چیف ایگزیکٹو کا حکم ماننے کے بجائے آرمی چیف ثالث بن گئے: جسٹس شوکت صدیقی

فیض آباد دھرنا ختم کرنے کے سلسلے میں اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ میں دائر درخواست پر سماعت کے دوران جسٹس شوکت عزیز صدیقی کا کہنا تھا کہ آرمی چیف ملک کے چیف ایگزیکٹو کا حکم ماننے کے بجائے ثالث بن گئے۔

اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ کے جج جسٹس شوکت عزیز صدیقی مذہبی جماعتوں کے دھرنے کے خلاف درخواست پر سماعت کر رہے تھے۔

جسٹس شوکت صدیقی نے آئی بی کو ہدایت جاری کرتے ہوئے دھرنے سے متعلق سوشل میڈیا پر وائرل ہونے والی آڈیو کے بارے میں پتہ لگا کر عدالت کو آگاہ کرنے اور فیض آباد آپریشن کی ناکامی کی رپورٹ پیش کرنے کا حکم دے دیا۔

جسٹس شوکت عزیز صدیقی نے ریمارکس دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ فوج کون ہوتی ہے ثالثی کا کردار ادا کرنے والی، کیا فوج اقوامِ متحدہ ہے جو ثالثی کروا رہی ہے۔

انہوں نے استفسار کیا کہ پاکستانی قانون میں ایک میجر جنرل کو ثالث بنانے کا اختیار کہاں دیا گیا ہے، جس بندے کا کورٹ مارشل ہونا چاہیے تھا اسے ثالث بنا دیا گیا۔

جسٹس شوکت صدیقی نے ریمارکس دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ کہاں گیا ان کا ’رد الفساد‘ یہاں ان کو فساد نظر نہیں آیا؟ یہ تو اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ ان کے پیچھے یہی تھے۔

سیکشن 4 کے تحت انتظامیہ کو ہنگامی صورتحال میں فوج بلانے کا اختیار حاصل ہے جبکہ سیکشن 5 کے تحت فوج انتظامیہ کا حکم ماننے کی پابند ہے۔

انہوں براہِ راست فوج کو مخاطب کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ فوج اپنی آئینی حدود میں رہے کیونکہ اب عدلیہ میں جسٹس منیر کے پیروکار نہیں ہیں اور جن فوجیوں کو سیاست کا شوق ہے وہ حکومت کی دی ہوئی بندوق واپس کرکے ریٹائرڈ ہوجائیں اور سیاست کا شوق پورا کرلیں۔

وفاقی حکومت کو تنقید کا نشانہ بناتے ہوئے کہا کہ حکومت انوشہ رحمٰن کو بچانے کے لیے زاہد حامد کی قربانی دے رہی ہے۔

جسٹس صدیقی نے کہا کہ انوشہ رحمان ڈرٹی گیم کھیل رہی ہے ناموس رسالت صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم سے متعلق کیس میں انوشہ رحمٰن کے کردار پر نکتہ اٹھایا تھا۔

عدالت کے جج کے اس سوال پر کہ احسن اقبال آپ بتائیں قانون میں کہاں یہ اختیار دیا گیا؟ جس پر وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے کہا کہ اندرونی سیکیورٹی کے حالات بن رہے تھے، روزانہ کسی کرنل، میجر، ایڈیشنل آئی جی پر حملے ہو رہے ہیں اور ایک ایٹمی قوت کی حامل ریاست کو ناکام دکھانے کے لیے ملک میں اندرونی حالات خراب کرنے کی سازش ہو رہی ہے۔

ان کا یہ بھی کہنا تھا کہ موٹرویز، ریلویز اور شہروں کو بند کیا جا رہا تھا اس لیے مظاہرین کے ساتھ جو معاہدہ ہوا وہ ملک کو ان حالات سے نکالنے کے لیے کیا گیا۔

وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے بتایا کہ اس خاتون کا بیٹا ہوں جس نے ختم نبوت کے قانون کی قرارداد پیش کی تھی، جس پر جسٹس شوکت صدیقی نے کہا کہ آپ عظیم ماں کے بیٹے اور عظیم تر نانا کے نواسے ہیں۔

جسٹس شوکت صدیقی نے آئی بی کو مظاہرین کے پاس ٹیئر گنز، آنسو گیس شیل اور ماسک کی موجودگی کی تحقیقات کرکے اس کی رپورٹ عدالت میں پیش کرنے کا حکم دے دیا۔

جج کا یہ بھی کہنا تھا کہ آئی بی میں بھی بہت کچھ ہو رہا ہے اور آئی بی والے اپنا کام کرنے کے بجائے آئی ایس آئی سے لڑائی میں مصروف ہیں۔

جسٹس شوکت عزیز نے کہا کہ ’مجھے پتہ ہے ان ریمارکس کے بعد میں بھی لاپتہ افراد میں شامل ہو جاؤں گا، یا مارا جاؤں گا‘۔

اس سے قبل جسٹس شوکت عزیز صدیقی مذہبی جماعتوں کے دھرنے کے خلاف درخواست پر سماعت کے دوران وفاقی وزیر داخلہ کی عدم پیشی پر اظہارِ برہمی کرتے ہوئے انہیں 15 منٹ کے اندر عدالت میں حاضر ہونے کا حکم دیا تھا۔

وفاقی وزیر داخلہ احسن اقبال عدالتی احکام کی تعمیل کرتے ہوئے مقررہ وقت میں اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ پہنچے اور عدالت کو یقین دہانی کرائی کہ وفاقی حکومت اور مظاہرین کے درمیان معاہدہ ہو گیا ہے اور کچھ ہی دیر میں دھرنا ختم ہوجائے گا۔

عدالتی کارروائی کے دوران احسن اقبال نے عدالت کو بتایا کہ قومی قیادت کی مشاورت سے صورتحال کی فوری بہتری کے لیے مظاہرین کے ساتھ تحریری معاہدہ کیا گیا ہے جس میں قومی قیادت نے اہم کردار ادا کیا۔

ان کا مزید کہنا تھا کہ اب انشاء اللہ کچھ دیر میں فیض آباد سے مذہبی جماعت کا 20 روز سے زائد جاری رہنے والا دھرنا ختم ہوجائے گا۔

سماعت کے دواران انسپکٹر جنرل (آئی جی) اسلام آباد خالد خٹک، چیف کمشنر ذوالفقار احمد بھٹہ اور ڈپٹی کمشنر کیپٹن (ر) مشتاق بھی عدالت میں موجود تھے۔

عدالت نے وفاقی وزیر داخلہ کے علاوہ ڈائریکٹر جنرل (ڈی جی) انٹیلی جنس بیورو (آئی بی) آفتاب سلطان اور سیکریٹری کمانڈر انٹر سروسز انٹیلی جنس (آئی ایس آئی) کو بھی عدالت میں طلب کررکھا تھا۔

عدالتی حکم نامہ جاری

اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ نے فیض آباد دھرنے کے خلاف شہریوں کی جانب سے دائر درخواست پر تحریری حکم نامہ جاری کرتے ہوئے حکومت اور مظاہرین کے درمیان ہونے والے معاہدے کی شرائط پر سنگین اعتراضات اٹھائے ہیں۔

عدالتی اعتراض میں میجر جنرل فیض حمید کے معاہدے پر دستخط کرنا شامل ہیں جبکہ معاہدے میں پاک فوج کے سربراہ کی ثالثی کے کردار کو سہرائے جانے پر عدالت نے حیرانی کا اظہار کیا۔

عدالتی حکم نامے میں کہا گیا کہ بادالنظر میں فوج نے جو کردار ادا کیا وہ آئین و قوانین کے مطابق نہیں جبکہ مسلح افواج ملکی قوانین کے تحت مینڈیٹ سے باہر نہیں جاسکتیں۔

حکم نامے میں کہا کہ اعلیٰ عدالت کے خلاف ناشائستہ زبان استعمال کی گئی تھی لیکن حکومت اور ثالثی نے معاہدے میں دھرنے والوں سے معافی مانگنے کا بھی مطالبہ نہیں کیا۔

عدالتی حکم نامے یہ بھی کہا گیا کہ حکومت اور فوجی کے آئینی کردار اور فوج کے بطور ثالث کردار ادا کرنے پر عدالت کو مطمئن کیا جائے۔

اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ نے آئی بی سے سوشل میڈیا پر وائرل ہونے والی ایک آڈیو کی تحقیقات کرنے کا حکم دیا جبکہ دھرنے کے خلاف ناکام آپریشن اور مظاہرین کو مدد فراہم کرنے کی رپورٹ بھی طلب کر لی۔

بعد ازاں عدالت نے سماعت کو آئندہ ہفتے 4 دسمبر تک ملتوی کردیا۔

گزشتہ سماعت کے دوران عدالت نے فیض آباد انٹر چینج پر مذہبی جماعتوں کا جاری دھرنا ختم کرانے کے عدالتی احکامات پر عمل در آمد نہ کرنے پر وفاقی وزیر داخلہ احسن اقبال کو توہین عدالت کا شو کاز نوٹس جاری کردیا تھا۔

علاوہ ازیں عدالت نے ڈائریکٹر جنرل (ڈی جی) انٹیلی جنس بیورو (آئی بی) اور انٹر سروسز انٹیلی جنس (آئی ایس آئی) کے سینٹر کمانڈر کو آئندہ کی سماعت پر طلب کیا تھا اور راجہ ظفرالحق کی رپورٹ کو بھی 27 نومبر تک پیش کرنے کا حکم دیا تھا۔

یاد رہے کہ اس سے قبل 20 نومبر کو اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ میں مذہبی جماعتوں کے دھرنے کے خلاف درخواست پر سماعت کے دوران جسٹس شوکت عزیز صدیقی نے اظہارِ برہمی کرتے ہوئے احسن اقبال سے کہا تھا کہ کورٹ کا احترام نہیں ہورہا، آپ کے خلاف توہین عدالت کی کارروائی کی جائے گی، ان تنظیموں کو سیاسی جماعتوں کے طور پر ڈیل کیا جائے۔

عدالت میں سماعت کے دوران پیشی کے بعد میڈیا سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے احسن اقبال کا کہنا تھا کہ سازشی عناصر پاکستان میں ایک مرتبہ پھر سانحہ ماڈل ٹاؤن اور لال مسجد جیسا واقعہ کروانا چاہتے ہیں تاہم پاکستان بھر کے علماء اور مشائخ کو طلب کیا گیا ہے تاکہ معاملے کا پُرامن حل نکلا جا سکے۔

تاہم وفاقی وزیر داخلہ نے عدالت سے 48 گھنٹے کی مہلت مانگتے ہوئے کہا تھا کہ وہ کوشش کر رہے ہیں کہ راستہ کلئیر کرالیں گے۔

