PTI takes lead in second phase of KP local govt polls

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was leading in the second phase of the local bodies elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as 22 of its candidates were all set to win the slots of mayor and chairman of the city and tehsil councils.

On the other hand, two persons were killed and several others injured in various incidents of poll-related violence.

Polling was held for the slots of chairmen and mayors of 65 tehsil councils.

According to early results of 50 tehsil councils that were available by late Thursday night, PTI appeared to be leading on a number of seats. However, results of the remaining 15 councils could not be obtained due to communication issues as these areas were mostly far-flung and mountainous.

According to unofficial results, the Jamiat Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) candidates were leading in seven and six tehsils, respectively.

Similarly, independent candidates were ahead in five of the tehsil councils, followed by three candidates of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), two each of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Awami National Party (ANP) and one candidate each of Tehreek-i-Islahat Pakistan, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen and National Democratic Movement.

PTI seemed poised to win in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s native Swat district, as six of the party candidates were leading in seven tehsil councils while JUI-F was ahead in one.

The chief minister’s brother, Abdullah Khan, was winning in his ancestral Matta tehsil.

The PTI was also performing well in Upper Dir where it was leading in four of the six tehsil councils while JI and PPP were winning in the remaining two.

Jamaat-i-Islami, which had suffered a setback in the 2018 general elections in one of its strongholds of Lower Dir, appeared to be gaining lost ground as four of its candidates were leading in seven tehsil councils.

In Mansehra district, PTI was winning in three of the five tehsil councils.

On the other hand, the performance of JUI-F, which had emerged as the largest party in the first phase of the local bodies elections by winning 23 of the 66 tehsil councils, remained unimpressive.

Its candidates were leading in two of the tehsil councils in Kurram districts and one each in Swat, Lower Dir, Battagram and Torghar.

In the first phase of the polls on December 19, 2021 in 17 districts of the province, JUI-F had bagged 23 slots of mayor/chairman of tehsil councils while PTI trailed behind with 18 seats.

Independent candidates remained successful on 10 seats of tehsil council chairman/mayor, whereas ANP had won seven seats. Three seats were won by PML-N, two seats each by JI and Tehreek-i-Islahat Pakistan and one by PPP.

Meanwhile, at least two persons were killed and several others injured during polling on Thursday. Though the election remained largely peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence were reported in some areas.

In Abbottabad district, a scuffle at a women polling station in Baghdara left one person dead and four injured, whereas in Torghar district, clash between two groups over the issue of casting of votes claimed one life in Dore Mera area.

Seven people were injured in another clash in Jandar Bari village of Galiyat.

In other poll-related incidents, unknown gunmen kidnapped polling staff and a police guard and also took away ballot boxes in Shawal area of the militancy-ravaged South Waziristan district. In Azam Warsak area, people set fire to ballot boxes while polling was suspended in Wana for some time.

Not a single vote was cast at a female polling station in Swegalai in Kabal tehsil and at three female polling stations in Miandam, Jukhtai and Kasono in Swat’s Miandam tehsil.

The districts where polling was held were Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Kohistan Upper, Kohistan Lower, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai and North and South Waziristan districts.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), elections for mayor and chairmen slots were held in 65 city and tehsil councils as well as for various seats of 1,830 village and neighbourhood councils.

A total of 28,020 candidates were in the run, out of whom 651 contested for the seats of city and tehsil council mayors and chairmen.

Besides, 12,980 candidates were vying for the general seats of village and neighbourhood councils, 2,668 for reserved seats for women, 6,451 for peasants, 5,213 for youth and 57 for minority seats.

Turkish prosecutor seeks transfer of Khashoggi case to Saudi Arabia

A Turkish prosecutor on Thursday asked an Istanbul court to dismiss a case into the gruesome murder of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi and transfer it to Saudi Arabia, his Turkish fiancée confirmed.

The development comes as Turkey is seeking a thaw in relations with Saudi Arabia, which worsened after the 2018 killing of Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post, inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

“The prosecutor asked, accordingly to the Saudi demand, for the transfer of the file to #SaudiArabia and the finalisation of it in #Turkey,” Hatice Cengiz tweeted after the hearing on Thursday in Istanbul’s main court.

“The court will ask the view of Turkish Justice Ministry. #Khashoggi #JusticeForJamal,” she commented.

The prosecutor said, according to the private DHA news agency, that the case “has been dragging because the court orders cannot be executed on the grounds that the suspects are foreign nationals”. The next hearing is scheduled for April 7.

On October 2, 2018, 59-year-old Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to file paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancée.

According to US and Turkish officials, a waiting Saudi hit squad strangled him and dismembered his body, which has never been retrieved.

The murder sparked international out­rage that continues to reverberate, with Western intelligence agencies acc­using Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of authorising the killing.

The crown prince has said he accepts Saudi Arabia’s overall responsibility but denies a personal link, with the kingdom saying it was the doing of agents who had gone “rogue”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the time that the order to kill “came from the highest levels” of the Saudi government without pointing the finger of blame at the crown prince.

Unsatisfied with the trial in Saudi Arabia, Turkey has launched its own investigation into the murder and put 26 Saudis on trial in absentia, including two who are close to the crown prince.

In an interview with AFP in February, Cengiz said Turkey must keep insisting on justice for Khashoggi “even if it improves its relations” with Riyadh. “I don’t think it’s in anyone’s best interest to shut it down completely.”

Asked if she was disappointed, Cengiz said: “If we look at it from the viewpoint of realpolitik, [Turkey’s position] did not let me down,” adding that countries were “not ruled by emotions” but “mutual interests”.

But she added: “Emotionally speaking, of course, I am sad. Not because my country has made peace with Saudi Arabia and that this issue is closing, but ultimately, no matter how fiercely we defended it, on a national basis, on a state basis, on a president basis ... now everything is starting to go back to the way it was, as if nothing had happened. I am inevitably disappointed about this.”

Turkey, which is reeling from a fresh economic crisis and is searching for foreign investment and trade, has reached out to regional rivals, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Erdogan said in January he was planning a visit to Riyadh — which would come at a critical moment for Turkey, where inflation is surging to over 50 per cent.

'Threat letter': US denies involvement in no-trust move

The US government has strongly denied any involvement in the no-trust motion, tabled by opposition against Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the allegations were baseless, a private TV channel reported.

The US government reacted strongly as Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday brandished a letter during a power show at D-chowk saying that it contains evidence of a foreign plot hatched against him and the Opposition’s no-trust motion is also a part of this foreign conspiracy to topple his government.

On Wednesday, the premier's gist of the "threat letter" was also shared with senior journalists. Meanwhile, PTI leader Faisal Vawda had claimed that a "plot is being hatched to assassinate Prime Minister Imran Khan."

A private TV channel qouted the US State Department as saying that '[The US ]categorically rejects any kind of involvement in the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan'.

