Global Affairs

Islamabad - Pakistan

January -2021

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#KheloAazadiSe KPL BRAND AMBASSADOR

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Ch. Shahzad Akhtar Chief Editor

Official launch of Kashmir Premier League (KPL) at Governor House Karachi in presence of Governor Karachi Imran Ismail and Chairman Kashmir Committee Mr. Shehryar Khan Afridi who were accompanied by the President KPL Arif Malik and CEO KPL Ch. Shahzad Akhtar

Pakistan Overseas Real Estate Forum (POREF) playing a vital role in boosting the economic development of Pakistan by bringing in foreign direct investment from around the globe.

Islamabad - Pakistan

A warm welcome to all our readers around the globe. The year 2020 has just concluded. This year, undoubtedly quite possibly the most difficult in the course of our lives due to the pandemic created from COVID-19. I have my sympathies for the families from all around the world who have lost their loved ones or are already suffering. Though Pakistan set a good example for the world through implementation of smart policies to deal with the situation but it is still not settled yet as the disease is still transforming itself into its newer versions. Government is trying to cope with the situation but it is absurd without the support of public as the health and well-being of our communities is the measure of our prosperity as a nation.

December 2020 was a month that seen some major set of events. The most important of them all was the launch of Kashmir Premier League (KPL) which was officially announced at Governor House Karachi in presence of Governor Karachi Imran Ismail and Chairman Kashmir Committee Mr. Shehryar Khan Afridi who were accompanied by the President KPL Arif Malik and CEO KPL Ch. Shahzad Akhtar in the presence of renowned celebrities and media. Government of Pakistan and Government of Azad Kashmir have already acknowledged the KPL initiative for dedicating a cricketing brand specific for Kashmir. Recently, the cricketing icon Mr. Shahid Khan Afridi also announced to be the brand ambassador for KPL. The KPL management also signed an MOU with Shahid Afridi Foundation as its charity organization for the CSR projects in the region. Along with that the KPL management has ensured that KPL will captivate audience from all January -2021

across the globe by displaying a soft image of the region which would help to boost tourism, development projects and sports in Kashmir.

Also, we can see that Pakistan economy is struggling but is on the path of growth despite COVID pandemic. CPEC Projects and Pakistan Real Estate Potential is playing a major role for bringing in investment to increase government assets.

A strong foreign policy can play a vital role to contribute in the process. Though, it is quite early to expect sudden changes of strategic amendments in the government policies for boosting the country overall economy as it is very unpredictable with different substantial and elusive components affecting the ultimate result. It requires some investment before the effect of changes plays out for which the government is fully supporting the investors from overseas, local industrialists and business community to help propel the economic growth of Pakistan. For making this happen a forum especially dedicated for the purpose named Pakistan Overseas Real Estate Forum (POREF) has been established to bring in foreign direct investment in Pakistan through display of good investment opportunities in Pakistan by targeting audience from all around the world. The bottlenecks do show up which should be removed persistently and reasonably.

At the end I have a solid confidence in the prosperous future which can be achieved through tireless work with an inspirational mentality and achievement will never be excessively far for a radiating future and arising Pakistan..

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Ch. Shahzad Akhtar Chief Editor

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Editorial Team

Australia - China - Canada - Malaysia - Oman - South Africa - UAE - UK - USA

Chief Editor ..

Ch Shahzad Akhtar Executive Editor..

Arif Malik Managing Editor..

Azeem Sultan Rajput Kashmir Affairs Imtiaz Ahmed Mughal Joint Editor..

Asif Ali Sindho Art & Design..

Naeem Mazhar Kaleem Web Developer Farooque Malik Photographer..

Raja Sarfraz Legal Advisor..

Adv. Qasir Imran Adv.Mubeen Qazi, Adv. Sanaullah Aman Director Planning & Sales Raja Riaz Janjua Corporate Business Developer Rabiia Amin Manager Events..

Ali Imran Business Consultant Asad Malik Content Strategist Muhammad Arslan

Monthly

Advisory Council

Lt. Gen. (R)Amjad Shuaib Defense Analyst Dr. Babar Feroze Educationist Shahid-Ul-Haq Sports Philanthropist Hassan Jalil Sports Activist Sardar Maqsood Ahmed Entrepreneur Kanwar M. Dilshad Former Secretary ECP Dr. Syed Javaid Khurshid Distinguished Visiting Fellow

National Bureau Chief

Punjab : Muhammad waseem Balochistan : Muhammad Anjum Gilgit Baltistan : Syed Rizwan Haider Shah rizwanhaidershah512@gmail.com

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Issue -01

Gl bal Affairs Islamabad - Pakistan

january - 2021

CO CNTEN T S ONTENTS

KPL P08 -PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN MESSAGE P09 - PM OF PAKISTAN MESSAGE P10 -PRESIDENT AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR MESSAGE P11 -CHAIRMAN Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir message P12 -PRESIDENT Kashmir Premier League message P13 -CEO Kashmir Premier League message P14 -KPL BRAND AMBASSADOR message P15 -KPL Official Signer & AMBASSADOR Showbiz P28 -singing ceremony kashmir prime league kotli panther P36 -Pakistan Navy awards cricketer Fakhar Zaman honorary rank of lieutenant BUSINESS P38 - Chinese Commerce Minister awarded the prestigious “Hilal-i-Pakistan” by Moin ul Haq P40 - TAKING FORWARD THE REAL ESTATE POTENTIAL OF PAKISTAN TO THE GLOBAL HORIZONS P42 - Chinese companies to invest $8bn in Ravi City Project P44 - CPEC projects to be completed on time despite COVID pandemic P46 - The life of a fisherman P48 - CPEC becomes an important pilot project of BRI: China Diplomatic Affairs P50 - Macron is trouble for France, says Erdogan P52 - What Can Pakistan Expect From the Biden Administration?

P50 - Shaheen-IX to improve combat training level of Pak-China air forces P52- Pakistans friendship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistans foreign policy P56- Pakistan being subjected to 5th-generation warfare in massive way but we are aware of threats: DG ISPR Political Affairs P58- Shaheen-IX to improve combat training level of Pak-China air forces P60- Palestine & Rohingya issues to be discussed in OIC council of foreign ministers meeting

P62- An Assertive Turkey Muscles Into Russia’s Backyard P66- AG Barr knew about Hunter Biden probe for months: Report P62- AG Barr knew about Hunter Biden probe for months: report CURRENT AFFAIRS P72 - NY Governor declares that in celebration of World AIDS Day, state landmarks will be illuminated in red

KASHMIR AFFAIRS P82- AJK PM says Kashmir is not border, rather a matter of right to self-determination P84- Over 95,000 unarmed Kashmiris martyred by India in earlier 30 years: report P86- In Jammu and Kashmir, atrocities are perpetrated with no fear of corrective international response P88- ‘Shehryar Afridi varieties advisory board on Kashmir P90 - Pakistan to raise Kashmir issue at every world forum in 2020’ P92 -‘It’s not a grave we must fit in’: the Kashmir women fighting for marital rights P94- EU DisinfoLab exposed India for maligning Pakistan Bussiness 96-The Impact of Military Doctrines on the Fabric of Strategic Stability in South-Asia

Annual Day

P112- Pakistan founder Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah a true statesman

P32-Signing Ceremoy Kashmir premer league join hands with shahid afridi foundation as CSR Partner at Serena Hotel, Islamabad

P24-KPL Launched with flying colors in a mega event at Governor House Karachi

P98- PARLIAMENT WITHOUT CHOSEN REPRESNTAIVES

P100- Pakistan My Motherland P104- BAZEECHA TRUST where innocence dwells LIFE STYLE P108- Ertugrul star Engin Altan pays go to to CM Punjab Usman Buzdar HEALTH & FOODS P116- Pakistan is struggling with high burden of Malnutrition P118- Doctor, Mental Health!

Sports

P31- KPL Management presented souvenir to the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah

P122-Top 10 Places to Visit in Hunza Valley

Horoscope P124- Horoscope January-2021

P70- PRIME MINSTER lauds Pakistan Navy for safeguarding sea frontiers P16- KPL PRE-LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE AT ISLAMABAD SERENA HOTEL

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P78 First Virgin Atlantic flight lands at Islamabad airport G LO B A L A F FA I R S . C O M . P K

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PRESIDENT of pakistan MESSAGE

Dr. Arif Alvi Kashmir Premier league is positioned to become a global league and the change Kashmir and Kashmiri people were waiting for. KPL by being a brand dedicated for the Kashmiris will highlight the voice that needs to be heard on a global platform. Cricket being the most popular game in Pakistan has always united the people of Pakistan and boosted their enthusiasm in sports. It brings the whole nation together as it promotes unity in many ways. Kashmir is a center of great talent, natural beauty and lovely people. I am

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very optimistic that KPL will be unlocking the true potential of the people of Kashmir. Furthermore, I believe that this platform will be a game changer for the people of Pakistan, and give inclusivity to Kashmir reinforcing that we are a single people and nation. This initiative is also a step towards keeping Kashmir in the news in the international media. This league has our entire national support h in its execution and hopefully in its popularity.

PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN message

IMRAN KHAN Kashmir lies in an ethnically diverse Himalayan region and holds a very vital position for Pakistan.

Our government has always put Kashmir on our top priority and have raised its agenda on all forums including United Nations and other global forums. We are putting all our efforts to provide a new direction to the cause that would help transform the lives of the Kashmiri people. For expanding our initiative, we are deeply immensed to announce a brand dedicated for the Kashmiris by the name of “Kashmir Premier League�. We are very optimistic that after the major

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success achieved from Pakistan Super League, KPL is soon going to become an icon in the cricketing world.

This initiative will create a long-lasting impact in minds of the people across the globe, letting them see the softer image of the region and the hospitality it offers. This will also help us captivate audience for tourism and foreign direct investment, leading to the economic development of the region.

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PRESIDENT AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR and patron in chief-kpl

MESSAGE

Sardar Masood Khan “Kashmir� often labeled as Heaven on Earth is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of Pakistan. There are several private and public initiatives, cooperating in one way or another, with success and continuity which are not only boosting the overall image of Kashmir but are also providing evident and viable opportunities to the youth of Kashmir. Kashmir might be famous for its scenic beauty and remarkable landscapes but there is more to this place; it is the land that has the capability of producing exceptional individuals in all fields. The idea behind the

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Kashmir Premier League is no less than any other breakthrough initiative which is going to change the way the world is looking at Kashmir. This event will showcase the young cricketing talent of Kashmir by providing them with a platform to exhibit their passion alongside the national heroes of Cricket. The Government of Azad Kashmir supports and encourages this cause and looks forward to a great showcasing of Cricket.#KheloAazadiSe

CHAIRMAN Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir

message

Shehryar Khan Afridi Cricket is known to be a binding force nationwide.

Whether it’s the players on the field, spectators surrounding the ground, or fans hooked to television screens as we all are cricket fanatics in one way or another; the passion for cricket runs through the whole nation. Kashmir Premier League sanctioned by all the respective government entities is a gift to the people of the region as it will bring forth the young talent of the alluring land of Kashmir under the spotlights of the stadiums in Muzaffarabad,

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Mirpur, and Rawalpindi. Apart from that, this event will portray an image of sportsmanship, peace, and harmony of Kashmir across the world as KPL will be empowered with global broadcasting and globally known brand ambassadors. I support the cause and the slogan #KheloAazadiSe which will prove to be a landmark in bringing the people of Kashmir together under the umbrella of consonance through the sport of Cricket.

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PRESIDENT Kashmir Premier League message

Arif Malik Two and a half years ago, we were doing a paragliding event in Muzaffarabad. With the sky filled with paragliders, looking across the stadium, I dreamed of a Cricket league solely based on the beautiful land of Kashmir. We discussed this event with the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir which he acknowledged and supported us throughout the journey. During this expedition, KPL had to face lots of barriers and strains but with the support of our team and the government, the dream seen then is about to come true. Kashmir Premier League is not just about the sport or the contest, it’s a subject that proliferates

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national and regional harmony through the game of Cricket. This league will be suited with elite umpires’ panel, international standards broadcasting facility, CSR projects, and renowned brand ambassadors which will ensure a healthy and vocal cricketing activity.We are also thankful to the overseas Pakistanis for their support and endorsement regarding the league and look forward towards a successful event, carving history by setting new trends in the region.

Please support and follow the slogan #KheloAazadiSe as it’s a token of support and ownership for the people of Kashmir and the game of Cricket.

CEO Kashmir Premier League message

Chaudhry Shahzad Akhtar Kashmir Premier League is designed to contribute to the magnificent land of Kashmir and its people by projecting the message of peace and unanimity to the world. KPL is vowing to organize the CSR events that would help to boost the initiative. We are hopeful that KPL will provide the young Cricket talent of AJK with a quality platform through which they can exhibit their skills worldwide that will be furnished with international standard broadcasting and associated with renowned national heroes of Paki-

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stan from Sports, Media, and other genres with the league to promote the brand nationally and globally.

We are looking forward to an event that will have a long-lasting impact on the region in terms of the sport and spur a soft image of Kashmir resulting in the development of the most majestic part of Pakistan.#KheloAazadiSe

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KPL BRAND AMBASSADOR message

SHAHID AFRIDI Kashmir is close to my heart and had visited Kashmir and was mesmerized by the beauty of the area which was justified in being called as ‘paradise on earth. But I believe the real beauty of Kashmir lies in the valiant spirit of courageous Kashmiris. Pakistan as a nation has always supported the Kashmir agenda. I was very delighted upon knowing the pre-launching of cricket league especially dedicated for Kashmir. I vow the

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Kashmir Premier League initiative and deeply honored to represent it global scale by being its brand ambassador. I have played for many leagues throughout my cricketing career, but I would love to play for the KPL to return the love I get from the people of Kashmir. Therefore, I would love to support the league in whatever capacity possible.

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KPL PRE-LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE AT ISLAMABAD SERENA HOTEL

With the current situation in Kashmir, it is imperative for the government to make a mark through sports. As sports always unites people and brings a positive change in the society and would provide a platform to Kashmiri youth to showcase their talent which will lead emerging

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talent from the grassroots level.

Across the globe, we see examples of how sports have united communities through the transformation agenda. This is a gradual process that requires time, commitment and resolve. Though it’s not the job of government alone, but of everyone but

sports can play a huge role in expediting this process.

Considering all this, Government of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with the Cutting Edge Group is aiming to organize the first edition of Kashmir Premier League that

would mobilize and empower the region of Kashmir through international display of the event. The Kashmir Premiere League aims to become a global sports entity and compete with the major cricket leagues of the world.

Chairman Kashmir Committee ShehrIslamabad - Pakistan

yar Khan Afridi on Saturday December 14th 2020 propelled the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) as the first premier cricket competition of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, vowing to start with a series of cultural and sports occasions to raise the voice of the people of Jammu and January -2021

Kashmir globally.

While talking to the press conference in which he was accompanied by President Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan, leading cricket icon Shahid Afridi who is also the brand ambassador for KPL, Azhar Mahmood, Chief Coach

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for KPL, President KPL Arif Malik and Shehzad Akhtar Chaudhry CEO KPL he said: “KPL would put Kashmir on the World Sports Map. We will raise Kashmir on all forums world over. Kashmir Committee would do everything to preserve, project and promote Kashmiri identity and its culture. ‘K’ word is the buzz word now,” He also said that the government has put Kashmir and its people on the top priority in their agenda.

President AJK Masood Khan was also deeply immensed and shared his views that the government and peoples of AJK would fully own and support the League which would provide an opportunity to the Kashmiri youth to showcase their talent through sports.

Shahid Afridi being the brand ambassador of the league delivered his views by saying that Kashmir is close to his heart and he would love to support the league whatever capacity he would be asked to he also added that throughout his cricketing career, he had played for many teams but he would love to play for the KPL which would provide him an opportunity to him to return his love he gets from the people of Kashmir and he’s deeply inspired by the love and support of the people of the beautiful valley.

Summing it all up KPL endeavors to be a ray of hope for the people of Kashmir which is going to become the first mega cricketing event. Its prime objective is to bring out the emerging talent from Kashmir at national and international level by displaying it on a global stage. The league is designed to provide the young Cricket talent of AJK with a quality platform through which they can exhibit their skills that will be showcased all around the world. The league will involve Pakistani international players as well that would play alongside domestic, U19 and emerging Kashmiri players to help raise the community spirit among people of Jammu & Kashmir by providing the global recognition to the culture of the region bestowed with natural magnificence and landscapes manifesting the alluring geography and culture of AJK. In addition to the proliferation of sports in the region it will also promote tourism that will help to capitalize on for commercialization opportunities by not only captivate audience in all the key consumer markets that would not only include domestic investors but will also appeal to all the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmiris residing Overseas.

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KPL Launched with flying colors in a mega event at Governor House Karachi

A combination of Pakistani International, emerging domestic and Kashmiri origin cricket stars are set to sparkle in the beautiful valley of Kashmir from April 2021 during the first edition of Kashmir Premier League (KPL).

KPL was launched officially in a mega event at Governor House Karachi on Thursday 24th December 2020 in the presence of Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chairman Kashmir Committee Mr. Shehryar Khan Afridi.

Mr. Imran Ismail during the press conference said “the ‘Kashmir Premier League’ would be a new addition to the cricketing world and it would provide a platform to the new talent in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to come forward.”

He also mentioned that “this project is in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of promoting tourism, sports and culture in the country and the commencement of the league would not only help put Kashmir on the global sporting map but its commencement is also a good omen as the whole world would

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now see the difference between Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOK) and the AJK.” Speaking on the occasion, Shehryar Afridi also shared his view saying, “they were not against the people of India, however, “we have the tendency of competition with them, whether it is sports or culture”.

He said “Such a tournament will showcase to the world what Kashmir has to offer and when international stars from all over the world will come to Kashmir to play cricket, they’ll convey our message to the world,” also adding that KPL would be organized under the supervision of AJK Prime Minister and famous cricketers would be part of the league Arif Malik, the president of KPL said, “It will be a single league tournament in the first edition. Seven matches will be played in Mirpur while Muzaffarabad will host 11 matches including semi-finals and final.”

“There will be a total of six teams, while players will be picked through a draft.

Each team will have five local Kashmiri players in the squad; they’ll play with Pakistan’s international stars in the first edition and then from the second edition onwards, global stars will also join the KPL,” he added.

He was also accompanied by the CEO KPL Ch. Shahzad Akhtar who shared the league schedule with the audience announcing six teams for the tournament five of them from Azad Jammu & Kashmir and one of Kashmiri diaspora would chip in the first edition of KPL. The league will feature seven matches of the league will be played in Mirpur Cricket Stadium and eleven in Muzzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.

Other designatory guests also shared a bit of their thoughts and gave their well-wishes and greetings for the tournament these included celebrities from the media industry as well including renowned actor Hamayoun Saeed, Mani and others famous vloggers.

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Business

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singing ceremony kashmir prime league kotli panther

Kashmir premier league has started to open its wings and started its success journey by signing off its first team Kotli Panthers, the ceremony took place in Karachi on the 26th of December 2020 at Governor Room Marriott Hotel, between Saif ur Rehman Khan Niazi CEO of B4U Group of companies and President KPL Mr. Arif Malik.

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B4U is a big network of national and multinational companies that is giving top-notch services to its clients from many years, moreover B4U is running its businesses in more than 15 countries. In addition, B4U will be a game changer for the Team of Panthers hailing and playing for Kotli Panthers team. KPL is honored to take Mr.

Saif on board with them on this exciting venture that will bring new hopes for Kashmir through sports that unite people as well as cultures all under one-roof.

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KPL Management presented souvenir to the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah KPL management team including President KPL Mr. Arif Malik and CEO Ch. Shahzad Akhtar presented souvenir to the Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah.

