israeli-European ties.
Rivlin
and the group discussed anti-Semitism and the value of interfaith dialogue, the
president’s office said.
“Judaism
has never been at war with Islam. Judaism and Islam are sister religions, and
we should relate to each other in this way. The Jewish people suffered for many
years from racism and hatred. Moderation — religious, nationalist and cultural
— are the true way to reach the hearts of people. That is the right way to
live,” Rivlin said.
Chalgoumi
told Rivlin the group was praying for the president’s wife, Nechama, who died
earlier this month, and spoke out against Islamic extremist groups.
“Recently
in Europe, people are being killed just because they are Jews. At Hyper-Cacher,
at the museum in Brussels — innocent people were killed just because they are
Jewish. This delegation represents the hope, the need and the possibility to
build bridges of trust,” Chalgoumi said.
“Religion
itself is not the problem, rather political Islam that tries to create conflict
between Jews and Muslims. States such as Iran, Qatar and Turkey who fund hatred
through Hamas and Hezbollah. This is not religion, this is political Islam which
we must fight against,” he said.
The
group toured the northern West Bank Thursday on the invitation of settler
leaders.
Chalghoumi
said on the tour that support of boycotts of Israel ran against Quranic law,
and that he hopes to encourage dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians so
“no mother — not Israeli nor Palestinian — will cry” in the future.
He
also criticized Palestinian rejection of an upcoming US-led peace conference in
Bahrain. “I don’t think that’s right. You should always go and talk, sit around
the same table. Even if you don’t agree — dialogue can save us.”
Sheikh
Abu-Khalil Tamimi of Ramallah also met the group, saying “any problem can be
solved with negotiations, dialogue and good treatment of each other.
Disseminating hate is not the way… With God’s help the future will be better
for us and for our children.”
Samaria
Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said he was glad of the opportunity to meet
the religious leaders: “We do not believe in peace on paper and with
out-of-touch politicians but by creating mutual respect and relationships from
the ground up.”
Chalghoumi
is something of an outlier in Muslim religious discourse, and was notable for
supporting France’s ban on the burqa, or full face-covering.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/rivlin-meets-delegation-of-european-muslim-leaders-in-jerusalem/
--------
Mideast
US-crafted
‘deal of century’ only serves Zionists’ interests in region
Jun
16, 2019
Iran
and the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, say a plan devised by the
administration of US President Donald Trump targeting the Palestinian nation,
dubbed 'the deal of the century', only seeks to meet the interests of the
Zionists in the Middle East and aims to establish Israel’s occupationist
policies.
The
remarks were made in a meeting between Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud
Alavi and senior Hamas officials, including deputy head of its political bureau
Saleh Al-Arouri, a member of Hamas Political Bureau Hessam Badran, its foreign
relations chief Osama Hamdan and its representative in Lebanon Ahmed Abdulhadi,
whose report was published on Hamas website on Sunday.
During
the meeting, the two sides noted that the policies adopted by the United States
leave no doubt that a series of pro-Israeli decisions made by the US president,
which started with introducing the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds as the
capital city of Israel and moving Washington’s embassy there, will continue
with lending full support to Israel’s settlement construction activities in the
West Bank and the occupied part of the Golan Heights.
In
December 2017, Trump officially declared the disputed city of Jerusalem al-Quds
Israel's "capital," despite warnings from around the world that the
measure would risk triggering a fresh wave of violence in the Middle East.
"I
have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel," Trump said, adding, "While previous presidents
have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am
delivering."
Later
in May 2018, the United States officially announced the opening of its new
embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds amid deadly Israeli crackdown on peaceful protests
by Palestinians in the occupied territories.
"Today
we open the United States embassy in Jerusalem [al-Quds], Israel," US Ambassador
to Israel David Friedman said at the beginning of the inaugural ceremony,
attended by a US delegation from Washington and officials of the Israeli
regime.
Elsewhere
in their meeting, the two sides exchanged views about ways to promote relations
and emphasized that such meetings should continue to counter challenges and
dangers emanating from the US insistence on "the deal of the
century," which has been rejected by all Palestinians and regional
nations.
The
two sides also discussed ways of countering other American and Zionist plots in
the region, especially when they pertain to the issue of Palestine.
Palestinian
Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh on June 15 dismissed Trump’s
controversial proposal for “peace” between the Israeli regime and Palestinians,
stressing that 'the deal of the century' is “stumbling and changing its
course.”
“The
American conspiracy has stumbled and is changing course. It is due to the
Palestinian rejection (of the deal) and the clear position of the president
(Mahmoud Abbas) vis-à-vis al-Quds, refugees and the national constants. These
issues form the cornerstone of the struggle that forced the conspiracy against
the Palestinian people to falter. The Palestinian land is the cradle of
history, heritage and religion. Al-Quds represents the spirit of this sacred
existence,” he said in a statement.
The
Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in May strongly
condemned Trump’s controversial proposal for peace between the Israelis and
Palestinians, saying it translates into Washington’s recognition of the Israeli
regime’s apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The
climate and atmosphere, which Americans have created with their statements and
positions vis-à-vis the so-called deal of the century will encourage Israel’s
ruling right-wing coalition and the majority of extremists and settlers to
swallow up the rest of the Palestinian land,” the ministry announced in a
statement.
Back
in July, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called
the US president's 'deal of the century' for the Palestinian territories a
"satanic" plan, saying it is a non-starter.
“The
Americans have named their satanic policy on Palestine ‘the deal of the
century’ but they should know that, by divine grace, this ‘deal of the century’
will never materialize,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The
so-called deal, a backchannel plan to allegedly reach a peace settlement
between Israel and the Palestinians, was proposed by the US administration late
in 2017.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/16/598666/Iran-Hamas-Alavi-deal-century
--------
Arab
Analyst Reminds of Netanyahu's Complete Silence on US Tensions against Iran
Jun
16, 2019
"Why
has Netanyahu kept silent these days and has bitten his tongue, while he always
pioneered in threats to annihilate Iran? Is it for the missiles fired at Israel
from the North, South and East? What happened to the 'Iron Dome'? How was the
myth of Patriot defense system shattered in confrontation against the Yemenis'
cruise missiles fired from Sa'adah mountains?" Atwan wrote on Sunday.
"In
light of heightened tensions between Iran and the US in the region, Benjamin
Netanyahu's silence indicates the difficult situation that the regime has been
entangled in, which has also decreased the regime's regional role as the
supporter of certain Arab states; the silence also reflects the regime's fear
as it is aware that it will be one of the main targets of any retaliatory
military response by Iran or its allies, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic
Jihad," he added.
Atwan
pointed to the recent missile attacks by Yemen against the Saudi airport, and
wrote that it had a message to Israel that Tel Aviv airport will be targeted in
any future attack by Hezbollah or Hamas.
"Netanyahu
who is at present the caretaker of Israeli defense ministry too does not dare
to open his mouth these days and raise threats - which is one of his skills -
because he knows the type of retaliatory responses waiting for him," he
underlined.
Yemen’s
armed forces carried out retaliatory drone attacks on an airport in
Southwestern Saudi Arabia for the second time in a week.
Yemeni
Qasif-2K drones targeted the airport in the Saudi province of Asir in the early
hours of Friday morning, two days after a cruise missile attack by army
troopers and allied fighters from Popular Committees at the strategic Saudi
facility.
A
Saudi-led coalition spokesman said in a statement released by the Saudi Press
Agency that the country's air missile defense systems had intercepted five
Yemeni drones over the Saudi airport on Friday morning.