“Allegations of US involvement in the no-trust motion and ‘threat letter’ to PM Imran Khan are baseless,” said the State Department.

The US government is monitoring the political situation of Pakistan, however and supports the rule of law in Pakistan, the State Department said.

Regarding the question of a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the US State Department said that they respect the constitutional process in Pakistan.

PM Imran Khan sees 'foreign hand' behind efforts to topple his government

The premier, during what PTI labelled as one of its "biggest" rallies in its history at the Parade Ground in Islamabad, flashed a letter before the public, saying that he has "written evidence" that "money has been pouring in from abroad," while "some of our people are being used to topple the government."

He had said that for months, "plotting and planning is being carried out to influence the foreign policy of Pakistan from outside."

'Threat letter': A diplomat's view

Former high commissioner to India Abdul Basit said that state officials issuing such threats to diplomats is completely unheard of.

"Incidents where state officials tell diplomats that they would sever ties if a country's government is not sent packing has never been heard before," he said.

Basit, who was also the former ambassador of Pakistan to Germany, said that "sensitive issues of foreign policies should not be discussed in public."

He said that the memo the prime minister has been referring to most probably carries the minutes of the meeting between US officials and a Pakistani diplomat, adding that along with the minutes, the letter might also include the assessment of the diplomat regarding the future.

Ukraine's Zelensky dismisses Russian claims of scaleback

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday dismissed Russia s vows to de-escalate fighting against its neighbour, saying his army was getting ready for further fighting in the east.

"We don t believe anyone, not a single beautiful phrase," Zelensky said in a video address to the nation, adding that Russian troops were regrouping to strike the eastern Donbass region.

Read more: China, Russia 'more determined' to boost ties, Beijing says

"We will not give anything away. We will fight for every meter of our territory," he added.

After another round of peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, a Russian negotiator said Moscow would "radically" scale back its attacks around the capital Kyiv and the northern city of Chernigiv.

However, shelling continued during the night.

On Wednesday, US military officials said Russian forces did begin to pull out of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power site north of Kyiv.

"We think that they are leaving, I can t tell you that they re all gone," said a US defence official speaking on condition of anonymity.

Zelensky said in his video address that any retreat by Russian forces was "the result of the work of our defenders."

Zelensky said that as the centre for the global fight for freedom, Ukraine has the right to demand weapons from the international community, including tanks, planes, artillery systems.

"Freedom must be armed as well as tyranny," he said.

In a separate development, the Russian defence ministry announced a local ceasefire Thursday to allow civilians to be evacuated from Ukraine s port of Mariupol, which has been under siege for weeks, left without water, food and power.

KP LG elections: Voting for second phase underway

Voting for the second phase of Local Government (LG) elections in 18 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is underway. Polling started at 8:00am and will continue till 5:00pm without any break.

Elections are being held for the posts of mayor and chairman of tehsil and city councils and different categories of members in the village and neighbourhood councils in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan districts.

Read more: Local Body Elections, ECP announce date in Balochistan

A total of 6,176 polling stations have been set up for the second phase of the local bodies elections in 18 districts of the province out of which 1,609 polling stations have been declared most sensitive.

A total of 8.057 million voters will cast their vote in the second phase.

More than 54,000 officials have been deployed for the security including police and Frontier Constabulary troops.

MQM-P ratifies accord with opposition to oust PM

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's (MQM-P) coordination committee has announced that it has cut a deal with the opposition to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan from his office.

MQM-P leader Nasreen Jalil confirmed the development while speaking to the media outside the party's markaz in Karachi's Bahadurabad.

"Details of the agreement will be revealed in a press conference" she said.

Read more: Farogh Nasim announces to resigns as Law Minister

In that press conference, the party is expected to formally make public its split with the government and announce voting in favour of the no-trust resolution against PM Imran.

Meanwhile, MQM-P leaders Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque resigned earlier today as ministers for law and justice, and information technology and telecom, respectively.

As per media reports, Naseem wrote in his resignation letter that he was resigning on directions from MQM-P's convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Haque wrote that while he was a part of the government in his capacity as a minister, he was "bound by my party's decisions as a responsible worker".

"In light of my party MQM-P's decisions, I resign as federal minister for information technology and telecommunication. I request you (the prime minister) to accept this."

He added that he was "proud of fulfilling my duties with honesty".

He iterated the same in a video message shared shortly afterwards.

"MQM-P called a meeting of its coordination committee, chaired by [MQM-P convener] Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, that ratified the agreement with the [opposition] and the resignation of the ministers. A new phase will begin and we will make efforts to struggle for urban Sindh's progress," Haque said in another video message.

The party held a late night meeting with opposition leaders on Tuesday which created quite a stir in the capital and had many anxiously checking their TVs for updates.

Initially, an opposition delegation consisting of Khawaja Asif, Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Ayaz Sadiq, Akhtar Mengal, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others reached Parliament Lodges a little before midnight.

They held talks with MQM convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other leaders, which continued well into the early hours of Wednesday.

Later, the main cohort of opposition leaders — Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Shehbaz Sharif — also reached the venue around 2:00am in a bid to persuade the government ally to switch sides.

While the combined opposition tried with all its might to prevail upon the party to announce a decision there and then, the MQM-P avoided making a definitive statement at such a late hour and announced that it would make its decision public the next day.

 

Farogh Nasim announces to resigns as Law Minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Farogh Nasim on Wednesday confirmed that the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will shortly receive his resignation, it has been learnt.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader in a statement said that he along with Information Technology (IT) Minister Amin-ul-Haque are resigning from their respective designations.

Read more: PTI Contact Tareen Group ask them to Support the Government decisions

A reporter asked him that has MQM-P decided to part ways from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Government on which he replied that MQM-P head Khalid Maqbool Siddique will best answer this question.

 

Plea in SC seeks probe into 'threat letter'

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) to initiate a probe into a letter brandished by Prime Minister Imran Khan at the PTI's March 27 public gathering in which he claimed that a foreign conspiracy has been hatched to topple his government.

In the PTI’s public meeting in Islamabad on Sunday, the premier had pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it at the crowd, claiming it was evidence of an “international conspiracy” being hatched to topple his government.

Read More: PM Imran Khan ready to share 'threat letter' with CJP: Asad Umar

However, the opposition believes the premier used the letter as an excuse to woo the government's allies and PTI dissidents in the face of the no-confidence motion against him.

According to the media, the petition was filed by SC Advocate Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta. The Federation of Pakistan through the Law and Justice Division secretary has been named as the respondent.

The petitioner said that it was an "extraordinary situation" which may cause a law and order situation to develop in the country by causing hatred against friendly countries.

He added that the situation required immediate steps to ease the "mental agony" of the common Pakistani caused by the development.

"The gravity of the situation needs the attention of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take immediate step[s] to find out the truth about [the] subject matter," the petition said.