بعد ازاں عدالت نے فیض آباد دھرنا ختم کرانے کے لیے انتظامیہ کو 23 نومبر تک کا وقت دے دیا تھا۔

فیض آباد مظاہرین کے خلاف کریک ڈاؤن

واضح رہے کہ اسلام آباد اور راولپنڈی کے سنگم پر واقع فیض آباد انٹرچینج پر مذہبی جماعتوں کا دھرنا گزشتہ 7 نومبر سے جاری تھا، دھرنا ختم کروانے کے عدالتی حکم پر جب انتظامیہ کی جانب سے مظاہرین کے خلاف آپریشن کا آغاز کیا گیا، تو مشتعل افراد نے ملک کے دیگر شہروں میں بھی مظاہرے شروع کر دیئے۔

فیض آباد میں 7 گھنٹے طویل آپریشن کے بعد اسے معطل کر دیا گیا جبکہ سیکڑوں مظاہرین کو گرفتار بھی کیا گیا، لیکن ملک کے دیگر شہروں میں بھی صورتحال کشیدہ ہوگئی اور کئی شہروں میں معمولاتِ زندگی معطل ہوگئی۔

بعدِ ازاں وفاقی حکومت نے ڈی جی پنجاب رینجرز کو نگراں مقرر کردیا جس کے بعد ان کے اور دھرنا مظاہرین کے درمیان مذاکرات ہوئے اور حکومت نے مظاہرین کا مطالبہ تسلیم کرتے ہوئے وزیرِ قانون زائد حامد کو وزارت سے برطرف کردیا۔

Girl’s stripping case: Ali Ameen Gandapur of patronising teenage girl's abusers

PTI MNA accuses party's Ali Gandapur of facilitating suspects in DI Khan girl’s stripping case:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Dawar Khan Kundi has accused PTI leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of facilitating eight people accused of involvement in the alleged stripping and parading naked of a teenage girl in Dera Ismail Khan earlier this month.

Kundi, elected to the NA-25 constituency (DI Khan, Tank), wrote a letter to PTI Chairman Imran Khan dated Nov 8 requesting him to ensure Gandapur's removal from his ministerial position, and urge him to withdraw his support from the suspects and ask the girl's family for forgiveness.

Gandapur, who Kundi describes as "a source of embarrassment for the party", allegedly provided "support for the criminals in the case in which an orphan girl was paraded naked by eight armed men" in DI Khan.

"I visited the family a week before and they asked, in fact, requested me to make sure that Ali Amin Gandapur, revenue minister KP, may be forced and asked to withdraw his support for the criminals," Kundi said in his letter. 

"After privately investigating the case, the reservations of the concerned family were true. Ali Amin provided logistic and physical support to the criminals in violation of the moral norms of society," he alleged.

"The notorious activities of Ali Amin Gandapur are a source of providing a bad name to the party as a whole," Kundi claimed.

He reminded the PTI chief that "since the inception of the provincial government of KP, we had high hopes of implementing the manifesto of PTI in KP and vowed to make an example for the other provinces of our homeland."

However, Gandapur's conduct has "lowered our heads in shame", he said. It is the time that PTI stands for the orphan girl and provide justice as soon as possible, he concluded.

Imran Khan has not responded to the accusations against Gandapur as yet.

Responding to the allegations levelled against him by Kundi, Gandapur said the attempts to link him with the incident were "shameful". "Levelling baseless allegations for achieving political gains is condemnable," he said.

"Those accusing me of patronising the accused are unaware of the police system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Police in KP is completely free from political influence and it is impossible for any minister or political leader, including me, to intervene in their work," Gandapur maintained.

He demanded that those responsible for the inhumane incident be brought to justice. "If there is evidence of me trying to influence the case in any way, you can hang me."

The PTI leader also demanded of the complainants to present proof of their accusations.

Initially, the victim’s family had alleged that the accused had stripped the girl and paraded her naked in the Garahmat village in Daraban tehsil on Oct 27. Later, they claimed that she was taken to the residence of one Sanaullah where her clothes were torn off and she was beaten and kept in illegal confinement.

The victim claimed that she had received bruises on her arm and knee, and that she was dragged by the suspects at gunpoint inside the house.

According to unconfirmed reports, the victim’s family was under pressure to retract their earlier statement.

Interestingly, the Chaudwan police station registered two FIRs on Oct 27. First, the police registered an FIR on complaint of one of the female members of the family of the accused, while another FIR was later registered on the complaint of the victim (name withheld).

Eight of the nine people involved have been arrested, along with two 'facilitators' of the main accused. The prime accused, however, remains missing.

The arrested accused include three brothers Shahjehan, Gulestan and Ramzan, two other brothers Nasir and Aslam, and Ikram, Sanaullah and Saidu.

8 accused of torturing girl in Dera Ismail Khan remanded into police custody

Eight of the nine people suspected of torturing and illegally confining a teenage girl in Garahmat village of Daraban tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan have been remanded into police custody for three days.

The eight accused were presented on Wednesday before Judicial Magistrate Adam Khan who was informed that the police were still looking for one absconder.

They were handed over to the police on a three-day physical remand. Superintendent Police (SP) Saddar Ashfaq Khan is leading the inquiry committee conducting the investigations in the case.

Earlier, the girl’s family had complained that no action had been taken against the Chaudwan police station SHO, accusing the official of supporting the suspects and registering a concocted case against three of its members. 

A brother of the girl, Sajid Khan, formally requested the provincial police officer to order a high-level inquiry into the incident and take strict action against the SHO.

In an application, he alleged that Sajawal and other suspects seized his sister on Oct 27 morning when she, along with her three cousins, went to a local pond to fetch water. He accused them of stripping off her clothes before forcing her to run.

According to Sajid, his sister later took refuge in a nearby house but the suspects dragged her out, beat her up and kept her in illegal confinement. He alleged that the SHO first delayed the registration of the FIR and later booked his family members on the complaint of a female relative of the suspects.

The girl’s family had initially insisted that the suspects had paraded her naked in the area on Oct 27.

They, however, retracted the statement on Monday, claiming that the girl was taken to the suspect's house, where nine people beat her up, tore her clothes and kept her in illegal confinement.

Seven held over DI Khan girl torture case

DI Khan: The police have arrested seven of the nine people suspected of torturing and illegally confining a teenage girl in Garahmat village of Daraban tehsil here.

The girl’s family had first insisted that the suspects paraded her naked in the area on Oct 27.

They however retracted the statement on Monday claiming that the girl was taken to suspect Sanaullah’s house, where nine people beat her up, tore her clothes up and kept her in illegal confinement.

The girl claimed that she had got bruises on arm and knee and that the suspects had dragged her inside the house.

There are unconfirmed reports about the girl’s family being pressured to retract the first statement.

The relevant Chaudwan police station registered two FIRs on Oct 27, first on the complaint of a female family member of the suspects and second on the girl’s.

In a statement issued here on Monday, regional police officer Syed Fida Hassan Shah said the police had arrested seven suspects, including brothers Shahjehan, Gulistan and Ramzan, Ikram, Sanaullah and brothers Nasir and Aslam, while the two others, including Sajawal and Saidu, were at large.

He claimed that he was supervising the investigation and had formed special teams for the arrest of the fugitives.

However, the girl’s family complained that no action had been taken against the Chaudwan police station SHO, who supported suspects and registered a concocted case against three of its members to pressure them to hush up the incident.

A brother of the girl, Sajid Khan, formally requested the provincial police officer to order a high-level inquiry into the incident and take strict action against the SHO.

In an application, he alleged that Sajawal and other suspects seized his sister on Oct 27 morning when she along with her three cousins went to a local pond to fetch water, and stripping her off before forcing her into running.

The man added that his sister later took refuge in a nearby house but the suspects dragged her out, beat her up and kept her in illegal confinement. He alleged that the SHO first delayed the registration of FIR on his complaint and later booked his family members on the complaint of a woman relative of the suspects. 

PTI may expel lawmaker who accused Ali Ameen Gandapur of patronising teenage girl's abusers

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Dawar Khan Kundi — who recently accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of patronising men accused of stripping and parading a teenage girl naked in Dera Ismail Khan earlier this month — faces an uncertain future in PTI after the party's chief and information secretary made differing statements regarding the action to be taken against him.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Friday announced that he would expel Kundi for falsely accusing Gandapur, but the party's central information secretary, Shafqat Mahmood, hastily issued a clarification soon after stating that a different path would be taken in dealing with the matter.

Kundi had earlier written to Khan requesting him to ensure Gandapur's removal from his ministerial position, pressure him into withdrawing his support for the suspects and ask the girl's family for forgiveness.

In the letter, Kundi described Gandapur as "a source of embarrassment for the party", and alleged that Gandapur provided "support for the criminals in the case in which an orphan girl was paraded naked by eight armed men" in DI Khan.

"I visited the family a week before and they asked — in fact, requested — me to make sure that Ali Amin Gandapur, revenue minister KP, is forced to withdraw his support for the criminals," Kundi said in his letter.

Responding to the allegations leveled against him by Kundi, Gandapur had said the attempts to link him with the incident were "shameful".

"Those accusing me of patronising the accused are unaware of the police system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police in KP is completely free from political influence and it is impossible for any minister or political leader, including me, to intervene in their work," Gandapur maintained.

On Friday, Imran Khan, while talking to media over a video link, termed Kundi a "dissident" and "a liar."

"He has had differences with the party for long, but we are now expelling him from the party," Khan said.

"This is not the first time. He has been issuing statements against the party and the KP chief minister over the last one year. He does not even attend our meetings," the PTI chief claimed, adding that the party was going to take action against him.

Handing a clean chit to Gandapur, Khan said he had personally contacted the KP Inspector General of Police, who had rejected the impression that he was under an any political pressure in connection with the investigation of the case.

"Ali Ameen himself says 'hang the responsible by the neck'," Khan said as he ruled out the possibility of Gandapur's involvement in the incident.

However, PTI Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mahmood in a subsequent statement said that Kundi had not been expelled from the party as yet.

"Kundi is being served with a show-cause notice as complaints of grave violations of party discipline were received against him," he said.

"The PTI has a mechanism for inclusion and exclusion from the party," he added.

"Action will be taken as per the rules and regulation of the party if allegations against Kundi are proved," he said.

"A grave violation of party discipline could also result in expulsion," he added.

 

 

 

 

Saudi-led coalition to assist member countries in counter-terrorism operations: Gen Raheel

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday opened the first high-level meeting of a kingdom-led coalition of Muslim nations against terrorism in Riyadh.

The inaugural meeting of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) Ministers of Defence Council is being held under the theme of ‘Allied Against Terrorism’.

“A number of our member countries are under tremendous pressure while fighting well established terrorist organisations due to capacity shortages of their armed forces and law enforcement agencies," said Pakistan’s former army chief and the coalition’s military commander, Gen Raheel Sharif, at the event.

"The IMCTC will act as a platform to assist member countries in their counterterrorism operations through intelligence sharing and capacity building."

The alliance aims to “mobilise and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help member countries build their own counter-terrorism capacity,” Sharif said.

He was of the view that while all individual states were making efforts against the menace of terrorism, the required level of synergy and resources was lacking.

Sharif said that Muslim world was the biggest sufferer of the menace of terrorism and during last six years alone, more than 70% of all deaths attributed to terrorism had occurred in Muslim countries.

“Fight against the faceless enemy with extremist ideology is complex and challenging, and requires collaboration. Pakistan has turned the tide and has had defeated the menace,” he added.

Addressing the defence ministers and other high-ranking officials, the Saudi crown prince said that Sunday’s meeting sends “a strong signal that we are going to work together and coordinate together to support each other.”

However, the alliance doesn’t include Iran, Iraq or Syria, while member nation Qatar sent no one to attend the one-day Riyadh gathering amid a diplomatic standoff between Doha and four Arab nations led by the kingdom.

“The biggest danger of this terrorism and extremism is the tarnishing of our beloved religion's reputation [...] We will not allow this to happen,” said the royal who has been the driving force behind this coalition. “Today, we start the pursuit of terrorism and we see its defeat in many facets around, the world especially in Muslim countries. We will continue to fight it until we see its defeat.”

The crown prince also offered his condolences to Egypt, which suffered an attack on Friday by Islamic militants on a mosque in northern Sinai that killed 305 people.

“This is indeed a painful event and it is a recurrent and strong reminder the dangers of this terrorism,” he said.

The alliance described as a “41-nation pan-Islamic coalition” was announced in December 2015.

Pakistan was part of the initial list of 34 countries that had agreed to become part of the coalition.

Gen Raheel Sharif joined the alliance as its top commander in April this year. According to IMCTC, the former chief "presents the Military Domain, which aims to assist in the coordination, of resourcing and planning of military CT operations, facilitate the secure sharing of information, and encourage military CT capacity and capability building."

Core areas that the IMCTC seeks to address have been identified as ideology, communications, counter terrorist financing and military.

UN blames Saudi-led coalition for deadly Yemen strike

GENEVA: The United Nations on Friday blamed a Saudi-led coalition for a deadly air strike on civilians in Yemen this week, saying there were no military targets in the area hit.

The attack on Tuesday in the Mawza district of the southwestern province of Taez killed at least 20 people, including four children, according to residents.

The UN human rights office, which put the death toll at 18, said the strikes hit three families who were staying in a makeshift straw house after being displaced from their homes three months ago by fighting.

The office said in a statement that the strike was carried out by “Arab Coalition Forces”, referring to the Saudi-led alliance fighting Shia rebels in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

“There do not appear to have been any military objectives anywhere in the immediate vicinity of the destroyed house,” it added.

The Saudi-led coalition has faced repeated criticism over civilian casualties in Yemen. It accuses the Iran-backed rebels of using civilians as human shields.

The coalition has admitted responsibility for some strikes that killed non-combatants, including a raid on the rebel-held capital Sanaa in October 2016 that killed more than 140 people at a funeral ceremony.

The United Nations called for a “comprehensive and impartial investigation” into the latest incident.

The conflict in Yemen has escalated dramatically since March 2015, when the Saudi-led forces launched a military operation against the rebels.

Colville noted that persistent unrest was also hindering the UN’s ability to respond to the cholera crisis in Yemen, which is the world’s largest outbreak of the bacterial infection.

The World Health Organisation said on Friday that the number of suspected cholera infections in Yemen had risen to nearly 370,000, as of July 19.

“Every day, 5,000 more Yemenis fall ill with symptoms of acute watery diarrhoea (or) cholera,” the UN health agency said in a statement.

A full 1,828 people have died during the outbreak since it erupted in late April

 

Transgender woman shot dead in Peshawar

A transgender woman was shot and killed by unidentified men in Peshawar's Cantonment area on Sunday, police said.

An unknown number of armed assailants opened fire at the transgender woman in a room in Khyber Supermarket and fled the scene of the crime.

A policeman at the Gulberg police station told DawnNews that the victim had received three bullet wounds and was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) for treatment.

An LRH spokesperson said that the transgender woman was brought to the hospital in critical condition. "After receiving her, doctors shifted the injured to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and provided treatment," Asim Khan said, adding that the victim succumbed to her injuries in the ICU.

Khan said her body was then shifted to Khyber Medical College for a post-mortem examination.

Soon after the firing incident, members of the transgender community reached LRH and demanded the arrest of the killers.

Gulberg police said a search operation has been launched to arrest the suspects. Currently, however, police are clueless about the number of assailants.

A police official at the Gulberg thana said that according to initial and unconfirmed reports, it was suggested that the killer was a friend of the victim. An investigation is underway.

Report rules out Pakistan-India nuclear war

WASHINGTON: South Asian experts reject the nuclear pessimism in Western capitals about their region, noting that the West’s nuclear “sky is falling” in South Asia argument does not hold when seen in proper context.

This is the conclusion of a report by a prestigious Washington think-tank, the Atlantic Council, which also rules out the possibility of a nuc­lear war between India and Pakistan.

The council based these findings on a series of seminars it held recently in New Delhi, Islamabad and Beijing, noting that South Asian experts who participated in these meetings were more optimistic than the “nuclear sky is falling” arguments often aired in the mass media, and policy conferences in general.

The experts argued that China, India and Pakistan, despite being enmeshed in a complex rivalry, “are stakeholders in the existing international order, and are committed to an open economic order and multilateral institutionalism”.

The experts also noted that all three countries were embedded in a global order that’s vastly different from either the pre-World War I era or the “first nuclear age” that was manifested during the Cold War.

“The nuclear ‘sky is falling’ argument is simply not supported by the evidence, at least when evidence is embedded in its proper context,” the experts maintain.

The report, however, warned that the greatest threat to stability in the region “comes not from the development of large, sophisticated and diversified nuclear arsenals, but from the continued stability of the institutions guarding them”.

The experts highlighted the consequences of “aggressive nationalism” in China and India, and the potential for the “the first three decades of the post-Cold War era” to become merely “a temporary hiatus in their onward nuclear journey”, which could lead to “truly horrendous” consequences that would prove true the “worst-case assumptions of the nuclear pessimists”.

The report noted that until recently, the threat of a nuclear war was thought most likely in South Asia, where India and Pakistan are involved in a festering low-intensity conflict fostered by deep conflicts about identity and territory.

The report underlined two specific dangers: Pakistan deploying tactical nuclear weapons in a conventional war with India, and India’s investments in ballistic missile defences (BMD) and multiple re-entry vehicle (MRV) technology, which gives New Delhi a first-strike option against Pakistan.

The report noted that China, India and Pakistan also share a common institutional legacy of civi­lian dominated nuclear decision-making structures, in which the military is only one partner, and a relatively junior one, among a host of others.

“All three factors — the structural, the normative, and the institutional — dampen both countries’ drives toward trigger-ready, destabilising, operational nuclear postures that lean toward splendid first-strike options,” it added.

The report noted that “Pakistan has developed tactical nuclear weapons, although it does not appear to have operationalised tactical nuclear warfare”.

On a positive note, the report added, neither India nor Pakistan was conducting nuclear tests to deve­lop or improve designs for nuclear warheads. The same holds for China

8,628 policemen to provide security to Chup Tazia processions today

KARACHI: As many as 8,628 policemen would be deployed for the security of Chup Tazia processions in the metropolis on Monday, a police spokesperson said on Sunday.

This was stated in a report submitted by the AIG-operations to Sindh IGP A.D. Khowaja

It was stated that two Chup Tazia processions would be taken out. One from Nishtar Park to Hussainia Iranian Imambargah in Kharadar, where 5,020 policemen would provide security, while 3,608 policemen would be deployed for the security of the other procession that would start off from Rizvia Society and culminate at Imambargah Shah Najaf.

Reviewing the report about the security of Chup Tazia processions, the IGP directed the police authorities to take such security steps for Larkana, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas as well and maintain the same level of security, particularly in view of the forthcoming 12th Rabiul Awwal.

Mr Khowaja also directed the police officials to consult with all stakeholders to chalk out a concrete and extraordinary security plan.

We now know why Titanic's Jack and Rose couldn't fit on that door

It's a concern that's boggled the minds of Titanic fans for 20 years: in the final moments of the 1997 classic, the shipwrecked Jack and Rose find a door among other flotsam to keep them afloat in the open sea. Rose climbs up on the door while Jack doesn't. Eventually he succumbs to the freezing water and drowns. Diehard Jack fans have long argued that "Jack could totally fit on that door".

In his latest interview with Vanity Fair, director James Cameron has broken his silence on that contentious scene.

When asked why both Jack and Rose couldn't fit on the door, he says, "And the answer is very simple because it says on page 147 [of the script] that Jack dies. Very simple. . . . Obviously it was an artistic choice, the thing was just big enough to hold her, and not big enough to hold him . . ."

His takeaway from the reactions to the scene is this: "But it does show that the film was effective in making Jack so endearing to the audience that it hurts them to see him die. Had he lived, the ending of the film would have been meaningless. . . . The film is about death and separation; he had to die. So whether it was that, or whether a smoke stack fell on him, he was going down. It’s called art, things happen for artistic reasons, not for physics reasons."

But he made sure that physicists wouldn't object to the scene.

Cameron shares, "I was in the water with the piece of wood putting people on it for about two days getting it exactly buoyant enough so that it would support one person with full free-board, meaning that she wasn’t immersed at all in the 28 degree water so that she could survive the three hours it took until the rescue ship got there.

"[Jack] didn’t know that she was gonna get picked up by a lifeboat an hour later; he was dead anyway. And we very, very finely tuned it to be exactly what you see in the movie because I believed at the time, and still do, that that’s what it would have taken for one person to survive."

There you have it, Titanic fans! Jack had to die for artistic reasons and it was the physics of Rose's survival, not Jack's death, that mattered the most to Cameron.

Hafiz Saeed’s release

THE case of Hafiz Saeed continues to baffle and challenge in more ways than one.

The US has just asked Pakistan to rearrest the Jamaatud Dawa chief whose detention at home came to an end on Friday after a court refused to extend the period of his confinement. The US has asked the Pakistani government to charge him for “his crimes”, though the harshest response to his release has, unsurprisingly, come from India.

Hafiz Saeed, in his turn, is seemingly mindful of the value of putting greater pressure on the PML-N government which, to put it mildly, is faced with a quandary of its own.

Soon after his release, the Dawa chief touched upon his favourite, and a most sensitive, topic when he told a Friday congregation in Lahore that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was forced to step down because he had betrayed the Kashmiri cause. The latter is the original — and by no means unpopular — slogan of Hafiz Saeed and his now banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.

It shows just how knotty the issue, which transcends national and ideological boundaries, is. Deft handling is required by the authorities here, that must also investigate the serious allegations which led to his being designated a “terrorist individual” by the UN.

Violence can never be condoned and those resorting to it must be held accountable. But away from the calls for justice, the problem requires engagement with various parties from the US to India to outfits and institutions within this country. Not that anyone in Pakistan has ever been fully equipped to deal with all these elements at once but the government was perhaps better placed to address the question sometime ago.

A government which has recently lost its prime minister and is being run by his replacement who has one eye on the next election and the other on the court proceedings against his leader can hardly be expected to cope well with the calls for and warnings against a trial of Hafiz Saeed.

Which brings us to the salient point about the futility of repeating the exercise over and over again: Hafiz Saeed is put under house arrest and set free after a while. He is seen by the outside world, which demands his arrest, as having been ‘captured’. Is this impression all that is supposed to be achieved? Someone must think so.

Otherwise, the reruns of the arrest-and-release sequence make little sense.

US urges Pakistan to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed

WASHINGTON: The Uni­ted States urged Pakistan on Friday to re-arrest Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed and charge him with the crimes he is accused of committing.

Mr Saeed, who has been designated a terrorist by the US Justice Department, was released early on Friday after a court on Wednesday rejected the government’s plea for a 60-day extension in his house arrest.

“The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes,” said the State Department in a statement issued hours after Mr Saeed’s release.

It is rare for the US government to issue a statement during the Thanksgiving holidays but the State Department felt that the issue was urgent enough to ignore this tradition.

“The United States is deeply concerned that Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed has been released from house arrest in Pakistan,” the department said, adding that “LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens”.

The US Treasury Depart­ment branded the LeT chief a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in May 2008 and in December 2008 the United Nations also designated him a “terrorist individual”. Both designations blamed him for the November 2008 Mumbai attack in which 166 people, including six American citizens, were killed.

Jamaatud Dawa chief accuses India of fuelling terrorism in Pakistan

The State Department reminded Pakistan that LeT and several of its front organisations, leaders and operatives remained under State Department and Trea­sury Department sanctions.

Since 2012, the United States has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Mr Saeed to justice.

In an earlier statement to the Indian media, Bruce Rie­del, who headed the team that formulated the Obama administration’s Afghan policy, urged Washington to take strong action against Pakistan for releasing Mr Saeed. “Nine years after 26/11, its mastermind still eludes justice. It is time to rescind Pakistan’s status as a major non-Nato ally,” he said.

Pakistan rejects India’s ‘self-serving insinuations’

In response to a question regarding comments made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on the release of Hafiz Saeed, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan remains committed to the implementation of UNSC 1267 sanctions regime and has taken several steps in this regard.

The spokesperson took exception to self-serving insinuations.

The courts in Pakistan, pursuant to their constitutional duty, are determined to uphold rule of law and due process for all citizens of Pakistan. Legal processes are anchored in rule of law, not dictates of politics and posturing.

It is in the interest of all states to speak and act in a manner that is consistent with the imperatives of adhering to rule of law at the national and international levels.

Pakistan’s resolve, actions and successes in the fight against terrorism, terrorist violence and terrorists is unmatched in the world. Pakistan condemns and opposes all forms of terrorism by any individual or group. Pakistan also opposes and condemns acts of terrorism inside Pakistan and elsewhere by India, which claims to be a champion of democracy, and international law, according to the spokesperson.

Our Staff Reporter in Lahore adds: Only a few hours after being released, Mr Saeed accused India of funding and fuelling terrorism and extremism in Pak­istan. He said evidence was available to substantiate this.

The Jamaatud Dawa chief was delivering the Friday sermon at Masjid-i-Qadsia. “Peace cannot be restored and maintained in Pakistan until notorious elements such as Kulbhushan [Jad­hav] are present in the country,” he said.

Terming Pakistan a gift from Allah, Mr Saeed said: “Today’s biggest problem is that Pakistani rulers are obeying the West like slaves. We have to free Pakistan. Freedom of Pakistan in real terms can ensure Kashmir’s independence.” He claimed that he was fighting the case for a free Pakistan and a free Kashmir. There was nothing personal about the affair.

“The day when the rulers will start taking their own decisions, foreign pressure will evaporate,” he said.

Mr Saeed urged the government to re-evaluate its priorities and reformulate its policies about India.

Pakistan should open a dialogue with India only after it pulls out its armed forces from occupied Kashmir.

“Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted from his office because he betrayed the Kashmiris,” he said.

The parliamentarians took the oath that they would protect Pakistan and Kashmir, he said and added that any deviation from it would have consequences.

India slams release of Hafiz Saeed

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday slammed the release of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) leader Hafiz Saeed and accused Pakistan of trying to mainstream a terrorist, thus designated by the United Nations.

In Lahore, the JuD leader walked free after about 300-day house arrest as his latest 30-day detention expired on Thursday midnight.

The Punjab government set him free after a provincial review board on Wednesday ordered his release following the failure of the home department to justify his detention.

A number of JuD workers had gathered early in the day outside the Johar Town residence of Hafiz Saeed to greet him on his release.

Official sources told Dawn that the government could no way hold him back after the review board’s decision.

The board had told the Punjab government to release Hafiz Saeed if he was not wanted in any other case. There was speculation before his release that he might be booked in some other case.

Earlier, Indian Express quoted a foreign ministry spokesperson as expressing “outrage” at the imminent release of the man Delhi accuses of being the Mumbai terror attack mastermind. “The release confirms Pakistan’s lack of seriousness in bringing perpetrators of terror to justice,” the Express said, quoting the spokesperson.

“India is outraged that a self-confessed and UN-proscribed terrorist has been allowed to walk free,” spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that it was an attempt by Pakistan to “mainstream” proscribed terrorists.

India claims that the JuD head was the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead. Ten gunmen, including Ajmal Kasab, had gone on a killing spree in the city after reaching the city from Karachi by sea, India says.

Hafiz Saeed carries a bounty of $10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities. He had been under detention since January this year. He was put under house arrest after the Mumbai attack but was released about six months later in June 2009.

 

'I am fighting for the freedom of Pakistan and Kashmir', Hafiz Saeed says after release

Addressing a sermon at Lahore's Jamia Masjid Al Qadsia a day after walking free, Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) leader Hafiz Saeed said on Friday that he is "fighting for the freedom of Pakistan and Kashmir."

The JuD chief claimed that he had been placed under house arrest for fighting for the rights of Kashmiris and suggested that the country's leaders are making decisions under external pressure.

"If the leaders of the Pakistan start making their own decisions, they will no longer face external pressure," the leader of the proscribed group said.

The JuD chief said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted because he had betrayed the people of Kashmir. He further alleged that India is involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

"Peace cannot be established in Pakistan if terrorists such as Kulbashan Jadhav continue to enter the country," Saeed said, referring to the Indian spy who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and terrorism.

Washington 'deeply concerned'

Also on Friday, Washington said it was “deeply concerned” with the release of the JuD chief, who carries a bounty of $10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities.

"Lashkar-e-Taiba is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens," US State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said, referring to the party which is considered to be a front for JuD.

“The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes," Nauert added.

A day earlier, India had slammed the release of the JuD chief, whose 300-day house arrest 30-day detention expired on Thursday at midnight.

India claims that the JuD head was the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead. Ten gunmen, including Ajmal Kasab, had gone on a killing spree in the city after reaching the city from Karachi by sea, India says.

A spokesperson for the JuD rubbished the criticism in a statement issued Friday evening, saying that: "Hafiz Saeed is an advocate of peace and a philanthropist."

He condemned "American concern" over Saeed's release, insisting that Pakistan's judiciary is independent and any attempt to question its decisions is equivalent to interfering in the country's internal matters.

The Foreign Office issued a similarly worded response to India's 'concerns', stating that: "The courts in Pakistan, pursuant to their constitutional duty, are determined to uphold rule of law and due process for all citizens of Pakistan."

"Legal processes are anchored in rule of law, not dictates of politics and posturing," the FO's spokesperson said.

"It is in the interest of all states to speak and act in a manner that is consistent with the imperatives of adhering to rule of law at the national and international levels."

Brushing aside insinuations that Hafiz Saeed's release was akin to support of terrorist outfits, the FO said: "Pakistan’s resolve, actions and successes in the fight against terrorism, terrorist violence and terrorists is unmatched in the world. Pakistan condemns and opposes all forms of terrorism by any individual or group. Pakistan also opposes and condemns acts of terrorism inside Pakistan and elsewhere by India, which claims to be a champion of democracy, and international law."

 

Hafiz Saeed set to be freed after LHC turns down extension in detention order

A review board comprising judges of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday refused to extend the detention orders of Jamaatud Dawa’s (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.

His current house arrest is going to expire on Nov 24 (Friday).

The review board under the chair of Justice Abdul Sami Khan passed these orders after a senior finance ministry official failed to convince the board that the release of Saeed would bring diplomatic and financial problems to the country.

During the last hearing, the government while seeking extension in the detention orders had argued that Saeed could not be released because the move would result in financial sanctions and a halt in foreign funding to the country. In response, the board had directed the government to send an official from the finance ministry to explain how release of a single individual would affect the entire country.

The JuD chief had been placed under house arrest on January 31 for 90 days. Subsequently, his house arrest had been extended several times.

Following the decision, Saeed told media that an end to his detention is tantamount to the victory of truth, calling it "a serious blow" to India's demands.

Earlier, Saeed's counsel informed the board that a court had declared the detention of his four aides as illegal. He argued that there is no proof against him and he had been detained illegally. He alleged that the government had placed him under house arrest to oblige the United States. Seeking an end to his detention, Saeed argued that his captivity without any legality amounts to a violation of the Constitution and his fundamental human rights.

The counsel of the federal government argued that the release of four associates of Saeed had created law and order issues. He also argued that his release may warrant international sanctions against the country. However, the board rejected the plea to extend his detention on the grounds of insufficient evidences.

Following the decision, admirers of Hafiz Saeed chanted slogans and showered him with rose petals.

 

Contestant from South Africa wins Miss Universe crown

The woman representing South Africa won the Miss Universe crown Sunday. 

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree, was crowned during the event at The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett.

Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the decades-old competition. This year’s edition had the most contestants ever, including the first ever representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.

The 22-year-old Nel-Peters has earned a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes.

Steve Harvey returned as the show’s host despite botching the 2015 Miss Universe crowning. On Sunday, he poked fun at his mistake throughout the night. Three days after people in the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, Harvey told the audience he is “grateful for the Oscars,” referring to the best-picture flub at this year’s Academy Awards.