On
Wednesday, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for Yemeni Armed
Forces, stated that US-built surface-to-air missile systems stationed at Abha
airport could not intercept the cruise missile, which he said had hit the
designated target with great precision.
He
noted that the missile hit the observation tower in the airport, which is about
200 kilometers North of the border with Yemen and serves domestic and regional
routes, causing significant disruption to air travel.
Saree
pointed out that the missile attack on Abha airport was part of retaliatory
measures by Yemeni soldiers and their allies in the face of the Saudi-led
coalition’s crimes against Yemeni people.
Full
report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000903
--------
Israeli
PM’s wife sentenced for misusing state funds
16
June 2019
The
wife of Israel’s prime minister has been sentenced to pay a fine of roughly
$15,000 for misusing state funds.
A
Jerusalem magistrate court on Sunday accepted the plea bargain Sara Netanyahu
signed with prosecutors to settle the allegations she misused some $100,000 in
state money on lavish meals.
The
State Attorney’s office said the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will
pay additional fines to close the case, which accused her of running up large
tabs at luxury restaurants while the official residence employed a full-time
chef.
Sara
Netanyahu was indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust last year. The
settlement saw her admit to more minor charges and reduced the overspending
charge to $50,000.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/06/16/Israeli-PM-s-wife-sentenced-for-misusing-state-funds.html
--------
Turkish
outpost in Syria shelled from Syrian government forces area
16
June 2019
A
Turkish observation post in Syria’s Idlib region was attacked with mortar fire
and shelling from an area controlled by Syrian government forces, causing
damage but no casualties, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
The
ministry said its forces immediately retaliated with heavy weapons and it made
representations to Moscow over the incident.
It
did not specify when the shelling occurred, but said the attack was launched
from what it named the Tall Bazan area and it was assessed to be deliberate.
Russia,
which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country’s civil war, and
Turkey, long a backer of rebels, co-sponsored a de-escalation agreement for the
area that has been in place since last year.
But
the deal has faltered in recent months, forcing hundreds of thousands of
civilians to flee.
On
Thursday Russia and Syria gave sharply conflicting accounts of a previous
attack on a Turkish outpost.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/06/16/Attack-launched-on-Turkish-observation-post-in-Syria-s-Idlib-.html
--------
Israel
in possession of close to 100 nuclear warheads: SIPRI
Jun
17, 2019
A
new report reveals that the Israeli regime is in possession of approximately
100 atomic warheads which it refuses to confirm or deny as part of its policy
of nuclear ambiguity.
The
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday Tel Aviv
has 30 gravity bombs which can be delivered by fighter jets – some of which are
believed to be equipped for nuclear weapon delivery.
Israel
also possesses close to 50 warheads that can be delivered by land-based
ballistic missiles such as Jericho III, said to have a range of 5,500 km, the
global security think tank said.
The
institute said Israel has modified its fleet of German-built Dolphin-class
submarines to carry nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles, giving it a
sea-based second-strike capability.
Israel
is the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, but its policy is
to neither confirm nor deny having atomic bombs.
Last
week, managers of the Israeli Dimona nuclear reactor admitted that there has
been leakage of radioactive materials from the plant in recent years.
The
leak was revealed after Freedi Tawil, a former employee in the plant, sued
Dimona to get paid in recompense for getting cancer.
Back
in April 2016, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the nearly 53 year-old
aluminum core at the nuclear facility had more than 1,500 defects.
Syria’s
UN Ambassador Bashar al-Ja’afari in May lambasted Western states for helping
Israel establish the Dimona nuclear center and offering it related substances,
experience and technology.
Israel
has never allowed any inspection of its nuclear facilities and continues to
defy international calls to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, whose
aim is to prevent the spread of nuclear arms and weapons technology.
The
regime has a long history of aggression, occupation, militarism and state
terrorism among other international crimes and is in perennial wars with the
regional countries.
In
August 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Iran with
“atomic annihilation” right from the regime’s secretive atomic weapons
facility.
Tel
Aviv is also at the center of fabrications against Iran's nuclear energy
program which is subject to round-the-clock monitoring by the UN.
Last
July, Tehran laughed off Israel's "absurd” claims that its Mossad agents
had barged into a nuclear site in southern Tehran and spirited away loads of
"secret documents".
In
September, Netanyahu sparked a wave of derision among Iranians after saying
Israel had discovered a secret atomic warehouse in Tehran, which turned out to
be a carpet cleaning factory.
In
December 2013, the former speaker of the Knesset, Avraham Burg, broke the taboo
to declare Israeli possession of both nuclear and chemical weapons and
described the official non-disclosure policy as "outdated and
childish".
Western
governments have played along with the policy of "opacity" by avoiding
all mention of the issue.
The
list of nations that secretly sold Israel the material and expertise to make
nuclear warheads, or who turned a blind eye to its theft, include today's
staunchest campaigners against proliferation: the US, France, Germany, Britain
and even Norway.
Experts,
however, say Israel's nuclear-weapons project could never have got off the
ground without an enormous contribution from France.
Paris
that took the toughest line on counter-proliferation when it came to Iran's
peaceful nuclear program helped lay the foundations of Israel's atomic weapons.
"In
Dimona, French engineers poured in to help build Israel a nuclear reactor and a
far more secret reprocessing plant capable of separating plutonium from spent
reactor fuel," the Guardian wrote in 2014.
According
to the British paper, there were 2,500 French citizens living in Dimona by the
end of the 50s, transforming it from a village to a cosmopolitan town.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/17/598709/Israel-nuclear-warhead-SIPRI
--------
Yemen
launches fresh retaliatory attack on Abha airport
Jun
17, 2019
Yemeni
forces have launched a fresh drone attack on an airport in Abha, the capital
city of the province of Asir in southern Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for
Riyadh's bombardment of the innocent people of Yemen during the past four
years.
The
Ansarullah movement and its allied forces targeted the Abha airport with a
Qasef K2 drone on Sunday, the group’s Al-Masirah TV said on Monday.
Abha
airport is located in the popular mountain resort of the same name in the
southwest of Saudi Arabia.
The
strike followed Yemeni forces’ attacks on the same airport and another one in
neighboring province of Jizan using the same type of drone on Saturday.
The
Houthis have intensified their so-called retaliatory attacks on military
positions in southern Saudi territories over the past few days. The main
targets in those attacks have been installations in Jizan, Najran, Abha and
Khamis Mushait.
In
a major attack last month, Yemeni drones managed to hit key oil installations
in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The
Houthi movement recently warned that the airports of the countries involved in
the military aggression against Yemen will be targeted as long as the embargo
imposed by the Saudi regime and its allies on the Sana’a International Airport
remains in place.
The
attacks come as Saudi Arabia continues to target crowded civilian locations
across Yemen heedless of international criticism.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/17/598700/Ansarullah-drone-attack-Saudi-Abha-airport
--------
Palestinian
prisoners stage new hunger strike in Israeli jail
Jun
16, 2019
Dozens
of Palestinian prisoners have gone on an open-ended hunger strike at a prison
in the occupied territories in protest at the harsh prison conditions.
The
Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said on Sunday
that at least 50 prisoners had refused to eat at a prison in the southern city
of Ashkelon.
The
commission held Israeli authorities fully responsible for any escalation of the
situation in the jail.
“All
measures are carried out at the behest of Yaakov Shalom, the prison warden, who
makes threats against the prisoners in order to provoke and blackmail them,” it
said.
The
Palestinian prisoners on strike are also demanding that Israeli officials
reverse punitive measures introduced in the wake of the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan nearly two months ago. Since then, the Israeli authorities have been
frequently violating religious freedom by preventing the inmates from
practicing in religious rituals and holding communal prayers.
