Month: November 2020

Baffled by protests against his government, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he would not give permission to the political parties to hold anti-government rallies in Multan and other cities due to spread of Covid-19.

“The coronavirus is spreading dangerously, therefore the opposition should postpone PDM public meetings,” Dawn quoted Khan as saying while talking to spokespersons at the Prime Minister House.

Quoting the prime minister, a participant of the meeting said: “The government will strictly enforce standard operating procedures and not allow the opposition to hold rallies as the health guidelines did not permit large gatherings.”

Prime Minister Khan’s spokesperson warned people that those will attend public meetings be sent behind bars.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an 11-party alliance to protest against the Imran Khan-government, have held four public meetings against the government in Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar while two are scheduled for Nov 30 and Dec 13 in Multan and Lahore, respectively.

The meetings had witnessed a huge turnout.

On Friday, several Pakistan Peoples Party workers were arrested by Imran Khan-led government in order to stop the Opposition parties from organising PDM rally.

Slamming Khan for the arrest of several Pakistan Peoples Party activists in Multan, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday made it clear that the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) rally on November 30 will be definitely held.

Responding to a video shared on Twitter by Kasim Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, showing PPP activists being taken in a police van, Bhutto said, “Fascist regime continues to arrest Democratic activists in Multan. These puppets are scared of jiyalas. Try as they might they cannot stop PPP from marking our foundation day along with PDM leaders on 30th November.”

Overnight on Friday, police sealed Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh Stadium, where the PDM event is scheduled to take place on November 30, Dawn reported. (ANI)

Bollywood stars Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan in a live event on Saturday dropped the much-anticipated trailer for their upcoming drama ‘Coolie No 1.’

Dressed in a red ensemble, Sara looked drop-dead gorgeous while Varun looked dapper in black as he carried a red scarf with the attire. The duo teased the release of their film and said that the movie will hit Amazon Prime in December. The ‘Kalank’ star also shared the rib-tickling trailer on Twitter that features an ensemble star cast including Paresh Rawal, Javed Jaffrey, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav amongst others.

The three-minute-fifteen-second trailer starts with the voice-over of Paresh Rawal who desires to get his daughter (Sara Ali Khan) married to a rich guy. Rawal lands on Varun Dhawan, a rich son of a rich dad, who whiles away his time playing golf at home and on conference calls with ATM aka Ambani, Trump, and Modi. He quickly wins over Sara with some song and dance and Paresh is a happy father.

The clip then surfaces to Rawal’s hometown, where he meets another man, a coolie named Raju who looks just like his son-in-law to be. The trailer also showcases glimpses of the reprised versions of hit songs ‘Goriya Chura Na Mera Jiya’. In one of the sequences, Varun is seen copying the accent of Mithun Chakraborty.

Sharing the trailer, Varun captioned the post on the micro-blogging site as, “Aeeeee coolie coolie coolie.Trailer out now (with four red chilly emojis).”

After the box office success of ‘Judwaa 2’, this will be the second film of Varun Dhawan with his father David Dhawan. The movie which is a remake of the 1995 Govinda and Karishma Kapoor starrer of the same name will see David Dhawan filling his old shoes as the Director of the film, with the fresh pairing of Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan who have never been seen together in a movie before.

The movie which was supposed to be released earlier in May 2020, had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as all the cinema halls were shut because of the lockdown. Keeping the pandemic in mind, the movie is now all set to be released on the OTT platform, Amazon Prime with its release date on Christmas 2020. (ANI)

By Ajit K Dubey

Amid the ongoing stand-off between India and China, the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Indian Navy have been deployed in the Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh.

The idea behind the deployment of the MARCOS in Eastern Ladakh where Indian Air Force’s Garud operatives and Indian Army’s Para Special Forces, which have been there since day one of the conflicts, is to enhance the integration of the three services and provide the naval commandos exposure to extreme cold weather conditions, government sources told ANI.

“The MARCOS have been deployed in the Pangong lake area where the Indian and Chinese forces have been engaged in a conflict situation since April-May timeframe this year,” the sources said.

The Navy commandos are also soon going to get new boats for operations in the lake are along with the existing infrastructure for operations in the lake, they said.

