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‘APS PESHAWAR ANNIVERSARY’: POLITICIANS OF ALL HUE UNITE AGAINST TERRORISM
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Sunday, 17 December, 2023 I 3 Jamada Al-Sani, 1445
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CARETAKER PM SAYS APS TRAGEDY STRENGTHENED DETERMINATION OF NATION AGAINST MENACE OF TERRORISM
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PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
ARETAKER Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar nine years ago strengthened the determination of the nation against terrorism. In his message on the anniversary of the APS tragedy, caretaker PM Kakar said nine years ago, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to undermine the morale of the nation in the war against terrorism. It was a tragedy that moistened the eyes of the whole world. He further said that the entire nation sympathised with the parents whose children rendered a great sacrifice in this tragedy. Principal of the Army Public School, Shaheed Tahira Qazi, and other teachers stood before the beasts as a rock wall to protect their students, and sacrificed their lives, he maintained. The prime minister said cowardly terrorists can never defeat this nation where fearless people like Shaheed
Tahira Qazi and Shaheed Aitzaz Hasan did not even care about their lives to save others. The nation had won the war on terrorism and foiled all the tactics of the enemy to spread mischief and chaos in the country. Kakar further said the entire nation was proud of its martyrs and their families. He said the nation was saddened by the memory of the Army Public School tragedy, but it was stronger than ever and united against this menace. The Pakistani nation stood by its security forces until all the miscreants were brought to justice. The PM said the nation paid tribute to all the security forces personnel, including police, rangers and Pakistan Army, who hunted down the terrorists from their hideouts and brought them to an end after this tragedy. SHEHBAZ SHARIF: In his message, the former prime minister and PML-N president said the dark day of December 16 reminded everyone of the innocent children who were martyred in the Army Public School, Peshawar attack. He said the nation stood by the martyrs and their families and was united as a nation against terrorism. “Nine years
Pakistan writes to UN, OIC, EU against Indian SC’s ‘illegal’ Kashmir verdict ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has addressed letters to the leadership of the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU), inviting their attention to the illegality of the recent judgment by the Supreme Court of India on the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In these letters, the Foreign Minister has underscored that under international law, domestic legislation and judicial verdicts cannot be invoked to determine the final status of an internationally-recognized disputed territory. The Foreign Minister has condemned the unlawful measures of the Indian authorities to consolidate their occupation of IIOJK and persistent suppression of the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, and a series of subsequent steps, are aimed at altering the demographic structure and political landscape of IIOJK. The clear goal of these unlawful steps is to convert Kashmiris into a disempowered community in their own land. Foreign Minister Jilani has termed the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India, a breach of international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution 122 (1957). This endorsement of India’s unlawful measures cannot override the provisions and prescriptions of the UN Security Council as contained in its resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
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SHEHBAZ, BILAWAL PAY TRIBUTE TO MARTYRS, SAYING NATION STANDS BY FAMILIES OF MARTYRS
Dec 16 always to be remembered for sacrifices of APS martyrs: Solangi
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi Saturday said that the day of December 16 would always be remembered for the great sacrifices of the martyrs of Army Public School. In a message on the 9th anniversary of APS martyrs, he said, “Nine years have passed since the tragedy of APS, but the grief of those who lost their lives was still fresh today.” The minister said that cowardly miscreants attacked the future of the nation, the young children and martyred them. Murtaza Solangi said that no one could hold back their tears remembering that tragic day. Paying tributes to the martyrs of APS tragedy, he said they united the nation against terrorism. After this incident, he said all the political parties and organizations united against terrorism, a twenty-point national action plan was adopted and the terrorists were defeated. Unfortunately, without taking the opinion of parliament and public institutions, a government of
ago today, the entire nation gathered on one narrative against terrorism and under the leadership of the then prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, a decisive battle to end terrorism was launched and the terrorists were wiped out through operations Zarb-e-Azb and Raddul Fasaad,” Shehbaz said in a post on his X account. BILAWAL BHUTTO-ZARDARI: The PPP chairman and former foreign minister paid tribute to the innocent martyrs of the APS tragedy and their martyred teachers, and also expressing solidarity
the recent past allowed the terrorists to return, due to which the nation facing a new wave of terrorism today. “Terrorism has never ended due to the appeasement of terrorists around the world”, he maintained. The people of Pakistan will defeat this new wave of terrorism with the strength of their state institutions and this was the message of today. “Our resolve is firm and our passion is true, our war against terrorism will continue”, Murtaza Solangi remarked. Solangi stated that Pakistan had come a long way to defeat terrorism as all state institutions, including civil and military leadership, were on the same page to protect homeland and national security. “Pakistan is moving towards lasting peace and development,” he added. He prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls of the martyrs of Army Public school in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the tragic loss with fortitude. The minister also paid tributes to the martyrs of Pakistan Armed forces who sacrificed their lives for peace in the country. STAFF REPORT
with the families of the martyrs. He said the APS tragedy day was a horrific day in the nation’s history. “The memory of this horrific bloodshed is still fresh in the minds of every Pakistan. We will neither forget the martyrs nor this tragedy,” he said in a message on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attack. Bilawal said he stood by the families of all the victims of terrorism, as no one could understand their grief better than him, as he was also the son of a martyr.