The
prisoners have also been subjected to forms degrading treatment and have
repeatedly been assaulted over the past few months.
More
than 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly held at Israeli jails. Hundreds of the
inmates have apparently been incarcerated under the practice of administrative
detention, a policy under which Palestinian inmates are kept in Israeli
detention facilities without trial or charge. Some Palestinian prisoners have
been held in administrative detention for up to 11 years.
Last
month, a study revealed that Israel had arrested some 16,500 Palestinian
children since the outbreak of the Second Intifada (uprising) in late-2000.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/16/598670/Palestine-Palestinian-prisoners-hunger-strike-Ashkelon-jail
--------
Pakistan
Lt
Gen Faiz Hameed Made ISI Chief In Military Shake-Up
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
In a surprise reshuffle, the Pakistan Army on Sunday announced that Lt Gen Faiz
Hameed had been appointed the director general of premier spy agency
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Gen
Hameed replaces Lt Gen Asim Munir, who had been posted as the spymaster in
October.
Gen
Munir’s eight-month stint as the ISI chief was probably one of the shortest
among those who had served this office.
Gen
Hameed was on his promotion as lieutenant general in April appointed as
Adjutant General at the General Headquarters (GHQ). He previously served in
the ISI as the head of internal security and is believed to be a close
confidant of Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.
Military
spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had at a press conference on July 10, 2018
profusely praised Gen Hameed for his role in fighting terrorism.
“People
have started naming Gen Faiz. They probably don’t even know his role. You can’t
even think of the role played by his department in the fight against terrorism.
Even if what you are speculating is true, it is not even 5 per cent of what
that institution and Gen Faiz’s department are doing. All these terrorist
incidents that I tell you have been averted are because of Gen Faiz’s
department,” Gen Ghafoor had on that occasion said in reference to some
allegations by PML-N.
Gen
Hameed’s name first caught public eye when he helped end Faizabad dharna by a
religious group in November 2017 through an agreement. The group had then
staged the sit-in against amendments to Elections Act 2017.
Gen
Hameed is from the Army’s Baloch Regiment.
His
appointment comes at a very crucial time when both external and internal
security challenges seem to be growing. It is believed that his vast experience
at ISI may help him deal with those challenges.
The
appointment of the ISI’s DG is the prerogative of the prime minister. The
spymaster’s choice is, however, made by the prime minister in consultation with
the army chief.
Gen
Hameed’s predecessor Gen Munir has, meanwhile, been named as the new corps
commander Gujranwala.
Prior
to his stint in ISI, Gen Munir headed Military Intelligence as its director
general. There were very few examples of a Military Intelligence chief being
posted as the head of ISI. Gen Bajwa had picked Gen Munir as the Military
Intelligence chief months after assuming command of the Army in November 2016.
In
other appointments, Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza would replace Gen Hameed as the
adjutant general at GHQ. Gen Mirza had after his promotion as three star
general last April remained at his earlier appointment as Vice Chief of General
Staff-A. He has previously served as Director General Military Operations.
Lt
Gen Amir Abbasi has been moved from Gujranwala Corps, where he was posted as
commander, to GHQ as Quarter Master General. The incumbent QMG Lt Gen Moazzam
Ejaz has, meanwhile, been appointed as Engineer-in-Chief.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488673/faiz-made-isi-chief-in-military-shake-up
--------
Pakistani
activist known for criticism killed in Islamabad
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani police say an activist known for his online criticism of the country’s
military and politicians has been killed by unknown assailants in a wooded area
of the capital, Islamabad.
Local
police official Ayaz Khan says Mohammad Bilal Khan was killed Sunday night,
drawing condemnation from his friends on social media.
Police
said Monday that an unknown person called the activist to come to the Karachi
Company neighborhood, where he and his cousin were attacked with daggers.
The
cousin was in critical condition.
In
addition to his activism, Khan was a freelance journalist.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1511806/world
--------
Parents
refusing polio vaccination not to face police cases
Ikram
Junaidi
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
The National Polio Programme has decided not to register police cases against
the parents refusing vaccination to their children — a move that may severely
affect the polio eradication campaign starting in core areas on Monday.
“About
50,000 or 10 per cent refusals are expected in districts Bannu, Lakki Marwat
and North Waziristan due to this relaxation. We have deliberately decided to
relax the past practice, in three districts, as we want to know the exact
number of refusals. However, there will be zero tolerance on misbehaving with
the polio teams and strict action would be taken if anyone manhandles or
insults team members,” Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Babar bin Atta
said while talking to Dawn.
He
said that vaccination cannot be done forcibly rather it has to be done in
agreement with parents.
“There
are around 500,000 children, less than five years of age, in three districts.
Polio teams have been directed to note down the refusals and don’t insist on
vaccination. However, after the polio campaign, a refusal catch-up campaign
would be held to convince parents that the vaccination is in the best interest
of their children,” Mr Atta said.
“Unfortunately,
parents have kept markers in their homes and they mark fingers of their
children, on the first day of campaigns. We want to convince parents that the
vaccination is in the best interest of their children,” he said.
According
to a statement issued by the National Emergency Operations Centre, the polio
vaccination drive aims to protect more than 12.25 million children, in 45
districts, from virus of the crippling disease. During this special campaign,
thousands of frontline workers will go door to door to ensure children receive
two drops of the vaccine.
According
to a target set for the campaign, 5.53m children would be vaccinated in Sindh,
4.31m in Punjab, 1.32m in Balochistan and 1.1m in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The
campaign would be held in 16 districts of Sindh, 13 of Balochistan, 9 of KP and
7 districts of Punjab.
During
the current year, 23 cases of wild poliovirus have been reported in the
country, including seven from Bannu district, one each from Hangu, Dera Ismail
Khan and Shangla in KP, three cases from Mir Ali, two from Miramshah, one each
from Khyber and Bajaur, two from Karachi and one from Larkana and three from
Lahore.
The
statement said that despite significant achievements of the programme, the
cunning poliovirus is still surviving and finds a way for its survival,
therefore the special immunisation campaign has been planned in all the core
reservoirs to kill the wild poliovirus forever.
“Bannu
division is declared highly sensitive after reporting of 50pc of the total
polio cases in the country, therefore it is utmost important to vaccinate each
child under five years in each anti-polio campaign” said Mr Atta, adding that
“considering the situation Bannu division is the top priority”.
He
said: “Parents are requested to avoid fake propaganda against polio vaccine and
vaccinate their children to protect them from the poliovirus.”
The
government of Pakistan is striving to hit the virus hard through this special
campaign. Its top priority is to focus on reaching still missed children in
core reservoirs through continued improvement of operations and capacitating
frontline polio workers to reach and protect every missed child with the vital
polio vaccine.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488676/parents-refusing-polio-vaccination-not-to-face-police-cases
--------
President
approached to halt execution of mentally ill Ghulam Abbas
Ikram
Junaidi
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza
on Sunday wrote a letter to President Dr Arif Alvi requesting him to halt the
execution of a mentally ill patient planned on June 18.
He
also spoke to Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari and later got an
assurance from President Alvi that appropriate action would be taken.
A
human rights law firm, Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), on Saturday claimed that
a sessions court in Rawalpindi had issued a death warrant for the execution of
a mentally unwell prisoner on June 18. It urged the government to halt the
execution of 36-year-old Ghulam Abbas, who has clear symptoms of mental
illness, for further evaluation.
