With United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss heightening tensions with Tehran following the killing of top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, Twitterati are wondering why did Pompeo choose the army chief over Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan or Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The telephonic conversation came after Iran’s top security body vowed to retaliate in the “right place and time” following Revolutionary Guards commander Soleimani’s death in an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump on Friday.
“America should know that its criminal attack on General Soleimani has been the country’s biggest mistake in west Asia, and America will not avoid the consequences of this wrong calculation easily,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.
The dramatic escalation and subsequent fears of “World War III” were followed by both Washington and Tehran alerting their allies.
“#Pakistan’s Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about U.S. defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver,” Pompeo tweeted on Friday.
#Pakistan‘s Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about U.S. defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver.
In another tweet, Pompeo disclosed he spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well about Soleimani’s killing “to protect American lives at stake”.
Spoke with Afghan President @AshrafGhani on @realDonaldTrump‘s decision to kill Qassem Soleimani to protect American lives at stake. The Iranian regime’s actions are a source of instability throughout the region. The U.S. will protect its people and its interests.
Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) disclosed that the army chief and the US secretary of state discussed “regional situation including possible implications” after the escalation in the Middle East.
“COAS received telephone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Regional situation, including possible implications of recent escalation in Middle East, was discussed,” the military’s media wing tweeted.
COAS received telephone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Regional situation including possible implications of recent escalation in Middle East was discussed. (1of2).
“COAS emphasised need for maximum restraint and constructive engagement by all concerned to de-escalate the situation in broader interest of peace and stability. COAS also reiterated the need for maintaining focus on success of Afghan Peace Process,” read another tweet.
COAS emphasised need for maximum restraint and constructive engagement by all concerned to de-escalate the situation in broader interest of peace and stability. COAS also reiterated the need for maintaining focus on success of Afghan Peace Process.(2of2).
Meanwhile, Twitterati took to Twitter to ask as to why had Pompeo not called PM Imran or FM Qureshi at such a time.
All pretence removed, with the US secretary of state engaging directly with the Pakistani army chief, rather than his counterpart the foreign minister or Pakistan’s prime minister. https://t.co/V6TvvwRHvG
Pompeo calls Gen Bajwa. Not the PM not the FM. and here some incl me believed that extension can be stopped. Where is that SMQ who said now foreign policy will be made in FO.
While Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has advised both the US and Iran to refrain from taking “unilateral action” against each other and abide by the United Nations (UN) Charter to respect each other’s territorial integrity, the premier has not yet made any statement.
A three-year-old girl was rescued alive after 21 hours from underneath the debris of a multi-story building that collapsed in Sukkur.
As per reports, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials along with army officers rescued the girl, who miraculously did not even have a scratch on her. She was immediately taken to the city’s Civil Hospital for a medical checkup.
Five others were also rescued from the debris. According to Sukkur Commissioner Shafiq Ahmed Mahesar, the death toll from the collapse rose to six.
The four-story building, located on Sukkur’s busy Station Road, was built above a few shops and had four families living there.
Rescuers initially faced difficulties after the collapse caused a power blackout in the area.
Commissioner Mahesar who was overseeing the rescue efforts said the building could have collapsed either because poor material was used in its construction or because it was not built according to the approved maps. An investigation will be conducted to determine the real cause behind the collapse.
Tensions between the United States (US) and Iran have escalated to an all-time high after top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani was killed on Friday in a US strike on Baghdad’s international airport.
The development has been confirmed by both Tehran and Washington, and the Pentagon has said that President Donald Trump “ordered Soleimani’s killing”, after a pro-Iran mob this week laid siege to the US embassy.
Following Soleimani’s death, Trump tweeted an image of the US flag without any further explanation.
The pre-dawn developments mark the most major escalation yet in a feared proxy war between Iran and the US on Iraqi soil.
Here’s everything you need to know about the dramatic escalation:
WHO WAS QASSEM SOLEIMANI?
Head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force Soleimani acquired celebrity status at home and abroad as leader of the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards and for his key role in fighting in Syria and Iraq.
He was instrumental in the spread of Iranian influence in the Middle East, which the US and Tehran’s regional foes Saudi Arabia and Israel have struggled to keep in check, Al Jazeera reported.
Soleimani survived several assassination attempts against him by Western, Israeli and Arab agencies over the past 20 years.
Under Soleimani’s leadership, the IRGC vastly expanded its capabilities, becoming a significant influence in intelligence, financial, and political spheres beyond Iran’s borders.
WHY WAS HE KILLED?
It all started on Sunday with US military airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that killed 25 fighters and left militias vowing revenge.
SUNDAY (DEC 29)
According to a report, the US military carried out airstrikes on five sites in Iraq and Syria against the Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah militia, calling it retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it blamed on the group.
At least 25 fighters were killed and dozens wounded. The targeted group, which is a separate force from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, operates under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMF and a founder of Kataeb Hezbollah, was also killed in the strikes Thursday that killed Soleimani in Baghdad.