He shared his support and excitement for the upcoming mega event of Kashmir Premier League. While sharing his thoughts he said that he is overwhelmed with the initiative for making a league dedicated for the Kashmiris and representing it on a global scale that will display a soft image of the region.

He said that he wishes to see the players to play in the Kashmir with a vast

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majority of fans showing their support for a brand that is their own and will help to generate exciting and passionate atmospheres in stadiums and enjoy the thrilling matches.

He also endorsed the efforts put forward by the KPL management for developing a platform that would appeal to cricketers, consumers and brands alike.

The league has been carefully devel-

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oped to ensure that its various facets are attractive to h the target audience and to potential investors from across the globe and help in the development of the region. The league would also be a crucial factor in the eventual success of the development projects of Kashmir and to promote the tourist activities as well.

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Signing Ceremoy

Kashmir premer league join hands with shahid afridi foundation as CSR Partner at Serena Hotel, Islamabad Kashmir Premier League is the first mega cricketing event highlighting the importance and talent of Kashmir at national and international level. This league is designed to provide the young Cricket talent of AJK with a quality platform through which they can exhibit their skill and will be showcased all around the world as the league will be telecasted in

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Pakistan as well as globally.

KPL aims to associate renowned national heroes of Pakistan from Sports, Media and other genres with the league to promote the brand nationally and globally and, played against the backdrop of some of the most iconic cricket venues in the world, coupled with the sights and sounds of the vibrant season in Pakistan,

the Kashmir Premier League will draw in spectators from all walks of life and across all demographics. KPL is also a brand dedicated in specific for the Kashmiris that can play a vital role in expediting this process. With this noble aim of mobilizing and empowering the region of Kashmir through international display of the event, the Kashmir Premiere League

aims to become a global sports entity and compete with the major cricket leagues of the world.

On Tuesday December 29th, 2020 the Kashmir Premier League organized a Signing Event in Islamabad with Shahid Afridi Foundation as Charity Organization. KPL aims to align the societal development with the cricketing activity creating a platform which would positively encompass the people and land of Kashmir. Through this process KPL will be promoting Shahid Afridi foundation on shirt logos and sponsoring food drives and other CSR projects.

The event featured the signing of MOU between Kashmir Premier League and the Shahid Afridi foundation as CSR partner.

Shahid Afridi Foundation is a charity organization with the aim of transforming the lives unprivileged communities. After the signing between the two parties the event was followed by a press conference. Mr. Arif Malik - President KPL mentioned: “We already have Mr. Shahid Khan Afridi on board as our brand ambassador for the League and he already has a personal association and empathy for Kashmir and its people”. Shahid Afridi said that he has visited Kashmir and term it as the Heaven on Earth. He also said he supports the Kashmiri Agenda and vow the launch of Kashmir Premier League a brand dedicated to the region. Ch. Shahzad Akhtar CEO – KPL, also shared his thoughts and highlighted the importance of KPL for the Kashmiri Community and said this will be a landmark event for the region. He was accompanied by other designated guests that included Adil Waheed – Owner Mirpur Royal, Muhammad Arshad Khan Tanoli – Owner Muzaffarabad Tigers, Samar Abbas – Member Advisory Council KPL, Amir Nawab – Director Cricket Operations and Tanveer Mughal – Manager Cricket Operations KPL. Mr Shahid Afridi is willing support the league initiative as it would open doors to new opportunities for the people. Also, this event will project a token of association from Pakistan with the people of Kashmir and reflect a soft image in the international cricketing society. The league has been designated with the Hashtag of #KheloAazadiSe which portrays the fact that this event will provide the opportunity to the people of Kashmir to unveil their love with the game of Cricket by playing or by watching their favorite game at their home. Kashmir Premier League will prove to be a gift for the people of Kashmir having an immense impact which would put Kashmir on Global Sports Map as this league is an initiative to promote the domestic Cricket in Pakistan and highlight the talent and natural magnificence of Kashmir.

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SPORTS

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Sports

Pakistan Navy awards cricketer Fakhar Zaman honorary rank of lieutenant Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi confers honorary rank of lieutenant to renowned cricketer Fakhar Zaman at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad. Photo Disclaimer: Director-General Public Relations of Pakistan Navy.

The Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi on Monday conferred re-

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nowned cricketer Fakhar Zaman the rank of Honorary Lieutenant in Pakistan Navy. A special epaulette Issue - 01

award ceremony was held at Naval Headquarters to mark the event.

Fakhar Zaman is a former Pakistan Navy serviceman. He joined the Pakistan Navy in 2007 as a sailor in the operations branch. During his early years in service, his excellent cricketing talent was spotted and he represented the Pakistan Navy in many tournaments.

His performance in the game remained exceptional and he earned numerous laurels for the Pakistan Navy. He made his international debut in cricket in 2012 while he was still serving the Pakistan Navy.

He participated in the International Defence Cricket Challenge Cup 2012 held in Australia and was declared the “Best Player� of

the tournament. His cricketing skills were honored and he was rewarded with a Sanad-e-Tahseen award by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

Pakistan Navy observed Fakhar Zaman’s profound cricket skills and extraordinary talent and graciously provided him with the opportunity to continue his career in cricket and join the Pakistan National Cricket squad.

During the course of time, his major achievements in cricket include a match-winning century against India in the final of ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, in which he was declared the “Man of the Match”.

Besides, he had scored 1000 fastest runs in just 18 ODI matches in the year 2018.

He became the first Pakistani to score a double century in a Oneday International Match and had a record opening partnership of 304 runs in 2018.

Fakhar Zaman made the World record by scoring 512 runs in five consecutive ODI series. In National T-20 Tournament 2020, he was declared “Best Player & Batsman.”

Earlier, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi in his address congratulated Honourary Lieutenant Fakhar Zaman for his remarkable achievements for Pakistan in the field of cricket.

He underscored mentioned that the Pakistan Navy has been supporting various sports including squash, sailing, hockey, and football, and has produced a number of professional players who represented Pakistan and earned laurels for the country.

He highlighted that the Pakistan Navy will continue its patronage for the sports culture at h national and international level.

The epaulette award ceremony was attended by military members, civilians, and dignitaries from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Besides, many former cricketers and their families also attended the ceremony.

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BUSINESS Business

Chinese Commerce

Minister awarded the prestigious “

Hilal-i-Pakistan” by Moin ul Haq

Pakistan’s ambassador to China Moin ul Haq, on behalf of President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, conferred the prestigious “Hilal-i-Pakistan” on Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. The award was given to recognize his outstanding and pivotal role in strengthening Pak-China relations.

He played a key role in the materialization of the second phase of the Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement facilitated Pakistan’s active participation in China International Import Expo and the 17th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO).

Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan was awarded the prestigious “Hilal-i-Pakistan” by Pakistan’s top diplomat in China on behalf of Pakistani President Arif Alvi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Thursday.

The award was presented by Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque to recognize Zhong’s “outstanding services to Pakistan and strengthening of Paki-

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stan-China relations”.

Zhong, who heads China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), was instrumental in promoting the second phase of the Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect at the start of 2020 and facilitated Pakistan’s active participation in significant events, including the China International Import Expo and the 17th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), the ambassador said at the award

ceremony.

The award is not only a personal honor bestowed by the Pakistani leader, but also a symbol of the trust and confidence Pakistan places in the time-honored all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, Zhong noted. MOFCOM would continue to work on deepening economic and trade ties with Pakistan, he said.

At a meeting before the award ceremony, officials from MOFCOM and diplomats from the Pakistani Embassy agreed to further promote Pakistan-China trade and economic relations in line with the consensus reached between leaders of h countries and for the benefit of the two peoples.

Pakistan’s exports to China increased by 30 percent year-on-year in November, improving the trade balance between the two countries, according to the Thursday edition of the English-language Express Tribune, a Pakistani daily newspaper.

In November, Pakistan presented at CAEXPO as a Special Partner Country for the first time. The country will retain this designation at the 18th CAEXPO in 2021.

In August, the bilateral import and export volume of goods between China and Pakistan reached $1.4 billion, according to data released by China’s General Administration of Customs.

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Business

TAKING FORWARD THE REAL ESTATE POTENTIAL OF PAKISTAN TO THE GLOBAL HORIZONS Real estate is one of the mainstays of a Nation’s economy, and it has been a versatile, thriving and growing sector in Pakistan. The projection of Real Estate market

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potential of Pakistan, to the overseas communities attracts potential buyers and investors from the overseas communities, to bring Foreign Direct Investments in

Pakistan contributing heavily towards the development of Real Estate Sector in Pakistan.

3

Why POREF (An opportunity you can’t miss!!)

Majority of overseas Pakistanis prefer investing their hard-earned money back in their homeland because they believe one day, they will have to come back to Pakistan, and what can be a better opportunity than the real estate sector? Most of the highend residential societies in major cities like Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore provide a luxurious

lifestyle equipped with amenities of international standard.

The multi-dimensional forum will hold a one-week promotional activity for the Real Estate stakeholders of Pakistan by arranging Roadshows in countries like the US, UK, and CANADA that could enhance and can create a viable impact of the Real Estate industry

of Pakistan.

POREF will provide an opportunity to the overseas investors to invest in the Real Estate sector of Pakistan. The entire delegation from the Real Estate sector of Pakistan will be part of this activity making ways to potential countries, attracting investors and promoting their projects.

Real Estate by 2020

“The government is coming up with some regulations; plus security and safety is improving, so prices are going up as a result. Hence, it’s the right time to invest in Pakistan and the returns are very good ” Says Ahmed Shaikhani, President Association of Builders & Developers of Pakistan.

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Business

Chinese companies to invest $8bn in Ravi City Project Prime minister Imran Khan was informed that Chinese companies want to invest $8bn in the Ravi City Project. To expedite the work on this mega project, a board has been constituted and progress will start next. PM Khan briefed that the project would solve Lahore’s housing woes. It will provide potable water, appropriate sewerage, a clean environment, and modern housing to the citizens of Lahore. Moreover, it will also create a large number of economic activities which will lead to employment generation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday told that the Chinese government and companies were keen to invest $3 billion in the Ravi City project in Lahore and that the investment did not include any

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Raja Riaz Janjua

kind of loan.

project on partnership basis.

Besides, he was informed, that ANGCC -a Global Investment Consortium, had also offered to invest $5 billion in the

The prime minister, who was presiding over a meeting of the working group of Ravi Riverfront Urban Development

Authority (RUDA) and Pakistan Islands Development Authority (PIDA), was told that in order to further speed up the progress on the Ravi City project, a board had been constituted and work on the project would start in January. 2021 The meeting was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Special Assistant to the PM on Political Communication Dr Shehbaz Gill, Naya Pakistan Housing Authority (NPHA) Chairman Lt Gen. (r) Anwar Ali Haider and Deputy Chairman Maj-Gen Ameer Aslam Khan (retd), and Pakistan Islands Development Authority Chairman Imran Ameen.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Advisor to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Salman Islamabad - Pakistan

Shah, Special Assistant to the Punjab CM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, RUDA Chairman Rashid Aziz, Punjab chief secretary and senior officers concerned also attended the meeting through video link.

The prime minister stressed that Ravi City, being an unprecedented and first of its kind mega project, would address the increasing problems of Lahore.

Its completion would not only provide the facilities of potable water, appropriate sewerage, clean environment and modern housing to the citizens of Lahore, but also help create job opportunities and develop local and national economy, particularly the industries through huge foreign investment.

Authority, the Prime Minister was told that the environmental and master plan studies would start in January.

Besides, he was told that in partnership with the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) a programme was being formulated to ensure employment of fishermen related with the Islands and for the protection of maritime habitat.

Imran Khan, while expressing his satisfaction over the progress made on the Bundle Islands, stressed that all stakeholders would be taken on board for the success of the project.

About Pakistan Islands Development January -2021

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BUSINESS While speaking at the 11th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum in Macao, CPEC Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa said that the projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are proceeding as scheduled in Pakistan despite Covid-19. Moreover, he said that the materialization of infrastructure and construction projects will be a key to reviving jobs market and national economies. It is worthy to be noted here that SOPs were followed strictly at the CPEC sites and not a single case of COVID has been reported at those sites.

CPEC projects to be completed on time despite COVID pandemic

CPEC Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa said that about a dozen major projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were proceeding as scheduled in Pakistan despite Covid-19.

Reacting to the statement of CPEC Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative, and significant progress has been made in the past seven years or so.

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“Most outcomes are achieved in the fields of transport infrastructure and energy.

A large number of highways and power stations have been built and lots of jobs created, strongly boosting the economic development of the relevant regions in Pakistan, which has benefited the Pakistani people and thus warmly welcomed and positively appraised by them,” she

added.

She said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, various CPEC projects have persisted in not evacuating people, not laying off workers, and not stopping construction, which has provided strong support for Pakistan to fight the epidemic and stabilize the economy. “At present,

the two sides are actively preparing for the 10th CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee meeting to plan for the future CPEC development.”

She was of the view that h the Chinese and Pakistani governments attach great importance to CPEC projects. “China is willing to make joint efforts with Paki-

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stan to fully implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. While completing and operating well existing projects, China is willing to further focus on cooperation in the fields of social wellbeing, livelihoods, industry and agriculture so the CPEC will stand as a shining example of

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high-quality BRI cooperation and deliver more benefits to people in the two countries and other countries in the region”. she added

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BUSINESS

The life of a fisherman

Ghulam Murtaza(GM)

Fishing is as an old profession as the man himself. He began to calm down the stomach’s fire with the flesh of birds, animals, and fish.

It’s not only a highly rich nutritional food, but also a healthy pass-time. You are really in the haven of nature the whole time you spend on it. It unfastens you from the anxieties of this Digital life.

But when you make it a mean of your bread and butter, things become quite different. Now, it’s not a delight for you but a journey of suffering and challenges we could not imagine otherwise. We never know the adoring fish dressed up on our dining table has covered how long journey to be on it; what hardships they

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have faced! How they spend their day nights in deep blue waters and under the open sea? Baba Adam, a fisherman from Pisukan, Gawadar, has been associated with this profession inherited from his forefathers. He told the fishermen had to fight with rebellious sea-waves while on board. In the giant-trawlers, stuffed with the goods of their daily needs, they steer to the spots they think fertile. Ruling the sea is their instinct; they see water first when they open their eyes. They used to take their families with them while

embarking upon the voyage. But now they have realized the significance of education. Those who don’t go to schools have to meet the fate of child labor. In the absence of their fathers, you may see the budding fishermen playing football on the sandy multi-shaded beaches of Gwader. This is also a part of their training to developing an affinity with the waters. A day will come when many of them will take the seat of their fathers. On a big trawler, worth Rupees hundreds of thousands, they say the

good-bye to their native-shores and loved ones on one fine morning. A crew of 25-30 people becomes a family and sail to the remote destinations; they feel rich with the species. Fisherman Baba Adam added, they spend a significant part of their lives in the waters. They can only see water, all around them, albatross and pelicans sailing, diving, and getting the blue crystal-waters. This narration resonated with me the “ rhyme of an ancient mariner of S.T.Colridge, I read decades ago.”. Huge-ships look like match-boxes remotely. An optical illusion gives you captivating multi-shades of the waters.

Sometimes, whales, dolphins, and sharks are getting-up to play and rub their body with the trawler’s walls without harming them. Sometimes, machines stop working off to have toe-chain hundreds or thousands of kilometers to the workshop. They also use navigators and beacon-light to avoid unsolicited things.

They may be arrested upon tress-passing into the Twelve nautical miles internationally accepted sea-border of any country. Friendly countries just fine the trespassers and confiscate their boat and belongings. Balochs have divisions into Oman, Iran, and Pakistan; most of them are dual nationals and have strong relations in the above troika. They help them out in such oddities. Storms and pirates are also significant challenges for them, especially Somalians, the most notorious of all. Illegal traffic and smuggling are also continuing under cover of fishing, especially the liquor produced in some gulf, countries stand first. Fish- Pilfering with the connivance of the concerned

authorities is another unwanted face of this profession. During the voyage, they have only a little bit of first aid to deal with anomalies. Khuda Dad Buksh remembers the incidents of sickness which claimed lives. You may notice a typical sadness and apprehenIslamabad - Pakistan

sion in their glittering eyes when they see their family off the pangs, when you did miss someone in absence, might be felt. Although rarely, the fisherman’s dead body is handed over to his family for final rituals. Meanwhile, his dead body is placed in the large deep-freezer of the trawler. This trawler is their home in the sea, having ample rooms for ration, sleeping, sitting, and a big freezer to store the fishes. They use nets, cages, hooks, and even guns for hunting. They spend their pass-time by folk-singing, playing cards, and repairing the nets.

God looks very generous in blessing this part of the sea with a variety of sea-lives.

The green turtles, dolphins, whales, sharks are found in this loop. Out of an array of thousands, Surmay, Galbat, Black & Whites Palmferts, Catfish, Tuna, Shellfish, and Prawns are in great demand. Must taste the mutton like Surmay fish if you visit Gawad. You will not feel any aggravation after eating it. If you suck its bone, it strengthens your eyessight, locals do believe. Maybe the reason you hardly see the fishermen with glasses. The community leader of fishers told it all depend on luck when embarking upon their economic-Journey.

Sometimes, you catch the rare species ‘ Suhva’, worth millions, used in the pharmaceutical industry. Usually, this luck strikes in May-June.

In 2019, two pieces

four million. They win this lottery opens typically in the mid of the year. Launces and boats are also used for hunting. A ship-boat costs from five lacs to 100 lacs.

This is one of the primary industries of the coastal belt, which centers on Gwadar. These boats are also given artistic touch and aesthetically pleasing effects by the traditional craftsmen; however, fiberglass is rapidly replacing the wood.

The big trawlers target bagging more than 2000 Kgs fishes of about Rupees 20 million worth. The distribution of dividends is determined between the owner of the trawler after deducting the product cost. However, value is usually dependent upon the kind of species and luck. After spending a few days with their family, they again embark upon their never-ending journeys. The community leader, Kuhda Dad Baloch, complained that this is a neglected community. No old-age benefits, no medical facilities, and no financial support are available for them. An angler can never retire till his body parts are working. His old age only depends upon the behaviors of his children. The water-sun mixed inten sity has burned their skin to cop per. However, ruthless, time did not diminish the enthusiasm. The glitter of their eyes reflects their spirit to rule over the mighty seas.

of Suhwa were auctioned for Rupees four million. Yes! January -2021

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BUSIENSS

CPEC becomes an important pilot project of BRI: China China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and the bilateral relations between the two countries have become even stronger in economic and trade development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Hua Chunying said “China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The bilateral relations have become even stronger in economic and trade development,� she said in response to a question. In particular, CPEC, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, is an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and a flagship for bilateral cooperation, has registered new progress in its building and generated more and more social benefits, she added.

Hua Chunying said that the Chinese side stood ready to work together with Pakistan to advance cooperation in Belt and Road initiative, facilitate the high-quality

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building of CPEC, enhance policy communication, connectivity, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges for h sides in all sectors, so as to jointly achieve greater development and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Facebook removes rival French, Russian troll networks.

According to statistics, the exports from Pakistan to China have increased by 30 percent monthly in November 2020, improving trade balance between the two countries.

Under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Phase-II signed between the two countries, China is expanding more market

access to Pakistani products.

China has also organized a number of trade promotion activities for Pakistani products. Recently, Pakistan was invited to participate as a special cooperation partner country in China-ASEAN Expo held in Nanning, Guangxi Autonomous Region of China wherein Pakistan Pavilion was set up to promote Pakistani goods.

Earlier, Pakistan also attended the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai last month.