"It is, therefore, respectfully prayed that the respondent may be directed to deliver the 'letter' to the concerned civil and military authorities to investigate this threat/letter [...]," it added.

Russia pledge to deescalate in Ukraine leaves West cold

Russia pledged to scale down fighting around Kyiv and a second major city following peace talks on Tuesday that Ukraine s leader said showed "positive" signs, but Western allies made clear their doubts over Moscow s intentions.

Details filtering from the talks in Istanbul raised hopes after more than a month of war that has left thousands dead and millions displaced.

Read more: PM Imran Khan ready to share 'threat letter' with CJP: Asad Umar

Kyiv s negotiator David Arakhamia said there were "sufficient" conditions for President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to meet in a push to end Europe s worst conflict in decades.

On the Russian side, chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky called the talks "meaningful," while the country s deputy defence minister, Alexander Fomin, reported progress on "the neutrality and non-nuclear status" of Ukraine -- two central Russian concerns.

Russia, Fomin said, had decided to "radically, by several times reduce the military activity" around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernigiv.

Zelensky himself sounded a note of cautious optimism following the day s talks -- though he said the "positive" signals "do not drown out the explosions or Russian shells" and vowed in a video address late Tuesday to keep up defence efforts.

Read more: Biden sticks to suggestion Putin should step down

But the United States cast clear doubt on Moscow s words, and vowed with fellow Western powers to keep "raising the costs" on Russia.

And by Tuesday evening Ukraine s general staff -- while confirming Russian units were withdrawing from the Kyiv and Chernigiv regions -- said it was most likely a troop rotation intended to "mislead" Ukraine s military.

Local Body Elections, ECP announce date in Balochistan

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday announced date to hold LB elections in Balochistan.

According to details, the LB elections in all districts of Balochistan, except Quetta land Lasbela, will be held on May 29. The schedule for the election has also been annoned.

Read more: IHC bars ECP from taking action against PM Imran

The Election Commission of Pakistan said that the date for LB elections in Quetta land Lasbela will be announced later.

Corona claims 2 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has reported 2 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,524,549. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,349 on wednesday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 194persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Read more: PM Imran Khan 'strictly' directs PTI MNAs to abstain from voting on no-confidence motion

Pakistan has conducted 27,492 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 194 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 0.70 percent.

PTI Contact Tareen Group ask them to Support the Government decisions

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Defence Minister of Pakistan Pervez Khattak on Tuesday contacted the Tareen group and requested them to support the Government decisions.

According to details, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Pervez Khattak said to the dissident allies that the party has accepted their requests therefore they should come out in support of the party decisions.

Read more: Joint opposition meets MQM-P leaders

On the occasion Aun Chaudhry said that PTI will disclose their further action plans after discussing it within the party.

PM chairs meeting with political committee to discusses political updates

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan chaired a meeting on Tuesday in which the political committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was also present to discuss the matters of the current political situation of the country.

According to details, the meeting will discuss the number of its allies and how to tackle those standing against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the no-confidence motion.

Read more: Political decisions made after consultations, Ch Shujaat

It merits mention here that earlier, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly (NA) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif tabled a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Lower House of the Parliament.

Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, while tabling the motion, said that he was presenting a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister. The Motion was tabled under Article A-95 of the Constitution, and it had 161 Members as signatories.

After the no-confidence motion was moved by the opposition leader, the members were counted in which the members of the ruling coalition and dissident members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were not present.

After the counting of the members who stood up in favor of the motion, the deputy speaker approved a discussion on the no-confidence motion.

Later, the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser adjourned the Session till March 31. The Opposition requires 172 votes in the favor of the No-Confidence Motion to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The Opposition parties are confident that they can get the support of 172 members in the house of 342 to dislodge the government, while the government claims that it enjoys the required support in the house to foil the attempt.

Political decisions made after consultations, Ch Shujaat

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Tuesday declined all the allegations of differences in opinion among the Chaudhry family over the latest political updates.

He further clarified that all the political decisions have been made after consultations and he is in full support of what has been decided by us. He also said that our family and our party is on the same page.

Read more: Joint opposition meets MQM-P leaders

Chaudhry Shujaat said that all the rumors that have spread and those that are being spread are all untrue and those people who want to grasp political gain from these rumors will face disappointment.

 

Joint opposition meets MQM-P leaders

A delegation comprising leaders of joint opposition held a meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders to win their support ahead of voting for no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

According to sources, the meeting was held at the Parliament Lodges on late Monday night. Khawaja Safdar, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Ahsan Iqbal from PML-N, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal and others held consultations with MQM-P leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Aamir Khan, Wasim Akhtar, Aminul Haq.

Read more: FM Qureshi set to embark on China trip today

Sources further informed that the situation arising out of the no-confidence motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan was discussed during thed meeting. The joint opposition assured MQM-P leaders of immediate fulfilment of their demands.

Speking after the meeting, the MQM-P leaders said that they will take their final decision after consultations with Rabita Committee members regarding the no-confidence motion.

FM Qureshi set to embark on China trip today

Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi will leave for an important visit to China today (Tuesday). According to sources, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will hold important meetings with the Chinese officials and other foreign ministers in Beijing during his visit.

Sources said that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will also visit Russia after China and his important meetings are also scheduled there.

Read more: MNA Aslam Bhootani likely to part ways with PTI led govt

Qureshi’s visit is believed to be crucial in light of the current political crisis in the country and Russia’s war with Ukraine, while Sino-Pak officials will also exchange views on bilateral cooperation.

Almost 5,000 killed in Mariupol since Russian siege began, mayor's office

Ukraine said Monday that at least 5,000 people have died in the "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis gripping pulverized Mariupol, as fighting raged around Kyiv including in a strategic suburb where defenders claim to have driven out Russian invaders.

Multiple cities in Ukraine remained under crushing Russian bombardment on the eve of new face-to-face peace negotiations Tuesday in Turkey, as Kyiv -- and its allies in the West -- seek to end the month-long war.

Read more: Abbas slams West's 'double standards' on Ukraine, Palestinians

In the besieged southern port of Mariupol at least 5,000 people have already been buried, according to a senior Ukrainian official who said as many as 10,000 may have died -- appearing to confirm the darkest scenarios of devastation in the city.

"The burials stopped 10 days ago because of continued shelling," Tetyana Lomakina, a presidential adviser now in charge of humanitarian corridors, told AFP by phone Monday.

Russian attacks near Kyiv cut power to more than 80,000 homes, officials said, underscoring the peril facing the capital despite an apparent retreat in Moscow s war aims to focus on eastern Ukraine.

"To capture Kyiv is essentially a captured Ukraine, and this is their goal," warned Ukraine s deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar, who said Russia was "trying to break through the corridor around Kyiv and block transport routes."

Fierce Ukrainian resistance however reclaimed the strategically vital Kyiv suburb of Irpin from Russian troops, by sweeping the area block-by-block, according to Ukraine s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.