The two were scheduled to meet and were leaving Soleimani’s plane at the airport when Friday’s attack occurred.
MONDAY (DEC 30)
The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia vowed to retaliate while a spokesperson for Kataeb Hezbollah denied the group was behind last week’s rocket attacks, including the one that killed the American contractor, saying Washington was using them as a pretext to attack his group.
“These forces must leave,” he said of American troops in Iraq, calling Sunday’s attack a “crime” and a “massacre”.
The Iraqi government said it would reconsider its relationship with the US-led coalition — the first time it has said it will do so since an agreement was struck to keep some US troops in the country. It called the attack a “flagrant violation’’ of its sovereignty.
TUESDAY (DEC 31)
Hundreds of Iraqi militiamen and their supporters broke into the American Embassy compound in Baghdad, smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area.
The marchers, many of them in militia uniforms, shouted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” outside the compound, hurling water and stones over its walls. The group set up a tent camp overnight in front of the embassy and sprayed graffiti on its walls.
Some commanders of militia factions loyal to Iran joined the protesters outside the embassy in a strikingly bold move. Among them was Qais al-Khizali, the head of one of the most powerful Iranian-backed group in Iraq, who is on a US terror list, and Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the PMF, the umbrella group for the Iran-backed militias.
President Trump blamed Iran for the breach of the embassy compound in Baghdad and called on Iraq to protect the embassy.
Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!
There were no reports of casualties. The State Department said all American personnel were safe and that there were no plans to evacuate the embassy. Following the storming of the compound, Defence Secretary Mark Esper ordered roughly 750 additional American troops to deploy to the region, with another 3,000 placed on standby.
The political influence of the PMF has risen in recent years, and their allies dominate the parliament and the government. That has made them the target of the anti-government protesters, who set up a sprawling protest camp in central Baghdad, and who for weeks have been trying to enter the Green Zone. Iraqi security forces have beaten them back with tear gas and live ammunition, killing hundreds.
The militiamen and their supporters, however, were able to quickly enter the Green Zone on Tuesday and mass in front of the embassy, with little if any resistance from authorities. Iraqi security forces made no effort to stop the protesters as they marched to the heavily fortified Green Zone after a funeral for those killed in the airstrikes.
WEDNESDAY (JAN 1)
The Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the American Embassy compound after two days of clashes with American security forces.
US Marines had fired tear gas in response to stones thrown by protesters but no one was reported killed and the tent camp dispersed after the PMF called on its supporters to depart, suggesting their message had “been received.”
“We rubbed America’s nose in the dirt,” said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter.
Embassy workers and diplomats were ultimately holed up for more than 24 hours during the situation at the embassy. Ambassador Matt Tueller, the American ambassador to Iraq, was traveling at the time of the attack but State Department officials told The Hill that he would return to the embassy amid the tensions.
FRIDAY (JAN 3)
General Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and five others were killed in the early-morning airstrike at Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi officials said.
A senior Iraqi security official said the airstrike, conducted by an American drone, took place on an access road near the cargo area of the airport after Soleimani left his plane to be greeted by al-Muhandis and others. The official said the plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria.
An old video of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been doing rounds on Twitter. The video shows the PM answering the question of whether Khan had ever been offered a role in Bollywood. To which Imran replied “You won’t believe it but I was once asked by an Indian actor who we all look up to, to act in one of his upcoming films. He even turned up in England to request me, but I was puzzled.”
The host asked the details about who offered him and why he rejected it. To which Khan revealed that “It was Dev Anand, who in my time was very well known.”
The fact was also revealed in Anand’s autobiography, Romancing with Life (published by the Penguin Group in 2007) when the actor passed away in London in 2011. In the book, Anand quoted that he wanted the Pakistani cricket star to play the role of a star in decline in his film Awwal Number. Anand wrote that Khan was speechless when he first told him about the film. “You have bowled me over, Mr. Dev Anand. But I don’t think I am a good actor,” said Khan.
Anand called him from Bangalore and told Imran Khan that he would be on the next available flight to London to convince him for the film.
Anand wrote “Khan invited Anand to his flat in Soho. “Imran was hospitable and a very friendly host. Khan was ambitious for his political aim”. Anand left the script of the film with him and Khan returned it the very next evening with a note that said he wouldn’t be able to take up his offer.
A transnational non-profit organisation, International Crisis Group, has warned that any militant attack on Indian forces in held Kashmir could set off an escalation between Pakistan and India, saying that pro-freedom militants were lying low in the troubled vallet, but they were still active.
“India’s heavy-handed military operations in Kashmir over the past few years have inspired a new homegrown generation, whose ranks are likely to swell further after the latest repression,” read its report titled “10 conflicts to watch in 2020”.