“Abbas’
execution must be stayed and he should be transferred to a mental health
facility to be comprehensively assessed,” Sarah Belal of JPP said.
It
was also claimed that the medical examination records showed that jail
authorities had treated Mr Abbas with strong anti-psychotic drugs as he had a
genetic predisposition to mental illness.
Imprisoned
in 2004, Abbas was sentenced to death on May 31, 2006, by a district and
sessions court for stabbing a neighbour.
He
has spent more than 13 years on the death row and a fresh mercy petition has
been filed requesting the president to grant him a reprieve.
According
to the letter, on behalf of Ministry of Heath Dr Mirza has requested Dr Alvi to
exercise his powers and halt the execution so that Abbas’ proper psychiatric
evaluation can be done and appropriate actions can be taken.
“Sir,
this is a health issue apart from a human rights issue and there is a grave
danger of miscarriage of justice. Also, there is a need to see the issue of
mercy petitions from prisoners on death row especially for the mentally ill
persons in a broader context and reform the system,” he stated.
When
contacted, Dr Mirza said that after learning the issue through media, he took
an initiative and wrote to the president.
“We
should not let this happen unless psychiatrists examine the patient and declare
him mentally fit. I also spoke to Dr Shireen Mazari and she agreed that she
would also play her role to halt the execution. Later, we contacted presidency
and got assurance from Dr Alvi that he would take an appropriate action,” he
said.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488622/president-approached-to-halt-execution-of-mentally-ill-ghulam-abbas
--------
Centre
has given 31pc extra funds to Sindh govt: Naqvi
Hasan
Mansoor
June
17, 2019
KARACHI:
Rejecting a Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s claim that the federal government
had reduced Sindh’s due funds, Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly
Firdous Shamim Naqvi said on Sunday that the province got “31 per cent” extra
funds from Islamabad.
“The
Sindh government is receiving greater money than its share from the federal
government,” he said while addressing a press conference at the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf office in the city.
He
said the impression created by the Sindh government that the funds of the
province had been slashed by the federal government had no truth.
“The
federal government has allocated much funds for Sindh and other provinces and
similar has been promised by the federation to all provinces,” Mr Naqvi said.
He
said the chief minister’s post-budget press conference that lasted for around
three hours had many things, which were either based on assumptions or on lies
and sheer imagination.
Mr
Naqvi, who is also a provincial leader of the PTI that leads the federal
government, was against the chief minister’s demand with the Centre about
delegating collection of sales tax to the provinces.
The
opposition leader claimed that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of the Pakistan
Peoples Party which rules Sindh, had himself decided that sales tax collection
would remain a federal subject. “Have you got any answer to this?”
He
used harsh words while speaking about the chief minister as he said he [the CM]
was feeling the life hard after arrest of “two of his partners”.
He
said that the Sindh Assembly “will soon be declared a sub-jail as action
against those involved in graft practices has intensified”.
“May
be,” said the opposition leader, “the Sindh cabinet find a permanent abode
there”.
He
was referring to an earlier development in which the provincial government had
declared Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani’s chamber in the assembly
building a sub-jail.
He
said more such rooms [like the speaker’s chamber] were being prepared for the
guests who would soon arrive.
“My
prime minister has already warned that no one who has looted the country will
be spared. So, for that matter, we will not compromise on the interest of the
country and the nation,” said the PTI leader.
He
asked the chief minister “to be honest else, I will be targeting you like
this”.
He
said the government had many tactics to mint ill-gotten money, which included
delaying public interest projects.
PTI
lawmaker Bilal Ghaffar said the government had failed to introduce reforms in
police for more than a decade, which was why paramilitary Rangers had been
performing in the province.
Similarly,
he said, the provincial government’s claims about giving thousands of buses to
Karachi had failed to materialise.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488614/centre-has-given-31pc-extra-funds-to-sindh-govt-naqvi
--------
Bilawal,
Maryam met to hide their fathers’ corruption: Firdous
Syed
Irfan Raza
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq
Awan on Sunday termed the Fathers’ Day meeting between Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Maryam Nawaz of Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) at Raiwind a bid to conceal “corruption” of their fathers.
Speaking
at a news conference at the National Press Club, she said: “Today, both
[Bilawal and Maryam] exchanged tips on how to protect the ‘illegitimate’ assets
of their fathers.”
Ms
Awan said she, federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad
Saeed and SAPM on Youth Affairs Usman Dar had prepared references against the
PML-N and PPP leaders involved in corruption in their relevant ministries
during the last decade so that they could be presented before the inquiry
commission recently announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan in his late-night
address to the nation.
“Usman
Dar has collected evidences against former defence minister Khawaja Asif and
Murad Saeed will expose corruption of Ahsan Iqbal while I will present before
the commission what has happened in the information ministry in the past,” she
added.
Talking
about federal budget 2019-20, she said the government presented the budget to
provide ease to the people and make the country stand on its own feet, but the
opposition was creating hurdles in the way of its smooth passage. “We will
manage to pass the budget in parliament with the support of our [ruling PTI’s]
allies.”
The
SAPM said the meeting between Bilawal and Maryum endorsed the narrative of the
prime minister that the country was going to become economically strong and
“temporary” difficult economic phase would be over soon. “Meeting of nominated
crown prince and princes at Raiwind endorse narrative of Imran Khan that he
will fight the case of people at all fronts,” she added.
Talking
about the opposition’s plan to take people to the streets, she said that “we
have no political threats from sinking boats” and if they [opposition]
misguided the people it would be the responsibility of the government to expose
their lies and take them to task.
Meanwhile,
Punjab Information Minister Sumsam Bukhari in a statement issued in Lahore said
the getting together of PML-N and PPP explained the biggest contradiction of
the century, alleging that during their meeting both were exploring “new
tactics of corruption”.
Commenting
on the meeting between Maryam and Bilawal at Jati Umra, Mr Bukhari said both
opposition parties were trying to finalise matters over “charter of protection
of corruption”. He said the PML-N and PPP leaders had registered cases of
corruption against each other. Now they should tell whether they were wrong in
the past or their point of view is baseless presently, he added.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488652/bilawal-maryam-met-to-hide-their-fathers-corruption-firdous
--------
Comments
sought from CS, ACS for declaring police as full-fledged dept
Asif
Chaudhry
June
17, 2019
LAHORE:
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has sought comments from the chief secretary and
the additional chief secretary (home) regarding amendments to the Rules of
Business 2011 to declare the police as a department and provincial police
officer (PPO) as its ex-officio secretary.
The
move was being construed as a serious attempt of the Punjab government to end
the decades-old rift between the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) and the
District Management Group -- now known as Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS)
-- for administrative control of the police.
The
amendments to the Punjab Government Rules of Business (PGRB) 2011 were proposed
by Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) retired Capt Arif Nawaz through a
summary sent to the chief minister last month.
The
IGP had mentioned two demands in the summary: amendments to the Rules of
Business and placement of Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) under the police
department. A copy of the summary was available with Dawn.
In
the first demand, Mr Nawaz recommended to the CM to declare Punjab police a
department through an amendment to the first schedule under Rules 2&3 of
PGRB 2011, allowing the provincial police officer (PPO) to exercise his
administrative and financial powers as ex-officio secretary.
This
is the first time that the head of Punjab police took up this issue with the
government for curbing bureaucratic control over police and strengthening
civilian institutions, an official said.
He
said differences between the two groups will continue if duplicate control was
not addressed as per the Police Order to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of large civil institutions like police.
Under
the current arrangement, the home department had listed the police among six
wings under its administrative control. The other wings were prisons, general,
internal security, judicial and public safety.