AFP journalists said heavy shelling continued to be heard on the road leading to Irpin, however, as residents including 86-year-old Olga Molchanova evacuated from the devastated commuter town.

Read more: Russia signals less ambitious goals in Ukraine war

"I just pray to God for salvation. I pray every day for the soldiers who defend us. Let them have courage," Molchanova cried after reuniting with her daughter Agnesa Brovkina who described hellish conditions in Irpin.

"My mother was deafened by a rocket. All the time, non-stop, shelling. All day and night, bombing, shelling, all of it," said Brovkina, a 62-year-old office worker.

Kyiv s forces also Monday recaptured Mala Rogan, a hamlet on the outskirts of Ukraine s second-largest city Kharkiv in the northeast.

"There are Russian corpses all over the place," a Ukrainian soldier told AFP, saying more than two dozen Russian soldiers had been killed in the fight

Will fight against the no-confidence motion vigorously, Hasaan Khawar

The Spokesperson of the Punjab Government Hasaan Khawar said on Monday that they will fight against the no-confidence motion vigorously. In a statement issued by the Spokesperson, he stated that the Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has been meeting a lot of Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) since the last two weeks.

Hasaan Khawar further said that we are in full preparation to stand against the no-trust motion which is submitted by the opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

It merits mention here that, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Hamza Shahbaz on Monday said that no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar will be a success.

Hamza Shahbaz, in a statement, said that no-trust motion has been submitted against Punjab CM and opposition has finalized strategy to oust Usman Buzdar.

Talking about next candidate for CM Punjab slot, Opposition Leader of Punjab Assembly said sending government packing is more important than announcing the candidate for the position.

Earlier in the day, in a bid to dethrone Usman Buzdar, the opposition in the Punjab Assembly submitted a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister (CM) Punjab.

The motion was submitted by a Members of Punjab Assembly (MPA) of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The opposition has also submitted a requisition to summon the assembly session.

It should be noted here that after the no-confidence has been filed, the Chief Minister cannot dissolve the Punjab Assembly as per law.

Corona claims 1 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has reported one death in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has risen to 1,524,086. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,346 on Monday.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 186 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Imran started making excuses after eying defeat in no-confidence motion, Shahbaz Sharif

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and opposition leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has started making excuses after eying defeat in no-confidence motion tabled by joint opposition in the National Assembly.

In a message on Twitter, Shahbaz Sharif said “When you see power slipping away, you come up with absurd explanations. He who came to power through a London plan sees conspiracy in everything. Make no mistake you have lost because you fooled masses & presided over a corrupt & extremely incompetent government.”

Read more: PML-Q, MQM-P to hold consultative meeting today regarding no-confidence motion

On the other hand, PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz while commenting on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) power show in Islamabad said that the number of people was less than the people go to see someone off at the airport.

Abbas slams West's 'double standards' on Ukraine, Palestinians

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas criticised Sunday the West s "double standards" that he said penalised Russia over its invasion of Ukraine while ignoring Israel s "crimes" against the Palestinians.

Abbas voiced his frustration to visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a press briefing with reporters at the Palestinian presidential residence in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

Read more: Russia signals less ambitious goals in Ukraine war

"The current events in Europe have shown blatant double standards," he told Blinken.

"Despite the crimes of the Israeli occupation that amounted to ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination... we find no one who is holding Israel responsible for behaving as a state above the law," he said.

Blinken held talks with Abbas on the first full day of a trip that includes a meeting with the foreign ministers of Israel and four Arab countries that have normalised relations with the Jewish state.

Blinken told Abbas he wanted to revitalise US relations with the Palestinians after they collapsed under the administration of former president Donald Trump.

But with its focus on the challenge from China and now Russia s invasion of Ukraine, Washington has spent less time overall on Middle East issues.

The Palestinian Authority led by Abbas has sparked the ire of Western diplomats in recent weeks because it has not condemned Russia s attack on Ukraine.

Multiple Western diplomatic sources have told AFP of requests to the PA, a recipient of major European Union donations, to condemn the Russian invasion.

 

 

We are going to Islamabad to say goodbye to PM Imran Khan: Maryam

As PML-N’s “Mehngai Mukao March” kick-started on Saturday from Lahore's Model Town, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that the government has "already been ousted" and the Opposition was heading to Islamabad to say "goodbye" to PM Imran Khan.

“[Prime Minister] Imran Khan‘s government has gone he is shouting every day. The government has gone we are going to say goodbye to it,” Maryam said.

The PML-N leader said that the “people are echoing” the name of party supremo Nawaz Sharif due to the “incompetent government and inflation”.

“The government has gone a goodbye is left only. He’s (Imran Khan) is pleading but nothing will happen now,” said the PML-N leader. She added that move to oust PM Imran was taken by the government and not the Opposition.

Talking about the government allies who are yet to make a decision, Maryam said that no one will stand with the premier as his own party members were ditching him.

“Imran Khan is the nation’s culprit, not Nawaz Sharif or Maryam Nawaz,” said the PML-N vice-president. She added that no matter comes to power, it will take time to fix the “destruction” done by PM Imran Khan.

“If there is an external conspiracy against Imran Khan, then the name of this conspiracy is Imran Khan himself. Imran Khan is not such a big personality that the world would conspire against him,” said Maryam in response to the claim made by the premier that the Opposition was being backed by foreign powers.

Maryam is leading the “Mehngai Mukao March” with Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz. They had kicked off the march from Lahore's Model Town, earlier today. Their final destination is Islamabad and the duo will arrive in the federal capital after multiple stops along the way.

The PML-N march will join the Opposition's rally in Islamabad that is set to be held on March 28.

The march is being held amid a no-confidence motion submitted against Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Opposition had submitted the motion on March 8 at the National Assembly secretariat.

Since then all eyes have been on Islamabad as the Opposition is trying to cajole the PTI allies to leave the government, while PM Imran Khan and his ministers are trying to ensure that the allies do not jump ship.

Apart from the allies, many PTI lawmakers have also come out in the open and started to express their frustrations against PM Imran. However, they are yet to decide whether they would support the motion or go against it.

Russia signals less ambitious goals in Ukraine war

Russia has signalled it may dial back its war aims to focus on eastern Ukraine after failing to break the nation’s resistance in a month of fighting and attacks on civilians, including up to 300 feared killed in the bombing of a theatre.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the February invasion to destroy Ukraine’s military and topple pro-Western President Volodymyr Zelensky, bringing the country under Russia’s sway.

But Sergei Rudskoi, a senior general, suggested a considerably reduced “main goal” of controlling Donbas, an eastern region already partly held by Russian proxies.

His surprise statement came as a Western official reported that a seventh Russian general, Lieutenant General Yakov Rezanstev, had died in Ukraine and that a colonel had been “deliberately” killed by his own demoralised men.