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Macron is trouble for France, says Erdogan

Amid rising tension between the two countries, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Emmanuel Macron and hoped that France will get rid of him as soon as possible.

Turkey is embroiled in a series of discontent issued by Charlie Hebdo on France will get rid of Macron trouble as putes with France and its EU partners, Prophet Muhammad envoking Muslims soon as possible,” Erdogan told reporters from tensions in the eastern Mediterraall around the globe that let to crack after Friday prayers in Istanbul. nean to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh down by France on Muslims after several region. attacks on its soil.

He said the France should dump their “Macron is trouble for France. With leader “otherwise they will not be able to The spat has risen to new levels in recent Macron, France is passing through a get rid of yellow vests”, referring to the months in France amid blasphemous very, very dangerous period. I hope that protest movement that erupted in France

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baijan populated by ethnic Armenians that broke away from Baku’s control in a 1990s post-Soviet war.

France fighting broke out in September, leaving several thousand people dead, until a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal was sealed last month.

Turkey is a staunch ally of Azerbaijan and Macron whose country has a large Armenian community repeatedly accused Ankara of sending Syrian militia to fight for Baku.

Last month, the French Senate adopted a non-binding resolution calling on France to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state.

“You are a mediator but on the other side, you have passed a resolution in your parliament about a region on which you are supposed to be a mediator,” Erdogan charged.

France along with Russia and the United States co-chair the Minsk Group, which has led talks seeking a solution to the conflict for decades but has failed to reach a lasting agreement.

Erdogan also repeated comments by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that France should concede the Mediterranean port city of Marseille -- home to one of France’s biggest Armenian communities to Armenia if it wanted to establish a state for the Armenians of Karabakh.

“I am giving the same advice: if they are so keen, they should give Marseille to Armenians,” Erdogan said. in 2018.

and want a diplomatic approach.

“Yellow vests could later turn into red vests,” Erdogan said, without elaborating.

“We are ready to use the means at our disposal,” said European Council chief Charles Michel, expressing dismay over Ankara’s “unilateral acts” and “hostile rhetoric”.

The Turkish leader has repeatedly suggested that Macron get “mental checks” and urged the Turkish people to boycott French-labelled products.

Erdogan’s diatribe came as the European Union weighs imposing sanctions against Turkey at a December 10 summit, largely over its standoff with EU member Greece in the eastern Mediterranean.

Diplomats have said that Paris is pressing for such punitive measures against Ankara even if some key EU members notably Germany are more circumspect Islamabad - Pakistan

In a televised interview Friday, Macron appeared unwilling to be drawn into a new round of insults with Erdogan.

“I believe in respect I think invective between political leaders is not a good method,” said Macron.

- ‘Give Marseille to Armenians’ -

In September, Macron’s comments on the simmering eastern Mediterranean standoff, which has pitted Turkey against Greece and the rest of the EU, drew Ankara’s wrath.

“The people of Turkey are a great people, deserve something else,” Macron said in comments slammed by Ankara as meddling in domestic politics.

Macron told Al-Jazeera in October France wanted things to “calm down” but it was essential first that the “Turkish president respects France, respects the European Union, respects its values, does not tell lies and does not utter insults”.

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As President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20 draws closer, Islamabad is rife with speculations on what to expect from the incoming administration in Washington D.C. Here are some of the issues that are expected to dominate discussions between Islamabad and Washington under Biden’s presidency.

What Can

Pakistan

Expect From the

Biden

Administration?

While it is likely that Pakistan will see some relief in January, the United States’ policy toward that country will also be shaped by its relations with China and India.

Pakistan can anticipate some relief when it comes to aid money that President Donald Trump suspended in 2018 as Trump accused Pakistan of offering “nothing but lies and deceit” when he canceled a crucial Coalition Support Fund for Islamabad. The cancellation of the aid may have cost Pakistan billions of dollars in military and civilian aid over the last two years – something that pinched Islamabad hard at a time of financial crunch. It is possible that that the Biden administration may resume a part

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of the funding to reward Pakistan for its support in Afghanistan and in an attempt to keep diplomacy at play.

Pakistan can also expect to have more functioning, coordinated, and enhanced cooperation on military training programs under Biden. Trump had suspended Pakistan’s participation in the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET) for more than a year. IMET allows foreign military officers to train at U.S. military education

institutions, such as the U.S. Naval War College and the U.S. Army War College. The termination of the program in 2018 canceled at least 66 slots set aside that year for Pakistani military officers in different military institutions in the United States. It is important to note here that Pakistan’s military gives the highest significance to training programs for junior ranks. On the other hand, “The U.S. military traditionally has sought to shield such educational programs from political tensions, arguing that the ties built by

bringing foreign military officers to the United States pay long-term dividends,” as a Reuters story on the news noted. For more than a decade, IMET has been a pillar of U.S.-Pakistani military ties. The program survived all political tensions of Obama’s eight years, including the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, which plunged bilateral relations to an all-time low. It is possible that under the Biden administration, Pakistan’s military training program could resume.

Islamabad can expect to get plenty of appreciation from the Biden administration for its cooperation in the Afghan peace

Islamabad - Pakistan

process. It is likely that Pakistan will attempt to keep the Afghan peace process at the forefront of its cooperation with the U.S. under Biden. At this point, there is no clarity if the Biden administration will respect Trump’s agreement with the Taliban to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban have already told the incoming administration in the United States to stick to the troop withdrawal deal. “The Islamic Emirate would like to stress to the new American president-elect and future administration that implement the agreement which is the most reasonable and effective tool for ending the conflict between h

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countries,” the Afghan Taliban said in a statement. We can expect things to get worse, with the Taliban hardening their position, if Biden announces the U.S. will keep some level of troops presence in the country. In any case, Pakistan would like to keep the Biden administration happy to ensure the above-mentioned gains.

On the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) front, Pakistan is unlikely to get relief in the form of getting off the grey list. While Pakistan has made good progress on many points related to money laundering, terror financing, and holding

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DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS militants accountable, this is unlikely to become a decisive factor when it comes to Pakistan’s fate at the forum. The Biden administration would know that pressure asserted from the forum has resulted in crucial gains and remains a key leverage to get further concessions from Islamabad. The forum is likely to keep asking for more work from Islamabad and will continue to add more to the agenda for Pakistan’s case. Pakistan shouldn’t expect a decisive intervention from the incoming administration just because Islamabad has cooperated in Afghanistan and done some good home work at home. Washington’s broader interests in Asia, including relationships with India and China, will determine its policy at the forum.

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Pakistan being subjected to 5th-generation warfare in massive way but we are aware of threats: DG ISPR

Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, the chief of the military’s media wing, has said that India is engaged in a massive campaign of ‘fifth-generation warfare’ to obstruct Pakistan’s road to prosperity mainly through targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistan’s international image.

Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, the chief of the military’s media wing, has said that India is engaged in a massive campaign of ‘fifth-generation warfare’ to obstruct Pakistan’s road to prosperity mainly through targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistan’s international image.

Appearing in a wide-ranging interview on Global Village Space published on Thursday, he termed misinformation campaigns against Pakistan on social media as a “major challenge”, but said the country was countering these through transparency and putting out credible information.

“Unfortunately, it’s a major onslaught, it’s a major part of the fifth-generation warfare. Pakistan is being subjected to hybrid applications in a massive way and we are aware of that,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general said.

When prompted to cite a specific incident of such an attempt, he mentioned the recent explosion in a Karachi building which was framed as a “civil war” in India as an example of irresponsible reporting.

“In doing so, the Indian media has lost

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its credibility to quite an extent and the whole world is recognising that,” he said.

level and objectively analysed which had vindicated Pakistan’s stance.

He said in his understanding, fifth-generation warfare was the Indian state using all elements of its national power to systemically focus on and attempt to destabilise certain domains in Pakistan.

He listed these domains as Pakistan’s economy, information system, army and international image, for which he cited the example of Indian lobbying in the Financial Action Task Force meetings to discredit Pakistan.

The ISPR chief also highlighted that Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s military diplomacy and forays to reach out to the armies of the region and beyond had yielded considerable advantages for Pakistan. Note was made of success in this regard with China, Russia and the Gulf states.

When asked about how such attempts were countered, Maj Gen Iftikhar stated: “Best way to handle this is transparency, not leaving information voids and passing on credible information.”

He also brought up Pakistan’s practical action in the international arena to bring attention to Indian designs by submitting a dossier on Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan to the United Nations Secretary General. According to Maj Gen Iftikhar, the dossier and its proofs had been taken seriously at the international

“The outreach whether for training or other exchanges or defence equipment has been very positive,” Maj Gen Iftikhar said.

LoC violations The increase in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in the DG ISPR’s view was also a concerted strategy as part of fifth-generation warfare.

He said exchanges of fire had continued since 2014 but “these two years, 2019 and 2020, have seen the maximum number of ceasefire violations and I believe the maximum number of casualties.”

He linked this increase in violations with

the revocation of Article 370, through which Indian-occupied Kashmir’s special status was withdrawn and which received substantial negative press and international condemnation. He said Pakistan consistently supported this issue at the international form

Line of Control and they’ve seen for themselves there is no way any kind of infiltration can take place.”

Border fencing efforts The ISPR chief also addressed Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to fence its western borders. He said they had been overall very successful and “83 per cent of the Afghan border” and on the Iranian side “30pc has been fenced and will be complete by December 2021”.

He said the ceasefire violations in his view were attempts to paint Pakistan as supporting terrorism and infiltration in IOK. India wants to simultaneously discredit the indigenous struggle for freedom in IOK and malign Pakistan’s international image through such measures, he added.

However, Maj Gen Iftikhar said Pakistan had rebuffed such attempts and “we’ve been taking media and diplomats to the

He said Pakistan was already seeing the dividends of these efforts with a reduction in smuggling and illegal cross border activity. A decrease in terrorist activity has also been witnessed, he said, adding: “I won’t go into the percentage but the number of incidents and casualties has decreased massively.”

He further mentioned that a new border management division had been raised

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which will be centrally administrating and managing all entry points in Pakistan, from land, sea and air.

army’s role in it, Maj Gen Iftikhar praised the ability and services of h civil and military institutions.

“Border management is key to securing Pakistan,” he said while talking about the importance of this endeavour.

He highlighted how the army had rendered many services during the ongoing efforts like public awareness media campaigns and troop deployment across the country to implement lockdowns.

He ended the interview by underlining and praising the role of media outlets in educating the public.

Covid-19 efforts Reviewing the overall handling of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in Pakistan and the

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Shaheen-IX to improve combat training level of Pak-China air forces The opening ceremony of Shaheen-IX, the ninth in the series of Pak-China Joint Air Exercises, was jointly witnessed by Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Vice Marshal Waqas Ahmed Sulehri and Assistant Chief of Staff, PLAAF Major General Sun Hong. From the Pakistani side, combat pilots, air defense controllers, and technical ground crew are participating in the exercise. While commenting on the efficacy of the exercises, Maj-Gen Hong said that they will improve the actual level of combat training and strengthen practical cooperation between the two air forces. Air Vice-Marshal Sulehri was of the view that the joint exercise will provide an opportunity to further enhance the interoperability of h the air forces.

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Pakistan-China Joint Air Exercise “Shaheen-IX” started at an operational air base of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday, officials said.

Maj-Gen Hong said, “The joint exercise will improve the actual level of combat training and strengthen practical cooperation between the two air forces”.

The contingent of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), comprising combat pilots, air defence controllers and technical ground crew is participating in the exercise, according to a statement issued by the country’s air force.

Welcoming the Chinese contingent, Air Vice Marshal Sulehri said, “The joint exercise will provide an opportunity to further enhance interoperability of h the air forces, thereby fortifying brotherly relations between the two countries”.

The opening ceremony of the exercise was jointly witnessed by Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Vice Marshal Waqas Ahmed Sulehri and Assistant Chief of Staff, PLAAF Major General Sun Hong, it said.

Shaheen-IX is the ninth in the series of Joint Air Exercises which is conducted each year in h countries on alternate basis.

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Political Affairs

Palestine & Rohingya issues to be discussed in OIC council of foreign ministers meeting The Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary, on Thursday said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was a permanent feature on the agenda of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The OIC statements, h in English and Arabic, announced Palestine & Rohingya issues to be discussed but made no specific mention of Kashmir in the agenda announced in Jeddah.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is holding the 47th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in the capital of the Republic of Niger, Niamey, on 27 and 28 November 2020, on the theme “United against Terrorism for Peace and Development”.

Placed on the agenda of this year’s CFM

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session, Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen explains, a list of topics and issues of concern to the Muslim world. In addition to the Palestinian cause, and the fight against violence, extremism and terrorism, Islamophobia and defamation of religious, the Council will discuss the situation of Muslim minorities and communities in non-member states, fundraising for the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as well as the promotion of dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions, and other emerging matters.

The OIC foreign ministers will also discuss, over two days, political, humanitarian, economic, social and cultural and other issues related to science and technology, the media and the progress made in the implementation of the “OIC-2025: Plan of Action” document.

The Council meeting will also feature a brainstorming session on “Security and Humanitarian Challenges Confronting African Sahel States Members of the OIC”.

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An Assertive Turkey Muscles Into Russia's Backyard Erdogan extended support for Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, a rare foray into Kremlin’s sphere of influence

When Russia single-handedly brokered an agreement last month to stop fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics, the Kremlin granted an important concession to Turkey, allowing Ankara to monitor its implementation.

Turkey’s strong military support for Azerbaijan was a reality the Kremlin couldn’t ignore, said Russian President

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Vladimir Putin.

“What can I tell you,” he said on Russian television when asked about Turkey’s broader role in the Caucasus days after fighting stopped last month. “It’s a geopolitical fallout from the downfall of Soviet Union.”

Turkey’s foray into an area the Kremlin has traditionally regarded as its exclu-

sive sphere of influence is emblematic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to refashion the NATO member and once-pliant U.S. ally into a power player at the crossroads between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Turkey played a critical role in Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenian forces in the fight for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region allied with Armenia

but entrenched within internationally recognized Azeri borders since the early 1990s.

This week, Mr. Erdogan was the guest of honor at a military parade in Azerbaijan that showcased Turkish attack drones that supported Azeri forces’ successful campaign to reclaim swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh. That operation drove out tens of thousands of Armenians who had long lived there.

“From the first days of the patriotic war, or rather from the first hours, we have felt the support of Turkey,” Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said at the parade on Thursday.

The Turkish-Azeri alliance was also on display in Turkey, where luminescent flags of the two countries have been emblazoned on top of Istanbul’s 720-foot television tower for the past month.

Turkish analysts say Russia remains the pre-eminent force in the region and that recent developments further bolster this status given the 2,000 Russian servicemen deployed on Azeri soil as part of the peace agreement.

They also concede that Mr. Putin may have allowed Ankara to become a power broker in the Caucasus as part of a broader calculation: to keep driving a wedge between Turkey and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

A Russian armored personnel carrier in the town of Lachin, Azerbaijan.

But they say the idea that Moscow would remain impassive while Russian-equipped Armenian forces were Islamabad - Pakistan

getting trounced by Turkish-backed Azeri forces was unthinkable, even as of a few months ago.

They point out that Russia had to accommodate some of Turkey’s demands, notably by providing for the establishment of a 30-mile travel corridor across Armenia that connects Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhichevan. The corridor will allow for direct road transport from Ankara to Baku.

“It is a huge victory for Turkey,” said Behlul Ozkan, an international relations professor at Istanbul’s Marmara University. “It is perhaps the only Turkish foreign-policy victory in the past five or six years.”

Today, Ankara’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh war and its tentative settlement contrasts sharply with the absence of the U.S. and France at the peace talks. Along with Russia, the two countries co-lead the Minsk Group, created in 1994 to help resolve the ethnic conflict. Washington and Paris h brokered cease-fire agreements in October, but those collapsed immediately.

Strikingly, Mr. Ozkan said, Turkey’s push in the Caucasus was free of the neo-Ottoman and Pan-Islamic overtones with which Mr. Erdogan has presented most of his foreign-policy initiatives in recent years, from military interventions in Syria and Libya to maritime challenges against Greece and Cyprus.

“It was a purely pragmatic, very well-calculated approach,” said Mr. Ozkan.

When the Soviet Union collapsed 1991, January -2021

Turkey sought to exploit the sudden vacuum to deepen ties with Azerbaijan and the newly independent states of Central Asia, emphasizing their common religion, Islam, and shared ethnic and linguistic heritage.

Armenian police officers detained a protester in Yerevan, Armenia, on Nov. 10.

Within months, however, the Kremlin drew red lines to counter the burgeoning aspirations of former Soviet republics.

In 1992, Armenia and Azerbaijan were four years into their first war for control of the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region when Armenian troops raided and seized Shusha, a strategic town that controls access to the region’s capital, Stepanakert. In Turkey, pressure rose on then Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel to back Azerbaijan, but he quickly shelved plans for a military expedition after Russian military leader Yevgeny Shaposhnikov warned that any intervention could drive the planet “to the brink of a third world war.”

In 1993, Turkey sealed its border with Armenia in support for Azerbaijan, but took a more cautious approach, such as focusing on joint energy projects, to deepen its relations with Baku without provoking Moscow. Turkey also began quietly providing training to Azeri officers and soldiers.

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POLITICAL AFFAIRS That strategy was in full swing in 2003 when Mr. Erdogan took the leadership of Turkey, and Mr. Aliyev succeeded his late father as president of Azerbaijan.

Mr. Erdogan’s more muscular strategy carried risk because, under Mr. Putin’s leadership, Russia has shown little hesitation to intervene militarily if it feels its dominance over former Soviet republics is challenged. But a graduate of Moscow’s MGIMO, the prestigious university that has long groomed the country’s diplomats, Mr. Aliyev walked a fine line, launching construction of a natural-gas pipeline through Turkey, but also making ample room for Russian investors in Azerbaijan’s energy sector.

Mr. Erdogan, right, and Mr. Aliyev at the Baku military parade.

“Mr. Aliyev is a very clever man,” said Aydin Sezer, a Turkish columnist who served as a trade attaché in Moscow. “He knows the Russian code.”

While Ankara was discreetly gaining influence in Baku, Mr. Aliyev showed in 2009 that he could also sway Turkish politics. That year, Mr. Erdogan considered reopening his country’s border with Armenia and resuming diplomatic relations with the government there, but dropped the plan when the Azeri leader threatened to restrict energy supply to Turkey.

military capable of overtaking the miles of trenches Armenians had dug around Nagorno-Karabakh in a bid to render the enclave unassailable.

Flush with petrodollars and backed by Turkey, Israel and Ukraine Azerbaijan gradually built up a powerful

An opening came last year when David Tonoyan, then Armenia’s defense

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“Then Azerbaijan patiently waited for an opportunity,” said Hasan Unal, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Maltepe University.

minister, said that instead of hunkering down in Nagorno-Karabakh, his country should go on the offensive and prepare a “new war for new territories.”

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AG Barr knew about

Hunter Biden probe for months:

Report

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Barr reportedly knew about investigations into Hunter Biden’s business and financial dealings for months and worked to stop them from being disclosed to the public during the election campaign.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Barr was aware of investigations involving President-elect Joe Biden’s son since before the spring and has resisted pressure from Republicans in Congress for information into the investigations.

HUNTER BIDEN ‘TAX AFFAIRS’ UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION; LINKS TO CHINA FUNDS EMERGE, SOURCES SAY The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News. The Journal reports that Justice Department guidelines advise investigators against taking overt actions in a run-up to an election.

Justice Department guidelines advise investigators against taking overt actions in a run-up to an election so as not to be seen as affecting the outcome.

H

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Hunter Biden said in a statement Wednesday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware is investigating his “tax affairs” and that he is taking the matter “very seriously” and is “confident” he handled his affairs “legally and appropriately.”

