CMYk
5 September, 2021 I 27 Muharram, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 66 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
ISI chIef arrIveS In Kabul to meet talIban leaderShIp
news deak
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nter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt General Faiz Hameed reached Kabul on Saturday to, according to media reports, meet with the taliban leadership and discuss the overall security situation in Afghanistan. Leading a delegation of senior officials, Gen Hameed reached the Afghan capital in the morning. the country’s top spy will discuss ways to ensure that spoilers and terrorist organisations do not take advantage of the volatile circumstances, express tribune reported, citing sources. the media outlet reported that the ISI DG will also meet Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul to discuss the matter of repatriation and transit through Pakistan of foreign nationals
and Afghans fleeing taliban rule. It further reported that Gen Hameed will meet the taliban leadership to review multiple issues that concern both countries and will discuss the situation along the PakAfghan border among other issues. reuters quoted a senior official in Pakistan who had said earlier in the week that Hameed could help the taliban reorganise the Afghanistan military. According to Lindsey Hilsum, a correspondent for Channel 4 news currently in Kabul, Hameed told him he was there to meet Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmad Khan. His tour also coincides with the expected announcement of a national government by the taliban who now shift gears from insurgent group to governing power. taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul
coronavIruS In
paKIStan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,175,558
LAST UPDATED AT 4:49 PM ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
79
3,980
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
1,057,941
26,114
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
436,298 399,635 KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
164,162
32,341
32,614/10,016 100,492
Ghani Baradar, reported by some taliban sources to be in line to lead the new government, said in remarks on Al Jazeera that the new administration “will include all factions of the Afghan people.” “We are doing our utmost efforts to improve their living conditions. the government will provide security because it is necessary for economic development,” he said. While the West has adopted a waitand-see approach to the group, there were some signs of engagement with the new leaders gathering pace. the United nations said it had restarted humanitarian flights to parts of the country, linking Islamabad with Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and Kandahar in the south. While a taliban spokesman tweeted Friday that China’s foreign ministry had promised to keep its embassy in Afghanistan open and to “beef up” relations and humanitarian assistance. there were also some signs of normality creeping back in the Afghanistan capital. Qatar’s ambassador to Afghanistan said a technical team was able to reopen Kabul airport to receive aid, according to Al Jazeera, which also cited its correspondent as saying domestic flights had restarted. the airport has been closed since the United States completed operations on August 30 to evacuate diplomats, foreigners and Afghans deemed at risk from the taliban. Western Union and Moneygram said they were resuming money transfers, which many Afghans rely on from relatives abroad to survive, and Qatar said it was working to reopen the airport in Kabul — a lifeline for aid. — With additional input from AFP, Reuters
Torrential rain kills three in Karachi news desk At least three people were killed on Saturday in rain-related incidents in Karachi where torrential rainfall for the last two days threw life out of gear. A spokesperson of the edhi Foundation reported that on Saturday morning Malik Mohammed Sabir, a 50-year-old man, died of an electric current near Al-naseer apartments in Liaquatabad. 42-year-old Yaqeen Khan also passed away due to an electric current, near Abidabad graveyard in Baldia town. An electric shock also killed 34-year-old man identified as Asad Iqbal in Shali Goth near Bagh-i-Korangi the maximum precipitation of 66.7 millimetres or 2.62 inches was recorded in Saadi town K-electric reported that the power supply of around 190 feeders in the city has been affected after the rainfall. Moreover, the city’s traffic has been affected following heavy rainfall. the weather department has also forecasted that light showers are expected in Karachi on Sunday
COAS, British foreign secretary discuss Afghan situation: ISPR IsLaMaBad staff report
the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom called on the army chief late on Friday to discuss regional security and Afghanistan and measures to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields”, the Inter-Services Public relations said Saturday. Dominic raab and Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa “agreed to continue exploring avenues for collaboration in defence, training and counter-terrorism domains,” the press statement said. In the backdrop of the taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Gen Bajwa reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to making “all-out efforts” to ensure peace and stability in the war-ravaged country and support to “an allinclusive government” in Kabul. the two “reiterated the desire to further enhance bilateral relations, including efforts for peace and security in the region and fight against Covid-19”, the military’s media wing said. Following the fall of Kabul last month, London has launched a charm offensive to win over Kabul’s neighbours and secure their cooperation in evacuating
and Monday. Furthermore, forecasts suggested isolated and extremely heavy rainfall in Jamshoro, thatta, Badin, tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and Khairpur. earlier, two deaths were also reported on Friday due to the rainfall. A four-year-old girl had lost her life after coming into contact with a live electric wire submerged in rainwater outside her home where she was playing in Shah rasool Colony of Clifton on Friday night, according to officials at Boat Basin Police Station. Similarly, a man, identified as Sajid Lodhi, 45, had suffered an electric shock and died near Chapal Gali in the Lighthouse area. risala SHO Amir Ikram had claimed that Lodhi was a drug addict and he had gotten electrocuted while trying to steal an electric bulb. A spokesperson for Ke had said that as per initial findings, the incident was occurred inside a building where the man was electrocuted after coming into contact with internal wiring while reportedly attempting to cut the wires.
more inside
Taliban, Pakistani envoy meet in Doha to discuss Afghanistan situation STORY ON BACK PAGE
UK nationals and staff who worked with British forces in Afghanistan. On a regional tour since earlier this week, raab has sought to quell a growing backlash over his alleged inaction while Afghanistan was falling to the taliban, as a tory former foreign secretary said raab had been “caught out” over his handling of the crisis. He arrived in Pakistan on a two-day visit on thursday to hold talks on the evolving situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the insurgent group’s takeover of the country. In his meetings with Prime
Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, raab held “frank candid discussions” about both situations on Friday and hoped for “tangible outcomes”. Following his trip, the UK also agreed to review Pakistan’s status on the Covid red travel list. During his meeting with Gen Bajwa, raab “appreciated Pakistan’s role” in Afghanistan, the successful evacuation of foreign nationals stranded in that country and “pledged to play their role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels”, the ISPr said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
Opportunity to put an end to Afghan conflict must be seized: Imran STORY ON PAGE 02
At least 17 killed in celebratory gunfire in Kabul: reports STORY ON BACK PAGE
eCP refuses to deploy army in cantonment polls STORY ON PAGE 03