Complicating Moscow’s challenges, invasion troops were facing a counteroffensive in Kherson, the only major Ukrainian city under Russian control.

Zelenskyy at Doha Forum

Ukraine’s president made a surprise video appearance on Saturday at Qatar’s Doha Forum, calling on the energy-rich nation and others to boost their production to counteract the loss of Russian energy supplies.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United Nations and world powers to come to his aid, as he has in a series of other addresses given around the world since the start of the war Feb 24. He compared Russia’s destruction of the port city of Mariupol to the Syrian and Russian destruction wrought on the city of Aleppo in the Syrian war. Zelenskyy called on countries to increase their exports of energy something particularly important as Qatar is a world leader in the export of natural gas. Western sanctions have deeply cut into Russian exports, which are crucial for European nations.

Also on hand was Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the top diplomat for the world’s biggest oil exporter. Saudi Arabia so far has said it would stick with an OPEC+ production schedule the cartel struck with Russia and other producers.

The kingdom also said it wouldn’t be responsible for higher prices as it deals with attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels amid its yearslong war in the Arab world’s poorest country.

Zelenskyy criticised Russia for what he described as threatening the world with its nuclear weapons, raising the possibility of tactical nuclear weapons being used on the battlefield.

Russia occupies Chernobyl staff town

Russian forces took control of a town where staff working at the Chernobyl nuclear site live and briefly detained the mayor, sparking protests, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.

“I have been released. Everything is fine, as far as it is possible under occupation,” Yuri Fomichev, mayor of Slavutych, said, after officials in the Ukraine capital Kyiv announced earlier he had been detained.

Earlier, Kyiv announced that Russian troops had entered Slavutych and occupied the municipal hospital.

Residents took to the streets, carrying a large blue and yellow Ukrainian flag and heading towards the hospital, the administration said, adding that Russian forces fired into the air and threw stun grenades into the crowd.

Closed since 2019, Khunjerab to reopen for trade from 1st

After remaining closed for more than two and a half years, a key land border crossing between Pakistan and China at Khunjerab is being reopened for trade activities from April 1.

Khunjerab Pass was closed in November 2019 to contain the transmission of the coronavirus between the two countries.

The pass was temporarily opened in July and September 2020 and again in November 2021, only to facilitate the transportation of the containers loaded with goods that had been stranded in China.

During the temporary opening of the border, stranded containers from China were unloaded at Khunjerab Top instead of the port at Sost.

A notice issued by the district administration of Kashgar of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said that according to an agreement signed by China with the government of Pakistan on May 22, 2013, the Khunjerab Pass will be officially upgraded on April 1, 2022.

According to officials, Chinese authorities have shared a letter with Pakistan regarding the reopening of the pass from April 1.

It is also mentioned in the letter that measures would be in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

 

Port authorities on the Chinese side have been instructed to take all necessary coronavirus preventive measures before the start of the arrival of goods from Pakistan.

Similarly, Pakistani border authorities have also been instructed to ensure the containment of the disease.

Under the protocol agreement signed between the two countries, trade and travel activities through Khunjerab pass continue from April to November.

Gilgit Baltistan is considered the gateway of CPEC, and locals say it is important to open regular trade through Khun­jerab Pass to ensure the success of the One Belt One Road project.

Islamabad ready for 'biggest' political power show

The federal capital is all set to host a major political power show as the workers of ruling PTI from different parts of the country have started reaching the Parade Ground, where Prime Minister Imran Khan's PTI will stage the "biggest" rally.

PTI is all set to stage its "Amr-bel-Maroof" public gathering successfully in Islamabad as the political pressure mounts with the opposition parties also marching towards Islamabad ahead of the vote of no-confidence against PM Imran Khan.

The PTI has called their public gathering "Amr-bel-Maroof" in response to the Opposition’s no-trust motion to show support to the prime minister.

"Today is a battle for Pakistan [...] and not for PTI, it's a battle for the future of our nation," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a message issued hours before the gathering.

The premier urged the citizens willing to attend the rally to leave their homes early as there would be rush and blockages on the roads. He said that he fears that the people might not reach the venue on time.

"We are out to make Pakistan's history today," PM Imran Khan concluded.

Stage set

As the clock ticks towards PTI's rally, all the preparations of the event also move towards completion. The stage for the "biggest" rally has been made using 36 containers while a special container has been placed for the senior leadership.

Moreover, a special enclosure has been prepared for women where 800 seats have been arranged. The enclosure has been surrounded by safety sheets and barbed wires for security.

For the male participants of the rally, 6,000 chairs have been placed, while the organisers say that an order for 30,000 seats has been made.

Meanwhile, the workers and leaders of the JUI-F, representing the opposition parties' alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), are already at the venue of their rally to be held tomorrow (Monday) at Srinagar Highway. Whereas, PML-N caravan, “Mehngai Mukao March”, led by Maryam Nawaz and leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz are also on their way to join PDM to "say goodbye to the already ousted prime minister".

Prime Minister Imran Khan had tasked party leaders to gather one million people for the rally. Addressing a rally in Swat recently, the premier had urged the nation to reach Islamabad on March 27 to tell the world that Pakistanis "stand with the truth and are against corruption".

The interior minister said that everyone is allowed to hold public gatherings in Islamabad; however, according to the directions by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, no one will be allowed to enter the Red Zone.

He warned that nobody will be allowed to take the law into their hands as the apex court has tasked the interior ministry to maintain the law and order situation in the federal capital.

‘Those who stage sit-ins will be arrested’

Responding to the Opposition’s warning to stage a sit-in in Islamabad, the interior minister cautioned them against doing so and said action will be taken according to the directives issued by the court.

He said that the Opposition would have to seek permission again if they wanted to hold a rally today as well since they had been permitted to hold a gathering on Saturday only.

“If they stage a sit-in they will be arrested,” he said, adding that the federal government also has the authority to call army under Article 245 following approvals from the prime minister and the cabinet.

 

“Mehngai Mukao March”

PML-N’s “Mehngai Mukao March” kick-started on Saturday from Lahore's Model Town in the leadership of party's vice president, Maryam's leadership.

“[Prime Minister] Imran Khan‘s government has gone he is shouting every day. The government has gone we are going to say goodbye to it, Maryam said.

The PML-N leader said that the “people are echoing” the name of party supremo Nawaz Sharif due to the “incompetent government and inflation”.

“The government has gone a goodbye is left only. He’s (Imran Khan) is pleading but nothing will happen now,” said the PML-N leader. She added that move to oust PM Imran was taken by the government and not the Opposition.

Talking about the government allies who are yet to make a decision, Maryam said that no one will stand with the premier as his own party members were ditching him.

Since then all eyes have been on Islamabad as the Opposition is trying to cajole the PTI allies to leave the government, while PM Imran Khan and his ministers are trying to ensure that the allies do not jump ship.