A well-placed government source told Fox News that Hunter Biden is a subject/target of the grand jury investigation. According to the source, a “target” means that there is a “high probability that person committed a crime,” while a “subject” is someone you “don’t know for sure” has committed a crime.

The source also told Fox News that this investigation was predicated, in part, by Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regarding suspicious foreign transactions.

Trump responds to Barr election fraud comments: ‘’He hasn’t done any The Journal reports that federal prosecutors in Manhattan had also been looking into his dealings as part of a broader financial investigation that has been going on for at least a year -- although he was never a specific target for prosecution.

The outlet reports that investigators tried to keep the case out of public view by taking few visible steps in the weeks before the election, recognizing the impact it could have.

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But President Trump has been constantly urging Barr to get involved, and on Thursday criticized the DOJ, as well as the FBI and media’s handling of the case.

“Why didn’t the Fake News Media, the FBI and the DOJ report the Biden matter BEFORE the Election,” he tweeted. Oh well, it’s OK, we won the Election anyway - 75,000,000 VOTES!!!”

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

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PRIME MINSTER lauds Pakistan Navy for safeguarding sea frontiers PM promises all resources to Navy to face imminent challenges Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday vowed to provide all resources to Pakistan Navy for dealing with imminent challenges as he expressed confidence in its ability to defend the country’s maritime frontiers.

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Mr Khan said this during his visit to the Naval Headquar­ters where he was briefed on maritime security challenges and Pakistan Navy’s perspective on development of the maritime sector.

“The prime minister grea­tly appreciated the professio­nalism and operational readiness of Pakistan Navy. The prime minister reposed complete confidence

in the preparedness of Pakistan Navy in safeguarding country’s sea frontiers,” the PN media dir­ec­­torate said in a statement.

In his remarks, the prime minister particularly mentioned navy’s contribution to securing the country’s coast, Gwadar Port and CPEC projects.

Challenges to Pakistan’s maritime securi-

ty have traditionally come from arch-rival India. The threats have, however, grown because of Chi­nese involvement in Gwadar Port and launch of CPEC as India considers Chinese presence a threat to its interest. Therefore, India is believed to have stepped up its activities in the region surrounding Gwadar to undermine

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the project.

The prime minister, PN media directorate acknowledged Pakistan Navy’s contribution towards regional maritime security by contributing in international efforts and taking own initiatives.

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Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi thanked PM Khan for reposing confidence in navy and assured that it would continue to defend the country’s sea frontiers and maritime interests h during peace and war.

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NY Governor declares that in celebration of World AIDS Day, state landmarks will be illuminated in red

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Nearly 700,000 people died from AIDS, while 1.7 million people became newly infected with the HIV virus in 2019.

New York State Landmarks Lit in Red in Recognition of World AIDS Day – Photo Gallery. In recognition of World AIDS Day, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo directed state landmarks to be lit red throughout the evening of Tuesday, December 1.

Significant advances have been made in HIV treatment over the last 25-30 years; the efficacy of ARVs, scaling up their access, implementing ways that bring treatment closer to people.

Once considered an automatic death sentence, today HIV is considered more of a chronic disease – given access and adherence to treatment, people living with HIV should remain alive and healthy.

Despite the advances that have been made however, people continue to die from HIV-related causes and there remains many gaps and challenges in providing people with treatment.

As of the end of 2019, 12.6 million people living with HIV did not have access to treatment. Nearly 700,000 people died in 2019; some people die soon after having been admitted for treatment very late or having never received treatment at all.

Numbers on treatment started small, then scaled up In the late 1990s and early 2000s, we witnessed first-hand toll that HIV and AIDS was taking on vulnerable communities. Within MSF, there was much internal debate about whether MSF as an emergency organisation should be involved in providing life-long antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.

At first, MSF was limited to treating opportunistic infections, such as Kaposi’s sarcoma, a form of cancer, among people living with HIV. In 2000, ARV treatment cost more than US$10,000 per person per year and was generally provided in hospital settings under the supervision of a doctor. Some questioned whether treatment was too complex to be provided successfully in low-income and low-resource countries.

Nonetheless, that year, we started providing ARV treatment to a small number of people living with HIV in projects in Thailand and Cameroon.

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DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS

1981 The first cases of an unknown autoimmune disease are described in the United States

Thirty-eight million people were living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at the end of 2019, the majority of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

While there is no cure for HIV, a combination of drugs, known as antiretrovirals (ARVs), enable people to live longer, healthier lives if taken regularly. The cost of first-line drugs is now cheaper than ever, but efforts are still needed to ensure everyone who is living with HIV receives treatment. More than 12.6 million people were missing out on receiving treatment at the end of 2019.

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Research conducted by MSF in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi and Thailand played a historical role in demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of HIV treatment in resource-limited settings.

Coupled with work from MSF’s Access Campaign (then the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines) and activist groups around the world to bring down the cost of drugs, this evidence helped drive efforts to scale up access to lifesaving ARV treatment.

In 2019, there were over 70,000 people living with HIV receiving treatment under direct MSF care; a further 74,000 people were receiving treatment in programmes supported by MSF Graph showing the evolution of the number of people living with HIV, the numbers of those who have access to antiretroviral treatment, and those who die each year. Source: UNAIDS Global HIV & AIDS statistics — 2019 fact sheet Treatment today HIV treatment has been significantly scaled up over the last decade, from 7.5 million in 2010 to over 25 million today. But with 38 million people living with HIV, that leaves nearly 13 million people who are not on treatment (UNAIDS 2020).

Over the years, MSF has piloted and developed ways of decentralising treatment and task-shifting testing and treatment provision to nurses and health workers. The most successful models of care for people living with HIV are those with a patient-centred and community-focused approach.

Today, a person who tests positive for HIV is offered counselling and started on treatment immediately – this is known as ‘test and treat’.

Closure Insein Clinic, Yangon Myanmar - Minzayar Oo - June 2019 A woman living with HIV attends a counselling session at MSF’s Insein clinic in Yangon. Myanmar, June 2019.

MINZAYAR OO

EXAMPLES OF A PATIENT-CENTRED APPROACH Adapting clinic opening hours to suit the patients.

MSF has several adapted models, such as early morning clinics so people can drop by on their way to work, and late-night clinics for commercial sex workers.

Letting people have three- or six-month supplies of their daily ARV drugs instead of the usual one-month supply. This lessens the burden of time and money involved in going to the clinic and picking up the drugs (but pharmacy regulations often prevent this simple measure being implemented).

Adherence clubs for people who are stable on treatment. First piloted by MSF in South Africa, this approach allows HIV patients to meet every two months at a local clinic or community centre to collect their treatment from a lay worker.

Listening to the challenges faced by people living with HIV and working out realistic solutions together. This is done during clinical consultations or counselling sessions.

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adhere to regular ARV treatment are now able to live long and healthy lives. In addition, studies have shown that people who stick with their treatment and have undetectable levels of virus in their blood have virtually zero chance of passing the disease to someone else.

HIV is a lifelong disease. People need to take ARVs every day of their lives to keep the virus at undetectable levels and stay healthy. If a person, for whatever reason, stops taking their medication, the virus will start to replicate, attacking the immune system and the person can become sick.

The virus can then become resistant to first-line medications, mean people will need to switch to more expensive secondor even third-line ARVs to get the virus under control and become healthy again.

Counselling and support from family, friends and the community can help someone overcome the issues of taking drugs daily and living with a chronic illness. Different models of care - many of which we have piloted - can help people adhere to treatment.

COMMUNITY MODELS OF CARE Many of the countries where the HIV burden is highest are developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

With huge health system needs and few resources, these countries struggle to deal with a continuous flow of patients who require lifelong follow up and treatment.

Healthy people on ARV treatment do not need intensive medical care. People living with HIV who are healthy want to live a regular life, without having to frequently come to overcrowded hospitals and queue for hours just to pick up their medication.

Community models of care address both sides of the problem of treatment scale-up. From a patient’s perspective, health services are adapted to their need for ongoing care. From a health system perspective, it frees up often scarce human resources to start more people on treatment and attend to those who are more in need of support.

We continue to develop models of care according to the context, from more health facility-driven approaches to more

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patient-led approaches. Several models can even co-exist in one setting to fit the needs of different populations.

MSF and HIV While we continue to support and provide treatment to different groups of people living with HIV, today we have a particular interest in supporting under-represented groups; people who make up key populations, and those with advanced HIV. ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF KEY POPULATIONS So-called ‘key populations’ include vulnerable people who are disproportionately affected by HIV, including sex workers, people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, and prisoners. These groups, with their sexual partners, account for 62 per cent of new HIV infections worldwide and 97 and 99 per cent of new HIV infections in h Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa regions, respectively.

Despite their higher risk of acquiring HIV, key populations are often excluded from accessing HIV treatment and prevention as well as comprehensive health services. Stigma, discrimination, social exclusion, violence and criminalisation are part of their daily struggles.

In Mozambique and Malawi, MSF provides packages of HIV and sexual and reproductive healthcare services for sex workers and men who have sex with men in key sites along main transport routes.

ADVANCED HIV (AIDS) With the huge global increase in access to ARVs and the transformation of HIV treatment into a chronic treatable disease, many thought that AIDS would disappear. However, nearly one-third of HIV patients are diagnosed at a lat , Stage of the disease, also known as AIDS. In 2019, an estimated 690,000 people died of HIV worldwide.

Furthermore, many people living with HIV are already on treatment face struggles in maintaining to take their daily dose and stop taking treatment. For others, their treatment stops working for them.

Advanced HIV in Kinshasa The body of a recently-deceased HIV

patient at the Kabinda hospital centre, waiting to be transported to the morgue.

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, More than two-thirds of people with AIDS who are admitted at the MSF-supported hospital in Nsanje, Malawi have been on ARVs before. At MSF’s hospital in Kinshasa, DRC, this figure is 71 per cent. Among these, more than 25 per cent of people arrived too late to be saved.

HIV lowers the body’s immune response, and without effective treatment, leaves people living with the disease much more vulnerable to deadly opportunistic infections.

Globally, the leading causes of death among those who die of AIDS include preventable diseases including tuberculosis (TB), severe bacterial infections, cryptococcal meningitis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, toxoplasmosis and pneumocystis pneumonia – all opportunistic infections.

TB is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, accounting for 30 per cent of AIDS-related deaths.

It is estimated that 44 per cent of people living with HIV and TB are unaware of their co-infection and are therefore not receiving care.

Our response to AIDS is rapidly evolving across multiple countries and projects in sub-Saharan Africa. We provide or support the provision of free treatment of AIDS in four hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes training and mentoring health staff and providing drugs to treat opportunistic infections.

In all HIV projects, we are developing and implementing basic packages of diagnostics and treatment, as well as improved treatment literacy and adherence support to help quickly detect and treat AIDS-related disease earlier, and ultimately to reduce deaths.

We want to see these approaches funded and rolled out across countries with HIV burdens, to ensure that people living with HIV stay healthy, no matter what their life circumstances are.

In CAR and in DRC, the midical staff regularly witness the impact of stock outs and shortages of drugs and diagnostics. This implies that people can’t be tested or started on treatment. Those already on treatment face the risk of developing opportunistic infections or viral resistance, which greatly reduces their chances of survival.

Prices of ARVs especially newer drugs can also hinder access to treatment for people. The cost of treatment for the preferred first line regimen has come down from the $10,000 plus highs in 2000 to just around $65 per person, per year, today.

But people who have failed first-line treatment and need second- or even third line or salvage - regimens, face paying significantly more. People who need these newer drugs need to pay around $290 per person, per year - or nearly four times the price of first-line - for second-line regimens.

And those needing third-line, or salvage, regimens their last hope for treatment, and often the newest drugs - can pay as much as $2,200, up to nearly eight times more than second-line regimens, and nearly 28 times more expensive than first line.

The cost of first-line treatment using drug combination lamivudine/stavudine/nevirapine for HIV fell by more than 99 per cent over a decade.

HIV TESTING HIV testing plays an important role in prevention programmes, by identifying those who need treatment, thus reducing the risk of infection to others. In many places, the fear and stigma still associated with HIV and limited access to testing means many are still reluctant to test. MSF is exploring new ways to reach those who remain undiagnosed, by piloting HIV self-testing in different settings and improving how they link to care.

PREVENTING TRANSMISSION FROM MOTHER TO BABY PMTCT involves the administration of ARV treatment to the mother during and after pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding, and to the infant just after birth. In South Africa, where mother-to-child transmission remains relatively high at 4.3 per cent when a baby reaches 18 months of age, MSF has developed Post Natal Clubs, which bring HIV positive mothers and their babies together for regular health sessions for the baby’s first 1,000 days. This ensures mothers stay successfully on treatment, reducing the risk of transmitting HIV to their children during breastfeeding.

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First Virgin Atlantic

flight lands at Islamabad airport

First flight of British airline, Virgin Atlantic has landed at the Islamabad International airport from Heathrow on Friday, ARY News reported.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner extended his felicitations over the landing of the inaugural flight of the Virgin Atlantic airline in

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Pakistan. Earlier, the official Twitter handle of the Virgin Atlantic airline said that they are thrilled for the maiden flight to Pakistan. Earlier, the airline was allowed

to operate directs flights to Islamabad from Manchester after approval from Pakistan’s aviation division.

British airline, Virgin Atlantic, will operate its direct flight operations to Islamabad from Manchester after approval from Pakistan’s aviation division as it is already allowed to operate flights from London,

The aviation division has given approval for the flights from Manchester and a notification in this regard would be issued by the air transport department of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday (tomorrow).

The Virgin Atlantic will operate four Islamabad-bound flights in a week from Manchester.

The airline will be operating a total of 11 flights in a week for Pakistan and the CAA has already allowed them to operate eight flights in a week. It will be using the latest Airbus, A-332, for flight operation in Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that a cargo plane of British airline Virgin Atlantic has landed in Lahore, carrying staff and equipment ahead of beginning direct

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flights to Pakistan from December 13.

A cargo flight of Virgin Atlantic landed at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport today to transport staff and equipment to commence flight operation for Pakistan.

Virgin Atlantic had announced to commence its flight operation for Pakistan from December 13 which will further facilitate passengers traveling from the United Kingdom (UK) to Pakistan.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had earlier released a flight schedule of the airline which stated the first flight will fly from London on December 13 and it will land on December 14 morning at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.

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AJK PM says Kashmir is not border, rather

a matter of right to self-determination

ABU DHABI: Minister for International Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi has revealed that India is planning a surgical strike in opposition to Pakistan and warned New Delhi that Islamabad reply successfully.

Addressing a press convention at UAE’s capital, FM Qureshi stated he had obtained info “by means of our intelligence businesses” that India was getting ready to launch a surgical strike in opposition to Pakistan and fanning a brand new wave of terrorism.

Terming the state of affairs as delicate, he stated Pakistan was totally conscious of India’s conspiracies and vowed that Islamabad would reply befittingly ought to New Delhi provoke navy motion.

FM Qureshi stated that India was “making an attempt to hunt tacit approval” from “vital gamers who they take into account to be their companions”.

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The overseas minister stated that this misadventure, in Pakistan’s opinion, was being accomplished to divert consideration from severe points. “To start with The state of affairs in Indian Occupied Kashmir.”

Failed Indian polices FM Qureshi stated that the state of affairs was minimal, however now it has deteriorated additionally, and due to the present Indian regime’s insurance policies, there’s a country-wide protest of farmers.

“The mishandling of the coronavirus by Indian authorities is understood to everybody and the impression that it’s having on their economic system is understood to all of you,” he stated.

The farmers’ protest is rising as Opposition events, civil society, and commerce unions have expressed their help for them, he stated, including that the minorities have been “uncomfortable in India.”

Economic system versus actuality “The citizenship act, the protests that you simply see in Assam due to NRC. They haven’t gone away. The Sikhs, Dalits, and Muslims are very disturbed,” he stated.

Protecting these factors in thoughts, the overseas minister stated that in India’s opinion, it was a great way to unify a “divided nation”.

resolve, he stated that India’s misadventure will undermine the area’s peace and stability and may have catastrophic penalties.

reached absurd ranges in the event that they suppose they will strike a united and proud nation that may be a nuclear energy.”

“I warn my jap neighbour that we’re conscious of their mindset and we’re conscious of their design,” the overseas minister famous.

Yusuf stated that Pakistan had already knowledgeable the world about India’s plans and that “some capitals have been already conscious” of its designs.

Shedding mild on this two-day go to to UAE, the overseas minister stated that he held fruitful conferences with high officers of the Center Japanese nation.

Yusuf reminded the world that Pakistan stands for peace and that it might reply if it was provoked.

Foreign officer debunks Indian Exterior Affair Minister’s assertion FM Qureshi stated that he had shared the state of affairs of Indian Occupied Kashmir along with his UAE counterpart and apprised him of the developments on the Afghanistan Peace Course of.

The overseas minister stated that he would additionally meet the UAE’s head of intelligence to debate a number of issues.

“Pakistan uncovered Indian designs by means of a file on November 14, wherein I highlighted irrefutable proof of Indian sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan,” the overseas minister stated.

The overseas minister stated that the file had defined how the Indian soil was getting used to finance terror in opposition to Pakistan.

Pakistan to reply successfully Talking concerning the EU DisinfoLab’s report, he stated that latest analysis additionally uncovered India’s marketing campaign in opposition to Pakistan.

“Pakistan is totally ready to reply and defeat their designs. We are going to do it successfully, as we did reply instantly and successfully in February 2019,” he stated.

FM Qureshi warned India that Pakistan if the nuclear neighbour doesn’t transfer away from this path and their want to do that misadventure would reply successfully this time as nicely.

Urging the worldwide neighborhood to play its half and never check Pakistan’s Islamabad - Pakistan

The disinformation marketing campaign Greater than 750 Indian backed web sites protecting over 119 international locations have been operational for about 15 years with the only real function of undermining Pakistan throughout the European Union and United Nations, a report on investigative analysis carried out by the EU DisinfoLab revealed.

The operation has been given a reputation — the Indian Chronicles.

EU DisinfoLab’s investigation reveals that the Srivastava Group backed the operation, whereas a number one Indian information company — Asian Information Worldwide (generally often called ANI) — was used to spice up it.

‘Desperation has reached absurd ranges’ In the meantime, after FM Qurershi’s presser, PM’s particular assistant Mooed Yusuf stated that India’s desperation had reached absurd ranges if it considered uniting the nation by means of a “strike”.

Particular Assistant to the Prime Minister on Nationwide Safety Division and Strategic Coverage Planning, Yusuf, in a tweet, stated: “India’s desperation has January -2021

India-Australia schedule confirmed; Adelaide hosts day-night Take a look at, pink-ball warm-up match at SCG “Let there be little doubt that Pakistan stands for peace but when provoked, our armed forces are totally ready to thwart any aggression on our homeland and educate our enemy the lesson they deserve,” he added.

Armed Forces on excessive alert Amid stories of India’s bid to to destroy peace within the area by beginning a false flag operation in opposition to Pakistan, credible sources stated that India has been getting ready for an assault on the Line of Management (LoC) and on the India-Pakistan Working Boundary.

Owing to the potential for an assault, Pakistan’s Armed Forces have been positioned on excessive alert.

The sources stated that India can resort to a border motion or a surgical strike as a part of its false flag operation.

The transfer is being deliberate to divert the eye of its public from a number of of its severe inner issues, together with the mistreatment of minorities, farmers’ protests, its rising atrocities in occupied Kashmir and the resultant criticism from worldwide media and establishments.

Pakistan Military troops responded in form to Indian aggression within the Khuiratta Sector alongside the Line of Management (LoC) earlier the identical day, dealing heavy losses to the Indian Military by way of males and materials.