The
rift between the two sides deepened when the PSP claimed that the Police Order
had categorically allowed the PPO to work as ex-officio secretary of the
department, the official said, adding that there cannot be two secretaries of
the same department. Under the colonial system, the control of local forces was
essential, so the home department tried to justify their superintendence for
various reasons.
The
official said that a notification was also issued allowing the PPO to exercise
his powers as ex-officio secretary under the Police Order. However, the
amendments to Rules of Business had been deliberately delayed for long to avoid
implementation of Police Order 2002 in letter and spirit.
Pointing
out legal references in the summary, IGP Nawaz apprised the chief minister that
the PPO of Punjab had been declared ex-officio secretary of the provincial
government under a notification dated Feb 14, 2004.
“The
definition of ‘secretary’ is provided in Section 2(y) of the PGRB 2011 that
means the in-charge of a department having its functions in Rule 10 of the ibid
Rules,” reads the summary .
Moreover,
he said, under Section 2(vii-b) of Police Order 2002, the PPO has been defined
as an ex-officio secretary in order to exercise administrative and financial
powers of the secretary to ensure modern and transparent policing system in the
province. “The Punjab police may be placed as a department by an amendment to
the first schedule under Rule 2&3 of PGRB-2011,” he added.
He
further said that a new entry of Punjab police as an administrative department
may be added after Sr No 30 as Sr No 30A under Schedule-I of PGRB 2011.
“The
Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) may be included as autonomous body in the
third column of the ibidi Schedule against Punjab Police at Sr No 30A and
remove the Punjab Police from Sr No 17 column No 2 of the said Schedule where
it is shown as attached department of the Home Department,” the IGP’s summary
reads further.
The
scope of the PSCA is to change policing in Punjab and enhance the capacity
building of police personnel. “This objective has currently been successfully
achieved by the PPO/chairman management committee in an efficient manner in
sprit of police reforms in Punjab,” said IGP Nawaz.
The
police as an administrative department and PSCA in the administrative control
of the Punjab police will strengthen the implementation and execution on
multidimensional projects, he added.
Chief
Minister Usman Buzdar partially endorsed the stance of the IGP and approved one
part of the summary related to the placement of PSCA under Punjab police. “The
chief minister has seen and desired that the administrative control of the
Punjab Safe Cities Authority shall remain intact with the Punjab police,” reads
an official letter. The CM further declared that an earlier approval granted
for placement of PSCA under the administrative and operational control of the
home department stood withdrawn.
About
the second part of the summary regarding amendment to the Rules of Business, the
letter reads, “The chief minister has further desired the chief secretary and
the additional chief secretary (home) may add their views/comments on the
proposal.”
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1488651/comments-sought-from-cs-acs-for-declaring-police-as-full-fledged-dept
--------
Pakistan
eyes new horizons with Russia
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
had “high-level meetings” with Russia President Vladimir Putin and Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, on the sidelines of SCO summit in
Bishkek.
According
to a statement by the foreign minister on microblogging site, he said both
sides had a frank exchange on issues of regional interest and concerns.
Shah
Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan conveyed that it was interested in building
synergies with Russia and chart new frontiers of cooperation and engagement.
Meanwhile,
Foreign Office in a press statement said the Prime Minister’s engagement with
world leaders, including President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin,
lent further momentum to Pakistan’s all-weather strategic cooperative
partnership with China and to the growth of Pakistan’s multi-dimensional ties
with Russia.
It
said PM Imran’s comprehensive statement at 19th Meeting of the Council of the
Heads of State of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States underscored
Pakistan’s commitment to contribute substantially to the advancement of SCO’s
goals and objectives in the political, security and economic spheres.
On
Friday, the Pakistani PM addressed the summit, where he talks about the need to
boost regional trade as well as ending dependence on West.
She
urged the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to
finalise arrangements for trade in local currencies and set up SCO Fund and SCO
Development Bank to catalyse the trans-regional development agenda.
He
was presenting his eight-pronged course of action for SCO in the light chaotic
international politics.
The
prime minister had said the SCO should reinforce its vision of cooperation,
that rejects confrontation, and advance the imperatives of peaceful
co-existence at the regional and international levels.
Full
report at:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/06/16/pakistan-eyes-new-horizons-with-russia/
--------
Q-4
dialogue on Afghan refugees repatriation to start tomorrow
June
17, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is all set to host Quadripartite (Q4) Dialogue on the repatriation of
the Afghan refugees and representatives from Iran, Afghanistan, United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees have arrived to take part in the talks
commencing on Monday.
Minister
for Safron Shehryar Khan Afridi would represent Pakistan while Iran’s Deputy
Interior Minister Mr Hossein Zolfaghari, Afghanistan Minister for Refugees
Mohammad Hussain Alemi Balkhi and UNHCR Director for Asia & Pacific Indrika
Ratwatte have arrived here to attend the meeting.
Shehryar
Khan Afridi also received Iranian and Afghan ministers at the Islamabad
airport. The dialogue could not be held in 2018 as Afghanistan and Iranian
representatives were not available.
During
his meeting with Iranian Deputy Minister Mr Hossein Zolfaghari, Afridi said
that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants Muslim Ummah to stand united and Pakistan
is ready to play a bridging role among leaders of Muslim countries.
Welcoming
Iran’s visiting minister, Afridi said that Iran and Pakistan were tied in
decades-long relationship of friendship, and brotherhood and both countries
would rise as robust economic powers.
He
hoped that the visit of the Iranian minister will go a long way in further
cementing the bilateral relationship.
“We
are supporting and facilitating Afghan refugees who have been integrated with
society as 68 percent refugees live out of camps and only 32 per cent are in
camps.
Prime
Minister Imran Khan has allowed 1.4 million Afghan refugees to open bank
accounts and join the formal economy of Pakistan and this initiative is
unprecedented in human history,” said the minister.
He
said Pakistan and Iran share the same religion, language, culture, norms and
hence all Pakistanis opened their doors to Afghan refugees.
Expressing
gratitude for the warm welcome, Iranian Deputy Minister for Interior said no
third party or country can create misunderstandings between two brother
countries.
“There
are commonalities and shared history. We are working together with Pakistan in
hosting the Afghan refugees to help resolve humanitarian issues of refugees,”
he said.
Hossein
Zolfaghari said that both Pakistan and Iran are hosting more than three million
Afghan refugees and both are spending extra funds in hosting these refugees.
Full
report at:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/06/16/afridi-wants-better-ties-with-iran/
--------
Arab World
US-Led
Coalition Plans to Turn Raqqa Derelict Military Airport into Helicopter Base
Jun
16, 2019
The
Arabic-language Step news website affiliated to the militants reported on
Saturday that the US forces intend to turn al-Tabaqah, which is one of the
biggest military airports in Syria, into a base for their helicopters and
transfer their base in Mahmiyeh al-Karim in al-Tabaqah city to this region.
It
added that the US and its coalition allies, including Saudi Arabia, have plans
to impose control over much extended areas and they plan to use the Tabaqa
airport as a regional airbase.
Meantime,
the Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper reported that tens of residents of
al-Tabaqah city in Western Raqqa have staged protest rallies against the
measures by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) amid heightened popular
uprisings against the occupier forces in Eastern Euphrates.
Saudi
Arabia and the US have in recent days increased attempts to expand their
influence in Syria.
In
a relevant development on Friday, American and Saudi diplomatic delegations
held a meeting with commanders of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
and a number of tribal leaders in a Washington-occupied base in Deir Ezzur in a
bid to coordinate a plan for the separation of Eastern Euphrates from Syria.