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COAS urges UNSC to act fast for cessation of hostilities in Gaza NEW YORK
STAFF REPORT
Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir on Saturday urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to rally the international community for prompt cessation of hostilities in Gaza, emphasising that the lasting solution to the crises lies in a “two-state solution,” according to the military’s media affairs wing. According to an ISPR statement, the remarks were conveyed by the army chief during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Friday. COAS Gen Asim Munir said that peace in South Asia will remain elusive until a peaceful solution to the lingering Kashmir dispute is found in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people. The visit marks COAS Gen Asim Munir’s inaugural trip to the United States since assuming office in Nov 2022. During the ongoing visit, the COAS has met prominent government and military figures, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
Secretary of Defence (retired) General Lloyd J. Austin, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer, and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown. In a statement from the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday, Gen Munir called on Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York, where he was warmly welcomed. The statement said the UN chief “appreciated the contributions made by Pakistan Army and contingents of the law enforcement
agencies who have remained committed to the peace and stability of the world”. In addressing the Gaza issue, the statement, which did not mention Israel, quoted the army chief as reaffirming Pakistan’s stance on Palestine. He urged the UNSG to mobilise the international community for an immediate halt to hostilities in Gaza, preventing a humanitarian tragedy. He also emphasised that a lasting solution lied in the twostate solution.
Nation united against terrorism: President ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday said the Pakistani nation stood with its security forces in their efforts to get rid of terrorists and miscreants who were spreading lawlessness. In a message in remembrance of the tragedy of the Army Public School that occurred on December 16, 2014, he said, “The nation pays tribute to the security forces for their sacrifices to restore peace and security in the country.” He said the grief for the innocent children who fell victim to the barbarity of terrorists in the tragedy of APS Peshawar, could never lessen. “This tragedy made people across the world griefstricken and every eye was tearful,” he said adding nine years ago, the enemy assaulted our hope for the future in a bid to demoralize the nation in the war against terrorism but this tragic incident further strengthened resolve and determination of the people against terrorism. The President said he and the nation would always remember the supreme sacrifice of children – the flowers of the nation. “The nation stands with the parents of the children who exemplified courage. Nation shared their grief.” “The nation is united against terrorism and is determined to root out this evil,” he concluded.
PTI urges SC to appoint judicial officers as ROs, DROs ISLAMABAD AGENCIES
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said Saturday that his party was dissatisfied with the Supreme Court (SC) ruling against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order on hiring election officers for the conduct of elections on February 8, 2024. Talking to media persons in Islamabad after meeting the incarcerated ex-PTI chief, Imran Khan, Barrister Gohar reiterated his party stance that the returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs) should be from the judiciary. However, he said it was the party’s demand that the elections should not be delayed by even a day. The PTI chief said not only should elections be held, but they should be free and fair. The advocate added that PTI was trying to stop democracy from “derailing”. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on December 14 stopped the training of the returning officers (RO) and district returning officers (DRO) for the upcoming elections, after the high court suspended the electoral body’s notification for the officers’ appointment from bureaucracy. The LHC ruling, which was issued PTI’s petition challenging the bureaucrats’ appointments of bureaucrats, turned out to be a hiccup in the polling process as it jeopardised the polls’ conduct on the designated date. The newly appointed chief of PTI — which had sought the appointment of ROs and DROs from the judiciary for the poll exercise in its petition — said it was the right of every party to present its reservations before the court. “The way of justice will be obstructed if you start sending notices to the petitioners,” Gohar said while referring to SC’s contempt of court notice to PTI’s Umair Niazi, who was the appellant in the LHC. “We plead to the Supreme Court to listen to our grievances. Nobody will turn to the apex court for free and fair polls if contempt of court notices are issued,” he said, Gohar added that PTI would not boycott the elections, come what may, as he reiterated the party’s demand to hold free and fair elections. The PTI chairman further stated that the ECP had assured his party of providing a level playing field, but they are still not allowed to hold workers’ conventions. “We respect the SC ruling but we should be given the level playing field,” he maintained. Following much deliberation over measures to avoid delay in holding of sought-after general elections in the aftermath of the LHC ruling, the SC Friday evening suspended the high court’s order. The apex court’s order stated that the LHC bench issued an order exceeding its jurisdiction. “The SC declared in its [November 3] order that no one will be allowed to derail the democracy,” it said, adding that the president and the ECP decided the poll date after consensus among all the stakeholders.
