Why TTP is opening another front in Balochistan

THE recent militant attack in the Zhob town of Balochistan, where the Pakistan military lost nine soldiers, was one of the latest in a string of attacks targeting security forces in areas that were previously considered relatively free of militancy.

This is a separate phenomenon from the insurgency that plagues the Baloch-majority areas of the province; outfits linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its offshoots are now stepping up their attacks against security personnel in the province’s northern parts — traditionally considered Pakhtun-majority areas. Though these areas are closer to the border with Afghanistan and also in close proximity to tribal districts such as South Waziristan, they had remained comparatively less affected by terrorist activities in the past.

Asif Baloch, a Quetta-based newspaper editor, believes that since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, two fronts have been opened against the state, i.e. TTP has stepped up its attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as the Pakhtun belt of Balochistan.

“The security situation has always been grim in the Baloch parts,” he notes, adding that the Pakhtun belt had not been in the crosshairs of such groups.

In the recent months, the TTP has even been trying to make inroads in the Balochmajority areas of the province, releasing propaganda videos in Balochi.

In some of these videos, the group talks about missing persons and the deprivation faced by the people of the province, an obvious attempt to make inroads among the Baloch by appealing to their sensibilities.

According to analyst Muhammad Amir Rana, the TTP has traditionally had a support base in the Pakhtun belt, which is why they were able to carry out attacks in these parts “Also, their targets are specific. Previously, they would attack the police force, but now they have started targeting FC and military personnel and their camps. Even though the number of attacks has not increased as such, the TTP has been trying to create a disturbance in the region,” he says. In addition, the TTP has — by its own admission — split the province into two. A statement released by the group some time ago claimed that the Baloch-majority area is part of their Kalat-Makran chapter, while the Pakhtundominated parts fall under the Zhob chapter.

As for the new outfit that claimed the audacious attack on the military installation in Zhob — using the moniker of Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan — experts believe that it is a “cover name” for the TTP or one of its affiliated outfits. When asked to explain the change of tactics on part of the TTP, Asif Baloch points out that the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — a flagship project of Beijing — also passes through the Pakhtun-dominated parts of the province. Since China has been trying to consolidate its position in the region, Mr Baloch sees this as one of the possible reasons behind the rise in at- tacks there. The security of CPEC has been the responsibility of the Pakistan military, which has tasked the special security division with protecting its assets and infrastructure.

A security official Dawn spoke to also pointed out that hostile agencies had been trying to disrupt the peace in Balochistan, attributing such attacks to their intervention in the province.

“But thanks to our security forces, most of the attacks have been averted,” he noted.

Jalal Noorzai, a Quettabased columnist and analyst also notes that the militancy plaguing the Pakhtun-majority parts of the province is a relatively new phenomenon. It shows the banned TTP is trying to consolidate its position in the region, he says, adding: “This does not augur well for peace in the region in general. Unfortunately, if the threat is not contained, it may increase in magnitude in the future.”

Courtesy by: Muhammad Akbar Notezai

Trudeau overhauls his cabinet, drops 7 ministers and shuffles most portfolios

News Coninued from Page 1 to an admission that his nearly eight-year-old government is slumping.

“On the contrary,” he responded. Recent polling indicates the Liberals are trailing the Conservatives. Opposition parties have criticized how the government has addressed the cost of living crisis. “This is a difficult time right now for millions of people in Canada and around the world, and making sure that we have the best possible team aligned to respond to Canadians’ challenges with the supports necessary, but also show that optimism, that ambition for getting us through these consequential times and building a brighter future for everyone —that’s what we’re focused on,” Trudeau said. Amid those global challenges, Toronto-area MP Bill Blair takes over the defence portfolio from Anita Anand, who becomes president of the Treasury Board. Blair, a former police chief who was most recently the minister of emergency preparedness, becomes the coun- try’s point person at NATO and will be responsible for Canada’s response to the war in Ukraine. The Canadian Armed Forces is also reeling from a sexual misconduct scandal; Blair is now responsible for overseeing the military’s attempt to change its culture...

Source: cbc.ca/news

Two protesters burn Quran outside Iraqi embassy in Denmark

News Coninued from Page 1 symbols. It has no other purpose than to provoke and create division,” he said. He noted, however, that burning religious books was not a crime in Denmark.s... The tension between Muslim countries and the two Scandinavian nations intensified last month after a 37-year-old Christian Iraqi refugee in Sweden, Salwan Momika, burned pages of the Quran on the

Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha.

On Sunday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a coalition of 57 Muslim countries, suspended the status of Sweden’s special envoy over the string of Quran burnings, saying the decision was due to the “granting by the Swedish authorities of licenses that enabled the repeated abuse of the sanctity of the Holy Quran and Islamic symbols”.