The
Arabic-language Step news website affiliated to the militants reported that
recently a meeting was held between the two sides in al-Omar oilfield region in
Eastern Deir Ezzur.
It
added that Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rayburn, former US
Ambassador to Bahrain William V. Roebuck and Saudi Minister for Persian Gulf
Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan participated in a meeting with Qassan al-Yousef and
Leili al-Hassan, the co-chairs of Deir Ezzur civil administration, noting that
the event was meant do coordination for supporting the SDF-occupied regions
against any possible threat and political and economic support for the SDF in
Northern and Northeastern Syria.
According
to the report, another meeting was also held between the Arab and US
delegations and a number of tribal leaders of Deir Ezzur in al-Omar base to
remove differences between the tribes and the SDF and discuss financial and
logistical support for the Eastern Euphrates region.
Meantime,
the Arabic-language Xeber 24 news website reported that al-Sabhan conveyed a
message from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his full support for
militants in Northeastern Syria.
Full
report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000813
--------
Terrorist
Commanders in Northern Hama Blame Each Other for Failure in Attacks on Syrian
Army
Jun
16, 2019
The
Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported on Sunday that commanders of
Tahrir al-Sham al-Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front),
Horras al-Din and Ansar al-Tawhid which are acting under the supervision of 'Va
Harrez al-Mo'emenin' operations room and other terrorist groups, including the
so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), headed by Jeish al-Izza, acting under the
command of the joint operations room of all militant groups, blame each other
for the failure of offensives on Syrian army positions in Northern Hama,
Southern Idlib and Northern Lattakia.
It
added that the terrorist groups accuse each other of dragging a feet in opening
more fronts for clashes to decrease pressure in Hama and Idlib fronts or
joining the joint operations room among all terrorist groups.
Meantime,
Syria's Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper reported that the Syrian army forces
on Saturday inflicted heavy defeat on Tahrir al-Sham and other terrorist groups
in the strategic towns of Tal Malah and al-Jabin in Northern Hama with the aim
of establishment of security in the strategic Mahradeh-al-Saqilbiyeh road.
The
Syrian army forces also targeted the terrorists' supply lines and moves in the
towns of al-Latamineh, Kafar Zita, Ahsam, Haish, Deir Sonbol and Tarmila in
Northern Hama and Southern Idlib in response to their rocket attacks against
the towns of Sheikh Hadid, al-Jamlah and al-Aziziyeh in Northern Hama,
inflicting heavy damages and losses on the militants.Top of Form
The
development came after the Syrian and Russian fighter jets attacked a meeting
of commanders of Tahrir al-Sham and other terrorist groups in Idlib after a
ceasefire proposed by Russia and Turkey failed in the province.
The
Arabic-language website of the Russian Sputnik news agency quoted a Syrian
military source as saying that the Russian and Syrian warplanes in a joint
military operation launched several airstrikes on the terrorists' military
positions in Khan Sheikhoun, Safhoun, Kafar Nubl, Hass and Taftnaz Airport in
Southern Idlib.
It
noted that a meeting held between Tahrir al-Sham and other terrorist groups in
Taftnaz Airport as well as other gatherings and military equipment of
terrorists that were going to be used for attacking the Syrian Army's military positions
were destroyed.
The
source noted that the Russian and Syrian air raids were conducted concurrent
with the Syrian Army's artillery attacks and after the terrorists violated the
ceasefire in Northern Syria by attacking the Syrian Army's military positions
in al-Hamamiat, al-Qasabiyeh and Sheikh Hadid region in Northern Hama and
Southern Idlib.
Full
report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000598
--------
Yemeni
Missiles Hit Military Positions in Saudi Arabia
Jun
16, 2019
An
hour after drone units of the Yemeni Army and Ansarullah Popular Forces
bombarded two Saudi airports, a couple of ballistic missiles hit the Saudi
military strongholds in the Saudi city of Najran near the Yemeni border and
Saudi Arabia's Southwestern border region of Jizan.
Ansarullah
news website reported that two Zelzal-1 missile hit Morab’ba al-Shorfeh,
killing at least a couple of Saudi-hired militants.
The
Yemeni Army announced that they fired another Zelzal-1 missile on Satuday,
hitting al-Hamad military base owned by the Saudi-led coalition. The missile
inflicted material and personnel casualties on the Saudi-led forces positioned
in the base.
The
same report accounts that another missile of the Yemeni forces precisely hit
the target in Mozdowrat Manateq near Jabal Qeys in Saudi Arabia's Southwestern
border region of Jizan.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign
against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of former
Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crushing the
Ansarullah movement.
Despite
Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters,
Saudi bombers are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.
Weddings, funerals, schools and hospitals, as well as water and electricity
plants, have been targeted, killing and wounding hundreds of thousands.
According
to a December 2018 report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project
(ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi-led war has
claimed the lives of over 60,000 Yemenis since January 2016.
Save
the Children, a charity, has reported that more than 84,700 children under the
age of five may have starved to death in Yemen since the Saudi regime and a
coalition of its allies launched the brutal war on the already-impoverished
nation.
France,
the United States, the United Kingdom and some other Western countries have
faced criticisms over arms sales to the Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose
aggression against Yemen has affected 28 million people and caused what the
United Nations calls “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world".
According to the world body, Yemen is suffering from the most severe famine in
more than 100 years.
Full
report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000691
--------
US-Backed
Kurds Collaborating with Mossad to Spy on Regional States
Jun
16, 2019
The
Arabic-language Khabour news website affiliated to the militants in Syria
quoted a special source as saying on Sunday that nearly 20 members of the
Democratic Union Party (PYD) have been sent from Qamishli in Hasaka province to
the Israeli-occupied regions in Palestine to be trained by Mossad.
He
added that these forces have been transferred to Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan region
to be later sent to occupied Palestine, noting that their training comes under
a plan named 'Kurdistani Mossad' in Northeastern Syria.
The
source said that their mission is focused on recruiting mercenaries for Mossad
in the regional states to gather intelligence for Israel.
Ties
between the Syrian Kurds and Israel in Syria surfaced the media earlier this
year.
Sources
said in April that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stationed in Deir Ezzur
had exchanged Eastern Syria's oil in lieu of receiving American and Israeli
arms and military equipment.
Full
report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000283
--------
Iraqi
MP: US, Turkey Plotting to Dissolve Hashd Al-Shaabi
Jun
16, 2019
The
Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website quoted Odai Awad as saying on
Saturday that the US is pressuring Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to
force him act against Hashd al-Shaabi, adding that Turkey is also pursuing
dissolution of Hashd al-Shaabi.
He
referred to the US embassy's contacts with the ISIL commanders, and said
certain regions in Iraq are showing allegiance to the ISIL again in a way that
a number of Iraqi security commanders have compared the situation to the
situation in 2014.
Awad
said that the US pressures started after Hashd al-Shaabi forces retook control
over the Iraqi-Syrian borders, adding that at present, some measures are being
adopted against Hashd al-Shaabi on the political and international scene in a
bid to disturb the public opinion in freed areas.
Full
report at:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980326000421
--------
Rocket
fire kills 12 civilians in regime-held village in Syria: State media
17
June 2019
Rocket
fire has killed 12 civilians in a regime-held village in northwestern Syria,
state news agency SANA has said blaming former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham for the attack.
SANA
said 15 people were also wounded late Sunday in the attack on Al-Wadihi village
south of Aleppo city and said HTS, which controls parts of Aleppo’s countryside
as well as most of neighboring Idlib, was responsible.
