Here’s what’s happening across the border: Imran Khan vows citizenship to children of Afghan refugees; US envoy claims Pakistan thinking of allowing India to trade with Afghanistan through its land route.
Dawn gives in to pressure forcing it to change headline for article on militants killed in Kashmir
Prominent media outlet Dawn was forced to change the word ‘militant’ in the headline for its 15 September article on Indian army’s crackdown on militants in Kashmir after Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (Pakistan military’s media wing) Major General Asif Ghafoor raised a strict objection to the use of this word without directly targeting Dawn in a Saturday tweet from his personal account.
Are Kashmiri freedom fighters rebels / militants?
Is it Indian held Kashmir or Indian Occupied Kashmir?
Are there government forces or occupation forces?Pakistanis have no doubt!Kashmiris are fighting for their legitimate right of self determination. They shall succeed IA.
— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) September 15, 2018
The word ‘militants’ in its headline ‘5 militants killed in fighting with Indian troops in held Kashmir’ was subsequently replaced by the word ‘suspects’ after objection by Ghafoor and several social media users in Pakistan who accused Dawn of supporting an ‘Indian agenda’.
5 militants killed in fighting with #Indian troops in held #Kashmir
https://t.co/YsXQAcXdUC
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) September 15, 2018
Pakistani media consultant and journalist Hasan Zaidi tweeted Sunday that there was nothing wrong with Dawn using the word ‘militants’ in its headline since it was a ‘politically neutral term’.
Two things about the latest round of language cretinism where Dawn’s use of the politically neutral term ‘militant’ is being equated with calling Kashmiris ‘terrorist’ – aside from it being really obvious what’s behind it, reminds me of a hilarious story I recently heard…>
— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) September 16, 2018
Imran Khan promises to grant nationality to children of Afghan refugees
Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday committed to providing Pakistani citizenship to children born to Afghani refugee families who have lived in Pakistan for decades, Voa News reported. The pledge was also extended to the children of Bengali immigrants.
Khan made the statement at the Diamer Bhasha fundraising event at the Sindh Governor House.
He was quoted as saying, “Afghans whose children have been raised and born in Pakistan will be granted citizenship Inshallah (God willing) because this is the established practice in countries around the world.”
Khan also admitted that these people were being subjected to ‘unfair treatment’, and national identification cards were necessary so that they could find legal jobs and education at local institutions.
At present, Pakistan hosts 1.4 million registered Afghani refugees besides 8,50,000 Afghan citizen registered card holders.
Meanwhile, all four Pakistan provinces — Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh — showed reluctance to accommodate non-registered and illegal refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan Today reported. At a Ministry of States and Frontier Regions high-profile inter-ministerial meeting, security concerns were cited as the reason for the unwillingness of the provinces to allow their stay in the country.
But with the recent statement of Foreign Minister Mahmood Qureshi in Kabul Saturday emphasising the safe and dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees back to their homeland, questions arise over Pakistan’s policy on matters of Afghan refugees.
Interesting tweets of the day
For the first time in Pakistan, the Sindh Governor’s house was opened for the common people Friday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf worker Ejaz Chaudhary tweeted that people looked excited and appreciated the gesture of the government.
First time in Pakistan's history, the governor house has been opened to the public. People are incredibly excited and are going with their families. They appreciate this gesture of the government.@siasatpk @PTIofficial @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/bheqycshPo
— Ejaz Chaudhary (@EjazChaudhary) September 16, 2018
The Government of Pakistan urged people on Twitter to read books with its new reading drive “#ReadToLead”. To this end, the Government of Pakistan encouraged people to read the book Sapiens: A brief history of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
#ReadToLead will encourage people of all ages to rediscover the transformative power of reading – engaging in thought, exploring new perspectives, sparking the imagination, and growing the mind. ?
~Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari pic.twitter.com/MFptQB2xfs
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) September 16, 2018
Journalist Omar R. Quraishi claimed that Dawn’s reporter was disallowed to cover Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Karachi. However, the owner of ARY News was given 15 minutes in PM’s busy schedule, claimed Quraishi.
Dawn and Dawn News rep banned from covering the Karachi visit of the PM – Mubashar Zaidi has tweeted that their invitations have been withdrawn by the Govt of Pak thru PID – However, the owner of ARY gets a separate 15 min slot in the PM's very hectic schedule
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) September 16, 2018
Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa is in Beijing and will be holding talks with Chinese leaders as well as his counterparts, tweeted Major General Asif Ghafoor, DG-ISPR.
COAS arrived at Beijing, China on three days official visit. During the visit COAS will interact with various Chinese leaders including his counterpart.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) September 16, 2018
Pakistan considering allowing India to trade with Afghanistan via land route, claims a US diplomat
US Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass has claimed that Pakistan earlier this year expressed its intent of authorising India to resume its trade with Afghanistan via its territory, reported Dawn. Bass said this in his interview with The Economic Times, later reported by Dawn.
“A couple of months ago, for the first time the Pakistani government expressed a willingness to start talks with its Afghan counterparts for parameters to enabling trade between India and Afghanistan through Pakistan,” Bass was quoted as saying.
Pakistan historically hasn’t allowed India to do so contending that issues of technical and strategic concerns needed to be sorted out first.
Reham Khan set to launch new live program on Facebook
Libyan-born Pakistani journalist, author and filmmaker Reham Khan recently announced to launch her new live-telecast Facebook show titled ‘440 volts with Reham Khan’, Pakistan Today reported.
Keeping a tab on just about everything that matters or should matter. https://t.co/XWs2vWy4Ml
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) September 16, 2018
Khan began her career in 2006 by anchoring shows on UK’s Legal TV and joined BBC as a broadcast journalist in 2008. From 2013 onwards, Khan came to Pakistan to continue her work in the field of journalism.
She has authored books and also done online shows earlier.
Arrest warrant issued against Pashtun leaders
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) authorities issued an arrest warrant against Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders Friday, reported Pakistan Today.
The move came as an aftermath to the rally organised on 28 August by PTM for the recovery of missing persons in Pakistan.
Human rights activist Manzoor Pashteen, MNA Ali Wazir and politician Mohsin Dawar along with five others have been declared as “proclaimed offenders” in a letter issued by Superintendent of Police to Political Agents of North and South Waziristan.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Wazir said, “We are simply demanding our constitutional rights through constitutional means in a completely peaceful way but they continue to malign and harass us.”