Indian Army’s Special Forces including the Para Special Forces and Cabinet Secretariat’s Special Frontier Force have been operating in Eastern Ladakh for carrying out special operations for a long time.

The Indian Air Force’s Garud Special Forces moved to hilltops on the strategic heights on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)along with their Igla shoulder-fired air defence systems in the early days of the conflict to take care of any fighter or other aircraft of the enemy which may have tried to violate Indian air space.

The special troops belonging to both the Army and Air Force have been there for more than six months now.

On August 29-30 also, the Indian side had used the special forces to occupy strategic heights along the LAC to preempt the Chinese from doing so. The Chinese have also maintained special troops on their side of the LAC.

The Indian Navy has deployed teams of its MARCOS in the Wular lake area of Jammu and Kashmir to tackle terrorism there. The Indian Air Force started deploying Garuds in Kashmir valley after the 2016 Pathankot operations to give them the feel of real operations as part of plans of the then Army chief and now Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat.

Soon after their deployment, the Garuds proved their mettle and earned one Ashok Chakra, three Shaurya Chakras, and many other gallantry awards for eliminating a team of terrorists led by the nephew of 26/11 terrorist Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi.

After that operation, the Air Force has been sending regular Garud teams for forward deployment in Kashmir valley.

The Indian Army has many of its special forces battalions deployed in the Kashmir valley for counter-terrorist operations including the ones which carried out surgical strikes in 2016. (ANI)

Farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana on Saturday morning began arriving at the Nirankari Samagam Ground on the outskirts of the national capital for a protest against the new farm laws.

After days of a standoff with police and after facing teargas shells, water cannons and barricading on various points on the Delhi-Haryana border by police, the farmers ‘Dilli Chalo’ march was allowed to enter Delhi on Friday and proceed to the ground in Burari situated in its north-west. The Tikri border was opened up for them.

Braving Delhi’s cold, some of the farmers were seen cooking food in the open field this morning.

“Our protest will continue till the farm laws are not withdrawn. We are here for the long haul,” one of the farmers told ANI.

Arrangements have been made for the farmers at the ground, by the Delhi Government.

The Delhi Police made an appeal to the farmers to maintain peace and hold a peaceful protest.

“After discussion with farmer leaders, the protesting farmers have been permitted inside Delhi to hold a peaceful protest at Nirankari Ground, Burari. Delhi Police appeals to them to maintain peace,” the Delhi Police tweeted through its official handle.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has welcomed the Centre’s decision to allow the agitating farmers to enter the national capital.

At Singhu on the border between Delhi and Haryana on the Grand Trunk Road a meeting of farmers from Punjab was held this morning. Security has been deployed at Tikri border as protesting farmers are gathered here despite being given permission to hold their demonstrations at the Nirankari Samagam Ground.

A Delhi Gurudwara Committe was seen starting langar at the Singhu border.

Farmers are protesting against the three laws — the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

They say that peaceful protest was a Constitutional right and the use of water cannons against them was a crime.

While the government said the three laws will do away with middlemen, enabling farmers to sell their produce in the commercial markets, protestors fear that this could lead to the government not buying produce at guaranteed prices, thereby disrupting their timely payments.

A group of farmers from Fatehgarh Sahib on their way to Delhi to protest against Centre’s farm laws.

Appealing to farmers to end their protest in view of COVID-19 pandemic and winters, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had earlier said the central government is ready to discuss issues related to three agriculture sector laws with the representatives of farmers organisations. (ANI)

A seventh member of the Pakistan touring squad has tested positive for coronavirus days after six members reported positive, New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said in a statement on Saturday.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Wasim Khan had told the team that the New Zealand government has given them a “final warning” after the side breached quarantine protocols.

Khan warned the players that “they’ll send us home” if the team commits one more breach.

“Boys, I spoke to the New Zealand government and they told us there were three or four breaches of protocols. They have a zero-tolerance policy and they’ve given us a final warning. We understand that this is a difficult time for you, and you went through similar conditions in England,” ESPN Cricinfo had quoted Khan as saying in a Whatsapp voice message to the players.