It
published graphic pictures purporting to show some of the victims in a hospital
in the aftermath of the attack, including of bandaged men and children lying on
stretchers, thick blankets covering their bodies.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the same death toll -- saying five
children were among those killed -- and also blamed extremists based in rural
Aleppo for the attack.
But
the Britain-based monitor did not specify whether HTS or other allied extremist
groups were responsible.
The
attack came as Syrian government forces have been locked in clashes with HTS
fighters in nearby Hama province.
More
than 35 combatants, mostly regime forces, were killed on Saturday in battles in
Hama’s countryside, according to the Observatory.
Parts
of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib are supposed to be protected from a massive regime
offensive by a buffer zone deal that Russia and Turkey signed in September.
But
it was never fully implemented as extremists refused to withdraw from a planned
demilitarized zone.
In
January, HTS extended its administrative control over the region, which
includes most of Idlib province as well as adjacent slivers of Latakia, Hama
and Aleppo provinces.
The
Syrian government and Russia have upped their bombardment of the region since
late April, killing nearly 400 civilians, according to the Observatory.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/06/17/Rocket-fire-kills-12-civilians-in-regime-held-village-in-Syria-State-media.html
--------
Saudi
F-15C Eagles fly in formation with US Air Force counterparts
16
June 2019
The
Royal Saudi Air Force has released images showing their F-15C Eagles fly in
formation with US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter jets in the US Central Command
area of responsibility.
According
to a statement on SPA, the exercise was conducted on June 2 “as part of a
larger effort to continue building military-to-military relationships and
interoperability.”
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2019/06/16/Saudi-F-15C-Eagles-fly-in-formation-with-US-Air-Force-counterparts.html
--------
UAE
FM urges Arab solidarity in meeting with Egypt’s Sisi
17
June 2019
In
a meeting with the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Cairo, Egypt’s President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reaffirmed his country’s support for the UAE during the
critical stage the region is experiencing.
Sheikh
Abdullah commended the role played by Egypt in ensuring regional stability,
noting that the current circumstances the region is passing through entail
“cementing pan-Arab solidarity and cooperation to confront the besetting
challenges,” the United Arab Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
“Egypt
is avidly following up the ongoing developments in the Arabian Gulf region,
particularly the latest incidents that posed a menacing threat to the safety of
maritime navigation,” said el-Sisi.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2019/06/17/UAE-FM-urges-strong-Arab-solidarity-in-meeting-with-Egypt-s-Sisi.html
--------
Syrian
forces launch retaliatory strikes in Idlib, Hama
Jun
16, 2019
Syrian
government forces have conducted retaliatory strikes against the positions of
Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, in Hama and
Idlib provinces.
SANA
reported army units on Sunday conducted concentrated bombardments targeting
terrorist positions in Hama’s northern countryside in an area between al-Sayyad
village and Kafr Zita town, killing a number of the terrorists.
The
reporter added that the terrorists’ vehicles and rocket launching pads were
also targeted and destroyed in the strikes.
In
a separate operation, Syrian forces conducted concentrated bombardments
targeting a number of terrorists’ positions in al-Fatira town in the
surroundings of Kafr Nabl in Idlib’s southern countryside, destroying an
ammunition depot there.
Syrian
forces launched the strikes after the terrorists refused to honor the ceasefire
agreement aimed at halting clashes between Syrian forces and militants in the
area.
On
Saturday, the terrorists had breached the de-escalation zone agreement and
fired rocket shells on the villages of al-Sheikh Hadid, al-Jalma and al-Azizyia
destroying homes and properties, and causing fire to agricultural lands in Hama
and Idleb countryside.
Syrian
government forces have managed to liberate almost all the Syrian lands occupied
by terrorist outfits.
A
de-escalation agreement froze a Syrian offensive to liberate Idlib, where
between 10,000 and 15,000 militants are said to be hiding.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/16/598663/Syria-Idlib-Hama-Jabhat-alNusra
--------
12
civilians killed after mortar attack hits Syrian wedding party
Jun
17, 2019
At
least 12 Syrian civilians have been killed and more than a dozen injured after
a wedding party was hit by a terrorist mortar attack in Aleppo’s suburbs.
The
wedding party was being held in the village of al-Wadihi late on Sunday, when
it was shelled by the terrorists' mortars, according to the Syrian state
broadcaster.
Earlier
in the day, terrorists carried out two other mortar attacks in the west of
Aleppo and inside the city.
The
attacks came as government forces launched a major operation against
foreign-backed terrorist groups in Hama and Idlib.
The
army says the operation was in response to terrorists’ breach of a
de-escalation zone agreement there.
Under
a deal reached following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort city
of Sochi on September 17, 2018, all militants in a demilitarized zone, which
surrounds Idlib and also parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo and Hama,
were supposed to pull out heavy arms by October 17, and Takfiri groups had to
withdraw by October 15 last year.
The
National Front for the Liberation of Syria is the main Turkish-backed militant
alliance in the Idlib region, but the Takfiri Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
terrorist group, which is a coalition of different terror outfits, largely
composed of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, holds a large part of the province and
the zone.
The
HTS, which is said to be in control of some 60 percent of Idlib province, has
yet to announce its stance on the buffer zone deal.
It
is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 members of different factions of
armed groups, which Syria, Russia and Turkey consider terrorists, are active in
the volatile province, which is home to around three million inhabitants.
Syrian
forces are pressing ahead with the final phase of the anti-terror campaign
after most foreign-backed terrorist groups were vanquished in the country last
year.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/17/598699/Syria-aleppo-wedding-party-terror-mortar-attack
--------
Saudi
envoy attends launch of palm of peace initiative
June
17, 2019
CAIRO:
Osama Nuqali, the Saudi ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative of the
Kingdom to the Arab League, attended the inauguration of the “Palm of Peace,
from the Land of Peace” initiative in Cairo on Saturday.
The
initiative was launched by Prince Faisal bin Mishaal bin Abdul Aziz, governor
of the Qassim region, in the presence of Cairo’s Gov. Maj. Gen. Khalid Abdulal.
To
mark the initiative, a palm tree was planted during the ceremony in Al-Farouq
Square, Cairo. The event saw the participation of Arab Organization for Peace
and Development President Dr. Mashael bint Matar Al-Otaibi and Saudi and
Egyptian officials, businesspeople and journalists.
“Just
as Egypt was the first destination of King Abdul Aziz when he started drafting
the Kingdom’s foreign policies, Egypt today is the first stop for the Palm of
Peace, which will continue its journey and roam the world,” Nuqali said.
“The
world today is in a dire need of peace, love, tolerance and brotherhood between
the peoples of the planet. These are the noble principles upon which our
Islamic faith and the human values and traditions were built,” he added,
stressing the Kingdom and Egypt’s keenness to “preserve these principles
through all means possible.”
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1511646/saudi-arabia
--------
Africa
Beyond
tough resolve, do more to neutralise Shabaab threat
17th
Jun 2019
The
deaths of ten police officers after their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive
device (IED) in Wajir East on Saturday are unacceptable. And that is because
the death toll among Kenyan Security agents trying to keep the country safe
from the Al Shabaab menace is on the increase.
In
2017, at least 20 Administration Police officers were killed when their
vehicles separately ran over IEDs. Several KDF solders lost their lives in Al
Shabaab attacks on their camps at El Adde (2016) and Kulbiyow (2017).
These
attacks are a constant reminder that terrorism is an ever present danger that
we must remain alert to, and that when the hunter becomes the hunted, a change
of tact is called for. This newspaper has argued before that our security
agents cannot afford to relax their vigil, more so when the militia gives the
impression of having lost its nerve.