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Over 95,000 unarmed Kashmiris martyred by India in earlier 30 years: report

More than 95,000 unarmed, innocent Kashmiris have been martyred during the violence and aggression perpetrated by India in the Muslim-majority, Himalayan region, according to a reported released by the Kashmir Media Service (KMS) on Human Rights Day marked across the world on December 10.

The KMS’ Research Section published a report on the abuses, violence, and the atrocities committed by New Delhi under various regimes, including the incumbent one under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whom the human rights violations continued in occupied Kashmir unabated.

The Indian forces have continued to commit a genocide of Kashmiris for over seven decades. Terming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948 a milestone, the report underlined how “the Kashmiris’ human rights continued to be violated with impunity” and none of the 30 basic human rights listed in the UDHR existed in the Muslim-majority region.

India consistently continues to violate the UDHR for the past more than seven decades and engaged in “mercilessly killing, arresting, torturing and humiliating innocent Kashmiris of every age and gender for demanding their right to self-determination”.

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Thousands of Kashmiris have so far been injured by bullets, shrapnel, and tear-gas shelling on peaceful protesters by the Indian forces.

In addition, India’s unabated acts of state terrorism had martyred 95,728 innocent Kashmiris, including 7,155 in custody since January 1989 to date. “These killings rendered 22,924 women widowed and 107,811 children orphaned,” it said.

Furthermore, the Indian troops “molested or disgraced 11,231 women and damaged 110,375 residential houses and other structures” and “subjected over 8,000 people to custodial disappearance in the period”, it added.

The KMS underscored that “thousands of young school boys and girls were also injured by the pellets fired by the troops while dozens lost their eyesight completely due to the pellet injuries”.

At least “295 Kashmiris including 7

women have been martyred, 27 of them in fake encounters or custody, since the repeal of the special status of IIOJK and imposition of military siege by Narendra Modi-led fascist government on 5th August 2019 in the territory.”

Almost 100 women were molested by Indian troops after they barged into the residential houses in the aforementioned period.

Moreover, since August 5, 2019, the Indian occupation forces had neither allowed people to offer Friday prayers at historical Jamia Masjid in Srinagar and other mosques, shrines, and imambargahs nor let them masses hold religious gatherings such as those for Muharram and Eid Milad-un-Nabi.

In its demands, the report said the international community should put pressure on India to end the state-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir.

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Ghulam Nabi Fai

The writer is the secretary-general of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum.

In Jammu and Kashmir, atrocities are

perpetrated with no fear of corrective international response Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights deserves an appreciation to acknowledge that, “a world with diminished human rights is a world that is stepping back into a darker past when the powerful could prey on the powerless with little or no moral or legal restraint” mbassador Volkan Bozkir, the president A of the UN General Assembly assured to become the voice of the oppressed people all over the world when he said on Sept. 14, 2020: “People in need or under oppression should feel that their concerns are being heard in the UN’s most democratic body. I will work to bring the voices of the world’s people into our discussions.”

“Ruled as the world is by certain dominant elements and the policies and postures issuing from their entanglements, it is hard to keep international attention focused on a people and their situation in the light, not of power strategies but of undying principles of peace and justice,

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the principles that were enshrined in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the case of Kashmir, a people were first turned into a dispute and then the dispute was consigned to oblivion. “said Yusuf Buch, a former Pakistani envoy, who also served in the cabinet of UN secretary-general from 1978-91.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on its 72nd anniversary needs to be analyzed objectively. Everyone knows that fundamental human rights are universal. The declaration knows no religious, national, or political boundaries. And it is not hierarchical, like caste systems or monarchies.

Everyone stands on the same plane when human rights are an issue. Even if all of its lofty provisions safeguarding fundamental human freedoms and liberties remain dishonored in many parts of the globe, the declaration still stands as a moral reproach to wrongdoing nations that may facilitate reforms.

It might be said that never have so many human rights been proclaimed yet been so routinely violated. Think of the ongoing human rights atrocities that are going unsanctioned. Myanmar, where the Muslim civilian population is routinely driven out from homes and cities are consistently destroyed. Tragic genocide in Syria. Death and destruction in Yemen.

Denial of the Palestinian demand to exercise the right to self-determination.

Kashmiris brutalized by 900,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces. The list goes on and on.

Kashmir -- atrocities of a similar pattern have been, and are being, perpetrated with no fear of a corrective international response. To date, no one power or combination of powers has blown the whistle.

Sad commentary on human rights

The Kashmir question is one of the oldest unresolved international disputes in the world. The issue has been pending on the agenda of the Security Council since 1948. At that point, an agreement took place between India and Pakistan, endorsed by the UN that guarantees the right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Kashmir who have never lost hope in the UN have since that date sought to freely exercise their right to self-determination.

India, however, was soon undeceived of its delusions over Kashmir’s political yearning. Recognizing that its people would never freely vote for accession to India, it contrived excuse after excuse to frustrate a plebiscite. India’s proclamation has never been accepted by the UN, which continues to list Kashmir as a disputed territory.

Tragically, civilized nations have fallen from their lofty calling; namely, human rights for all mankind. There is a sad commentary on the state of human rights all over the globe. It seems to me that until there evolves a generally accepted moral duty among peoples and nations to assist all victims of widespread human rights violations by force or other stiff retaliation, human rights enforcement mechanisms will operate haphazardly and whimsically for reasons unrelated to the harm to the victims or the villainy of the perpetrators. It is the job of all human rights champions and defenders to jump-start that moral evolution.

If we were to judge the UN-based upon its history of involvement in efforts to resolve international conflicts, the simplest answer is that it has been an enormous failure. The UN of course is a far more complex organization whose work covers such a wide range of activities that conflict resolution is only one aspect of its work. Nevertheless, if we consider the fact that its fundamental mission was to be a means of preventing global catastrophes like WW II, then conflict resolution would have to be considered job one.

The urgency of adding teeth to human rights is felt everywhere. On that count, the news is less auspicious. The UN should officially declare that under international law and human rights covenants, every government official is vulnerable to criminal prosecution in every nation in the world for either direct or indirect complicity in human rights violations. Every alleged victim of a human rights violation or his or her relatives should be entitled to sue the alleged official culprits in the World Court to make it clear that nobody is above the law.

The barbaric situation in Bosnia, Kosovo, Syria, and elsewhere has outraged the world and caused regrets that the enormous toll of human lives was not averted by timely action at an earlier stage. The failure of the international community can be explained but not denied. Yet in another part of the globe ‑ the Indian occupied Islamabad - Pakistan

Conspiracy of silence The seeming conspiracy of silence over gross affronts to the UDHR in Indian-occupied Kashmir -- an occupation which itself violates still binding UN Security Council resolutions -- is worrisome.

That unheroic muteness has emboldened India to a chilling campaign of human rights atrocities against innocent Kashmiris. The 900,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces operate outside the rule of law under the protective umbrella of an Indian immunity statute. Egregious human rights violations are commonplaces; involuntary disappearances, extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, plunder, abductions, mutilations, arbitrary detentions, etc. It is even a crime to advocate the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions, a shocking affront to the Security Council itself.

Every human rights organization that has witnessed the gruesome Kashmiri scene is shocked. The atrocities pale in comparison to East Timor or Southern Sudan.

India’s leaders are guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggressive war on a scale vastly greater than Slobodan Milosevic and his sub-villains. But they do not make the same impact because India is adamant against unchaperoned broadcast and media from abroad.

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pictures to move the world. Kashmir is thus reduced to an insignificant inkblot on the map. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalist has reported that the media in Kashmir have been pushed to the brink of extinction.

According to expert consensus, Kashmir is the most densely soldiered and most nuclear combustible territory on the planet. It stands apart as the most cantankerous of conflicts, with the catastrophic possibility of nuclear devastation. After all, India and Pakistan have fought three wars and nearly began a fourth with the ever-present threat of nuclear exchange.

Self-determination a pivotal element The lesson of history -- h old and new -is that peace is impossible if a people or nation is treated as a negotiable pawn by big powers. The most harrowing example is the appeasement of Hitler at the expense of the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia.

Self‑determination, despite big power politics, has blossomed into a pivotal element in international relations in recent times. It has proven the key to resolving long-festering disputes and unforgiving conflicts.

Exemplary has been Namibia, East Timor, Eritrea. Kosovo, Montenegro, Southern Sudan, etc. In each case, self‑determination was fueled by oppressive rule, whether foreign or otherwise.

They also derived strength from international law and resolutions of the UN Security Council. Let us hope that the stage is set to put the Kashmir conflict on a road to a durable and permanent settlement.

It is time that the UN secretary-general intercedes in the disputed territory (so listed by the UN), appoints a special envoy on Kashmir, and, insists that the genuine political voice of the Kashmiri people, be a full partner in all negotiations over Kashmir’s political destiny. As Syed Nazir Gilani has advocated it well in these words: “The gross and systematic violation of human rights, continued noncompliance of UN Charter obligations and occupation of a people waiting for an UN-supervised Plebiscite, makes a strong case of intervention.”

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Shehryar Afridi varieties advisory board on Kashmir Distinguished media & sports activities personalities have been invited to hitch the Cultural, Heritage and Sports activities Advisory Board for Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir. This board has been shaped by the Kashmir Committee’s Chairman, Mr. Shehryar Afridi.

The proposed advisory board will probably be a artistic alliance of a few of Pakistan’s high media personalities from the nation’s tv, cinematic and sporting spheres, and can purpose at selling Pakistan’s cultural richness, each at house and overseas to undertaking a mushy picture of the nation.

Artists who’ve been invited to hitch are Humayun Saeed, Saba Qamar, Fahad Mustafa, Atif Aslam, Anwar Maqsood, Shaan Shahid, Ali Azmat, Yousaf Salahuddin, Saira Kazmi, Rahat Fateh Ali, Hadika Kiani, Shehzad Roy, Humaima Malick, Yousaf Salahuddin, Shaniera

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Akram, Adnan Siddiqui, Bilal Ashraf, Samina Peerzada and Shafqat Amanat Ali.

Ahsan Mashkoor has been notified because the focal particular person for the advisory board.

Movie Producers Jerjees Seja, Momina Duraid and Ammara Hikmat have been chosen for the advisory function. Movie administrators Syed Noor, Nadeem Baig and Bilal Lashari are additionally on the listing.

In a letter addressed to one of many advisory board members, Mr Shehryar Afridi mentions, “to advertise our cultural heritage and protect our cultural legacy, now we have determined to make you a part of our advisory board on tradition, heritage & sports activities.” “Additional plan of action, roles and duties to be shared with the board earlier than the primary assembly which is because of be held mid November,” the letter says.

From sports activities, Aisam ul Haq, Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Maria Toorpakai, Wasim Akram, Sana Mir and Karishma Ali have been invited to hitch and will probably be notified quickly.

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‘Pakistan to raise Kashmir issue at every world forum in 2020’ In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Pakistani envoy Qazi said India reneged from commitment made at UN

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi speaks during an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency in Ankara, Turkey

Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the oldest unresolved international conflicts on the UN table.

On Dec 31, 1947, India sought the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) intervention, complaining that Pakistan was aiding the invaders who had overrun the state. For 23 years (1948-1971) the UNSC adopted 23 resolutions, established organizations and appointed various officials to deal with the issue.

Pakistan’s envoy Qazi gives exclusive interview to Anadolu Agency On Jan. 5, 1949, the UN Commission for India and Pakistan adopted a resolution calling for a free and impartial plebiscite to let the people of Jammu and Kashmir decide about accession to either India or Pakistan. H countries accepted the principle but failed to agree due to differences

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in interpretation of the procedure. Seventy-one years down the line, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, explained whether this resolution is still relevant and the failure of the world body and parties involved in the implementation of the resolution.

Anadolu Agency: The Kashmir dispute is the oldest unresolved international conflict in the world Why is it hanging for so long?

Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi (MSSQ): There is always more than one party involved in a dispute. And in this case, neither Kashmiris nor the Pakistanis can be blamed for this delay. The blame lies principally, in fact, totally with India.

There are several statements of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on record stating that India has pledged the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris and the Kashmiris will decide their future themselves. But unfortunately, over time, Nehru himself and then subsequent Indian governments, under probably a very well thought out scheme have been retreating from the commitments and from what the international law requires them to do because, primarily, I think the objective all along was to take the territory of Jammu and Kashmir and they make it a part of the Indian union against the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The latest manifestation and the most blatant manifestation of it was seen on Aug. 5, 2019, when the special articles

in the Indian constitution granted some amount of autonomy to the people of Kashmir and the territory of Jammu and Kashmir were also abrogated.

Q: India says and has been convincingly trying to tell the world that revocation of the special provision of the Indian constitution was an internal matter and it doesn’t affect the larger issue. What exactly has changed after India’s decision in diplomatic terms?

MSSQ: Nothing has changed in diplomatic terms. The Jammu and Kashmir dispute continues an international dispute. There are more than a dozen UN resolutions on Kashmir.

What has changed is the Indian mentality towards the issue. Now, feeling more brazen, thinking that with time the Kashmiris yearn for the right of self-determination will get diluted.

India can say whatever it says. The fact remains that Kashmir is an international dispute. The fact is that the people of Kashmir have not accepted first the Indian occupation and now the Indian annexation.

Q: Since India revoked special status on Aug. 5, we didn’t see many countries except Turkey, China, and Malaysia, coming forward so forthrightly, to support the cause of Kashmir or Pakistan.

Why was it so?

MSSQ: There are two aspects to this issue. Firstly, we are grateful to our friends the Turks for standing up for what is right and having the moral courage to speak. We are also thankful to Iran and Malaysia that have also spoken up.

But what is much more important in many ways is also that there has been a groundswell of severe strong criticism of what India has done all across the world.

There are political parties in the European Parliament, the British Labor Party, the UN, the U.S. Congress, ordinary citizens, NGOs, human rights activists, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, media agencies, who spoke out.

Sometimes the government will not be speaking, but the people have shown understanding and sympathy with the just cause of the Kashmiris and it has been a very heartening aspect of this unfortunate recent episode since India revoked special provisions.

We hope that this support will continue.

And the governments that are the result of the wishes of the people all across the world will also have the courage to speak the truth about what is happening to Kashmir and what needs to be done to amelioate Islamabad - Pakistan

their suffering.

Q: A key condition for the plebiscite was the withdrawal of Pakistan from the areas under its control and India withdrawing individuals who were not residents of the state. India has put blame on Pakistan for not fulfilling the condition of withdrawing its forces. What is Pakistan’s position on this?

MSSQ: Well, if you look at the history of the Kashmir dispute it is a cascade of lies, misrepresentations, and abuse of the situation on the ground on part of India to just consolidate its occupation in Kashmir. This is just one way of trying to deflect attention from the broader, terrible Indian history of occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, of using all available means to consolidate its grip. If this was the fact why does India now have by our estimates 900,000 troops in Jammu and Kashmir?

Q: Earlier this year, it was the first time since 1971, when the UNSC discussed Kashmir. What was the outcome of these discussions?

MSSQ: The most important outcome was and this brings me back to your previous question also about India saying this is an internal matter it is not an internal matter as the UN Security Council is discussing this matter. It was a manifestation of the seriousness with which the world is beginning to view because Kashmir first and foremost is an issue of more than 8 million people being denied the right of self-determination by a power, which happens to call itself the world’s biggest democracy.

But Kashmir is also a very serious issue that threatens the peace and stability of the whole region. I just draw your attention to what happened in February this year, when the two countries almost came to war, when India crossed the international border and bombed Pakistani territory without any provocation. We had to respond and, in the process, we destroyed Indian aircraft.

The two countries need to come and sit down together and have a meaningful discussion because, at the heart of it, people are suffering. There is a serious situation of peace and security in the region also.

Q: Is the plebiscite plan still relevant, when almost everybody in the world community is asking India and Pakistan to settle issues bilaterally?

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address the situation. Give Kashmiris their voice. We are prepared to do that.

Whether it is bilaterally or multilaterally. There is a saying in our national language, Urdu, what matters is eating the fruit of mangoes not counting the mangoes.

Our preference is to settle the issue through a plebiscite, India claims itself to be the world’s largest democracy in the world, why is it afraid of giving the Kashmiris a voice under a democratic method of an impartial plebiscite administered by the UN Security Council?

Q: Why Pakistan has not been able to convince UNSC members to intervene and settle the dispute forever?

MSSQ: The UNSC meeting a few months ago, was a step in that direction. Unfortunately, as everybody is aware that sometimes what matters in the international community is not the right of law but might. India probably is perceived as an emerging economic, military and political power. People, countries are afraid probably of speaking going against it.

Pakistan is not at least one of them.

Turkey has proved that it can tell truth regardless of the situation. The UN Security Council has a very serious responsibility on its shoulder on behalf of the entire international community.

It needs to live up to its promises that it made to the people of Kashmir and the international community, and it needs to develop the moral courage to uphold its own decisions because otherwise, the legitimacy of the Security Council itself is compromised. It is the Security Council by the way, ironically, of which India wants to become a member. How then is that acceptable?

Q: What is the road map Pakistan is having in mind in 2020, to help resolution of Kashmir issue?

MSSQ: Pakistan will continue, as has been the case throughout history, of extending its moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir.

We will avail the opportunity to bring to the attention of the people in the world and the governments and international organizations of the terrible situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir is a political, security, human rights, and a humanitarian problem. Pakistan will continue to raise these issues.

Pakistan at the same time is prepared to discuss this issue openly with an open heart for a meaningful discussion with the Indian side if it is prepared.

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‘It’s not a grave we must fit in’: the Kashmir women fighting for marital rights Women are slowly gaining rights and finding the strength to shake off the social taboos around ending a bad relationship Parveena Jabeen was all set to get married, but in Kashmir weddings are extravagant affairs.

Traditionally, brides in the valley of Kashmir would take a trousseau with them to the groom’s house, including clothes, jewellery, makeup, gifts for the in-laws and even furniture.

Jabeen’s father died when she was 19 and

so, as the eldest of four, she worked as a tutor to feed her family. In August 2019, when Kashmir was put under a political lockdown, she lost her job.

Jabeen was worried that she might be mocked if she asked relatives for help, but then she heard of a group that supported women. “I approached them because I felt that they would not talk about helping us throughout the town,” she says.

In Kashmir very few women are upfront about their rights – religious or legal. As an organisation, we believe that they should be Shehryar Khanum, Mehram Kashmir weddings, an important social function, are notorious for their extravagance and at times the state has intervened to put restrictions on expenses.

“Families end up selling their properties, taking out loans, for unnecessary social customs. We don’t want to encourage that practice, so we do not buy gifts for in-laws or home furnishings,” says Shehryar Khanum, a founding member of Mehram, a charity to help struggling brides.

The organisation also supports new brides and women trying to leave bad marriages. “She explained to me how I should take care of myself after marriage, to be vigilant and responsible. She insisted that I should not give up work, no matter what happens, because that is the only way to keep my future secure,” says Jabeen.

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This advice is essential, says Khanum: “We come across so many women who are asked to give up work after marriage. It is an unspoken rule that this is a reasonable thing to say, which it is not,” she says. “In Kashmir very few women are upfront about their rights – religious or legal. As an organisation, we believe that they should be.”

In Kashmir, tradition has a big impact on decision-making, says Prof Muzammil Jan, who has studied Kashmiri women’s changing roles in society. “Even religion is misused in the context of women’s empowerment.

“The majority of women’s decisions are forced on them by male decision-making power, whether she is married or unmarried.”

Most marriages are under sharia law, where a document is signed by h the bride and the groom, and the clauses are often seen as set and so are rarely edited. But Mehram is trying to change that.

“We are working on a model, nikkah-naama, where we want to include the rights of the bride in writing,” says Khanum.