Source:aljazeera.com

Surrey RCMP urge public to remain vigilant as Amber Alert for Bolton siblings enters 2nd week

News Coninued from Page 1 lings have left the province.

“We have received some tips from Alberta and Saskatchewan and we’re actively following up on all of them, but at this time none of those tips have been substantiated,” said Munn.

She says the search efforts are mainly focused on B.C.’s Interior and the area around Kamloops—the city where Verity Bolton was last spotted at a grocery store on July 15.

“Part of the concerning nature of this is the fact that we have actually not seen the children on video since July 7,” Munn said, referring to the last confirmed sighting of the Bolton siblings at a gas station in Merrit.

Surrey RCMP believed the children are travelling with three adults in a dark blue 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 with B.C. licence plate SJ2708. The vehicle has been seen towing three different trailers.

The other adults besides Verity Bolton, according to police, are her 53-year-old boyfriend Abraxas Glazov and her 74-year-old father Robert Bolton. Investigators believe the alleged abduction was pre-planned,

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Contents and that the children have been moved “off the grid.”

Many of the tips police have received so far are from people with previous history with the parties involved, according to Munn. “All the information we can get is truly appreciated and it really does help us move forward with the investigation,” she said Wednesday...

Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

5 killed as more rain, floods batter Balochistan

areas..Heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorm continued to lash the northern, central and southern parts of the province causing flash floods in the mountainous areas.

With their catchment areas continuously receiving showers, Bolan, Nai Gaj, Teli, Mola, Lehri and other seasonal rivers were flowing in flood.According to reports, floodwater entered some villages close to the river in the Sibi area, forcing the residents to leave their houses for safe places. Many mud houses were damaged in Sibi, Nasir- abad, Mashkel, Washuk, Jhal Magsi and some other areas. The district administration was helping the affected families move to safe places.

Source: dawn.com

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Army chief vows to steer country out of crisis

OTTAWA - The Bank of Canada says it’s trying to not raise interest rates more than it has to, as members of the governing council are mindful of the risks associated with raising rates too much.

The central bank released its summary of deliberations Wednesday, providing insight into its decision to raise interest rates again earlier this month as the economy runs hotter than expected. The central bank hiked its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing it to five per cent, the highest it’s been since 2001.

The summary says the governing council considered whether rate hikes are just taking longer to affect the economy, or whether interest rates have not risen enough to slow the economy and bring inflation down.

“If policy is not restrictive enough to bring inflation to target on a reasonable timetable, there is a risk that rates will have to be increased by even more later. If policy is sim- ply taking longer to work ... over-tightening risks making economic conditions more painful than necessary,” the summary says. Ultimately, they decided that both factors were partly at play, but that cost of waiting too long to raise rates outweighed the benefits.Canada’s inflation rate has slowed considerably since last summer, reaching 2.8 per cent in June. That’s within the central bank’s target range of one to three per cent.

Source: ctvnews.ca

Man sentenced to 8 years in prison after attacking Mississauga mosque last year and intended to “harm indiscriminately,” the PPSC said, when he assaulted congregants at Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in March 2022 with bear spray and a hatchet.

“This was a targeted attack on all the congregants of the Islamic Centre, the worshippers present at the time, and on some of the values held dear by Canadians. Those values include freedom to gather and pray and freedom of religion,” federal prosecutor Sarah Shaikh said in a release.

LAHORE: Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir says it has been decided to steer Pakistan out of the crisis.n Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Khanewal Model Agriculture Farm, the army chief said the armed forces are proud to serve its nation. He said that the army is from the people and the people from the army, and it has been decided that Pakistan will be taken out of the current crisis. He said Pakistanis are a proud and talented nation and through their untiring efforts, they will throw away the begging bowl. Referring to the natural resources of the country, he said Allah Almighty has bestowed Pakistan with all the blessings and no power in the world can stop it from developing.

The army chief said Pakistan will definitely achieve the destination of agricultural revolution and model farms like the one inaugurated in Khanewal will be established all over the country. He said the state is like a mother, the relationship between the people and the state is one of love and respect. He said national security and economy go hand in hand as an economy without security and security without economy is unimaginable.

Says small farmers will benefit from Green Pakistan Initiative The army chief read a couplet of Allama Iqbal to stress the importance of national development. He said the small farmers would benefit from the Green Initiative, whose scope would be extended throughout Pakistan...

Source:https://www.dawn.com

election Act amended to grant additional powers to interim set-up

lateral or multilateral agreements and projects. The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi. The PML-N had on Sunday announced that an amendment was being introduced to empower the interim setup to have powers similar to that of an elected government.

The man who attacked worshippers at a Mississauga mosque last year has been sentenced to eight years in prison, a week after pleading guilty to three terrorism charges.