“It’s not easy. But this is a matter of the nation’s respect and credibility. Observe these 14 days and then you’ll have the freedom to go to restaurants and roam about freely. They have told me in clear terms that if we commit one more breach, they’ll send us home,” he added.

As per a report in Stuff.co.nz, the reported breaches happened within the touring party and did not affect other guests at the facility.

“One additional member of the Pakistan Cricket squad has today tested positive during routine testing. The remainder of the results from the squad’s Day 3 swab testing – apart from the six who have already returned a positive result, are negative,” the Country’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday.

“The Pakistan Cricket Team will be next undergoing day six testing as planned,” it added.

The Pakistan cricket team had arrived in Christchurch on Tuesday for a month-long tour of New Zealand.

The squad led by Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam was under a mandatory 14-day quarantine period as per COVID-19 protocol.

Pakistan are slated to play three T20Is on December 18, 20, and 22, and the ICC World Test Championship fixtures will be held in Mount Maunganui and Christchurch on December 26-30 and January 3-7, respectively. (ANI)

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s top nuclear scientist was killed on Friday in an apparent assassination that the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif linked to Israel.

However, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has not commented on the incident, according to CNN. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was head of the research center of new technology in the elite Revolutionary Guards.

CNN further reported that the Iranian state media said that the killing “appeared to be” an assassination. Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif called the death “cowardice — with serious indications of Israeli role.”

“Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today,” his tweet read and added, “This cowardice–with serious indications of Israeli role–shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators Iran calls on the international community–and especially EU–to end their shameful double standards and condemn this act of state terror.”

US President Donald Trump retweeted a tweet from the prominent Israeli journalist Yossi Melman that read, “Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi assassinated in Damavand, east of Tehran according to reports in Iran. He was head of Iran’s secret military program and wanted for many years by Mossad. His death is a major psychological and professional blow for Iran.”

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri said that there would be “severe revenge” against “the killers” of Fakhrizadeh, according to IRNA.

“The assassination of this capable and worthy manager, although it was a bitter and heavy blow to the country’s defense complex, but the enemies know that the path started by the martyr Fakhrizadeh will never be stopped,” Bagheri said, as reported by IRNA.

Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote in a letter to the UN secretary-general and Security Council after the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist: “Warning against any adventuristic measures by the United States and Israel against my country, particularly during the remaining period of the current administration of the United States in office, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its rights to take all necessary measures to defend its people and secure its interests.”

The American media outlet reported that a US official said that the Trump administration said it is closely monitoring the situation and added that the death would be a big deal.

Trita Parsi, the co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said that with regard to the assassination suspects, “there are not that many candidates.”

“At the end of the day the only countries that actually have the intent, the motivation and the capacity — and the capacity is really important — really reduces the number of candidates to no more than Israel and potentially the United States,” he told CNN.

Iran started to withdraw from the commitments of the 2015 nuclear deal in 2019, which was a year after Trump pulled out of the agreement and unleashed sanctions on Iran. (ANI)

Welcoming the protesting farmers, who were allowed to enter Delhi through the Tikri border to hold demonstrations on Nirankari Samagam Ground in the Burari area against the new farm laws, the Aam Adami Party on Friday said that it will make all the necessary arrangements for them.

“The Aam Aadmi Party welcomes the farmers to Delhi. We will take full care of the farmers and make all the necessary arrangements for them. We stand with the farmers in this battle. Jai Kisan,” the party tweeted from its official handle.

Prior to that, the party also disclosed the capital territory government’s decision to reject Delhi Police’s application seeking permission to convert stadiums into temporary jails for the protesting farmers and asked the central government to accept their demands.

Meanwhile, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has closed several stations in the national capital as a precautionary measure.

“Entry and exit gates of Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan and Ghevra stations on Green Line are now closed,” the DMRC tweeted earlier today.

Moreover, vehicles are not allowed towards Singhu Border (Delhi-Haryana). “Interstate vehicles may take Western/Eastern Peripheral Expressway,” said Delhi Traffic Police, which diverted traffic in several places in the national capital.

“In view of the rally/march/protest by all India kishan sangharsh coordination committee, the traffic police are diverting traffic from Mukarba Chowk and GTK road. Traffic is very very heavy in this area,” the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.