While the Indian constitution has been adjusting to enshrine women’s rights, the legal structure of Kashmir has been slower to catch up. In August 2019, a constitutional amendment withdrew Kashmir’s special status, extending laws from India to the region, and it is now possible for women to demand compensation for abuse in a marriage, as well as medical expenses and residential rights.

“The new laws aim to provide women with legal remedies by way of independent adjudicating bodies like family courts. These laws give women right to claim maintenance from court under exclusive provisions,” says Viqas Malik, a lawyer in Kashmir.

But bureaucracy is slow. The state’s only women’s commission was disbanded and it is not yet known when a new one will be established. There is little trust in legal structures to deliver justice to women.

“Institutions here are almost always inclined towards reconciliation. That means that you are overlooking justice and replacing it with what is socially acceptable, which may not always be just,” says Khanum.

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Sarah Mir (not her real name), 35, has been frequenting Mehram’s office for several months. Mir’s marriage was arranged by her brother. “I met my husband for the first time on the day of my ring ceremony. I barely saw his face. I saw his face on the photos of the ceremony later,” she says.

Mir found she was expected to be her husband’s housemaid. “I was disrespected, neglected and even beaten by him,” she says. “But I did not share any of the abuse with my family because I did not want to worry them.”

Eight months into her marriage, Mir’s father died and she went home. “Eventually, he came with all his family members, asking me to adjust to the life I was given and only then I would be accepted back in his family.”

There is a WhatsApp group where women can share insights on their legal and marital rights.

“I faced a lot of problems while growing up. And I was worried that I would not be able to sustain if I face marital problems. But after joining this group and getting in touch with other women, I have been feeling so much more secure,” says Jabeen. “I feel supported.”

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He wants the divorce to take place in a cave, so that the judgment is in his favour Sarah Mir Mir registered complaints against her husband with multiple agencies but nothing persuaded him to discuss the marriage. Even her local police station did not file a complaint, Mir claims. “He wants the divorce to take place in a cave, so that the judgment is in his favour,” says Mir. In Kashmir, the predominant body for marital settlements are mohalla committees, a group of local people, who are invited to mediate by the families. But most mohalla committees are headed by men, says Khanum. “So it is often just a superimposition of the social view, rather than justice.”

Mir sees no solution yet in sight but visits to Mehram have been therapeutic. “I am thankful, for the mental support. Otherwise, I feel like I would have committed suicide,” she says. “Most women going through distressed marriages struggle to find support and are told that marriage is a grave and they must fit in it.”

Mehram is trying to fill that void. “Right now, I think some women are here just to talk. We are trying to create a space where women feel that it is their place, talk to each other and share their experiences,” says Khanum.

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EU DisinfoLab exposed

India for maligning Pakistan ‘A moot question arises as to how European governments with elaborate intelligence networks could not see this multi-million-dollar Indian enterprise. Or did they simply look the other way because of their business interests in India.

India’s dubious use of media, by Indian Intelligence RAW, to malign Pakistan has been exposed by EU DisinfoLab.It has also exposed the loath face of Indian democracy and its championship of human rights and freedoms.

Such Indian ploys of spreading misinformation are doomed to fail. By spreading such falsehoods, India can neither cast a shadow on the international stature of Pakistan nor can it divert the attention of the international community from its horrendous human rights record. Instead of wasting more time in peddling falsehoods and fake news, India should put its house in order and take care of its own issues of poverty, grave human rights violations, exploitation of minority rights

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and rising radicalism.

For 15 years, this fake media business was run by Indian actors in over 100 countries, particularly targeting the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva where it got 10 NGOs accredited so as to promote anti-Pakistan agenda, and in Brussels where it fraudulently hoodwinked MEPs into criticizing Pakistan, especially on human rights.

According to the report, there is a vast network of fake media outlets, think tanks and NGOs serving Indian interests.

An earlier report had previously uncovered the Indian propaganda body, carrying out anti-Pakistan activities and cyber warfare against Pakistan led by Srivastava

Imtiaz Ahmed Mughal

group of India and propagated by the Indian news agency ANI, since 2005.

EU DisinfoLab’s investigation has unearthed a massive disinformation campaign captioned ‘Indian Chronicles’.

Operation was launched in 2005, aimed at undermining Pakistan internationally.

Report has exposed a nefarious network comprising hundreds of India sponsored websites spread across 119 countries, and within the European Union and the United Nations.

‘A moot question arises as to how European governments with elaborate intelligence networks could not see this multi-million-dollar Indian enterprise.

sored fake NGOs in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) so that such shoddy entities are denied access to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

But, truth cannot be hidden for long.

India has a track record of interfering in its neighbours’ affairs through various facets of Hybrid warfare like: proxies’ employment, false flag operations, claims to victimhood, misrepresentation etc. A report by a Brussels based NGO EU DisinfoLab is just the tip of the iceberg. An 80-page investigative report has revealed how India used fake media outlets, defunct think tanks, NGOs and even a dead human right activist to target Pakistan.

Campaign’s long-term objectives was to promote content against Pakistan and China, and consolidate India’s power at international forums such as the EU and UN. Project supports minorities, human rights NGOs, and think-tanks in targeted countries. It also gives the impression that the minority groups in Pakistan and China have institutional support from European institutions.

Or did they simply look the other way because of their business interests in India.

Secondly, these disclosures also exposed the myth of justice and fair play boasted by the champions of human rights in the US and Europe which despite gross human rights violations in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have kept a meaningful silence over the Modi government’s inhuman actions, or merely issued anodyne statements expressing concern in a mild tone so as to avoid annoying India.Due to its double standard,France would not have criticized India since it was in the middle of finalizing the Rafale deal with a whopping $5 billion bill.

The whole world media showed the gory scenes of the inhuman lockdown of Occupied Kashmir, and the brutal killing of innocent Muslims by RSS goons in full sight of the law-enforcement agencies.

US military-industrial complex multi billion deal with India has put the report of US International Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in dustbin.

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over the plight of minorities, particularly Muslims, in India and had recommended sanctions against Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and other top leaders of India.

Prime Minster Imran Khan said: Revelations by DisinfoLab on the widespread Indian network of subversive activities vindicates Pakistan’s position and exposes its detractors. In a series of tweets, the prime minister said that “Pakistan has consistently drawn attention of international community to India’s subversive activities to undermine democracies in the region and export/ fund extremism through structures of fake news organisations and “think tanks”.

Although Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has called on the UN and the EU to investigate the abuse of their institutions by India, how Pakistan handles this issue, including taking a legal course in relevant capitals, will be closely watched. There is ample evidence to expose the facade of Indian democracy. As an immediate measure, Pakistan may demand delisting of Indian-sponJanuary -2021

India’s subversive activities against Pakistan have been ignored for far too long by the international community. The scope and extent of India’s operations against Pakistan under their hybrid war is now apparent for the world to see. Indian actions involve criminality and breach of international law. International community has a responsibility to take heed of India’s agenda which threatens regional peace and continues to manipulate the international system.

Pakistan has already put forth irrefutable evidence, extensively documenting India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and executing terrorist activities in Pakistan. Recently government of Pakistan has provided dossier to United Nations about India’s state terrorism projects in Pakistan.

International community needs to take notice of a rogue Indian regime that now threatens the stability of the global systems. It is obvious that India is not a great democracy because her machinations to conduct terrorist activities in Pakistan through third countries have been exposed. I expect by the Western analysts that they will take a serious look at the dossiers presented by Pakistan in UN and avoid sidestepping the issue as an India-Pakistan spat.

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The Impact of Military Doctrines on the Fabric of Strategic Stability in South-Asia Strategic Stability is essentially a contested concept having no universally agreed upon definition. However, it can be thought of as the absence of incentive for the use of force or the threat of use of force. This term evolved and became a part of strategic thinking spheres during the Cold War resulting from the changed dynamics that were brought about with invent of Nuclear Weapons, and has remained an important part of it till date.

It is h a process and a condition in itself and can be classified into two main types.

Weapon-Oriented Strategic Stability that focuses on military balancing, referring to how qualitative and quantitative advantage in weapon systems impact the possibility of war. The other perspective broadens the lens to include other factors such as social, economic, political and ideological ones to develop a wide viewpoint, thus known as the Holistic view of Strategic Stability.

There are three key requirements of Strategic Stability in the 21st century namely, Arms Race Stability, Crisis Stability and Political Stability.

Arms Race Stability refers to the absence of actual or perceived incentives to bring about a qualitative or quantitative increase in nuclear forces out of the fear of an enemy first-strike. The basis of Arms Control Stability lies in having an atmosphere of trust aimed at fostering an environment of restraint between two nuclear armed rivals. The requirements to initiate this process include cost-benefit analysis, good faith and increased transparency. All these three factors contribute collectively to initiate the process of Arms Control, thus leading towards the attainment of Arms Race Stability.

Crisis Stability is relevant in scenarios where two adversaries have a tendency towards fighting a war. It refers to a condition where neither side feels an incentive to use nuclear weapons first out of the fear that the other party might

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do so first. This condition is concerned with stabilizing the destabilizing impacts of a potential surprise attack. When h the sides feel no incentive to carry out a surprise attack then we can say that the notion of surprise attack has been neutralized and Crisis Stability has been achieved.

Special emphasis was given to this requirement during the cold war as the world witnessed the Cuban Missile Crisis in which there was a possibility of such an attack and in its aftermath, h parties came to know the devastating impacts this could invite and end up in mutual annihilation. More than 50 years later, this requirement still remains an important part of the equation.

Political Stability refers to the existence of stability at the political level. It refers to the presence of rational political actors who are not inclined to change the status quo using the means of nuclear weapons. Political leaders need to be

responsible considering the devastating impacts that the eruption of any nuclear war can have upon the entire mankind. However, considering the human factor, this requirement can be the most unpredictable as different leaders might have different lens through which they perceive these issues and the world around them. This makes it extremely important among all the other requirements.

Military doctrines of countries are con

sidered to be having a major impact on Strategic Stability. In the context of South Asia, the military doctrines of India and Pakistan can be traced back to the actual rationales that led to the development of their nuclear capabilities. As, for India it was prestige-driven, therefore, India adopted a No First Use posture with a second-strike capability. For Pakistan, it was

Indian nuclear thinking is based on the Draft Nuclear Doctrine that was released in 1999 and subsequently revised in 2003. Its main features include maintaining a credible minimum deterrent, NFU Posture, and usage of nuclear weapons in retaliation to an attack on Indian territory or Indian forces using WMDs anywhere in the world. Pakistan didn’t release any official document, but its doctrine is based upon the statements given by ISPR and SPD high-ranking officials.

Pakistan’s spatial, economic, political, and military thresholds are defined via these official statements. H India and Pakistan pursue a credible minimum deterrent with India focusing on NFU and assured second strike while Pakistan relying on First Use of nuclear weapons.

Apart from the nuclear doctrines of h countries, it is important to consider Sunderji and the Cold Start Doctrine of India as well. India had been following the Sunderji Doctrine from the 1980s, however the 20012002 Crisis exposed serious loopholes and vulnerabilities in it. It might have been relevant for an earlier time, but it was not effective with added nuclear weapons in the equation.

Subsequently, India came up with the Cold Start Doctrine in order to address those shortcomings. Under Cold Start Doctrine, India envisioned to fight a limited war under the nuclear overhang, by using Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) to cross the border and capture Pakistani territory

on short notice before any foreign diplomatic intervention or Pakistani retaliation. Pakistan responded by developing the Tactical Nuclear Weapon – Nasr.

Strategic Stability, being a dynamic concept and h a process and an end in itself is constantly impacted by these doctrines as well as other factors such as, the Indian procurement of S-400 and development of its indigenous BMD Systems; that influence the military calculus. Indian Cold Start Doctrine is destabilizing because it gives India a false sense of flexibility about engaging in a low intensity conflict and getting away with it. This was the reason that fostered further instability and eventually led to the Pakistani pursuit of TNWs. Hence the security dilemma and a cycle of hostile power-enhancing actions. Pakistan’s threat to use nuclear option in face of even a conventional aggression

by India might appear to be hostile and destabilizing, but it is considered as the most-plausible response based on sovereign national choice, aimed at countering a militarily-superior adversary.

However, given the doctrines of h the countries and the overall security environment, there surely is a constant arms race lurking in the background with major space for escalation and crisis instability. Thus, the manifestation of a holistic conception of Strategic Stability is needed for a stable South-Asia.

an issue of survival and countering India’s conventional force superiority, which led to the adoption of a First Use posture aimed at countering conventional or non-conventional aggression of any kind.

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khnowledge

PARLIAMENT WITHOUT CHOSEN REPRESNTAIVES The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan begins with the word of Allah Almighty i.e. “In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful” and in its preamble make is crystal clear the basic principles of State that “Whereas sovereignty over the entire Universe belongs to Almighty Allah alone and the authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust;“And whereas it is the will of the people of Pakistan to establish an order Wherein the State shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people”.

If view the present procedure of choosing the representatives of Parliament (Majlis e Shoora) which is bicameral, adopted on the line of British Parliament comprising House of Commons and House of Lords and USA Congress consists of House of Representatives and Senate. We will come to know that our Senate which is upper chamber of the parliament has been incorporated akin to Senate of United States of America by giving proportional representations on parity basis to each States/provinces. In comparison with the House of Commons, the House of Lords powers are restricted.

Their political clout is owed more to convention and tradition. The House has no influence on any bills relating to government finance. All members are appointed except 90 hereditary peers. In nutshell it is more ceremonial than that of House of Commons which is main legislature body and executive as well. Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress whereas the House of Representatives is lower chamber. The Senate is composed of senators with each state being equally represented by two senators elected by direct votes of people of the particular State regardless of its population, serving staggered terms of six years; with fifty states presently in the Union 1914, following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. As the upper house, the Senate has several powers of advice and consent which are unique to it; these include the ratification of treaties and the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, federal judges, other federal executive officials, flag

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officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, and other federal uniformed officers in addition to other ancillary powers. The Senate is widely considered h a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the House of Representatives due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies, which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere. The Senate of Pakistan, upper legislative chamber of the bicameral legislature of Pakistan and together with the National Assembly makes up the Parliament of Pakistan.

The Senate’s composition and powers are established by the Article 59 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Overall each four provinces are represented by 23senators, eight senators from the tribal areas and four from the Federal Area regardless of population, who serve staggered six-year terms. The Senate has several exclusive powers not granted to the National Assembly, including the powers of making parliamentary bills as a being enforced into law but its matter of grave concern that the whole one chamber is incorporated through indirect election by the votes of the members of provincial assemblies.

It is an open secret now that most of the senators are in fact selected, use money and influence of his relation with the head of the party to become members through horse trading on one hand and consider them not held responsible before the people on the other hand. There are 342 seats of National Assembly but only 272 members are chosen representatives of people of Pakistan whereas 70

Adv. Atique-ur-Rehman members comprising 60 seats of women and 10 seat of minorities which are rather appointed at the sweet wishes and whims of the heads of Political Parties on proportionate basis. It is well observed that overwhelm majority these members don’t have much long political career and don’t have roots in the common voters of the State and most of them are kith and kin, siblings, business partners, friends and blue eyed of the head of the party; hence merit is totally overlooked on one account and essence of the democracy diminishes on the other account. I recapitulate my submission by observing that where one of the two chambers of the Parliament is not chosen representatives of people of Pakistan and 70 members out of 342 of National Assembly which is almost 23% are appointed, cannot be claimed as chosen representatives of people of Pakistan from definition of any dictionary. So my suggestion is that in order to fulfill the bona fide essence of democracy and soul of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Senators should be elected through direct adult franchise votes whereas 20% seats of women and 10 seats of minorities of National Assembly should also be filled through direct votes of voters of Pakistan which will pave way for better democratic norms, provide opportunities for workers of Political parties to be part of Parliament, empower the women to actively work for the progress of nation shoulder to shoulder with men in real sense, make them feel held responsible before the people of Pakistan rather satisfying only to the head of the party.

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Pakistan

Taseer Ikram Rana

My Motherland d Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a gift of Almighty Allah for us. It is the most beautiful country of the world and centre of Islam. It’s population is approximately more than 22 million. It is the 36th largest country (in terms of area) which is located in a unique corner of the world. India is situated to its eastern border, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, the Gulf of Oman to the south and China in the far northeast respectively.

Largest Democracy. Democracy is the most popular system / shape of government in the country. There are three dominating political parties i.e.

Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) led by Imran Khan, now in the chair, came to the surface in general elections 2013 and formed its government in 2018. A transition in the political scenario is fast taking place and the system is being revolutionized.

Languages. Although people of all religions can be found living here but they are speaking local languages.

Its Main language is Urdu which is the national language.

Apart from Urdu language, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi, Sindhi, Sheena (spoken in northern areas) and many other languages are spoken here. It is said that after every 200 kilometers or so, one can observe a change in food, clothes, language and houses etc. Some of the local languages are appended below:1. Dari and Nooristani (spoken in district Chitral of KPK province) 2. Hindko (spoken in KPK province) 3. Saraiki and Photohari (Spoken in

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Punjab as well as Sindh province) 4. Brahvi (spoken in Balochistan) 5. Balti (spoken in Gilgit Baltistan) Agriculture Sector of Pakista Agriculture sector is the most contributing sector in the economy of Pakistan. The land of Pakistan is very fertile therefore, all type of crops are cultivated here.

We are among the largest producers of wheat, rice and sugar. Moreover, we are the largest producers of milk in the world.

Industrial sector. It is contributing about 24% of GDP (Gross Domestic

Products) in the economy of Pakistan. The largest manufacturing industry of Pakistan is cotton textile production. It contributes about 66% of the merchandise exports. Cement, fertilizer, edible oil, sugar, food, tobacco, chemicals, machinery and steel processing are other major industries of our country. Moreover, it has skilled and technical engineers. We feel proud on our ability Location on the map of

the world. Pakistan is located in strategic and geopolitical corridor of the world.

It has close proximity to the natural resources of Central Asian countries.

Foreign Relations. It maintains good foreign relations with its neighbours i.e Iran, Afghanistan and China in particulars except India. Pakistan has a slight difficult relation due geopolitical rivalry.Administrative Divisions. Administration of Pakistan is also unique like its shape, people and seasons. It is administratively divided into following main two parts:1. Provincially Administrated Areas. a. Baluchistan b. KPK c. Punjab d. Sindh 2. Centrally Administrated Areas a. Gilgit Baltistan b. Azad Kashmir d. Islamabad Capital Territory

Islamabad - Pakistan

After decades of political instability and security problems that removed Pakistan from the list of all but the most fearless travellers, the country is now on the verge of something special. Pakistan has opened its doors to travellers from across the world, thanks to improved security and political stability.

Pakistan is a beautiful country. Home to 108 peaks above 7,000 meters, including K2, the south Asian country’s mountain scenery is stunning. From the lively cities like Islamabad and Lahore to the beautiful valleys in the north, Pakistan is a perfect place for a unique getaway.

It can be difficult to choose from the long list of places to visit in this lovely country, so have a look at our suggestions. Here are 12 of the best and most beautiful places to see in Pakistan.

1. Skardu Turquoise waters, towering mountains, beautiful lakes, and generous people, Skardu has it all. Spend a day or two exploring the beautiful Kachhura Village, Shangri-la Resort, and the sand dunes in Katpana village.

Enjoy an incredible experience watching the sunrise and sunset over the Indus River. To know the area’s history, visit the 600 years old Kharpocho Fort.

Shopping and dining in Skardu Bazaar is a must. Here you’ll find some fantastic local gifts for your friends and family back home.

If you are fond of trekking, you can’t help trekking through the glaciers to the basecamps of some of the world’s highest mountains, including K2.

