January 25, 2024

Responding to queries regarding the army deployment for the February 8 poll security, caretaker Sindh Home Minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz clarified Wednesday that security personnel would not be allowed to enter the premises of the polling booths. Haris reiterated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has a core responsibility to hold general elections and the administrations were only assisting. The caretaker minister, speaking to journalists in Karachi, detailed that only Rangers personnel can be summoned inside the booth if needed, however, no security official will be deployed inside the polling booths. “There is a complete ban in place on the exhibition of arms during polls. Police contingents will also be deployed outside the polling stations, whereas, lady health staffers will perform election duties at the women’s polling booths.” He urged the higher authorities to envisage a fool-proof mechanism to avoid any kind of trouble during the electoral event. Regarding the security expenditures, Haris said that there was no shortage of monetary resources to the concerned departments as the provincial government has already disbursed funds to the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), including police, Rangers, as well as schools. He further elaborated on the number of highly sensitive areas across the province ahead of the February 8 polls. “There are 5,954 normal polling stations and more than 12,000 sensitive and very sensitive polling stations. Overall, 122,000 police officials and 1,984 Pakistan Army soldiers will be deployed for election security. To a question, he admitted that there were security threats to the authorities during the conduct of the polls, however, maximum steps were being taken to maintain the law and order situation. “Additionally, services of the anti-corruption, forest departments, Frontier Corps (FC) and lady health workers will be acquired,” he added. The Sindh home minister said that the government was making all-out efforts to conduct transparent and impartial elections. He also announced that solar systems would be provided to those polling stations with no electricity connections besides installing cameras to strictly monitor the polling process. A day earlier, the caretaker federal cabinet approved a summary seeking the deployment of the Pakistan Army and troops of civil armed forces to help the civil institutions hold free, fair, and peaceful general elections — slated to be held on February 8. “The troops will perform duties in sensitive constituencies and polling stations and will also act as a rapid response force,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also issued its “Code of Conduct for Security Personnel” on Friday, warning them against bias while being on election duty. The ECP’s protocol, which excludes the Armed Forces and Civil Armed Forces, directs the LEAs to perform their duties in accordance with the law and within the confines of the mandate assigned to the police. Owing to concerns regarding the law and order situation on February 8, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar formed a high-level committee to oversee security for the polls. The seven-member committee, headed by Federal Minister for Communications, Railways, and Maritime Affairs Shahid Ashraf Tarar, includes the Ministry of Interior’s secretary and the chief secretaries of all four provinces. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1150935-election-2024-security-personnel-to-be-barred-from-entering-polling-booths

Comments come after Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down transport plane killing 65 Ukrainian POWs on board. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners” over the crash of a military transport plane that Moscow blamed on Ukraine. The Ilyushin Il-76 came down in the Russian border region of Belgorod on Wednesday, killing everyone on board. end of list The Russian Ministry of Defence said 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were on the plane in preparation for a prisoner swap, as well as six Russian crew and three Russian soldiers. “It is obvious that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of their relatives and with the emotions of our society,” Zelenskyy said in his Wednesday evening address. He did not confirm or deny Russia’s claims, but said it had been a “very difficult day”. “We need to establish all the clear facts. As much as possible, given that the downing of the plane occurred on Russian territory, which is beyond our control,” he said. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the plane was hit as it was travelling from a military aerodrome near Moscow to Belgorod. Close to the border with Ukraine, Belgorod has been targeted in recent weeks by Ukrainian air strikes. The ministry claimed, without offering evidence, that radars had detected the launch of two Ukrainian missiles. “On board were 65 captured Ukrainian army servicemen being transported to the Belgorod region for exchange, six crew members and three escorts,” state news agency RIA Novosti quoted the defence ministry as saying. It did not provide any evidence for the claim. A few hours afterwards, the Ukrainian military said it had noticed more Russian military transport aircraft landing in Belgorod, something it linked to continued Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities. “Ukraine has the right to defend itself and destroy the means of the aggressors’ aerial attack,” said Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk. The Kremlin told reporters that it was investigating the reports on the plane, as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, saying Russia aimed to establish “the reasons behind the Ukrainian criminal act”. A French spokesperson at the UN said the meeting would be held at 5pm (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. Zelenskyy also called for an international investigation into the crash. No request on airspace security Ukraine’s intelligence agency said in a statement it had no “reliable or comprehensive information” on who was on board the plane or in what number”. Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, said that an exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine had been prepared for Wednesday, Ukraine’s state broadcaster Suspilne reported, citing Radio Free Europe, a media outlet based in the Czech Republic. A church service being held in Russia for those killed when the Ilyushin Il-76 crashed [AFP] Yusov added that the prisoner exchange would not be going ahead. Military intelligence also said that Ukraine had not been asked to ensure airspace security around Belgorod in contrast to previous swaps and had not been informed about what means of transport would be used and which routes. “On this basis, we may be talking about planned and deliberate actions by Russia to destabilise the situation in Ukraine and weaken international support for our state,” it said in a statement on Telegram. A video posted on Telegram by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, showed a large aircraft falling and exploding in a fireball. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on social media that investigators and emergency workers had already arrived at a site in the Korochansky, a district in Belgorod Oblast. “The plane fell in a field near a populated area. Everyone on board died,” Gladkov said on his Telegram channel. The Il-76 is designed to airlift troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It usually has a crew of five and can carry as many as 90 passengers. Kharkiv and Kyiv came under Russian aerial assault on Tuesday, killing at least 18 people. In December, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a “terrorist attack” on civilians in the city of Belgorod, after 25 people were killed. Last week, the Kremlin accused Kyiv of killing 27 people in an attack on the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Ukraine has denied the claim. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/24/russian-military-plane-crashes-near-ukraine-border