Grammy-Award winner Fergie performed her new song “A Little Work” while the contestants walked down the stage wearing evening gowns. This year’s judges included YouTube star Lele Pons, former judge of “America’s Next Top Model” Jay Manuel and Wendy Fitzwilliam, the 1998 Miss Universe winner from Trinidad and Tobago

Volcano erupts in Bali, causes flight disruption

DENPASAR: Indonesian and regional authorities heightened flight warnings around Bali’s Mount Agung on Sunday as the volcano’s eruptions sent a plume of volcanic ash and steam more than 6,000 metres into the skies above the popular holiday island.

Ash covered roads, cars and buildings near the volcano in the northeast of the island, while scores of flights were cancelled and overnight a red glow of what appeared to be magma could be seen in photographs by Antara, the state news agency.

“The activity of Mount Agung has entered the magmatic eruption phase. It is still spewing ash at the moment but we need to monitor and be cautious over the possibility of a strong, explosive eruption,” said Gede Suantika, an official at the volcanology and geological disaster mitigation agency.

Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year but business has slumped in areas around the volcano since September when Agung’s volcanic tremors began to increase.

Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali at a height of just over 3,000 metres. When it last erupted in 1963 it killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VACC) in Darwin issued maps showing an ash cloud heading southeast over the neighbouring island of Lombok, away from Bali’s capital, Denpasar, where the main international airport is located.

Indonesia also upgraded its Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) to red, its highest warning, and said the ash-cloud top could reach 19,654 feet (6,142 metres) or higher.

However, officials said the airport would remain open for now as the ash could be avoided.

“The volcanic ash has only been detected in a certain area,” the airport and other officials said in a joint statement.

All domestic flights and the airport itself were operating as “normal” and tests for ash had been negative, it said.

Yunus Suprayogi, general manager of Bali airport operator Angkasa Pura I, said food and entertainment would be provided as well as extra bus services if conditions changed and passenger numbers increased.

The airport would also “make it easier” for passengers to seek refunds and make other arrangements, he said, while noting that airlines had their own rules.

After resuming flights on Sunday morning, Virgin Australia again cancelled flights on Sunday afternoon following a change in the aviation colour code from orange to red.

“Due to the significant volcanic ash and current weather conditions, we have made the decision to cancel the rest of today’s flights to and from Bali as a precautionary measure,” Virgin said in a statement on its website.

AirAsia also cancelled its remaining flights to Bali and Lombok.

Mugabe cried when he agreed to step down, says paper

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe cried and lamented “betrayal by his lieutenants” when he agreed to step down last week under pressure from the military and his party after 37 years in power, the Standard newspaper said in its Sunday edition.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe loyalist, was sworn in on Friday and attention is focused on whether he will name a broad-based government or select figures from Mugabe’s era.

The newspaper quoted sources within Mugabe’s inner circle as saying the devout Catholic held a rosary as he told his close associates and a team of negotiators at his “Blue House” Harare mansion that he was resigning. He announced the decision as parliament heard a motion to impeach him.

“He looked down and said ‘people were chameleons’,” one of the sources was quoted as saying.

The state-owned Sunday Mail quoted Father Fidelis Mukonori, a Jesuit priest who is a close Mugabe friend and mediated his resignation with the military, as saying Mugabe’s face “just glowed” after he signed the resignation letter.

“So we are not talking about a bitter man. I told him that it was good for him to see someone running the country...,” Mukonori told the Sunday Mail.

Neither Father Mukonori nor Mugabe’s close aides were immediately available for comment.

Hezbollah, on the rise in Lebanon, fends off Saudi Arabia & Hariri’s resignation

BEIRUT: Even as Arab countries step up pressure on Hezbollah for its ties to Iran, the Lebanese Shia militant group has cemented its status as a regional power, projecting military strength beyond Lebanon’s borders and weathering political crises at home.

The group’s rise comes as Iran and Saudi Arabia vie for hegemony in the region, intensifying conflicts from Syria to Yemen. Saudi Arabia sees Hezbollah as Iran’s most potent proxy, and in recent weeks has spearheaded an effort to isolate the movement.

But Hezbollah’s dominant position was made apparent this month in the ongoing saga of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

According to US and Lebanese officials, Saudi Arabia forced Hariri’s resignation, shattering Lebanon’s coalition government, which included Hezbollah ministers. Saudi Arabia hoped the move would undermine Iran by paving the way for more aggressive action against the Shia militants, the officials say.

Instead, it rallied Lebanon in support of its prime minister and cast Hezbollah as the stabilising force. On Wednesday, Hariri announced he was suspending his resignation as he held talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

Now Hezbollah is set to potentially benefit from the turmoil, using its political and military prowess — and vast social networks in Lebanon — to entrench itself further. From its strongholds in southern Lebanon, where it made its name fighting Israeli troops, to the battlefields of Syria, Hezbollah is ascendant, with few able to challenge it.

“The Saudis hoped that Hariri’s resignation would create an electroshock ... that the cabinet would be immediately dissolved, and Hezbollah and its allies would have to step down from ministries and other important positions of power,” said Raphaël Lefèvre, a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center. “Of course, this never happened.”

Hezbollah became stronger after the Syrian war began, when it joined forces with Syria’s Iranian-backed government to battle Sunni rebels, he said. And “its influence in the heart of Lebanon’s security institutions is certainly greater than ever before”.

A nation of just six million, Lebanon is governed through a power-sharing agreement among the country’s main religious groups — Christians, and Sunni and Shia Muslims. The prime minister is Sunni. The speaker of parliament, a Shia, and the Christian president are both Hezbollah allies. Hezbollah holds 10 seats in parliament and two cabinet positions.

But the movement also draws strength from outside Lebanon’s formal power structures, where it is at once social provider and political kingmaker, as well as a fearsome non-state army and Iranian-backed proxy.

Its capabilities arguably eclipse those of the Lebanese armed forces, and its social services — from schools to charities and technical assistance to farmers — have cultivated fierce loyalty among Shia and other communities.

“Hezbollah thrives of course on its position of being a state within a state, an alternative provider for all kinds of things,” said Heiko Wimmen, project director for Iraq, Lebanon and Syria at the International Crisis Group, a not-for-profit that researches violent conflict.

In times of crisis, when Lebanon’s political institutions are weakened, “what Hezbollah provides for its constituencies becomes more important”, he said. “They are so firmly entrenched in their communities on the one hand, and they are so secure in their position vis-à-vis state institutions on the other.”

As a guerrilla force, Hezbollah traces its origins to Israel’s occupation of South Lebanon from 1985-2000, when attacks on Israeli troops prompted their eventual withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Hezbollah fought another war with Israel in 2006 — one that ended in stalemate but raised its status as a capable deterrent force.

But it was the fighting in Syria that catapulted the group to its position as a transnational organisation with capabilities rivalling the region’s armies.

Hezbollah has lost thousands of fighters in Syria, “but it has also recruited many new members ... and has gained new skills that turn it from a paramilitary group able to wage guerrilla operations into an actual mini-army”, Lefèvre said.

It now has its own tank divisions and special operations units, coordinates with the Syrian and Russian armies in Syria, and leads complex offensives in hostile territories, he said. It also receives a steady flow of cash and weapons from Iran, where ruling Shia clerics have nurtured Hezbollah’s rise.

As a result, Hezbollah has led offensive operations against Sunni extremists on the Syria-Lebanon border, coordinating with the Lebanese army but also relegating it to the background.

“Hezbollah was obliged to play this role, because whenever the Lebanese government doesn’t fulfil its duty to protect the people, somebody has to defend them,” said Mohammed Obeid, a political analyst who is close to Hezbollah.

In those offensives — in the Lebanese towns of Arsal and Qalamoun — Hezbollah and Lebanon’s army has expelled Al Qaeda and militant Islamic State group-linked militants.

“This coordination doesn’t mean that Hezbollah is controlling the decisions of the Lebanese army,” Obeid said of the operations. “But [the fighting] is not easy for the Lebanese army. And Hezbollah is everywhere.”

While it remains popular, particularly in the face of what many Lebanese see as Saudi aggression, Hezbollah needs to maintain nationwide support. The group has billed itself as a defender of all of Lebanon’s communities, and seeks to cultivate Sunni allies inside and outside the government.

Hariri, who is Sunni, has long been a Hezbollah opponent. But when he resigned from his post on Nov 4, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah accused the Saudi government of detaining the embattled premier — and called for his immediate return home.

“Hezbollah definitely wants Sunni allies,” Wimmen said. “The whole outlook of the movement, at least on the surface, is not a sectarian one.”

In the meantime, even some Lebanese who say they are not affiliated with Hezbollah are still ardent supporters of the group.

“There are people with Hezbollah for ideological reasons and there are people with Hezbollah because they are protecting us,” said Bilal Ballout, a credit collection agent from southern Lebanon. “Lebanese forces are giving as much as they can. But Hezbollah has an army.”

“When you get popular power, you get political power,” he said. “And Hezbollah gets better and stronger every single day.”

Saudi Arabia ‘imposed’ Hariri’s resignation: Hezbollah

BEIRUT: Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, said on Sunday the resignation of Saad Hariri had been “imposed” by Saudi Arabia.

“It is clear that the resignation was a Saudi decision that was imposed on Prime Minister Hariri. It was not his intention, not his wish and not his decision” to quit, Nasrallah said in a televised address.

Earlier, Hariri cited the “grip” of Hezbollah ally Iran on the country, and also said he feared for his life.

“We did not seek this resignation,” said Nasrallah, whose powerful movement has participated in Hariri’s government for almost a year.

He did not directly address the accusations levelled by what he called Hariri’s “very hard” speech, saying only that these were “a matter for Saudi Arabia”.

Nasrallah questioned the timing of Hariri’s announcement at a time when “things are proceeding normally... in the heart of government” in Lebanon.

The Hezbollah leader also questioned why Hariri gave his resignation speech from Saudi Arabia.

“Is he at home? Will they let him return? These are legitimate concerns,” he said, referring to a purge of princes, ministers and businessmen in Saudi Arabia in an anti-corruption operation.

 

Royal Family announces Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement

Wedding bells are ringing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — The Clarence House has spoken!

“His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. The wedding will take place in spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.

“His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle’s parents. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.”

The couple, who have been dating since the summer of 2016, met through mutual friends in London. In September 2017, Markle spoke publicly about her relationship for the first time, telling Vanity Fair: “We're two people who are really happy and in love”.

A source also told US Weekly that the British royal had commissioned a very special ring for the Suits star using diamonds from a brooch that once belonged to his mother, Princess Diana.

Prince Harry to marry girlfriend Meghan Markle next year

Prince Harry is to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle.

The prince, fifth in line to the throne, will marry Ms Markle in spring 2018 and they will live at Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace, London.
The couple, who have been dating since the summer of 2016, secretly got engaged earlier this month.
Prince Charles said he was "thrilled" with his son's news, which he announced on Twitter, adding that Ms Markle's parents had given their blessing.
Only the Queen and "other close members of his family" initially knew of the engagement, which took place in London, Prince Charles said.
The announcement, issued by Clarence House, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's official residence, said details about the wedding day would be unveiled "in due course".
The engaged couple will appear for photographs outside Kensington Palace on Monday afternoon, and will take part in a broadcast interview in the evening.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh said they were "delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness", a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, said they were "very excited for Harry and Meghan", adding: "It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together."