Israel bombards northern and southern Gaza, many reported dead GAZA
REUTERS
Palestinian health officials also said Israeli strikes on Gaza City in the north had hit the YMCA headquarters, which is sheltering hundreds of displaced people and reported several dead and wounded. The official WAFA news agency said at least three dozen people had been killed in strikes on three houses in the Jabalia refugee camp, which health officials were unable to confirm. Gaza’s health ministry has said Israel’s ground offensive and the targeting of medical facilities have made it hard to gather information about casualties in northern Gaza. Rescue workers believed some casualties remained buried under the rubble in some of those areas. Gaza residents also reported intense overnight fighting and bombardment in Sheijaia, Sheikh Radwan, Zeitoun, Tuffah and Beit Hanoun in the north, and in the centre, east and north of Khan Younis. “The Gaza Strip turned into a ball of fire overnight, we could hear explosions and gunshots echoing from all directions,” Ahmed, 45, an electrician and father of six,
told Reuters from a shelter in central Gaza. US URGES ISRAEL TO NARROW ITS CAMPAIGN: President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, brought a message to Israel on Thursday and Friday to scale down the campaign and transition to more narrowly targeted operations against Hamas leaders, US officials said. During the visit, Israeli officials publicly emphasised that they would continue the war until they eradicate Hamas. Washington appeared to acknowledge disagreement, as Sullivan said the timing was under “intensive discussion” between the allies. An Israeli military official said three hostages killed mistakenly in Gaza by Israeli forces had been holding up a white flag, according to an initial inquiry. The incident happened in an area of intense combat where Hamas fighters operate in civilian attire and use deception tactics, the official said, but the hostages were fired upon against Israel’s rules of engagement. Israel, which said it recovered the bodies of three other hostages killed by Hamas, believes around 20 of more than 130 hostages still held in Gaza are dead. The Israeli military said on Saturday that
it had bombed a building in Jabalia from the air after its forces came under fire and Hamas fighters were seen on the roof. It was unclear if the building was one of those that WAFA said had been hit. The military also said it had killed fighters holed up in two school buildings in Gaza City, and raided apartments in Khan Younis
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stocked with weapons, uncovering what it described as underground infrastructure used by Hamas, the group that runs Gaza and that Israel has vowed to destroy. “Every day the situation gets worse. Food gets less, water gets worse, only death, fear and destruction get greater,” said Samira, 40, a mother of four, who is displaced in
Rafah, near the southern border with Egypt. “I can’t handle the children anymore. They’re terrified and so am I. Every night we think it might be our last night. The bombing doesn’t stop,” she told Reuters by phone. With intense fighting across the Gaza Strip and aid organisations warning of a humanitarian catastrophe, the United States has said Israel risks losing international support with “indiscriminate” air strikes. In a surprise cross-border attack on Oct. 7, Hamas fighters rampaged through Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and capturing 240 hostages. Israel’s counterattack has killed close to 19,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities, with thousands more feared buried under rubble. COMBAT INTENSIFIES: Combat has intensified in the past two weeks since the collapse of a week-long truce that had allowed dozens of hostages to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli and Qatari officials were set to meet in Norway on Saturday in an effort to revive talks about the release of hostages in Gaza in return for a ceasefire and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported.