Here’s what’s happening across the border: Locals in Khyber district are learning Chinese; Musharraf’s party demands security for a possible return to Pakistan.
Bilawal Bhutto stands with ‘Dawn’ journalist in the treason case
Pakistan’s Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Tuesday expressed dismay over Lahore High Court’s issuance of non-bailable arrest warrant against Dawn reporter Cyril Almeida, The Nation reports .
The high court decision came after Almeida failed to appear before the court for the third consecutive hearing. The case is based on Almeida’s interview with former PM Nawaz Sharif in May. Sharif, in the interview, had publicly claimed that militant organisations are active in the country, and also questioned “how the non-state actors” could cross the border and kill people in the Mumbai attacks on 26 November 2008.
“Treating Cyril Almeida like he is a criminal and trying him for treason is shocking! Almeida was doing his job — nothing less, nothing more,” Bhutto said.
Imran Khan finalises decision to abolish country’s National Security Council
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday made a decision in principle to nullify the office of the National Security Adviser and transfer its powers to the Foreign Ministry, Daily Times has reported.
The NSA division was moved to the PM House from Foreign Office when Lt Gen Naseer Janjua (retd) took office as the adviser two years back under former PM Nawaz Sharif’s tenure. It is said that it was foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who spoke about the contradicting nature of responsibilities assigned to NSA and the Foreign Office.
The NSA secretary has said that he will meet the PM secretary in the coming few days to discuss with him the future of this division.
Locals in Khyber Agency taking Chinese language classes, thanks to CPEC
Around 500 locals of a tribal region in Khyber Agency, a district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, have signed up for learning Chinese at Jamrud Bazaar’s first Chinese language centre, Geo TV has reported.
The event is being seen as a manifestation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative. A student who has enrolled for the classes spoke on behalf of others that despite Chinese being a difficult language to grasp, they were still committed to completing the course.
People who have registered for this course believe that an economic revolution, including better job prospects, will usher in the region as a direct result of the CPEC projects.
Musharraf’s party demands security for his return to Pakistan
Political party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) has put forth few conditions for the return of its founder, chairman and former president of the country Gen. Pervez Musharraf (retd) to Pakistan, The News International reported.
The party announced its conditions on Twitter saying that: “If the Supreme Court assures Musharraf won’t be arrested till investigation is completed and also allows him to continue his treatment abroad, he will return to Pakistan and appear before the court.”
The party also defended Musharraf’s stay abroad by saying that Pakistan did not have the facilities for the treatment of his back problems and that he frequently visited London for follow-up treatments.
Meanwhile, Musharraf was identified watching the 23rd September India-Pakistan cricket match in the ongoing 2018 Asia Cup series in United Arab Emirates, The Express Tribune reported.
Rajeev Shukla, chairman of the Indian Premier League, Tuesday tweeted a photo of him watching the cricket match along with few others, including Musharraf.
Watching indo pak match in dubai with sheikh zaruni Ck Khanna & Parvez musharraf pic.twitter.com/V9RjOurVwx
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) September 23, 2018
I&B minister compares the previous govt with East India Company
Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Chaudhry has compared the previous government led by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) party, now headed by former premier’s brother Shebaz Sharif, with the East India Company, The Nation reported.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Chaudhry said: “Shehbaz alone spent Rs 11 billion…Today, some people have become billionaires and they own flats in Avenfield.”
He also attacked Nawaz Sharif’s decision to open new airports in Bannu and Thar “where there is no population” as though “sweets were being distributed”.
Maryam Nawaz’s silence on social media is bizarre
It’s been almost a week that former PM Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt. Muhammad Safdar (retd) are released from jail after Islamabad High Court’s order, but strangely no one seems to trace whereabouts of Maryam’s presence on social media.
The trio was in the jail in the London Avenfield Luxury flats corruption case.
According to a media report, Maryam has always been active on Twitter, she regularly uploads photos and changes her profile picture on every occasion, but after her release, she has been inactive. Her last tweet was posted on 24 July.
Even when she was in prison her account used to be active. However, there were claims that her son Junaid Safdar was operating her account.
The report also mentions that there are no legal restrictions pertaining to social media usage, but her absence raises a lot of questions on the matter.
These peoples like gul bechari asad and others are just 0.5% of whole pkaistan and even they dont have any sympathy in pakistan why you indians are giving them so much interest.
We are right there is something between RAW and these accounts