Mohammad Moiz Omar’s sentencing was heard in front of an Ontario Superior Court in Brampton on Tuesday.

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) said his sentence is notably higher than “sentences usually received for the substantive offences because of the terrorism component.” Omar was “motivated by hate”

“The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and society’s condemnation for such attacks. It also takes into account the acknowledgment of guilt.”

On July 19, Omar pleaded guilty to three charges, including administering a noxious thing (bear spray) with intent to danger life or cause bodily harm, assault with a weapon (hatchet) and mischief to religious property with the motivation of bias, prejudice, or hate based on religion. After interviewing Omar, the PPSC said he expressed to police “his hatred for Muslims, and his disappointment at having failed to inflict any real harm on the victims.” Source: toronto.ctvnews.ca

A joint session of the Parliament on Wednesday passed amendments to the Election Act 2017, granting the caretaker government powers to take actions or decisions regarding existing bi-

“The interim setup will not be confined to dayto-day affairs of the government till elections are held. An amendment is being brought (to the Constitution) to empower the caretaker setup to take important decisions like an elected government does,” PML-N supreme leader’s spokesperson Muhammad Zubair earlier told Dawn...

Source: dawnnews.com

Somalia Puntland opposition says they will hold a fair election on January 2024

A panel of experts made further calls for an independent inquiry into Canada’s COVID-19 response on Tuesday, stressing that the country’s pandemic response must be reviewed before it’s tested once again. The experts, who penned a series of articles on Canada’s pandemic response that were recently published by the BMJ medical journal, shared their findings at a webinar on Tuesday. Dr. Sharmistha Mishra, one of the authors, and an infectious disease epidemiologist and physician at University of Toronto and Unity Health Toronto, started her presentation with a number. “52,750,” she said in the webinar, referring to the reported deaths in Canada directly related to COVID-19 as of June 2023. Dr. Mishra said an independent, public inquiry into the country’s COVID-19 response would summarize what happened over the past three years and allow the country to better prepare for the future. “An independent, public inquiry could systematically -- and with scientific humility -- get at why. And getting at the why in a nuanced way has to come with transformative action, implementation, and would also come with evaluations of the changes that are being made and that have been made,” Mishra said.“We are going to be tested again.” Published Monday, the experts’ seven-article series was a collaboration from 13 organizations across the country, including physicians, nurses, researchers, legal experts, and humanitarian specialists, aiming to understand the medical and societal complexities of pandemic responses on a national scale. “Our aim as a journal is to inform and advance the conversation in Canada and abroad,” said Dr. Jacalyn Clark, the international editor of the BMJ. “What lessons can be drawn from Canada’s pandemic response?” she said. “What actions need to be taken in the country? And what can others learn? And how can future health preparedness be improved?” Source:ctvnews.ca

Somalia’s Puntland opposition politicians have threatened to hold special elections on January 8, 2024, if President Deni tries to extend his term. The former Minister of Finance of Puntland, Hassan Shire Abgal, who is one of the main opponents of President Deni, has accused Deni of silencing the Parliament with bribes, so that they can implement his agenda for an extension period. Hassan Shire said that the action taken by the parliament yesterday was a violation of the law and that President Deni wants to make the fate of Puntland something he can manage as he wants, warning of the negative consequences of his actions. The former minister of finance said that their position is 8 January 2024. He said that the opposition will hold a fair election, if President Deni tries to come with an extension period. Yesterday, the Puntland parliament amended the constitution, adding provisions allowing for the expansion of political parties...

Source: somalitimes.co.uk

BNP moves rally to Friday, so does AL

After much drama and uncertainty, police yesterday denied the BNP permission for holding a rally today, and the opposition party responded by rescheduling its gathering for tomorrow at Nayapaltan or Suhrawardy Udyan. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police did not give the BNP permission, saying a rally on working day would cause immense sufferings to people.

At a press conference late last night, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said people will see hindrance to any democratic activity as an attempt to obstruct democracy and fair polls. “We are urging the authorities concerned [to extend support] to make the grand rally a success.” Also last night, the party informed the DMP about the change of date. Signed by its Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the letter to the DMP said the grand rally would be held tomorrow at 2:00pm either at the Suhrawardy Udyan or at Nayapaltan. Dhaka police also refused the Awami League’s associate and front organisations permission for their rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram citing the same reasons given to the BNP. The Dhaka University unit of Chhatra League then sought permission from the university authorities for a rally either at the Gymnasium Ground or in the Central Shaheed Minar area. Three associate bodies of the AL -- Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League, and Chhatra League -- eventually rescheduled their rally for tomorrow. They will hold the rally at the trade fair ground next to the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Agargaon around 3:00pm...

Source: thedailystar.net