Your vacation wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the surreal Deosai National Park and Satpara Lake.

2. Kalasha Valleys Nestled between the Hindu Kush mountain range in Chitral. These beautiful valleys are home to the indigenous and unique Kalash tribe.

The mesm erising beauty of the area, the meadows, and the unique architecture of the houses make this place worth exploring.

Bamburet is the most famous among the Kalasha Valleys. But if you want to witness and experience the unique Kalasha culture, head over to Rumboor and Birir.

The liberal Kalash people are said to be the descendants of the armies of Alexander the Great. Don’t miss the annual feast called Chilam Joshi if you January -2021

are visiting in May. 3. Islamabad The romantic city of Islamabad is also the capital of Pakistan which is an excellent place for relaxation and sightseeing. The city is green all over, with beautiful roads and highways and a clean, calm, and serene environment.

You will enjoy exploring the moderately populated city is also has Cultural heritage sites like Pakistan Monument, Lok Virsa Museum, and Faisal Mosque you can also hit the hiking trails in the picturesque and densely forested Margalla Hills and then drive to Monal at the top. You will get magnificent views of Islamabad and the surrounding areas from up here. It is a perfect spot to capture Instagram pictures.

Islamabad has endless options for foodies. Whether you want to munch some continental or Chinese cuisine, or try Pakistani, American, English, or Italian cookery, Islamabad’s restaurants have them all.

Most visitors can’t help falling in love with the beautiful Lake View Park and Shakarparian, and the small but exquisite Saidpur Village.

The best shopping places in Islamabad include Centaurus Mall and Safa Gold Mall.

4. Hunza It’s no secret that Hunza is home to liberal, helpful, and hospitable people.

Nestled in the Karakoram Mountain Range, Hunza comprises several colourful and stunning villages.

There’s so much like orchards, glaciers, a river, wooden bridges, and meadows skirted by rugged and snow-capped mountains.

Witness a hypnotic sunset at Duikar, a small village perching over the valley.

Get majestic views from the top of Altit and Baltit forts. Or simply stroll in the beautiful streets of Hunza and socialise with the locals.

Karimabad, the main commercial center of the valley, has many hotels, restaurants, and shops. Before you leave, try some scrumptious local cuisines at the restaurants and buy some beautiful handicrafts at the shops.

5. Peshawar Situated to the northwest of Islamabad, Peshawar is a beautiful city with a history dating back to the 17th century Mughal Empire. This city is famous among tourists for its historical places, shopping bazaars, and food.

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Simply stroll the streets and markets of Peshawar and try the famous Charsi Tikka for lunch in Namak Mandi. If you’re fond of lamb meat then don’t miss the traditional Dum pukht dish.

Peshawar has preserved its medieval charm. The Bala Hisar Fort and its fortifications still seem to be watching the movements along the famous GT Road. It was built in 1562 and this fort was a regal abode of the Afghan Durrani dynasty.

Other historical places in Peshawar include Peshawar Museum, Buddhist Stupas, Khyber Pass, and Jamrud Fort.

When it comes to shopping, you can buy many luxurious items at a bargain price in Peshawar. Be it the famous Afghan carpets in Shuba Chowk, gemstones in Namak Mandi, and Peshawari Chappals in Jehangir Pura Market (Jahangirpura Bazaar), this city has it all. A visit to the historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar is also a must for shopping enthusiasts.

6. Gojal Valley Head 20 kilometres to the north of Hunza on the Karakoram Highway, and you’ll find yourself in the beautiful Gojal Valley. Bordering China’s Xinjiang province, Gojal is home to beautiful lakes, rugged mountains, glaciers, and scenic villages.

After driving north through some mountain tunnels, you’ll arrive at the famous Attabad Lake in Shishkat village. Among the rocky mountains, there is this lake that formed after a portion of the nearby mountain fell off, blocking the river flow. Known for its blue waters, this lake is an excellent place for taking Instagram pictures, jet skiing, and boating.

Next comes the scenic Gulmit village along the Karakoram Highway. Walk on the highway to forget all your worries or go around exploring the lush green village. An hour’s trek will take you to the old Ondra settlement from where you can get bird’s eye views of the surrounding villages and the famous Passu Cones.

Other tourist spots include Hussaini Suspension Bridge, Borith Lake, Ghulkin Glacier, Batura Glacier, and Khunjerab National Park.

7. Naltar Valley, Gilgit around 1 hour and 40 minutes drive on the Karakoram Highway from Gilgit city will take you to Naltar.

This a remote valley is known for its sheer beauty and serene atmosphere. The snow-capped peaks, landscapes, lakes, and expansive forests make Naltar worth a retreat.

During the winter, Naltar Valley turns into a skiing mecca.

The Pakistan Air Force manages the ski resort that attracts thousands of skiers from across the world each year.

The magnificent Bashri Lakes offer enthralling lakeside sceneries, natural dirt trails, and glacial streams.

It is a lovely spot for picnicking. A jeep ride will take you to Pari Lake, an alpine lake where you can enjoy boating and stroll around to explore the area.

8. Phandar Valley, Ghizer The scenic Phandar Valley is known for its colourful waters and dotted forests. The views are dramatic, and so is the ambience. The very first glimpse of the valley will remove all your travel fatigue and poplar trees on its bank, Phandar Lake offers mesmerising views. You can have amazing boating experiences in the deep blue, still water of this lake.

The weather is mostly pleasant in summer, which is the

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best time to visit the valley. People of Phandar are friendly and helpful. The valley also has plenty of hotels and inns.

9. Lahore The old city of Lahore is known for an array of tourist spots and activities, such as historical sites, shopping places, and foods. For foodies, Lahore has endless options, but at the famous Food Street on MM Alam Road, you’ll get to taste all the famous cuisines in one place.

For people interested in history, art, and architecture, Lahore Fort is a must-visit. The legendary Mahmud of Ghazni built the fort in the 11th century. A visit to Badshahi Mosque is yet another similar treat for tourists. If you are a shopaholic, head over to the famous Anarkali Bazaar and Liberty Market.

Other places to visit in Lahore include Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Museum, Minar e Pakistan, and Wagah Border.

10. Gwadar and Balochistan Think of deep blue waters, white mountains, beautiful sceneries, and sand dunes. That’s what you’ll get to see in Gwadar, the beautiful port city in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

Get fascinating views of the clear waters of the Arabian Sea while watching over the Gwadar Port. If that doesn’t enthral you, head over to the famous Hammerhead – the mass of rock created as a result of a mud volcano eruption.

The turquoise waters of Astola Island can easily be reached on motorboats. If you are not into scuba diving, you can simply go around fishing or exploring the waters to watch dolphins and turtles.

Other mesmerizing tourist spots like Omara Beach, The Sphinx of Balochistan, The Princess of Hope statue, and Hingol National Park are sure to delight you.

11. Neelum valley and Azad Kashmir.

Kashmir is also called paradise on earth has something to offer all time in a year . Neelum Valley which is almost 100 kms from Muzaffarabad city is most beautiful place in Azad Kashmir ,Pakistan.

In winter there is snowy mountains which present beautiful scenery .In summer it offer an amazing weather.If you get a chance visit this place you will remember it forever.

12. Sindh and the deserts.

Sindh is the third largest province of Pakistan by area and second largest province by population after Punjab. Sindh is bordered by Balochistan province to the west and Punjab province to the north. Sindh also borders the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to the east and Arabian Sea to the south.

Conclusion Stunning landscapes, rugged and snow-capped mountains, beautiful beaches and valleys, rich cultural heritages, buzzing cities… you name it, Pakistan has them.

Just decide what places you want to visit in Pakistan and get ready to explore the beautiful South Asian country.

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BAZEECHA TRUST

where innocence dwells Belonging to a military family has its own perks and privileges, specially the personality development, character building, discipline and ethics become a part of one’s personality. 90% of my family belongs to military, hence my upbringing was not less than a “foji jawans “. The earliest memories of my father was serving humanity. I am really fortunate to have such good role models as my parents. It will not be wrong if I say that I inherited compassion and empathy from my parents. I got married to a Naval Officer and did my part in my humble capacity to serve others.

I still remember the fateful day of 8th October 2005, when I was studying for my exams, and the whole building started shaking. It was the biggest calamity which I witnessed in my life. My friends and I immediately started volunteering at different hospitals of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. From distribution of ration, streamlining the aid, nursing and even bathing dead bodies, we were doing it all.

I met an amazing team of doctors and psychologist from South Africa led

by Rehana Sedaat and Latifa Soobidar , in Rawalpindi Cantt Hospital . On my insistence they trained my team of volunteers and me in “Trauma Therapy

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“ , I was fortunate enough to conduct the therapy sessions of the earthquake affected children under their supervision . We travelled to quite a few earthquake affected areas in the Northern areas of Pakistan conducting therapy sessions and providing relief in cash or kin.

One afternoon in the earthquake stricken areas of Muzaffarabad I received an S.O.S call from a group of orphan girls with whom I had worked .The scared voices told me that the shelter homes where they had been living for the past one year were closing down .Set up by a well-known NGO. These shelter provided refuge to children who had lost their families in the massive earthquake. That hit Kashmir and NWFP in 2005.Now, once again, they were being made to leave. I had to come up with a solution and fast. It was then that the idea of “Bazeecha Trust”, a safe haven for these girls was conceived.

For centuries, an African proverb has managed to survive through the ages simply because of its universal relevance. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child “has profound implications on society, even one as contemporary and sophisticated as ours. Besides the obvious, this proverb simply outlines how a child is not merely a responsibility of the parents but

the community as a whole its also promotes the importance of social collective concerns for nurturing a human child whether it is one’s own or not .

Bazeecha, or a playground for children where they enjoy is the literal meaning in Urdu, is an example of such an initiative.

It is a humane approach to pick up the pieces of a decaying social structure.

Established in October 2006, Bazeecha was conceived by me and supported by my dear friend Raheela Naveed , Dr. Faisal Tareen , Dr Aamir Hidayat , Safiya Tariq ; five regular citizens who freelance as humanitarians and are the Pioneers of Bazeecha Trust.

Our collective conscience inspired the effort to salvage the lives of these young underprivileged girls, aged between seven to twelve years, and equipped with computers and books, thanks to generous donations from concerned Pakistanis from all over the world.

Our objective is to provide a safe haven, quality education, security and an honorable future for these girls while sustaining the quality of life. During our relief work of earthquake victims, we faced a lot of problems as for as distribution of funds was concerned. Of late, NGOs operating in Pakistan have come under a lot of security for malpractice and corruption, which is why our team was apprehensive about forwarding donations to them.

We needed to do something on our own, Bazeecha is not an NGO; it is a “Trust” solely run by childhood friends Mariyam Burki , Hina Qureshi , Rubeena Amir , Amra Hayat , Noshaba Waqar and my younger sister Dr Anjum . It is solely funded by donations mainly from friends and families. A chunk of the donations to NGOs are consumed in salaries and related costs. The concept of Bazeecha Trust is to ensure that every penny is spent on the underprivileged children and females.

Directors of Bazeecha Trust’s Islamabad branch Bazeecha Trust came into existence with the aid of local volunteers of Abbotabad who I met during the rehabilitation of 2005 earthquake affected people. Which started from a humble abode of three rooms in a rundown house, after fifteen years and many expenses later, Bazeecha Trust has three branches, two in Rawalpindi and one in Islamabad.

A thank you note from earthquake affected people of Swat after our team facilitated in building more than hundred houses.

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Shortly after it opened, there were many others who needed the security that Bazeecha Trust offered. The home took in children that were abandoned by their parents, or left there because the parents were too poor to take care of them. Some even came to find shelter from tribulations in their villages, and find refuge from social prejudice. It was with open arms and egalitarian dispositions that Bazeecha embraced these girls, and cared for them as if they were its own.

“Mera Ghar” a home away from home for the neglected females and senior citizens was our second branch in Rawalpindi run by two doctors Dr Noshaba and Dr Anjum . This is the brain child of Dr Noshaba who always wanted to do something for the senior citizens.

This dynamic duo opened the third branch by the name of “Sunshine Home “for the paraplegics who were affected in 2005 earthquake. During Corona they were left shelter less so the compassionate team of Bazeecha Trust took them under its fold and provided a safe haven and quality life.

Appreciation award from Al-Khidmat Foundation for our humanitarian services in Corona At Bazeecha Trust the girls are taught in English-medium schools close to the shelter homes. Besides education, each girl is encouraged to divulge into co-curricular activities that accentuates their talents. For instance, Misbah at the shelter happens to be quite skilled with the sewing machine.

This promoted to Bazeecha to provide her with a personal one, so that she can indulge in her favorite pass time and polish off her skills simultaneously. All females are given vocational training to make them useful citizens, once they leave the Trust. The other girls, being much younger, are provided with a more academic approach towards discovering their skills through various activities involving arts and crafts. Bazeecha has its own 24 hour guard, a gym instructor, two qualified teachers, a warden and a manager. All the staff members belong to underprivileged class and are needy.

The warden of the Islamabad’s branch is a cancer survivor who cares for and grooms the girls, has become somewhat of a mother figure for them. Her duty

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is to sustain a parental bond with all of them, as some of them are orphans while others have been abandoned by their families because they could not afford to raise them, then there are some who need extra nurture and care, including those girls who suffer from mental illness.

Most of the children were neglected by their parents due to poverty. The fathers did not work and mothers worked as maids sometimes taking their daughters along to the lend a hand. Sometimes the fathers engaged in unscrupulous activities with these girls, and mentally destroyed them for life. Some of them are too poor to even travel to the city from their village, others do not care enough and then there are a few who manage to show up once in a while but rarely. The girls seem to not care much for it as they have developed a very loving relations with all of the Directors and consider us as their mothers and guardian. In fact, they would rather stay with us than go home to parents on holidays if they had the chance, given that the parents showed little interest.

Majority of the girls had no concept of education and used to loiter around in the streets. Their future seemed to mirror that of their parents: poor, illiterate and underprivileged, in a mere group of ninety females, accounts of child labor, incest, abandonment and trauma are predominant. On a larger scale, the results would be morally devastating which says a lot about our society, community and the country as a whole.

The youngest baby Anaya is only 4 months old Recently a young girl from a broken family who was going through some marital problems, came from Oman and joined our Islamabad team as a Manager. She says she has always wanted to make a difference with whatever she was involved in, and no doubt she is fulfilling her aspirations. ”I am very happy here and have become very attached to all the girls. The love these girls give to me truly makes me feel like they are my own, and more or less, my duty here is to be their mother but it seems to come naturally because they are all wonderful.”

On Eids, these children are given “eidi” and are taken to the local market to buy bangles and clothing. We want them

to have a sense of belonging as well as responsibility. The feeling of being able to spend their own money on things they prefer. It also taught them the basic paradigm of trade and barter. Besides, the flair for shopping in innate in all girls, so why shouldn’t they have that privilege?

The road to Bazeecha Trust’s success story is as turbulent as the events that led to its foundation. It’s a story of childhood friends who embarked on a mission to serve humanity through their compassion, resilience and hard work. Fifteen years since its conception, it has come a long way to giving shelter to innocent citizens of Pakistan. Every day is a humble step to provide these little girls with hope, self-esteem and the belief that although they may feel alone, humanity is a bond that unites us all. Whenever any calamity strikes Pakistan Bazeecha Trust’s team is always in forefront providing relief to the affected.

To sponsor a child, for donations or queries regarding Bazeecha Trust, feel free to contact us:

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LIFE STYLE

Ertugrul star Engin Altan pays go to to CM Punjab Usman Buzdar

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The star was apparently presented an art-filled letter from a child fan, which he shared in his Instagram story as well.

Wellcom to Paksitan

Ertugrul Ghazi

Engin Altan Düzyatan talking to Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, at Chief Minister Home in Lahore, Picture courtesy Twitter/CM Punjab Lead actor of Turkish drama sequel Ertugrul, Engin Altan Düzyatan, referred to as on Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar In response to an announcement

by Buzdar, the actor was offered the “Chief Minister Home Protect and conventional presents”.

Photographs shared by Buzdar on social media confirmed him posing with the actor whereas presenting the defend, in addition to a rifle.

The 2 may also be seen having a dialog, each sporting protecting face masks whereas talking. In

response to the chief minister’s media crew, the actor’s efficiency within the hit drama Ertugrul was among the many issues mentioned.

Engin Altan arrived in Lahore two days in the past for a brief journey to Pakistan on the invitation of a “personal enterprise firm”.

The Turkish star additionally expressed his readiness to work in Pakistani dramas throughout a press convention in Lahore on Friday.

Since his arrival, his actions have included a go to to Badshahi Mosque and the Shrine of Allama Iqbal.

World-famous Turkish star Engin Altan Düzyatan who arrived in Lahore on Thursday on a short trip is thankful to Pakistanis and says “See you next time, in a message shared on his Instagram story.

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KNOWLEDGE

Recently, social-activist turned politician Jibran Nasir has raised considerations on the printing of the the primary season of blockbuster serial on PTV referring it as a supply for inculcating disaster and sense of cultural invasion amongst Pakistanis.

Taking to Twitter, Nasir wrote: “We’ve many beautiful cultures in Pakistan but many still face a identity crisis which is also seen in our diaspora.”

He went on so as to add, “Being ourselves typically causes “Goras” to confuse us as Indians attributable to our similarities, so we mimicked Arabs tracing our roots to Bin Qasim. Now we’re making an attempt being Turks.”

Following his tweet, a debate flared up on social media together with a tirade of criticism for Nasir

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the place the customers cancelled his reservations, saying that the sequel holds a way more optimistic influence particularly on youth because it enlightens in regards to the wonderful historical past of Islam.

While few believed that it’s higher to idealise Muslim rulers and legendary characters than Bollywood and Hollywood actors, others contended that Dirilis Ertugrul is a fictional sequence that must be celebrated for its paintings fairly than criticising the sequence with such dissenting views.

In the previous, actor Shaan Shahid additionally shared his two cents on the matter whereas opposing the printing of the serial. On the opposite, different Pakistan celebrities together with Bilal Ashraf and Haroon Shahid appreciated the makers for his or her commendable craft and flaw-

less efficiency of actors within the sequel.

Originally produced by the Turkish state-owned media firm TRT in collaboration with a non-public firm, the historic drama was later dubbed into varied languages and was streamed on-line all over the world.

Created by Mehmet Bozdağ, the favored TV sequence options Engin Altan Düzyatan within the lead position.

The sequence depicts the history of the Ottoman Empire, chronicling across the plight of the nomadic Kayi Oghuz Turkic tribe, led by Ertugrul, the daddy of Osman I, the founding father of the Ottoman Empire.

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NATIONAL DAYS

Pakistan founder

Quaid-e-Azam

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

a true statesman Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was no doubt one of the most charismatic leaders in world history. He was there at just the right moment, when Muslims in pre-partition India were facing severe challenges.

Under his leadership, the Muslims of the sub-continent gained independence and created a sovereign state, Pakistan, without a shot’s being fired. This has no parallel in the chronicles of history.

Otto von Bismarck, the former German Chancellor, once said: “Man cannot control the current of events. He can only float with them and steer.” Jinnah’s statecraft proved this statement to be true, as he skillfully and successfully steered the adverse currents of events in 1946 and brought the battered Muslim ship ashore, safe and sound, within a year.

Jinnah’s attraction to the world of politics began as a young man working in London. He

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was very impressed by Dadabhai Naoroji, a Parsi from Bombay who was the first Indian to become an MP in Britain, and upon returning to India Jinnah entered the world of politics and joined the Indian National Congress. The first of the party’s annual sessions that he attended was its 20th, held in Bombay in December 1904.