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose predecessor officiated at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011, wished them "many years of love, happiness and fulfilment".
Prime Minister Theresa May offered her "very warmest congratulations" and wished the couple "great happiness for the future".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "I wish them well - I hope they have a great life together."
He joked: "Having met Harry a couple of times I'm sure they're going to have a great deal of fun together."

 

Ms Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, said they were "incredibly happy", adding: "To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents."
Prince Harry, 33 and Ms Markle, 36, made their first public appearance as a couple in September at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games, a sporting event set up by the prince for injured, wounded and sick soldiers.
Their married home will be the prince's current residence, Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace - where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, also have an apartment.
Their 16-month relationship began in July 2016 when they met through mutual friends in London.
Prince Harry first confirmed his relationship with Ms Markle in November 2016, in a statement from Kensington Palace attacking the media for subjecting her to a "wave of abuse and harassment".
That statement said the couple were "a few months into a relationship" and it was "not right" that Ms Markle should receive such treatment.
It described nightly legal battles to keep defamatory stories out of papers, attempts by reporters and photographers to get into her home and the "bombardment" of nearly every friend and loved one in her life.
Ms Markle spoke about her love for the prince for the first time in September - telling Vanity Fair magazine: "We're two people who are really happy and in love".
She said the pair were enjoying a "special" time together, adding: "I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time."
Ms Markle may not have been a familiar name in Britain until recently, but in the US she is better known for her role as Rachel Zane in TV legal drama Suits.
She attended a private primary school before studying at a girls' Roman Catholic college and later graduating from Northwestern University School of Communication in 2003, just as her acting career was beginning.
Until recently, a union with Ms Markle would have ruled Prince Harry out of succeeding to the throne - due to her being a Roman Catholic.
But new rules on royal succession came into force in 2015, allowing members of the Royal Family to marry a Roman Catholic and become king or queen.
The instant Prince Harry and Ms Markle are pronounced "man and wife" she will automatically become Her Royal Highness, Princess Henry of Wales.
However, she does not automatically become Princess Meghan - because she is not of royal blood.
The Queen's late sister Margaret was entitled to call herself Princess Margaret. The Queen's daughter is Princess Anne and her granddaughters are Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
The Queen's great granddaughter, Prince William's daughter, is Princess Charlotte. All of these are, or were, of royal blood and so are princesses in their own right.
But Princess Charlotte's mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, is not known as Princess Catherine. Just as Sarah Ferguson was never Princess Sarah and Sophie Rhys-Jones (wife of Prince Edward) is not Princess Sophie.
Lady Diana Spencer was never officially Princess Diana. She was the Princess of Wales and, after her divorce from Prince Charles, she was Diana, Princess of Wales.

Israeli Jew's Instagram account suspended after Muslims protest photo at Masjid-i-Nabawi

Photographs and videos posted by a Russian-born Israeli Jew of his visit to a holy site in Saudi Arabia prompted angry comments from Muslim users on social media leading Facebook Inc's photo-sharing app Instagram to suspend his account, Times of Israel reported on Tuesday.

Ben Tzion, 31, visited mosques in Iran, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and shared photographs and videos of his visits on his social media account, the daily reported.

A photograph posted by Tzion ─ who describes travelling as a hobby ─ inside Masjid-i-Nabawi in Madinah was viewed more than 30,000 times, received 3,500 comments and prompted backlash from certain individuals on social media, leading Instagram to suspend his account, according to Times of Israel.

The photograph shows Tzion wearing traditional Arab garb, which he says he bought in Jerusalem, and pointing to his name embroidered in Hebrew on his tefillin — a ritual object of Judaism.

In response to the photograph, Muslims protested the presence of a non-Muslim at the holy site. Non-Muslims are barred from visiting Makkah and advised not to enter parts of central Madinah.

According to Times of Israel, some social media users remarked that while Saudi Arabia had barred Qatari's from entering the country, it "apparently has no quarrel with Israeli Jews".

The Arabic hashtag "A Zionist at the Prophet's Mosque" has attracted more than 90,000 tweets in the 24 hours, BBC reported on Tuesday.

"The scholars are in prisons and the Zionists are at the Prophet's Mosque. It is a sad thing," said one Twitter user in Arabic, BBC said.

The reaction to Tzion's images follows news reports that Israel has secret ties with 'many' Arab, Muslim states.

In a rare interview with a Saudi-owned news site earlier this week, an Israeli cabinet minister said that the country was obligated not to name the Arab and Muslim states it has "covert" ties with.

A message of respect

Speaking to the daily, Tzion stressed that "he is coming as a friend and has respect for Islam and the Arab world." Tzion added that his message is one of respect for other cultures and faiths.

He said that the people he had encountered on his travels to Tehran, Qom, Beirut or Riyadh were friendly towards him, despite his nationality and religion.

“No one in the Arab world ever approached me with hostility,” the daily quoted Tzion as saying.

“People know that I am different, they see that I wear a kippah or a different Arab garment. They come to me and ask me where I’m from. I tell them that I’m from Jerusalem, Israel. And their first reaction usually is: ‘Wow. Welcome.’”

According to the daily, he said he was aware of the angry comments on social media in response to his photograph but added that "among regular people, there is no hatred."

“When I am going to a holy site, I go there with respect, with dignity and love toward people. Not with hatred or mockery or trying to be, in any way, shape, or form, disrespectful. This would be the last of my intentions. I go there as a friend," Times of Israel quoted Tzion as saying.

The daily added that, on his visits to Muslim countries, Tzion never hid his identity as a Jew.

"I carried these tefillin in my hands. I didn’t remove it from the box; it was in my hand when I entered the mosque. Wherever I go, I take this bag with me. I don’t have a wallet, so I carry some of my stuff in this bag,” Tzion was further quoted as saying. “I wasn’t hiding anything. People knew I was Jewish.”

“No one would ever harm me inside a mosque. I didn’t have any intention to be disrespectful," said Tzion, who, according to Times of Israel, left Saudi Arabia a few days ago and has not disclosed his current location.

Israel has secret ties with 'many' Arab, Muslim states: minister

An Israeli cabinet minister said on Sunday that Israel had covert ties with “many” Arab and Muslim states but was obliged not to name them at the other sides' request.

A rare interview given by the head of Israel's armed forces to a Saudi-owned news site was published on Thursday, further fuelling talk of close links.

It followed previous broad hints by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accusations by Hezbollah that Saudi Arabia was pushing Israel to attack the Lebanese group.

“We have ties, some of them secret, with many Arab and Muslim states,” Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israeli army radio on Sunday.

“Usually the one who wants those ties to be discreet is the other side,” he said in response to a question about ties with Riyadh.

“We respect the wishes of the other side when contacts are developing, whether it is with Saudi Arabia or other Arab or Muslim countries.”

Although Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, they share a common enemy in Iran, with both seeking to limit the Islamic Republic's expanding influence in the Middle East.

Netanyahu has also spoken repeatedly and with pride about growing rapprochement with “moderate Arab states” without naming them, although he is assumed to be referring to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with countries of the moderate camp in the Arab world, in the face of radical Islam,” he told Israel's parliament last week.

“I think that this growing closeness and consultation is first and foremost good for security and ultimately for peace,” he added.

Tensions between the Saudis and Iran have intensified in recent weeks, with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri saying he is stepping down over what he called Iran's grip on his country.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is dominant in Lebanon, is also a great enemy of Israel with which it fought a war in 2006.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on November 10 that he had “information that Saudi Arabia has asked Israel to strike Lebanon”.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani last week echoed the allegation.

 

Saudi Arabia bans selfies, photos and videos at Islam's holiest sites

The Saudi Arabian government has banned pilgrims from taking photos and videos using any devices for any purpose at Makkah's Grand Mosque and Masjid-i-Nabvi (Peace be upon him) in Madinah.

The development surfaces days after Russian-born Israeli Jew Ben Tzion posted a selfie of a visit to Masjid-i-Nabvi (PBUH), prompting backlash from certain individuals on social media, leading Instagram to suspend his account.

The change in policy was communicated by Saudi's Foreign Ministry through a diplomatic note sent to foreign representatives in the country.

Saudi authorities stated that the measure was imposed to protect and preserve two of Islam's holiest sites, prevent the disturbance of worshippers and ensure tranquillity while performing acts of worship.

In recent years, many pilgrims to both holy sites have posted pictures on Instagram and Facebook, ranging from posing in front of the Holy Kaaba, to taking selfies on the upper floor of the Grand Mosque to standing under the umbrella-like canopies at Masjid-i-Nabvi (PBUH).

"In the case of any violation of the ban, security guards have been instructed to confiscate the photos and the camera if needed," the Saudi government statement said, adding that the change should be disseminated to every Haj and Umrah tour operator in their respective countries.

Govt asked to satisfy court on 'role of armed forces as an arbitrator' in agreement with protesters

The Islamabad High Court on Monday lashed out at the government as well as the Army for the role assigned to the military "as the mediator" in the agreement to end the sit-in at Islamabad's Faizabad Interchange.

The army chief instead of following the orders of the chief executive became a mediator, pointed out Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui as a hearing into the Faizabad protest was underway at the high court on Monday.

"Who is the Army to adopt a mediator's role?" inquired the judge. "Where does the law assign this role to a major general?"

After the weeks-long protest that virtually paralysed the capital, the government and protesters reached an agreement late Sunday night, in which the former conceded to the latter's demands. 

The document of the agreement — submitted before the court — bears the signatures of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Secretary Arshad Mirza, Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi, two other protest leaders and Maj Gen Faiz Hameed, who facilitated the agreement.

"We are thankful to him [Gen Bajwa] for saving the nation from a big catastrophe," the agreement document concludes, crediting the army chief and his representative team for their "special efforts".

Court's objections

In its written order, the court notes a "number of serious objections on the terms of agreement".

"Most alarming is that Maj Gen Faiz Hameed put signature as [the] one through whom [the] agreement was arrived at," the order says. "It is also very strange that the efforts of Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff, have been acknowledged in the words: this entire agreement was reached through the efforts of the army chief and his representative team."

The order notes that the role assumed by the army chief is "besides the Constitution and the law of the land".

"Armed Forces being part of executive of the country cannot travel beyond its mandate bestowed upon it by the organic law of the country."

On the matter of the abusive language used by the protesters against the judiciary, the order says that "the Federal government and the arbitrator did not bother to persuade the leadership of TLY to even tender an apology in this regard."

"This court has serious reservations on the terms of the agreement and mannerism in which it arrived; however, the federal government has to satisfy the court about the constitutional role of Armed forces and an acknowledgement by the federal government/Executive of the country regarding role of armed forces as an arbitrator," the order reads, calling for the attorney general to assist the court on this point.