“Tikri Border is completely closed for traffic movements by local police. Traffic intending to go towards Haryana is also closed. All motorists are advised to avoid this route…,” the Delhi Traffic Police said in another tweet. (ANI)

The Delhi Police on Friday allowed permission to farmers to peacefully protest at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari amid the Dilli Chalo march initiated against the farm laws.

“After discussion with farmer leaders, Delhi Police has allowed farmers to protest peacefully at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari. We appeal to them to maintain peace in order to avoid any inconvenience to others,” said Delhi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Eish Singhal.

This comes as farmers groups, including women, continued their march towards Delhi while protesting and raising slogans near the border areas of the national capital.

Scores of farmers at the Tikri border near the Delhi-Bahadurgarh highway and the Singhu border were seen agitating amid heavy security deployment.

While the government said the three laws will do away with middlemen, enabling farmers to sell their produce in the commercial markets, protestors fear that this could lead to the government not buying produce at guaranteed prices, thereby disrupting their timely payments.

Farmers are protesting against the three laws — the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

Twelve years after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the United States has announced a reward of up to USD 5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba member Sajid Mir for his “role” in the attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

According to an official statement issued by the US Rewards for Justice program, “Sajid Mir, a senior member of the Pakistan-based foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), is wanted for his involvement in the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. The Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to USD 5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of Sajid Mir for his role in these attacks.”

On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists, trained by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation LeT, carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai — the Taj Mahal Hotel, the Oberoi Hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman (Chabad) House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus — killing 166 people.

In these gruesome attacks, nine terrorists were killed and the lone survivor, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was caught and sentenced to death. On November 11, 2012, Kasab was hanged at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.

“Sajid Mir was LeT’s operations manager for the Mumbai attack, playing a leading role in its planning, preparation, and execution. Mir was indicted in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division (Chicago, Illinois) on April 21, 2011, and was charged with conspiracy to injure the property of a foreign government; providing material support to terrorists; aiding and abetting the killing of a citizen outside of the US; and the bombing of places of public use. According to the indictment, during the attacks, Mir advised the attackers to kill hostages, set fires, and throw grenades and also sought the release of a hostage in exchange for the release of a captured attacker. A warrant for Mir’s arrest was issued on April 22, 2011. In 2019, Mir was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List,” the department said.

It added that on August 30, 2012, the Department of the Treasury designated Mir for holding leadership positions within the LeT. “According to the US Department of Treasury, as of 2005, Mir directed training for operatives preparing for overseas recruiting, money laundering, and operational planning. The LeT was designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the US Department of State in December 2001,” the department added.

However, Pakistani authorities continue to deny culpability and are yet to take action on the multiple dossiers shared by India. A trial underway in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court against seven suspects has made little headway in more than a decade, as Pakistani officials serially question the sufficiency and legitimacy of evidence against them.

Pakistan has been placed on the FATF’s grey list of the country with inadequate controls over terror financing in 2018, saying Pakistan “still needs to demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are identifying and investigating the widest range of terrorism financing activity.”

Pakistan has long been criticised for cultivating terror proxy groups and the country currently faces renewed pressure to act against terrorists. (ANI)

As farmers continue their march to Delhi against new farm laws, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said they should directly talk to the Central government for all their “legitimate” issues.

“The central government is always ready for talks. I appeal to all the farming brothers to directly talk to the Centre for all their legitimate issues. The movement is not its way – the solution will come out of the conversation,” read Khattar’s tweet translated from Hindi.

Farmers from Haryana and Punjab are heading to the national capital as part of the protest march. Police deployed on the Delhi border in view of the farmers’ movement and all vehicles heading towards the national capital are being checked.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has allowed farmers to protest peacefully at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari.

“After discussion with farmer leaders, Delhi Police has allowed farmers to protest peacefully at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari. We appeal to them to maintain peace in order to avoid any inconvenience to others,” Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal told ANI.

While the government said the three laws will do away with middlemen, enabling farmers to sell their produce in the commercial markets, protestors fear that this could lead to the government not buying produce at guaranteed prices, thereby disrupting their timely payments.

Farmers are protesting against the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)