There is no denying that initially Quaid-e-Azam was an ambassador for Hindu-Muslim unity; given the presence of a non-native government, he did not wish to exacerbate the problems between Muslims and Hindus. Nevertheless, he stood up for the rights of Muslims even when he was a member of Congress. In 1916, a result of his efforts was the Lucknow

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Muhammad’AliJannah, Urdu: , also officially called in Pakistan: that is, “Great Leader”, December 25, 1876-September 11, 1948). Leader of the Founding Movement of Pakistan, founder of the State of Pakistan, political activist, and first president (1947-1948). The former chairman of the Indian Muslim League in the partition of India and Pakistan. In view of Jinnah’s immortal contribution to the creation of an independent state

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Pact, an agreement in which Congress accepted the right of Muslims to have separate constituencies and expressed willingness to give them constitutional guarantees.

Quaid-e-Azam was a man of principle who set very high political standards and values and never compromised on them.

There were two main keys to Jinnah successful statesmanship: a rational approach to politics, and a keen knowledge of objective realities, however awkward or complex.

He had the uncanny ability to always make the right choice at the right moment. His statesmanship is evidenced by the fact that he considered each and every proposal put to him, whether it came from the British or from Congress, including the Lucknow Pact, the Roundtable Conferences of the early 1930s on constitutional reform, and the Cabinet Mission that came to India in 1946 to discuss the transfer of power from the British government. He studied them and found and used every opportunity they offered for securing the rights of Muslims.

US historian Stanley Wolpert wrote in his book “Jinnah of Pakistan:” “Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”

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HEALTH & FOODS

Pakistan is struggling with high burden of Malnutrition • • • • • • •

“The stunting among Children is 40%” “Pakistan is facing double burden of malnutrition” “Annually 3% loss in GDP due to malnutrition in Pakistan” “Inappropriate Nutrition for Population equates to Human Right Abuse” “Nutrition is on top of Human Development Agenda” “Government is committed to target malnutrition and allocate necessary resources” “Coordination and Collaboration with the provinces to be improved for the common Goal” • “Government of Pakistan is cognizant to mischievousness caused due to of malnutrition in Pakistan, and with the current program it is hoped that the Women and Children of 2025 may not suffer further by the hazard of Malnutrition”

Pakistan is one of the countries in the world with the highest burden of malnutrition. The situation has not improved during the last couple of decades.

Reasons for slow progress include among other, inadequate funding for nutrition sector and poor optimization of resources allocation to various nutrition interventions. Federal and provincial level government have allocated some domes-

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tic resources to nutrition programme.

Development partners also have the potential to contribute more to nutrition programme in Pakistan, and it is essential to rightly channel these efforts to get the best buys from these investments.

National Nutrition Survey 2018 showed that an estimated 40% children under the age of five years are stunted and nearly 17.7% are wasted in the country, which

exceed WHO emergency threshold levels.

The survey also revealed high rates of micronutrient deficiencies among children and women. The Government of Pakistan is cognizant of the dire need of addressing the enormous challenge of malnutrition in the country. The Prime Minister of Pakistan in his inaugural address to the nation in 2018, specifically pointed out the level of stunting among under 5

children in the country and expressed his resolve to target malnutrition induced stunting in the country.

The Province wise figures for stunting are, Punjab 36.4 %, Sindh 45.5 %, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 40%, Balochistan 46.6%, Islamabad 32.6 %, KP-NMDs 48.3%, Azad Jammu & Kashmir 39.3%, and Gilgit-Baltistan 46.6% respectively.

The prime Minister constituted a high level task force with a mandate to review the health care delivery system in Pakistan and to suggest and recommend reforms. As per directions and guidance of National Health Task Force, a comprehensive plan for addressing the major issue of Malnutrition in Pakistan has been developed by the Nutrition Wing M/O NHSR&C, with the title of “Tackling Malnutrition Induced Stunting in Pakistan”. The prime aim and objective of the plan is “To significantly reduce malnutrition related stunting in Pakistani children in the next 5 years, and virtually eliminate it in children born in 2023 by 2030”. Moreover, through this plan, 35% of population in high burden 67 district and the Sehat Sahulat Program beneficiaries i.e. (15 million women of reproductive age group (including annual 3.5 million pregnant and lactating women) and 6 million children under the age of 3 years in the country will be benefiting directly or indirectly through nutrition interventions by 2025.

After the provincial consultations and revision of different components, the total cost of the Nutrition PC-1 has been revised with approximately 350 billion for 5 years, with 50% support of the federal Government (Nutrition supplementary Commodities, Nutrition Councillors and monitoring) and equal contribution to be made by the Provincial Governments (program implementation through involvement of Existing LHWs and Community Health workers through Primary Health Care initiatives).

Taking it further the Pakistan National Nutrition Coordination Council (PNNCC) represented by all provinces , line ministries and stakeholders meeting was held in October 2020, during which it was directed by Prime Minster that The Ministry of NHSR&C to take the lead in Nutrition Programming – Technically; The Ministry of NHSR&C to be responsible for inter-sectoral and inter-provincial coordination regarding Nutrition EHSAAS Islamabad - Pakistan

and Ministry of PD&SI to collaborate and support MoNHSR&C in targeting malnutrition.

There is need to develop Nutrition Action Plan (Pakistan Nutrition Strategy) and Road Map of implementation by the Provinces and to be endorsed by CCI National Nutrition PC1 for Stunting Reduction to be processed as quickly as possible a Nutrition Working Group/ Task Force to be established under MoNHSR&C to oversee these developments Accordingly the Nutrition Advisory Group has been notified by the ministry comprising of line ministries, UN agencies, Academia, social society, the donor agencies and bilateral development agencies to provide technical oversight and guidance on nutrition policy, a road map to the provinces and programming in the country.

The Total cost of the Developed plan Title “Tackling Malnutrition Induced Stunting in Pakistan” The total cost of the PC-1 is approximately 350 billion for 5 years 50% share / support of the federal Government approximately 175 billion in terms of • Provision of Nutrition Supplementary Commodities, Nutrition Councillors • Capacity building of new and existing health care providers • Research, monitoring and surveillance of the program activities • 50% contribution by the provincial Governments in terms of • Program implementation through involvement of Existing LHWs and Community Health workers through Primary Health Care initiatives • Target population setting & identification, program management and institutional arrangements • Monitoring, evaluation, data sharing and accountability Way Forward; With Ministry of National Health Services, regulations& Coordination in lead and with the leadership of SAPM/ Minister Dr Faisal Sultan and with support of Secretary Aamir Ashraf Khawaja the planned interventions would be accomplished in the coming 5 years with the implementation by provinces and the result there after would be a game changer in the arena of nutrition for our Children and mothers.

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Status of Malnutrition– Pakistan NNS 2011 Vs 2018 Wasting % (Low Weight for Height) 2011 - 2018 15% - 17.7%

Stunting% (Low Height for Age) 44% - 40.2% Under Weight% (Low Weight for Age) 32% - 28.9% Anemia (Children) 63% - 53.7% Anemia (Pregnant women) 51% - 42.7%* Iodine Deficiency (Children) 36% - 38.7% Vitamin A Def (Children) 54% - 51.5% Vitamin A Def (Non-pregnant women) 42% - 27.3%* Zinc Def (Mothers) 47% - 22%* Zinc Def (Children) 39% - 18.6% Vit D Def (Mothers) 68% - 79.7%* Vit D Def (Children) 40% - 62.7%

Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai

Ministry of National Health Services Government of Pakistan Director.nutrition@nhsrc.gov.pk

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Travels & Tours

Top 10 Places to Visit in Hunza Valley Hunza Valley is located in Gilgit Baltistan at a distance of around 100 km from Gilgit City. Enveloped in the Himalayas and the Karakoram mountain ranges, it is a valley of breathtaking beauty with lush green landscapes, snow-capped mountain peaks, eye-catching meadows and exquisite colors of nature. It is rich in culture while its people are kind-hearted and known for their hospitality.

Let’s explore top 10 places that you need to visit on your tour to the Hunza Valley:

1.Attabad Lake: It is located at a distance of 18km from Karimabad. The lake that was formed as the result of a natural disaster in 2010 has now become a major tourist attraction in the valley. The Attabad Lake is unique because of its fascinating turquoise color that looks straight out of a poet’s imagination. During the summers, the meltwater from the nearby mountains fills the lake with its unique aura of breathtaking beauty and the calm that accompanies it.

While in the winters, temperatures fall below 0’C and the lake freezes. The activities that take place include jet skiing, boating, and fishing. The rising influx of tourists has led to the establishment of hotels, guest houses and campsites around the lake.

2.Karimabad Bazaar: Karimabad being the capital of Hunza district has been ranked by Guardian as one of the five “Best Tourist Sites” in Pakistan. In the cobble-stoned ancient bazaar of Karimabad, you will find different shops selling traditional dresses, handicrafts, antiques, wood-carved products, traditional jewelry, dry fruits,

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organic herbs, shawls, handmade carpets, gemstones and the list continues. Visiting this ancient bazaar will take you back in time, as you’ll witness the richness of the culture from your own eyes. And after the walk through the bazaar (which is no less than a hike due to its steepness), the panoramic view of the valley that you will witness after reaching the top will be totally worth it.

3.Baltit Fort: The hike through the Karimabad Bazaar will lead you to the Baltit Fort, which is a symbol of cultural and historical legacy of Hunza. The fort which has witnessed more than 700 years of the history of Hunza stands as an emblem of its eventful past and amusing culture. The fort that remained the royal residence and the seat of government of the Mirs of Hunza, has been preserved and turned into a museum. In 2004, Baltit Fort was nominated by UNESCO for World Heritage Status and the efforts undertaken in its conservation were recognized. The interior of the Fort showcases distinct aspects of the life of the royals and the culture of Hunza. The panoramic view of Hunza

Rizwan Haider Shah

from the roof is one of its kind.

4.Altit Fort: The Altit Fort is situated at the foot of Ulter Glacier in Hunza Valley. The location of the Fort is strategic as it overlooks the Hunza Valley and its tributaries, providing a strategic position for controlling the trans-Karakoram trade route between Central and South Asia. Being built over 1000 years ago, it remained the main seat of the Mirs until being vacated in the favour of the younger Baltit Fort around 700 years ago. It is a monument which depicts the history and culture of the Valley and is, hence a pleasant site to visit.

5.Rakaposhi View Point:

Rakaposhi is a part of the Karakoram Mountain Range which stands at an elevation of 25,551 ft. It usually remains covered with snow and the view of it at dawn, dusk and the golden hour is remarkably beautiful. It is usually visible from across the valley, but while travelling towards Hunza from Gilgit, there is a spot known as the Rakaposhi View Point.

The view this spot offers is stunning view of the peak along with the cold water that splashes while falling into the Gilgit river all the way from the melted glacier of the peak. There are shops and hotels at this place of breathtaking beauty.

6.Hussaini Hanging Bridge: One of the most-adventurous tourist attraction is the Hussaini Hanging Bridge which is a crossing on the Borit Lake in upper Hunza. It has been known as the most dangerous bridge in the world. It is suspended over the lake using ropes while many planks of it are missing and strong winds shake the bridge as you cross it. It has become a tourist attraction as tourists from across the globe test their nerves as they make their way across the lake upon which it is elevated.

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7.Haldeikish (The Sacred Rocks of Hunza): It is a fascinating archeological site that is located near Karimabad. It dates back to 1st Millennium AD. There are several rocks at this site that contain ancient rock engravings and carvings. These rocks are an emblem of diverse cultural exchanges that once passed through this region.

The petroglyphs date from prehistoric times to all the way to Buddhist era. It is a valuable attraction for tourists that have an interest in history.

2km north of Ghulkin Village in upper Hunza. It is accessible via vehicles as well as by a 2-3 hours trekking route. The tranquility of this lake attracts animals, birds and humans alike. The greenery surrounding the lake and the mountains at its backdrop add beauty and bliss to its existence. Visiting it between March and June can provide you with an opportunity to watch some migrating birds as well.

It is an ideal place for wildlife lovers and for those who want to seek inner tranquility high up in the mountains.

8.Duikar Eagle Nest: It is located in Karimabad at an elevation of around 10,000ft. This village offers a panoramic view of the entire valley as well as the beautiful snow-capped mountains such as Rakaposhi, the Golden Peak, Ultar, and the Lady Finger Peak. You can reach this spot after a hike of 10-15 mins and you will surely be mesmerized with the view it has to offer.

Especially for the people obsessed with sunrises and sunsets, this would be your dream come true.

9.Borith Lake: It is located in Borith hamlet at around

10.Shimshal Village: Shimshal Village is located in the Karakoram range in upper Hunza. It is situated at an elevation of 3108 meters while the highest summit goes up to 7885 meters above sea level. Majority of the region is high mountain zone. It can be reached only by a 4x4 vehicle on a route that lasts 4-5 hours. The local people are extremely kind and hospitable. Local guides can arrange for trekking activities in the valley. While other local people associated with the tourism industry have also introduced Yak Safari in the valley which is a fascinating experience in itself.

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Horoscope January 2021monthly

horoscope

Astrologer: Sadia Arshad Ms.sadiaarshad@gmail.com www.sadiaastro.com

Welcome to the January 2021 horoscopes! Sunsigns.Org brings to you January 2021 horoscope. January month brings in the New Year with many dreams and aspirations for one and all.

January monthly horoscope 2021 presents you a glimpse at the likely events in the month for the different zodiac signs with 2021 Mercury retrograde effects.

You will get an idea about the various aspects of life such as career, finance, love, and social relationships and health.

All the zodiacs from Aries to Pisces are covered and the monthly predictions are based on the influence of the various stellar aspects and movements in the month of January.

The new year begins by begging an age-old question for you, Aries — how do you balance your work and play? Your boundless energy emboldens you to burn the candle at h ends, but it also enables a “go big or go home” attitude that can prove destructive if you aren’t careful. When 2021’s first Mercury retrograde kicks off on January 30, think about how your vim and vigor lands with those around you. Do you inadvertently expect coworkers or friends to pick up the slack when you hit a wall? A healthy support system is important — it’s time to reevaluate your role within yours.

“Steady as she goes” may as well be the Taurus family motto, but this gradual pace can mean carving yourself into a rut. This year will ask you if your routine at work, specifically, has drifted into rut territory or not — and whether you’re ready to break out of it. The first Mercury retrograde of 2021 will fall in your career sector, shaking up how you’re seen in your workplace and challenging you to perform under pressure. This won’t be a great time to ask for a promotion, but it will be advantageous to putting in the kind of work that warrants an upgrade at the office — revisit old assignments or refresh a project you previously thought was perfected. (Be warned that Mercury’s second backspin from May 29 to June 22 will make financial decisions feel particularly delicate, which could make it once again difficult to ask for a raise.)

First up is a full moon and total lunar eclipse in your relationships sector on May 26. On one hand, the full moon will bless you with a renewed sense of ability when it comes to communicating, working, and living with your loved ones. Previously challenging issues will feel easier to address and compromises will appear within closer reach. On the other hand, the lunar eclipse will highlight certain issues and compromises that may be more difficult than they’re worth. There is a line between giving your partner what they want and stifling your own desires, Gemini, and this period will ask you to reconsider your bond with anyone who asks you to do the former.

With the moon as your ruling celestial body, you may often feel as though your whims and emotions are running on a loop that’s tied to the waxing and waning of the lunar cycle. There’s a comforting sort of consistency in this relationship, but that doesn’t mean it’s always predictable. This year, the moon will be eclipsed twice — and, h times, you’ll find that its effects are far from ordinary. The first of these lunar eclipses arrives in tandem with the full moon in your house of wellness, work, and routine on May 26.

A sudden bout of inspiration and motivation will bubble up within you, particularly when it comes to tackling any goals you may have around self-improvement and self-care.

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A lifelong challenge for any Leo is learning to balance the desire to take what’s yours with the need to provide for others. This year will see you getting a little closer to striking such a balance, as your relationship with others and yourself will be leveled beneath the celestial microscope.

The Mercury retrograde from January 30 to February 20 will assail your partnerships sector, complicating what should be straightforward conversations and making difficult subjects feel nearly impossible to broach. Your way through this challenging period is patience, Leo. Listen before speaking and be prepared to backtrack if you find that you’re not on the same page as your S.O. or BFF. The full moon will arrive in your sign on February 27 — the only time it will do so this year. Consider this your opportunity to get ahead of the curveball(s) 2021 is likely to lob your way, Virgo. You’ll be able to see where you’re giving more than you’re getting and vice versa. All the better, you will have the space and energy to correct that balance before you get any farther into the year. New Years will feel like another lifetime by the time this full moon rolls around, but the same inclination toward resolutions and self-improvement will fill the air.

We all like to act like we’re the personal victims of Mercury when it goes retrograde, but you may feel particularly targeted by the messenger planet this year, Libra, particularly during its second and third retrograde periods. But, with preparation and patience, you can survive these periods and, in the process, make 2021 slightly less maddening than the previous year. Mercury will be retrograde from January 30 to February 20, muddling your sense of direction along the way. As with any retrograde, resistance is futile — for the next three weeks, you may feel a little scattered, even aimless, when trying to make your hopes and dreams a reality. Don’t let frustration get the better of you. You may just need to take a new, unconventional approach to your goals during this period. And, not to worr.

Last year we warned of Saturn’s long-term influence over your domestic sphere, Scorpio: For the next several years, it will challenge your preexisting definition of “home.” Naturally, that theme will continue into 2021, thanks in part to the distant ringed planet, but a few other, nearer celestial bodies will join the chorus as well. And these will have much more immediate effects on your life and understanding of comfort. From January 30 to February 20, the first Mercury retrograde of the year will drum up confusion and unrest within your home, demanding that you take a second look at issues and projects you may have thought were already settled.

The year opens on a quiet note for you, Sag, in which you’ll be best off getting your affairs in order.

Refresh your chore chart, nurture your nest egg, and spend time with your closest friends. This will be a year of deeply personal changes for you, so it’s best to rest while you can. Your sign will host a full moon and lunar eclipse on May 26, bringing your place in the world to the forefront of your mind. You may realize how much time you spend waiting in the wings or, conversely, standing at center stage. It’s difficult to go about your days feeling underappreciated, but it’s no walk in the park to feel overwhelmed by attention, either.

This year will ask you to take a hard look at your finances in the short and long-term, Cap. Whether you’ve been on a strict budget or extended spending spree, there are some lessons that have yet to be learned — and what better teacher than a few retrograde planets? The first Mercury retrograde of the year will occur on January 30 and inspire a newly conservative approach to money. You’ll be particularly risk-averse, even when it comes to normally steady, dependable investments. It’s never a bad idea to think seriously about where your money goes, but don’t let this overabundance of caution be your blanket approach to spending right now.

You’re one of the most innovative signs in the Zodiac, Water Bearer — and you aren’t one to back down when things get difficult. In fact, you’re far more likely to find a clever, completely out-of-the-box way around any challenges you encounter. You’ll have a shining opportunity to prove your knack for invention during 2021’s first Mercury retrograde, which will begin on January 30 in your very own sign.

During this period, you may feel pushed to please those around you at the cost of your individualism.

Can you thread the needle in a way that satisfies all parties?

Intuitive, deeply-feeling sign that you are, your mind often seems to be elsewhere, Pisces, whether you realize it or not. While your flights of fancy can often lead to insight into problems at hand, it’s important to spend some amount of time with your feet firmly planted on the ground. This year, that task may be particularly challenging, thanks to a few key planetary retrogrades. Mercury’s second retrograde of the year, running from May 29 to June 22, will flurry your private home life with questions around stability, familial bonds, and legacy — distractions from the past are bound to arise during this period, clouding your thoughts. Don’t fly the nest at the first sign of trouble and don’t let the mental fog of nostalgia overtake your judgment.

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