The court has also directed the chief commissioner to submit a report regarding the Islamabad operation and "reasons for its failure".

Further, Joint Director General of the Intelligence Bureau Anwar Ali has also been asked to submit a report detailing how the protesters gained acces to guns, tear gas shells and masks.

"He shall also submit a report showing reasons of failure of operation and aid provided to protesters, when ICT Police almost cleared Faizabad Interchange."

"It is made clear that [the] question raised by this court shall not be used as an excuse to dislodge/disburse the protesters of sit-in as order to clear Faizabad Interchange is still in field."

The order adds that if the protesters continue their sit-in, the government and the administration are "required to persuade them to shift to the sit-in at Parade Ground."

Army's response to operation

Security forces had launched an operation against protesters camped out at the Faizabad Interchange on Saturday after the high court had ordered the clearance of the bridge that connects the federal capital with Rawalpindi. The same day, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had advised Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to "handle the Islamabad dharna peacefully".

The day-long operation had culminated with the government seeking the military's assistance to disperse the participants who had put up fierce resistance to the security personnel's action.

However, the Army had said in its response to the government's call for assistance that while it was "fully ready" to take action, a "few points need deliberation". Subsequently, no troops were deployed in the city.

'You've embarrassed the police, administration'

During the hearing, Justice Siddiqui said soldiers who are inclined towards politics should turn in their weapons, asking if the protests would have continued as they did if the Army's headquarters had been located near the Faizabad Interchange.

"Where is their Radd-ul-Fasaad now? Did they not see any Fasaad (anarchy) in this protest?" Justice Siddiqui asked, referring to a military operation that was launched in February.

The judge remarked that this was proof of the 'military's involvement'.

He told Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal that the administration has the right to call in the Army to control an emergency situation and that the military is bound to comply.

The minister told the court that during the protests and the operation in Islamabad, the country's internal security was at risk. "Security officials were being attacked everyday. Motorways, railways and cities were being closed."

"There was a conspiracy to show that a nuclear-state was failing. The agreement was reached with the protesters to bring the country out of those circumstances," said Iqbal, referring to the 'successful negotiations' with leaders of the demonstration late Sunday night.

The judge asked why the agreement did not carry the signatures of the chief commissioner and the IG.

"Iqbal sahab, you have embarrassed the police and the administration," Justice Siddiqui said. "You [the institutions] are destroying the state in your bid to make each other look bad."

"What role did the Rangers fulfill?" he asked. "You are supporting the impression that the Army is the cure for all illnesses."

This is not just an issue of Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the judge said, referring to the religious leader spearheading the TLY sit-in.

The IHC judge, while declaring his love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH), said that these remarks could cost him his life or add him to the list of missing persons'.

The judge tasked Barrister Zafarullah with filing a report on the incident. "He will tell us in 10 days what happened, where and when," the judge said.

Using Zahid Hamid as a 'scapegoat'

Speaking on Law Minister Zahid Hamid's resignation ─ the main demand put forward by the protesters ─ the judge accused the government of using him as a scapegoat to protect PML-N leader Anusha Rehman, state minister for IT and Telecommunication. Rehman was also named in the Khatme-Naboowat controversy. "In order to protect one person, the minister is being sacrificed."

The IHC is conducting hearings on two applications that were filed by residents about the disturbances caused by the protracted sit-in.

"The petitioner has asked for a lot of things in the application," the judge observed, "This will only be made apparent when the project is over and the [protesters] have left."

"Where did the protesters get tear gas and gas masks from?" the judge asked, ordering the Intelligence Bureau to submit a report in this regard before the court.

The hearing was adjourned until next Monday.

Iqbal summoned

Earlier, the high court had expressed its displeasure when the interior minister had failed to appear for the hearing. The minister had been ordered to appear before the court within 15 minutes before the hearing was adjourned for a break.

Ahsan Iqbal arrived at the court soon after. Inspector General Khalid Khattak, Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta and Deputy Commissioner Captain (retired) Mushtaq were present in court.

The high court has also summoned Director General Intelligence Bureau Aftab Sultan and secretary commander of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

In a previous hearing of the case, which was held before the Islamabad Police with the help of the Fontier Constabulary personnel launched their operation against the protesters, the high court had issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to Iqbal over his failure to take steps ordered by the court to end the sit-in

Situation in capital

The Faizabad protests had paralysed life in the twin cities for three weeks before an operation of security forces was finally launched on Saturday in keeping with the court's orders.

The operation had continued all day on Saturday. Tensions had remained high in the federal capital on Sunday when the Rangers were handed over charge of the operation.

After negotiations late Sunday night, the government's gave in to the protesters' demand for the resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid, among other conditions. Subsequently, the TLY chief on Monday ordered his followers to end sit-ins across the country. 

COAS asks PM Abbasi to tackle Islamabad protest 'peacefully'

Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa advised Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday to "handle the Islamabad dharna peacefully" as violent clashes erupted between security forces and protesters in the capital city during a clearance operation at the Faizabad Interchange.

At least 139 people ─ including protesters and security forces ─ were injured as police, the Frontier Constabulary and other law enforcement agencies employed teargas shelling and rubber bullets to disperse the agitators, who have held an 18-day-long sit-in despite repeated requests by the government to clear the area. In response, the protesters have been using stones and rocks to attack the advancing security forces.

The crackdown ordered by the Islamabad High Court was launched after the last of a long series of deadlines lapsed today morning without response from the agitating parties.

Roughly 8,500 elite police and paramilitary troops in riot gear are taking part in the clearance operation of over 2,000 protesters in the capital city.

Explore: Operation underway to break up sit-in at Islamabad's Faizabad Interchange; over 150 arrested

Following the news of the clearance operation, religious parties began protesting in other cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Badin.

Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted that the army chief telephoned the prime minister and suggested the clearance operation in Islamabad be handled peacefully, "avoiding violence from both sides as it is not in national interest and cohesion."

Earlier this week, the military’s spokesperson said the army would abide by whatever decision the government took regarding the clearance of the Faizabad Interchange, although it would be preferable to address the situation through peaceful means.

The DG ISPR said that the civil and military leaderships were on the same page when it came to the country’s security, and that the army was duty-bound to carry out the government’s instructions.

'Capital admin bound to enforce court's order'

Shortly after the DG ISPR tweeted today, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted that the administration of Islamabad is "responsible to ensure enforcement of [the] IHC order to restore public convenience in the Faizabad area. 

The IHC, which had initially advised protesters to end their protest, then ordered the capital administration to use "whatever means necessary" to evict protesters from the Faizabad Interchange by Saturday last week.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal had, however, requested the court for several extensions in the deadline as the government attempted to negotiate with the protesters, but failed each time.

The IHC then warned the interior minster of contempt of court for not taking action against the protesters. A final deadline for dispersal for Saturday 7am was handed to the protesters, but passed unheeded after which security forces launched an operation to clear the area .

Explore a complete timeline of the Islamabad stand-off here

Life in Islamabad disrupted

The capital administration had, on Nov 5, warned the TLY and ST against holding any sit-in in Islamabad, saying that a ban on public gatherings had already been imposed in the city.

The parties were also informed that Islamabad's Parade Ground had been reserved for such gatherings and holding a rally somewhere else in the capital would be unlawful.

The organisers had not sought any permission for the rally or the sit-in. On Nov 8, the protesters blocked the expressway that connects Islamabad with Rawalpindi.

Since then, the metro service has also been halted. According to the Metro Bus Authority (MBA), more than 100,000 people used the service between the twin cities daily.

IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Friday asked "why contempt of court proceedings may not be initiated against him [Ahsan Iqbal]. He is directed to appear in person on the next date".

The IHC order noted that: "Patients dying for want of access to hospitals, traders crying for lack of business activity, students are being deprived from their right to education and right of free movement of almost six million people of twin cities usurped by dictatorial act of one person and passive approach of law enforcing agencies [is] adding to the miseries of citizens".

The court order, however, advised the district administration not to use "firearms" during the clearance operation, if one was required.

Contempt of court notice issued to Ahsan Iqbal for inaction over Faizabad sit-in

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal over his failure to take steps ordered by the court to end the sit-in that has created a logistical mess in the capital for the past 17 days.

The court has inquired in the notice under which authority the minister did not take action against the protesters despite clear orders issued by the court.

The court issued the notice while hearing two applications filed by residents about the disturbances caused by the protracted sit-in.

The interior secretary had represented the interior ministry before the court on Friday. The IHC judge instead ordered the interior minister to appear in person on November 27.

When the district attorney general requested Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to withdraw the show-cause notice, the judge responded: "Are you a servant of the [interior] minister or the federation?"

During the hearing, the judge remarked that the impression should end that agencies are backing the sit-in at Faizabad.

He said the court was not suggesting that the authorities should spray bullets on the protesters; instead, the participants of the sit-in could be dispersed using other options, such as tear gas.

The judge also ordered the government to submit the report of a committee led by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq on the amendment made in election laws by November 27, instead of the previously given date of November 29.

Justice Siddiqui further directed that if a person has been named in the committee's report as being responsible for the change in the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat declaration, their name should be put on the Exit Control List.

Justice Siddiqui also ordered the director general of the Intelligence Bureau and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sector commander to appear in person before the court on November 27.

The high court had given a deadline of November 23 to the government to end the sit-in; however, the protest has continued, entering its 18th day on Friday.

Declaring that the state would never surrender to the organisers of the Faizabad sit-in, Iqbal on Thursday had said that the basic objective behind this long-drawn episode was to gain voters’ confidence ahead of the next elections.

He had said that the government had two options: to disperse the protesters by using force or to address the issue through dialogue, which is still continuing on different levels.

'Bullets not necessary to disperse protesters'

Justice Siddiqui's remark that the Faizabad protesters can be dispersed without the use of bullets is reflected in an order passed by the Supreme Court a day earlier.

"Whilst avoiding the loss of life is indeed commendable, but it does not follow that protesters can only be removed by firing upon them," the apex court observed in a copy of its six-page order on the matter acquired by DawnNews.

The order suggested that "baton-wielding or even unarmed law enforcement personnel, if they are sufficient in numbers, can undertake such an exercise."

The apex court noted in the order that the protesters appear to be "well-rested, well-fed, bathed and clothed in clean clothes." It also observed that the participants have access to broadcast paraphernalia.

"It, therefore, appears that they are going about freely under the noses of the police and the other law enforcement agencies," the order stated.

In its order, the apex court directed the government to take measures against the use of " filthy-abusive language" by the protesters. The government was asked to report the matter to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

Furthermore, the court, which expressed its displeasure yesterday over reports on the protest shared by the capital police, Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau, asked the institutions to file additional reports on the matter.

Capital paralysed

Daily life in the capital has been disrupted by protesters belonging to religious parties — including the Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) — who are calling for the sacking of Law Minister Zahid Hamid and strict action against those behind the amendment to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017.