The
continued killing of our security personnel has the undesired effect of
spreading despondency across the country, more so in areas along our common
border with Somalia. There is urgent need for the government to ensure the
space in which Al Shabaab operate is severely restricted. Security personnel
should be properly kitted out.
In
saying so, we are not just talking about hardware; the tendency to equip police
officers with the new guns and Armored Personnel Carriers that have failed the
test of efficacy. Since the Al Shabaab are fighting a guerilla warfare, only
coming out when it is advantageous to them, the need for robust intelligence
gathering cannot be overemphasised.
Al
Shabaab gets its recruits from disillusioned local youth, particularly among
the Muslim community. Serious and sustainable deradicalisation programmes by
the government would go a long way in stopping youth indoctrination.
In
the unfortunate event that we lose our gallant defenders as happened,
counseling and compensation for colleagues, and especially families of the
slain is critical. Survivors and family members should never be allowed to feel
the sacrifices their kin made were in vain; they should feel cared for and
loved.
Unfortunately,
this has not always been the case as the Government comes across as uncaring
and unappreciative by abandoning widows and widowers in their hour of need.
Many widows and their children today languish in penury because their
breadwinners were killed in the line of duty and compensation has not been paid
to them.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001330166/beyond-tough-resolve-do-more-to-neutralise-shabaab-threat
--------
Junta
general vows to send perpetrators of Khartoum carnage to ‘gallows’
Jun
16, 2019
A
top Sudanese general has vowed to send to the “gallows” those who carried out a
deadly crackdown on protesters outside the military headquarters in Khartoum
earlier this month.
Mohamed
Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy chief of the ruling military council, said in a
speech broadcast live on state television on Sunday that those responsible for
the massacre would be brought to justice.
“We
are working hard to take those who did this to the gallows,” said Dagalo, who
also heads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a notorious paramilitary group.
“Whoever
committed any fault” will be held accountable, he added.
Thousands
of Sudanese protesters demanding civilian rule were violently dispersed by
armed men in military fatigues outside the military headquarters in the capital
on June 3. According to doctors linked to the protest movement, more than 100
people were killed that day.
The
assault outside the army complex was led by the RSF, which has its origins in
the infamous Janjaweed militia, accused of abuses in the Darfur conflict
between 2003 and 2004.
Sudan’s
ruling military council admitted only later that it had ordered the dispersal.
But
the council then reversed its position, saying in a statement late on Saturday
that it did not order the dispersal and that it had actually planned to purge an
area near the protest camp where people were said to be selling drugs.
“The
planning of the operation of Colombia (area) was done by military and security
authorities,” the statement read. “We assure you that the council is keen to
investigate minute by minute facts through its investigation committee.”
Brigadier
Abderrahim Badreddine, spokesman for the investigative committee, recently told
state television that initial findings showed “officers and soldiers of
different ranks from regular forces entered the sit-in without any orders from
their superiors.”
“They
were not part of the troops who were ordered to clean Colombia,” he said
The
crackdown has triggered global condemnation, with international organizations
and several countries calling for an independent probe into the killings.
Meanwhile,
members of the transitional council have failed to hand over power to a
civilian-led authority despite regional and international pressure. The
Khartoum sit-in was protesting that failure.
Bashir
charged with corruption
In
a separate development on Sunday, ousted ruler Omar al-Bashir appeared in
public for the first time since he was overthrown in April. Witnesses said he
walked briskly from the vehicle into the building, speaking with the guards
escorting him. Minutes later, he walked out scowling after prosecutors read out
the charges he faced.
Sudanese
prosecutor Alaa al-Din Abdallah told reporters that Bashir had been charged
with corruption-related offences.
“The
prosecution... accused him of... possession of foreign currency, [and]
accepting gifts in an unofficial manner,” Abdallah said. He said Bashir had
been given a chance to respond to the charges.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/16/598685/Sudan-general-Khartoum-massacre-gallows
--------
Bandits
kill 34 villagers in Nigeria: Police
Jun
16, 2019
Gunmen
have killed 34 people in Nigeria's northern Zamfara State, where criminal gangs
have been terrorizing remote villages, police said Sunday.
Armed
bandits on motorcycles stormed neighboring Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa villages
in Shinkafi district late Friday and shot dead 34 people, state police
spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement.
"Normalcy
has been restored in Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa... following [the] attack by
armed bandits... where 34 people were killed," Shehu said.
He
said the victims of the attacks were buried on Saturday, adding that police
were on the trail of the assailants.
Local
residents put the death toll higher, at 35.
The
bandits were said to have opened fire on farmers on their fields outside the
villages and also pursued those who fled.
"The
bandits killed 35 people in the attacks," said Lawwali Madattai, a
resident.
"We
heard gunshots and saw people running for shelter, chased by men on
motorbikes," said Shehu Shinkafi.
"We
immediately took cover in a house nearby, and after the bandits were done with
their killing spree, they moved to a nearby village," he said, adding that
he counted 12 bodies in his village alone.
The
gang left comfortably as there were no security agents in the area, and it was
only hours after the massacre that police arrived, Shinkafi and two other
witnesses said.
Hundreds
of people have died in the northwestern region this year, adding to security
problems in a country already struggling with extremist insurgencies in the
northeast and a brutal conflict between farmers and herders in central states.
Rural
communities in Zamfara State have for years been terrorized by criminal gangs,
who raid villages, stealing cattle, kidnapping for ransom, and burning homes
after looting food supplies.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/16/598669/Nigeria-villages-bandit-residents-massacre
--------
French,
Malian forces kill 20 militants in operation: Mali army
Jun
16, 2019
Allied
French and Malian forces killed 20 militants in an operation in a part of
northern Mali where Daesh operates, a spokesman for the West African nation's
military said on Sunday.
The
operation in the district of Akabar, a remote part of a game reserve near the
border with Niger and not far from the Malian city of Menaka, was continuing,
army spokesman Colonel Diarran Kone said by telephone.
"But
I can tell you that 20 terrorists have been neutralized," he said.
Mali
has become increasingly engulfed in violence since a Tuareg uprising in 2012
was hijacked by extremist militants, prompting France to intervene to push them
back the following year.
Several
militant factions and allied criminal gangs have regrouped and set up
operations in parts of Mali, from where they have launched attacks across the
Sahel.
They
also now have a significant presence in swathes of neighbor Burkina Faso, and
in some remote parts of Niger.
Despite
the deployment of 4,500 French troops meant to contain the violence in the
Sahel, it has steadily worsened, and the extremists have succeeded in
triggering an ethnic conflict.
Attackers
believed to belong to the Fulani ethnic group raided the ethnic Dogon village
of Sobane Da last Sunday and Monday, killing 35 people, according to the
government, although a local authority maintains the real figure is 95 deaths.
A bigger massacre by Dogon hunters in March left 150 dead.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/06/16/598664/Mali-militants-Daesh-alQaeda-violence-villages-Sahel
--------
Libyan
officials say Haftar's forces fighting Daesh in south
June
16, 2019
CAIRO:
Libyan officials say forces loyal to military commander Khalifa Haftar are
pursuing Daesh militants in the country’s south, killing more than a dozen
militants over the past three days.
The
officials said Sunday that the self-styled Libyan National Army began its
attack on a militant hideout in the mountainous area of Haruj earlier this
week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to brief the media.
The
LNA media center said Friday that the Daesh militants were responsible for
recent attacks in southern areas.
Daesh
acknowledged the ongoing LNA attack and claimed to have killed and wounded
dozens of LNA troops.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1511486/middle-east
--------
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