Indian fighter planes had violated Pakistani airspace after a pro-freedom militant attack that killed at least 40 paramilitary soldiers in Pulwama on February 19, 2019. In retaliation, Pakistan had shot down two Indian jets over Kashmir on Feb 27, and captured an Indian pilot as well. He, however, was released by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s government as a “gesture of peace”.
The Crisis Group, which describes itself as “working to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world” , has warned that any Pulwama-like attack on Indian forces in Kashmir would precipitate Indian action against Pakistan.
“In a worst-case scenario, the two nuclear-armed neighbours could stumble into war,” the report said.
The Crisis Group asked New Delhi to lift the communication blackout and release political prisoners in the occupied valley, and asked Pakistan to take action against militants allegedly operating from its soil.
It further urged the international community to push Pakistan and India for talks “before it is too late”.
Pakistan’s first blind civil judge Yousuf Saleem has tied the knot.
Saleem changed Pakistan’s history when he challenged the Federal Civil Services system. He was rejected for the position of a civil judge despite being the topper because of his visual impairment.
Former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar took notice of the issue and after presiding in Saleem’s favour, the 25-year-old took the oath to be sworn in as a civil judge at Punjab Judiciary Academy on June 26, 2018.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) shared that an estimated 16,787 babies would be born in Pakistan on New Year’s Day.
According to a statement by UNICEF, “Pakistani babies will account for 4.28% of the estimated 392,078 babies to be born on New Year’s Day.”
Each
January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year’s Day, which is considered
to be a lucky time for childbirth around the world.
However, UNICEF reported that in 2018, 2.5 million newborns died before reaching one month old, around a third of them on the first day of life.
“In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year,” UNICEF said.
According
to the UN Agency, the world has seen amazing progress in child survival over
the past three decades, lessening the number of children worldwide who die
before their fifth birthday by more than half.
A groom in Peshawar was killed on the day of his Walima ceremony
over a dispute on filming the women who were present at the function.
According to the family of the deceased, an argument over recording
a video of the women dancing at the event led to the shooting incident.
As per reports, some of the guests were offended by the act, which
is considered unethical in most areas of the Khyber-Pakhtunkwa province.
The suspect identified as Abid shot down the groom a few minutes
before he was leaving for the reception.
The accused, including one
of the brothers-in-law of the groom, ran away after the incident. According to
police, the body was shifted to the hospital for a postmortem with search to
arrest the accused underway.
A special team headed by the Faqeerabad DSP has been formed to
arrest the suspects.
Facebook has blocked Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation’s (PBC) live streaming of Indian atrocities and military lockdown in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK),Radio Pakistanreported.
According to the details, Radio Pakistan (RP) has shared screenshots of warning message from Facebook from back in May and July on its website, saying, “your post goes against our Community Standards on dangerous individuals and organisations.”
According to the the screenshots shared by RP, the warning was given on posts that displayed the picture of Kashmiri freedom fighter Burhan Muzaffar Wani and in another post that mentioned Zakir Musa — a mujahid commander — in the headline.
However, Radio Pakistan after the blockage its live streaming from Facebook has said on Monday that it has made “alternate arrangements on YouTube for live streaming for its viewers.”
It is important to note that RP has been highlighting the voice of the people of IoK and exposing Indian atrocities and gross human rights violations at every major platform including social media.
In addition to Facebook, the micro-blogging website Twitter had also suspended hundreds of accounts and removed multiple posts from Pakistan that were raising voice against Indian brutalities in Kashmir, reportedly under pressure from India.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had earlier approached both social media platforms and submitted complaints against their actions.
A Madrassa teacher accused of raping and torturing his 10-year-old student in Abbottabad’s Mansehra was arrested by the police on Sunday.
The main suspect identified as Qari Shamsuddin will be presented in court Monday.
According to reports, a child was taken to a hospitalised on Saturday after his madrassah teacher raped him and then beat him.
The uncle of the victim Ali Gohar lodged an FIR with Pulrah police and said that the medical report of the victim had confirmed that he had been sexually assaulted by owner of the madrassa. The medical report revealed that the child was raped multiple times and had bruises on his elbows and knees and his eyes were swollen.
“We want an immediate arrest of the prime suspect in the case as condition of my nephew is still critical,” he added.
The police have registered a case and arrested four alleged partners of the madrassah teacher, including his brother.
Police said the education department has also initiated an investigation against the government teacher.
The madrassah, which was unregistered, has now been sealed and the rest of the students sent home.
The incident received widespread attention and celebrities demanded for strict action to be taken.
Make an example out of these monsters. Make an example out of these monsters. Make an example out of these monsters. Make an example out of these monsters. For God’s sake. For our children’s sake. For the sake of the religion we believe in and for the one they so wrongly claim!! https://t.co/pDBitYZTN8
Death 2 quick & easy a punishment for child rapists. Castrate them,lock them up. Let psychologists study their sick,hard minds 2 understand how we can prevent creating more monsters like them.May they suffer long & painfully. Like the 10 yr old child raped 100x till his eyes bled