Apart from the allies, many PTI lawmakers have also come out in the open and started to express their frustrations against PM Imran. However, they are yet to decide whether they would support the motion or go against it.

JUI-F 'Mehngai' march enters Punjab

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Mehngai march which started from Karachi, Sindh has entered Punjab on Friday. The participants of JUI-F Mehngai march, who are on their way to Islamabad to participate in the joint opposition protest against PTI-led government, were warmly received by a large number of JUI-F supporters at the Iqbalabad Interchange.

Tight security arrangement had been made when the participants reached Rahim Yar Khan. A large number of JUI-F workers also joined the caravan in Rahim Yar Khan.

After a short stay in Rahim Yar Khan, the JUI-F  Mehngai  march left for Multan via Motorway. The JUI-F caravan is scheduled to reach Islamabad on March 27.

PDM caravans head to Islamabad

Supporters of opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are heading to the federal capital for power show amid heightened political tensions.

Caravans of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) from Sindh have entered Punjab and will reach Islamabad after passing through various cities of Punjab, where they will also be greeted and joined by workers of the opposition.

Read more: CJP Bandial says prerogative to form benches always lies with chief justice

Meanwhile, supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will leave for Islamabad from Lahore’s Model Town under the leadership of Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz.

Banners and posters in support of long march can be found in entire Lahore while local leaders of PML-N have been directed to gather supporters and reach Model Town office to join the central caravan lead by Hamza and Maryam.

Spokesperson of PML-N, Marriyum Aurangzeb urged people to join the long march and said that nation should stand with opposition in this decisive hour.

This march is a ray of hope for inflation stricken people of the country. This will prove to be a no-confidence motion against the government.

Meanwhile, the local administration of Islamabad has issued a show-cause notice to JUI-F organisers over the NOC violation ahead of the Islamabad public gathering.

The administration stated that JUI-F installed the stage in mid of the road of the Srinagar Highway and Abdul Majeed Hazarvi violated the NOC conditions.

Jordan king hosts leaders of UAE, Egypt and Iraq for rare meeting

Jordan s King Abdullah II hosted leaders from Egypt, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates on Friday for "consultative" talks, state media said. The meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba was "consultative", according to state television.

An official source requesting anonymity told AFP that the "consultative brotherly meeting dealt with recent international and regional developments". The source did not elaborate.

Read more: Nato will ‘respond’ if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine

A statement from the royal court said others in attendance included Jordan s Crown Prince Hussein and Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz.

The meeting comes just a day before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to travel to Israel, the West Bank, Morocco and Algeria to discuss the Ukraine war, Israeli-Palestinian relations and Iran.

Israel said it would host a "historic summit" from Sunday of top diplomats from the United States and three Arab states with which it has normalised ties -- the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

Earlier in the week, Egypt hosted the Israeli and UAE leaders for unprecedented three-way talks as Russia s invasion of Ukraine rocks energy and food markets and major powers inch toward a revived Iran nuclear deal.

The summit was held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh between Sisi, the Abu Dhabi crown prince and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Analyst Oraib al-Rantawi, head of the Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, said "most" of the parties to Friday s meeting in Jordan are "historic allies and friends of Washington but are linked to Moscow through deep ties and interests".

Corona claims 4 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has reported 4 more deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,523,590. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,340 on Saturday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 189 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Read more: Corona claims 2 more deaths across the country

Pakistan has conducted 30,417 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 189 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 0.62 percent.

Chairman PPP: Today is a day of victory

Pakistan Proples Perty (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said that today is a day of victory while he arrived at the Parliament House to discuss the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

The PPP Chairman, while talking to the media, said that the people of Pakistan will win and the selected will lose today as it can be seen clearly that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has lost the majority, the Chairman added.

Read more: Farrukh condemns infiltration attempt of terrorists in North Waziristan

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that we have struggled for over three years to get this no-confidence motion registered.

Farrukh condemns infiltration attempt of terrorists in North Waziristan

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Thursday condemned the infiltration attempt of a group of terrorists in Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan from Afghanistan.

In a statement, he prayed to the Almighty to rest the soldiers, who lost lives while foiling the infiltration attempt, in the highest ranks of Jannah.

The minister lauded the Pakistan Army for thwarting the infiltration bid. "Those who sacrifice their lives for the defense of motherland are our heroes," he added.

Read more: Islamic State militant killed in Peshawar operation: CTD

He said the armed forces were not only ensuring internal security, but also protecting the country s borders.

Islamic State militant killed in Peshawar operation: CTD

One wanted terrorist was killed during an exchange of fire with personnel of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police in Peshawar on Thursday.

The CTD said that gunfight broke out when the CTD, police other intelligence agencies carried out a joint operation based on an intelligence tip-off in Armar area of Peshawar.

Read more: Ukraine's Zelensky Asks NATO For Weapons, West Adds Pressure On Russia

On seeing the police force, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on them and in the ensuing shootout, one wanted terrorist identified as Danial was killed and two or three terrorists managed to escape.

The CTD said that terrorists were involved in henious crimes including attack on Kocha Rasaldar mosque, targeted killings of policemen, traffic wardens and attack on Jalozai mobile van.

The terrorists were also involved in the targeted killing of members of minority society, Satnam Singh and Pastor William Siraj. Heavy contingent of CTD and police have cordoned off the area and search operation underway to arrest the escaped terrorists.

Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (RA) end in Sehwan

The 770th Urs celebrations of Hazrat Usman Marwandi, known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (RA) concluded on Thursday in Sehwan, district Jamshoro, Sindh.

Thousands of devotees from across the country attended the Urs ceremony in Sehwan to pay tributes to of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. The local administration had taken strict security measures to avoid any untoward incident.

Read more: No-Confidence Motion, Joint opposition convenes parliamentary members meeting

It is pertinent to mention here that the Urs celebrations took place after two years due to Covid-19 restrictions. The local administration had imposed Section 144 of PPC disallowing entry of any type of vehicles within the city s limits.

Ukraine's Zelensky Asks NATO For Weapons, West Adds Pressure On Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed a NATO summit Thursday to flood weapons into Ukraine and Western allies responded with new sanctions against Russia, promises of military aid, and discussion of expelling Moscow from the international G20 body.

As battles raged across Ukraine, with television footage showing a large Russian warship ablaze at dockside near the southern city of Mariupol, Zelensky addressed the emergency NATO summit and a G7 leaders meeting by video link.

Read more: Fortress Kyiv Holds Breath Ahead Of Feared Russian Assault

He said the West should provide "all the weapons we need" to "prevent the deaths of Ukrainians from Russian strikes, from Russian occupation."

Kicking off a day of intense diplomacy, US President Joe Biden made clear that the Western alliance was listening.

"NATO has never been more united," Biden said.

And after Zelensky said there was a "real" chance of Russian President Vladimir Putin resorting to chemical warfare, Biden told reporters "we will respond if he uses it."