The amendment had earlier been deemed a 'clerical error' and has already been rectified.

The protesters have occupied the Faizabad Bridge which connects Rawalpindi and Islamabad through the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road, both of which are the busiest roads in the twin cities.

The government on Monday had scrambled to secure the support of religious leaders and ulema from across the political spectrum in a bid to negotiate a peaceful end to the sit-in.

However, a meeting between representatives of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah and government ministers held at Punjab House was unable to make any breakthrough, as the protesters had refused to budge from their demand for the law minister’s resignation.

Who is backing Faizabad sit-in, asks SC judge

ISLAMABAD: The Sup­reme Court hearing a case on disturbance of public life due to the ongoing sit-in at the Faizabad interchange regretted on Thursday that the life of believers in a Muslim country was being made difficult, and wondered how a situation like this would help glorify Islam.

“The protesters are undermining the state and its institutions,” Justice Qazi Faez Isa bemoaned, adding that the biggest crime in any society was fitna and fasad-fil-arz because it disturbed the social order.

But before adjourning the hearing to next Thursday, an apparently disturbed bench consisting of Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Isa ordered the presence of senior representatives of intelligence agencies in the court so that the officials could get first-hand information about the court proceedings instead of what was provided to them.

The court rejected reports furnished by the intelligence agencies, saying there had been no depth in them and that they mentioned only four names which had already appeared in the media. It said their performance was not up to the mark.

Apex court rejects reports furnished by intelligence agencies

Justice Isa said the court did not want any report based on media reports, adding that media persons would make better reports than this. The court, he said, wanted to see resolution of the matter, but “we do not see any resolve on part of the government to settle the situation”.

The Supreme Court had taken up the case on a suo motu notice of the chronic traffic congestion and roadblock due to the sit-in that entered the 17th day on Thursday and had sought a comprehensive report on behalf of the ministries of interior and defence as well as the Intelligence Bureau and the Inter-Services Intelligence.

While pointing towards Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf, Justice Isa inquired whether he saw any indication that the protesters would go back and whether any measures had been taken to halt the circulation of nasty and abusive messages from the protesters.

The court was at a loss to understand from where the protesters were getting facilitation like the provision of food, electricity supply to charge their megaphones and mobile phones and other services like chairs and why no serious effort had been made to prevent rallies from joining them regularly.

“We are not asking to spray bullets on them, but want to know whether any investigation was ever made to ascertain who were behind them, who were providing them the funds, on which accounts the money was coming, what was their livelihood and whether or not any foreign country was at their back. Even the cost for placing containers is being borne by the people when millions are being spent on intelligence agencies,” Justice Isa regretted, adding that what was the purpose of keeping them.

“This is not the Pakistan of unity, faith and discipline or constitutionalism,” he said, adding that this has to come back.

“We have forgotten Article 5 of the Constitution which demands loyalty to the state and obedience to the Constitution and law, and if we do not want to obey them then we should renounce the citizenship and leave Pakistan,” Justice Isa suggested.

The reports only stated that the Punjab government had been informed beforehand about the intentions of the protesters, Justice Mushir Alam observed.

The attorney general, however, explained that the government was showing utmost restraint so that there should not be any “balwa” (hooliganism), but hinted towards some positive headway in the coming days. “We do not want bloodshed in the holy month of Rabi-ul-Awwal,” Ashtar Ausaf said, adding that the federal government was trying its level best to resolve the situation through negotiations.

The concrete measures that had been taken by the government could be shared with the court but only in chambers, he said, but when the court asked him to furnish in writing, the AG requested the same should not be made part of the record. Even the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had been asked to block the nasty messages on the social media, he said.

The court, however, was surprised when the AG informed it that the Nov 21 order of the Supreme Court on the sit-in had been sent to the protesters.

Islamabad Advocate General Mian Rauf, meanwhile, told the court that the capital administration had registered 18 cases against the protesters and arrested 169 of them. He regretted that an eight-year-old boy had lost his life because he could not reach hospital in time due to traffic congestion.

“Do you think this is something ordinary?” Justice Isa asked and observed that the protesters would go away the moment they understood what Islam had ordained by stating that the killing of one man was like murdering the entire humanity.

“Who is responsible for the death of the boy?” the judge asked and said he already had burdened with the soul of the minor.

The court highlighted how important the city like Rawalpindi was which housed strategic assets, including the GHQ, asking what would happen if the situation went worse.

The court was not happy with the filthy and abusive language being used by the protesters, but thanked them for hurling abuses against the judges. The court made it clear that it was not going to assume the responsibilities of the government, but only wanted to see the matter resolved. 

 TLY chief Khadim Rizvi orders followers to end sit-ins across country after govt gives in to demands

After the weeks-long protest that virtually paralysed the capital and saw several people losing their lives, the government has finally given in to the demands of protesters camped out at Faizabad Interchange with Zahid Hamid resigning as the Federal Law Minister.

The protest leaders called off sit-ins that have been hampering daily life in cities across the country after their list of demands were accepted by the government.

The minister's resignation comes in the aftermath of Saturday’s bot­ched operation against protesters at Faizabad and 'successful negotiations' with leaders of the demonstration late Sunday night, official sources and state broadcaster PTV say. Six people were killed while hundreds were injured during the operation that was eventually suspended.

Sit-ins called off

TLY leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi while addressing a press conference at the protest site ordered his followers all over the country to end the sit-ins and go home. He also announced an end to the strike being observed today and called for opening businesses and shops.

He said the protesters camped out at Faizabad will depart from the protest site within 12 hours, as soon as implementation of the agreement reached with the government is started.

Rizvi said he and his followers had set out towards the capital solely for the protection of Khatm-i-Nabuwwat.

He alleged that propaganda had been done against his group to create the impression that they had been sent by someone to Islamabad.

The army chief and his representative Maj Gen Faiz Hameed acted as guarantors for the agreement, Rizvi said.

He lashed out at media representatives for not showing his press conference live.

Hours after the sit-ins were called off, the authorities began releasing protesters arrested during the operation at Faizabad on Saturday.

Punjab Rangers DG Maj Gen Azhar Naveed oversaw the release of protesters and handed over cheques worth Rs1,000 to each released protester as fare for their travel home. Twenty-five protesters have been released so far.

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Demands agreed to by the government

The government has agreed to the following demands of Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) in order to end the sit-in, according to a document circulating among journalists bearing signatures of the protest leaders and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, among others.

The agreement reached between protesters and govt,

1. Remove Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid from his position immediately. "Tehreek-i-Labaik will issue no fatwa [religious decree] of any kind against him."
2. The report prepared by Raja Zafarul Haq-led committee will be made public within 30 days and whoever is named in the report for being responsible for the change in the election oath will be acted against under the law.
3. All protesters arrested between November 6 until the end of the sit-in from across the country will be released within one to three days according to legal requirements. The cases registered against them and the house arrests imposed on them will be ended.
4. An inquiry board will be established to probe and decide what action to take against the government and administration officials over the operation conducted by security forces against protesters on Saturday, November 25. The inquiry should be completed within 30 days and action will be taken against those found responsible.
5. The federal and provincial governments will determine and compensate for the loss of government and private assets incurred from November 6 until the end of the sit-in.
6. The points already agreed to concerning the Government of Punjab will be fully implemented.

The document ends by crediting Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and his representative team for their "special efforts" that led to the agreement being signed.

"We are thankful to him [Gen Bajwa] for saving the nation from a big catastrophe," the document concludes.

Besides the interior minister, the document bears the signatures of TLY leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Interior Secretary Arshad Mirza, two other protest leaders and Maj Gen Faiz Hameed, who facilitated the agreement.

the following demands of TLY have also been accepted by the government, according to Khadim Hussain Rizvi:

• A board of clerics led by Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri will be set up to probe remarks made by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah against the persecution of Ahmedis. Sanaullah will have to accept the decision made by the board.
• No difficulty will be faced in registering cases under clause 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (blasphemy law)
• No leniency will be given to those convicted by courts for blasphemy
• No ban will be imposed on the use of loudspeakers
• The foreign and interior ministries will take steps for the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui after taking her mother and sister in confidence
• The holiday of Iqbal Day on November 9 will be revived
• Two representatives of Tehreek-i-Labaik will be included in the panel assigned to decide changes in the textbook board. The officials will push for inclusion of translation of the Holy Quran and chapters about Seerat-un-Nabi (PBUH) and Muslim leaders.
• The chehlum of martyrs will be held on January 4 at Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh
• Every year, November 25 will be observed as "Martyrs of Prophet's honour day"

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The law minister's resignation was the chief demand of the agitating parties, who have been staging a protest sit-in — today being its 20th day — in the capital to press the government for his removal.

According to Govt channel, the minister presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis".

Abbasi has accepted the minister's resignation and a notification in this regard will soon be issued by the Cabinet Division, DawnNews reported.

"I made the decision to resign in a personal capacity," Hamid was quoted as saying by government sources.

Hamid reiterated that the Elections Act 2017 had been prepared with the consensus of all parliamentary political parties.

The protesters amassed at the Faizabad bridge belong to various 'religious' parties, including the Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and the Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST), and had been calling for the sacking of the law minister and strict action against those behind the amendment to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017 ─ which had earlier been deemed a 'clerical error'.

Police have lodged three cases, including one over the death of a child due to the protest, against Rizvi and other protest leaders and participants.

Containers removed, placed again

The protesters at Faizabad started packing up their belongings and police started removing containers placed around the protest site around 8am.

However, the protesters forced authorities to block the area using containers again, saying they will not allow the roads to be opened until the sit-in is formally called off by the protest leaders.

After the sit-ins were called off by protest leaders later in the day, the protesters started packing up to leave.

Deciding against using force

On Sunday, the federal government tasked the Punjab Rangers to handle the agitated protesters in Faizabad and other parts of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Around 1,000 Rangers personnel were deployed in Islamabad.

Earlier, the civil and military leadership had decided against use of force to disperse protesters, during a meeting at the Prime Minister House. Authorities decided to engage protest leaders "with influence" instead, saying the use of force against protesters had been discouraged in favour of a political settlement.

On Saturday, a day-long operation was launched by the Islamabad police, with the help of Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs), against religious protesters who had all but paralysed the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi for over a fortnight.

However, the armed operation failed to clear the protesters from Faizabad Interchange. Soon after the operation in the twin cities began, demonstrations broke out in several other cities, while protesters chanted anti-government slogans and blocked major roads. In many areas, protesters attacked LEAs and damaged public property.

After demonstrations spread throughout the country, the civil leadership sought assistance from the armed forces. Chief Of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa flew in from the United Arab Emirates for a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abbasi, and attended by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence Naveed Mukhtar at Prime Minister House.

According to military sources, the army chief had opposed use of force against its own people since the population's trust in the institution of the army "can't be compromised for little gains".