November 27, 2023

Civil bureaucracy comes under fire in Senate over lavish spending. ISLAMABAD  –  Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani Friday informed the Senate that Pakistan had actively engaged in ending the Gaza crisis and resolution of the Palestine issue. Responding to a notice raised by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed the siege of land, sea, and air routes of Gaza by the Israeli occupying forces and the killing of innocent Palestinians by dropping phosphorus bombs on residential units, hospitals, schools, refugee camps, and mosques which is worst form of terrorism and violation of International Law and Human Rights, the minister said, “Pakistan has been actively involved in the resolution of Palestine issue for several years, particularly in the last month and a half.” Highlighting Pakistan’s contributions, he said, “Pakistan, along with Saudi Arabia, co-sponsored the OIC extraordinary session of foreign ministers held last month in Jeddah, and the extraordinary session of OIC was also held in Jeddah due to efforts of Pakistan”. He said Pakistan played a crucial role among the eight foreign ministers who collaborated on a unanimous document during the OIC summit. 18th Capt Usman Ali inter-collegiate declamation contest held The minister said, “Pakistan played a pivotal role in the passage of the resolution presented by Jordan at the United Nations, garnering support from numerous countries.” “I have received calls of appreciation from around 10 to 15 foreign ministers globally for our efforts in building consensus at the UN on the Jordan resolution in UN” he said. He said, “There is no doubt that Israel has committed aggression against Palestinians. In fact, it amounts to genocide against the innocent people of Palestine. The situation in Gaza is dire, with a severe lack of water, health facilities, and food, leading to a major humanitarian crisis.” Condemning Israel for war crimes in Gaza, he urged, “Israel must be held responsible for these actions, and we call upon the international community to focus on the Palestine issue and play a decisive role in ending the crisis. We express hope that the pressure exerted by OIC countries on Israel will yield positive outcomes.” MDCAT test held peacefully in 11 centres in KP The minister said that Qatar had played an OIC-mandated role on the issue of Palestine. He said that protests had been carried out in the USA and Europe in favour of the people of Palestine, and the issue of Palestine had emerged center stage in the last one and a half months. The minister revealed ongoing efforts, and said, “Pakistan is in contact with Egyptian and Jordanian authorities to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. Unfortunately, Israel is currently hindering the delivery of aid to Gaza.” He said Pakistan had also extended offers of medical assistance, including airlifting the injured to Pakistan and establishing a hospital in Gaza, but Israel had not granted permission for these initiatives. Regarding the reported casualties, he shared, “As per reports, around 15,000 people have been killed, and 40,000 injured by Israeli forces. UN workers and hospital staff have also fallen victim to the violence, with 37 hospitals and schools destroyed in Gaza, including one in Indonesia.” Countrywide anti-polio campaign begins In a firm stance, the FM demanded, “Israel must immediately cease its violence against Palestinians, allowing the international community to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. Pakistan reiterated its position, insisting that Israel respects international law by recognizing the right of self-determination for the people of Palestine, he added. IMF Stand-By Arrangement Caretaker Minister for Finance and Revenue Shamshad Akhtar on Friday informed the Senate that International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board approved the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) worth $3 billion, of which $ 1.2 billion had been disbursed. Replying to various questions during Question Hour, she said the duration of the program was 9 months. The SBA would have two reviews which would be held/ completed in November 2023 and March 2024, she added. The minister said the completion of each review would lead to disbursement of the remaining amount. Govt seeks private sector involvement for mechanized agriculture The principal repayment was due within 3.25 years of disbursement in eight equal quarterly installments while the interest rate currently stood at 4.198%, she added. She said “We have met the target of primary deficit in line with the standby arrangement reached with the IMF,” adding the government had also managed to reduce expenditures. The minister said the prices of essential commodities would now gradually come down as a result of the government effective policies. To another question, Shamshad Akhtar told that State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was a body corporate, established under the State Bank of Pakistan Act, 1956 (Act). The oversight of the affairs and functions of the Bank was entrusted to the Board of Directors under the Act, she said. Moreover, the Board of Directors was empowered, among other things, to make regulations regarding recruitment, compensation and terms of service of employees, she added. ‘Civil bureaucracy’ Palestinian Red Crescent dispatches 50 aid trucks to Gaza Civil bureaucracy on Friday came under fire in the Senate for its lavish spending and lucrative salary packages under management position (MP) scales with the warning that there should be an end to calls of resource reallocation for the provinces as it is the federal government that needed its course correction. The lawmakers from different political parties expressed concerns over the massive disparity in pay and privileges among employees of different state organizations. The salary packages under different MP scales and of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) came under criticism besides those retired civil and military officers getting pensions in dollars while living abroad. The issue came under discussion during question hour when the details of the salary packages of SBP officers were placed on the floor of the Senate, and culminated with the call attention notice moved by PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani. Referring to a recent notification issued by the Ministry of Finance that increased salaries and perks of top bureaucrats in MP scales by

RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed eight terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan on Sunday. Security forces conducted the operation in general area Sararogha, South Waziristan District, on reported presence of terrorists, stated the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). During the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between troops and terrorists resulting in the killing of eight terrorists. The slain terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well innocent civilians. The security forces also recovered arms, ammunition and explosives from their possession. The operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country, the ISPR added. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1132953-8-terrorists-killed-in-s-waziristan

Israel says it received list of additional names of Palestinian prisoners for release The Israeli PM’s office has confirmed it has received another list of names of Palestinian prisoners to be released and that discussions are continuing. Earlier, Israeli media reported that Hamas had not yet provided the names of 11 captives held in Gaza expected to be released on Monday. Click Israel vs Hamas: Battle for narrative supremacy | The Listening Post Click Israel waiting for Hamas’s response to extending truce: Israeli Army Radio Israeli Army Radio is reporting that the government is awaiting Hamas’s response on extending the four-day truce for an additional day in exchange for the release of 10 detainees. We’ll bring you more on this soon. Click Extension to truce will help secure supplies, grieve Hani Mahmoud Reporting from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Palestinians in Gaza are looking to have a few extra days just to allow them to deal with the sheer amount of destruction around them. They are taking this opportunity to secure necessities such as food and water. It’s also an opportunity to grieve properly and to hold proper funerals. There is also a unanimous agreement here that as long as people who evacuated to the south are unable to go back north  – to their homes and embrace their relatives and loved ones – it is an incomplete and unfair truce. Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem We’ve had some shows of strength from Netanyahu and Hamas, and also indications that extension to the ceasefire deal is still alive. Hamas, by releasing captives, is essentially saying to Israel: Do you think you can convince people that you’ve won in the north of the Gaza Strip? Well, we’re still here. By going to Gaza himself, Netanyahu is doing that classic tough guy, commander-in-chief thing. He’s making a point of being the first Israeli PM to go there since before 2005. Netanyahu reiterated the war aims but did talk about the possibility of extending that ceasefire agreement. The terms are an extra day of truce for every 10 captives released and Hamas would want to see the same deal applied for its prisoners in Israeli jails, with a ratio of one to three. We understood that the Israeli war cabinet is going to be meeting later on at some point to discuss these negotiations. Each side has its own agendas and each side is also fairly sure that this is not going to be the end of the fighting. Click US police searching for suspect in shooting of Palestinian students Police in the US state of Vermont have provided new details about the shooting of three students of Palestinian descent near a university on Saturday. Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said on Sunday that the students were walking to the home of one of the victim’s relatives when they were confronted by a white man armed with a handgun. “Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled,” Murad said. “All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.” Murad said two of the victims were in a stable condition and the other suffered “much more serious injuries”. Murad said police did not yet have any information to suggest a motive for attacking the students, two of whom were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. “In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. The fact is that we don’t yet know as much as we want to right now,” Murad said. “But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.” Click Rhetoric from Israel shows desire to continue fighting: Analyst An extension to the ongoing four-day truce is unlikely to happen despite growing calls for Israel to extend it past Monday, according Northwestern University in Qatar’s Professor Ibrahim Abusharif. “The rhetoric coming out of the Israeli leadership suggests they’re going to continue with their bombing and carnage. I don’t have a lot of hope,” he told Al Jazeera. “I also think a ceasefire is not the same as putting out the fire to the original spark – the original point of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. If they are just extending the truce for a few days, and resuming the carnage, it doesn’t seem like an effective way to move forward. It’s not moving forward at all.” Click here to share on social media HRW says Ahli Hospital blast caused by misfired rocket Human Rights Watch claims that the explosion that caused mass casualties at Gaza’s Ahli Arab Hospital in October was caused by a misfired rocket similar to munitions used by Palestinian groups. It said in a report that the blast was caused by an “apparent rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups”, adding that further investigation is needed to determine who launched the apparent rocket. HRW said its investigation was based on publicly available photos and videos, satellite imagery, interviews with five witnesses, other analyses and expert opinion. Israel, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada said that intelligence assessments suggested the blast was caused by a failed Palestinian rocket, while Palestinian officials blamed an Israeli air strike. Investigations by Al Jazeera, the New York Times, The Washington Post and Channel 4 News found that a projectile captured in footage before the blast – cited as evidence to support the culpability of Palestinian groups – was likely not related to the explosion. Gaza’s health ministry said 471 people were killed in the explosion, a figure disputed by Israel. US intelligence officials estimated that 100-300 were killed. Israeli air raid kills at least 500 in Gaza hospital ‘massacre’ Click here to share on social media PHOTOS: Glimpses of destruction in Shati refugee camp The brief pause in Israeli’s bombardment of Gaza has allowed glimpses of the scale of destruction in and around