Biden noted that under his presidency the United States has pledged $2 billion in weapons to Ukraine. He announced a new commitment to "more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance," as well as promising to welcome 100,000 of the nearly 3.7 million refugees fleeing the country.

After the United States announced new sanctions, including targeting Russian politicians, Biden said the West was in it for the long haul, intent on "increasing the pain" on Moscow.

Biden intensified the effort to ostracize Putin s Russia with a call to exclude Moscow from the G20.

Read more: Cause of China jet crash still unknown as hunt for black boxes continues

"That was raised today," Biden told reporters, adding that if the group of 20 countries does not agree, then he would press for Ukraine to be allowed to join.

In his address, Zelensky said that Russia was using phosphorus bombs, which cause severe burns, conducting indiscriminate shelling of civilians, and could resort to "full-scale use" of chemical weapons.

Ukraine has already lived through "a month of heroic resistance. A month of the darkest suffering," he said. "To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance without restrictions."

No-Confidence Motion, Joint opposition convenes parliamentary members meeting

The joint opposition parties have convened a parliamentary members meeting to be held today (Friday) for consultation on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran.

According to sources, the meeting will be held in Parliament House at 10:00am during which a strategy will be chalked out for today’s National Assembly session.

Sources further informed that consultations would also be held on expected protests by the joint opposition parties against the government and the Speaker National Assembly during the assembly session.

Read more: PPP assures MQM-P of ‘accepting demands’ to seek support for no-trust move

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari called on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday night in Islamabad for consultation on no-trust motion.

According to sources, the joint opposition stalwarts held consultation on no-trust motion to be tabled against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly today.

Sources said that the joint opposition leaders during their meeting decided that Fateha would be offered for the departed soul of PTI MAN Khyal Zaman at the start of the National Assembly proceedings as it is the tradition that Fateha is offered on the death of any member at the beginning of the assembly session.

After the Fateha Khwani, the opposition will table no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sources said that opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif would present no-confidence motion against PM Imran on behalf of the joint opposition.

Read more: Early elections are a possibility: Sheikh Rashid

The meeting also decided that the leaders of joint opposition parties would be responsible to bring 161 out of 162 opposition members for the assembly session while Ali Wazir, a member of the opposition, is in jail.

Sources said that no production order was issued for Ali Wazir to attend the National Assembly session. It was also decided in the meeting that the opposition will request National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to issue a production order for Ali Wazir to attend the assembly session.

Does not believe in politics of accusation: CM Buzdar

Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Thursday that he does not believe in politics of accusations nor he has ever done such kind of politics.

In a statement, the Chief Minister said that he thinks it is wastage of time to even reply to these baseless accusations of the political opponents.

Read more: ECP serves notice on Bilawal over Malakand rally

Usman Buzdar also said that he has faced these accusations before and is ready to stand firm against these blames. The adversaries can keep on leveling accusations but we will keep on serving the nation, he added.

ECP serves notice on Bilawal over Malakand rally

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a notice to Chairman Pakistan People s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for addressing a public meeting in Malakand on March 23.

The district monitoring officer (DMO) Malakand had served the notice to Bilawal Bhutto for addressing the public meeting in violation of the code of conduct for the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa phase-II.

Read more: About current political situation talks between PPP, MQM-P to be held today

The notice added, "It has come to the knowledge through monitoring teams and media that you have participated in a public meeting at Tehsil Dargai District, Malakand as a part of election campaign of PPP candidates for Tehsil, despite issuance of advisory letter on March 22." It said, "You were allowed to participate in election campaign of candidate as per clause 16 (i) of the revised Code of Conduct issued by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)." The clause says, "The parliamentarians like members national assembly, provincial assembly and senate are allowed to participate in the election campaign.

They will strictly abide by the code of conduct directions, instructions and regulations issued by the ECP and violations thereof will entail legal consequences including contempt proceedings as contemplated in section 10 of the elections act 2017." The ECP added the Jalsa was held and Bilawal Bhutto had addressed in violation of clause 30 of the Code of Conduct.

In exercise of the powers, conferred upon the DMO, under section-234 (3) of Election Act, 2017, Bilawal Bhutto has been called upon to appear in person or through counsel to explain position for violating the clause 30 of the Code of Conduct, on 25th March at DMO Malakand.

The commission said that in case failure to appear and submit written reply by due date, the matter will be dealt with and decided under the law, rules and available record in absence.

About current political situation talks between PPP, MQM-P to be held today

The decisive round of talks between Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) will be held in Islamabad today.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah along with his cabinet members will meet the MQM-P leadership in continuation of the series of political meetings between the two parties to review the current political situation, including the no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Read more: Nadra: unclear about potential taxpayers’ data status

According to sources, progress is likely to be made on the proposed agreement between the PPP and the MQM-P during the meeting. The ongoing talks between the joint opposition and the MQM-P have also raised some new demands and today’s talks would be fruitful.

Sources also informed that the senior PPP leaders and legal experts have objected to some of the provisions of the proposed agreement between the PPP and the MQM-P.

Russia to expel US diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Russia on Wednesday said it was expelling US diplomats in retaliation for Washington s step to remove 12 of Moscow s representatives to the UN based in New York.

"On March 23, a note with the list of the American diplomats declared persona non grata was handed to the head of the American diplomatic mission who was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the ministry said in a statement.

Read more: After two years, Aitekaf to resume at Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia

The decision was taken in response to the expulsion by Washington of Russian diplomats at the UN in New York, the source said.

"The US side has been given firm notice that any hostile action by the United States against Russia will be met with a resolute and appropriate response," the statement added.

A US State Department spokesperson confirmed it had received the list from Moscow.

"This is Russia s latest unhelpful and unproductive step in our bilateral relationship. We call on the Russia government to end its unjustified expulsions of US diplomats and staff," this official said.

"Now more than ever, it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments."

Read more: Fortress Kyiv Holds Breath Ahead Of Feared Russian Assault

The United States expelled 12 members of the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN in early March amid an open crisis with Russia over Ukraine on charges of espionage.

"The US has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the US by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security," the spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN, Olivia Dalton, announced in a statement.

The Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoli Antonov, denounced it as a "hostile move" by the United States, stressing that the actions were a cause of "deep disappointment and absolute rejection" in Moscow.

Nation celebrating Pakistan Day with patriotic zeal and zest

The nation is celebrating the 82nd Pakistan Day with zeal and fervor today (March 23), with the joint armed forces parade going on in full swing in the federal capital to exhibit the country’s military prowess and cultural diversities.

President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Ajmal Khan Niazi, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak are at the venue attending the parade.

Read more: Change of guards ceremony held at Allama Iqbal's mausoleum

The parade includes contingents of the tri-services, paramilitary forces and civil armed forces.

One of the important highlights of the parade is the fly-past of the newly inducted J-10C fighter jets. The J-10C aircrafts, equipped with cutting-edge technology, were inducted into the Pakistan Air Force’s squadron earlier this month.

The dignitaries participating in the 48th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are also witnessing the Pakistan Day Parade as Guests of Honor.

Pakistan Day holds a significant place in the history of the country. Pakistan Day is celebrated each year on March 23 to mark the passage of the Lahore Resolution that led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia in 1947. The historic resolution, known as the Pakistan Resolution, was approved on March 23, 1940.

Read more: Islamabad: Pakistan Day parade continues

Special dua ceremonies were held at the mosques after Fajr prayers for eradication of coronavirus from the country and also seeking solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country. The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals.

Change of guards ceremony held at Allama Iqbal's mausoleum

A prestigious change of guards ceremony was held Wednesday at the mausoleum of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal. A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force assumed ceremonial guard duties with traditional spirit and enthusiasm.

Air Vice Marshal Zubair Hassan was chief guest on the occasion. He laid a floral wreath at the grave of Dr Iqbal, and prayed for progress and prosperity of the country on the occasion. He also penned down his impressions in the Visitors’ book.

Read more: Islamabad: Pakistan Day parade continues

The nation is celebrating Pakistan Day with a commitment to ensure progress, prosperity and a strong defense of the country.

Pakistan Day holds a significant place in the history of the country. Pakistan Day is celebrated each year on March 23 to mark the passage of the Lahore Resolution that led to the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia in 1947. The historic resolution, known as the Pakistan Resolution, was approved on March 23, 1940.

Special dua ceremonies were held at the mosques after Fajr prayers for eradication of coronavirus from the country and also seeking solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country. The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals.

The National flag has been hoisted at all major government buildings.

No coronavirus-related death reported in the last 24 hours

For the first time in almost two years, no coronavirus-related death was reported in Pakistan in the last 24 hours.

The nationwide tally of fatalities from the novel coronavirus stands at 30,333 on Wednesday while the confirmed positive cases in the country has surged to 1,522,862.

Read more: Islamabad: Pakistan Day parade continues

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 443 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan has conducted 34,476 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 443 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 1.28 percent.

Fortress Kyiv Holds Breath Ahead Of Feared Russian Assault

Filled with mountains of sandbags and weapons at the ready, Kyiv is waiting. On day 27 of Russia s invasion, the advance of troops northwest and east of the Ukrainian capital seems to have stalled and residents are taking advantage of a curfew to catch their breath and prepare.

With businesses ordered closed and residents told to stay home, Kyiv is a ghost town, with air sirens and distant sounds of explosions regularly punching through the silence and the golden cupolas of the landmark Saint Sophia Orthodox cathedral shining in spring sun.

Read more: Cause of China jet crash still unknown as hunt for black boxes continues

Kyiv mayor and former world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko imposed the curfew from Monday until Wednesday morning, telling civilians to seek cover in bomb shelters if air defence sirens go off.

"For people who have been constantly under pressure since the start of the invasion, it s a chance to breathe a little," says Alexis, who taught German before the war and guides an AFP team through the city.

"At any rate, they are traumatised, they don t really want to go out."

Islamabad: Pakistan Day parade continues

The main parade of Pakistan Day is continues inIslamabad.

 

Cause of China jet crash still unknown as hunt for black boxes continues

Crash investigators on Tuesday said they do not yet know why a China Eastern jet carrying 132 people plunged from the sky, with recovery teams still scouring a forested mountainside for flight recorders from the pulverised Boeing aircraft.

No survivors had been found nearly 36 hours after Monday's crash — the deadliest air disaster in three decades in China, a country that had maintained an enviable air safety record.

“With the current information, we are unable to make a clear judgement on the cause of the accident,” Zhu Tao, director of the aviation safety office at China's aviation authority, told reporters late on Tuesday.

He said the focus is now on “the search for flight recorders”.

Questions have mounted over the cause of the crash, which saw the stricken jet drop 20,000 feet in just over a minute before plunging into rugged terrain in southern China on Monday afternoon.

The velocity of the impact left twisted metal and passengers' belongings scattered across a swathe of forest.

The airline has officially acknowledged that some aboard the jet, which was travelling from the city of Kunming to the southern hub of Guangzhou, had perished — but has stopped short of declaring all on board dead.

Contact has been made with the families of all on board, said Sun Shiying, chairperson of China Eastern Airlines Yunnan.

The crashed plane, which was nearly seven years old, had met all airworthiness requirements pre-flight, he told reporters at Tuesday's press conference.

President Xi Jinping called for a full probe shortly after the crash as search teams armed with drones descended upon the site in a rural area of Guangxi province.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has said it will conduct a two-week safety inspection across the industry.

On Tuesday, scorch marks were visible from the crash and resulting fire, rescue workers told AFP, with one speculating that passengers had been “totally incinerated” from the intensity of the blaze.

A villager near the sprawling crash site, giving only his surname Ou, recounted hearing a “sound like thunder” followed by a blaze that blistered the surrounding hills.

A torn wallet and burned camera lens were among the eviscerated possessions captured on video by a reporter from the state-run People's Daily who was able to enter the crash site.

But AFP journalists were blocked at a hillside checkpoint by a group of men identifying themselves as Communist Party members who said they had “orders from above” to prevent access.

The disaster occurred after a high-speed vertical nosedive, according to a video carried by Chinese media. AFP could not immediately verify the video's authenticity.

Flight MU5735, which took off from Kunming shortly after 1pm (0500 GMT), lost contact over Wuzhou, a city in the Guangxi region, according to China's aviation authority.

The foreign ministry said on Tuesday they believed all passengers on board were Chinese nationals.

In Guangzhou airport, staff assisted loved ones of the 123 passengers and nine crew members aboard the plane, which stopped sending any flight information after dropping a total of 26,000 feet in altitude in just three minutes.

Relatives and friends of those onboard endured a grim wait for news.

A user on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, wrote that he was a friend of a crew member on the crashed plane.

“I will miss you forever,” he wrote, describing the “enthusiasm” his friend took to his new job this year.

One woman had told local media that she had changed her flight plans at the last minute to board an earlier plane — but her sister and four friends had boarded the stricken China Eastern jet.

The disaster prompted an unusually swift public reaction from Xi, who said he was “shocked” and called for “absolute safety” in air travel.

State media said Vice Premier Liu He, a powerful official close to Xi who usually deals with economic matters, had been dispatched to the area to oversee rescue and investigation work.

Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed the plane sharply dropped from an altitude of 29,100 feet to 7,850 feet in just over a minute.

After a brief upswing, it plunged to 3,225 feet, the tracker said.

Despite a huge boom in travel, China has a strong flight safety record.

Chinese media reported that the airline will now ground all its Boeing 737-800 jets.

The deadliest Chinese commercial flight accident was a China Northwest Airlines crash in 1994 that killed all 160 people onboard.