Ministry of Health in Gaza says staff digging graves in grounds of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis amid siege; “No one can enter or exit the facility”: UN report. Countries and international agencies denounce a reported attack by Israeli tank fire that killed at least 9 people at a UN-run training centre housing displaced people in Khan Younis. Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reports Israeli forces have imposed a “complete curfew” around al-Amal Hospital as Israel continues its assault on Khan Younis. International Court of Justice (ICJ) will issue a decision on Friday in South Africa’s case against Israel over alleged genocide in Gaza. At least 25,700 people have been killed and 63,740 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139. UK tells Israel: ‘Far more aid’ needs to enter Gaza British Foreign Secretary David Cameron says he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more aid trucks must be allowed to enter Gaza and an immediate “humanitarian pause” in fighting is needed. Cameron, on a visit to the Middle East, announced Britain and Qatar are working together to get more humanitarian relief into Gaza. A first consignment of tents will be flown into Egypt on Thursday before travelling by road to Gaza. “The scale of suffering in Gaza is unimaginable. More must be done, faster, to help people trapped in this desperate situation,” Cameron said. “We have trebled our assistance for Gaza… But our efforts will only make a difference if aid gets to those who need it most. “As I said to Netanyahu … far more trucks need to be able to enter Gaza and more crossings need to open. We need an immediate humanitarian pause to get aid in and hostages out, followed by a sustainable ceasefire.” David Cameron, right, with Benjamin Netanyahu [File: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters] Click here to share on social media Israel says infiltration threat on Lebanon border ‘removed’ The Israeli military says that concerns over an infiltration threat near the settlement of Hanita on the Lebanon border are now over. “Following reports of the identification of a suspect in the Hanita area on the Lebanese border, after scans by [Israeli military] forces in the area, the fear of infiltration was removed,” the Israeli military wrote on X. The Israeli military mobilised troops and declared a state of alert in nine settlements near the Lebanese border this morning after reports that armed individuals had infiltrated the country. Click here to share on social media PRCS transports wounded to hospital after Rafah bombing The Palestine Red Crescent Society says it has transported several people to hospital who were injured by an Israeli air attack on an apartment building in Rafah city in southern Gaza. At least one person was killed in the strike, which happened at dawn in the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood. Iran president calls for ‘cutting the lifelines’ with Israel Ebrahim Raisi says the conflict in Gaza shows the United Nations and other world bodies have lost their effectiveness. He called on Muslim countries and other nations to unite for a new “fair world order”. Raisi demanded the political and economic isolation of Israel, saying “cutting the lifelines” would be an effective way of ending “Israel’s oppression and murders”. Israel will be the “defeated party” in the war in Gaza, he added. Ebrahim Raisi meets Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday [Handout: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office via Reuters] Click here to share on social media WATCH: Prisoners’ families allege unjust arrests and interrogated by Israeli army Since October 7, Israeli forces have arrested more than 6,000 people in the occupied West Bank and placed them in administrative detention without any formal charges or trial. Israeli forces are increasingly using a policy of arresting the family members of wanted people to pressure them to give them up. Rights groups say this is a form of collective punishment that’s illegal under international human rights law. Netanyahu vs Qatar: Relationship over Gaza not ‘problematic’ for years Stefanie Dekker Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem We need to remind ourselves that any leak from inside the Israeli Prime Minister’s office isn’t usually by chance. It’s leaked for a political reason – what that is you can only question. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under a lot of pressure domestically and internationally to do more to bring the captives home. Tens of thousands of Israelis are on the streets protesting. The reaction from Qatar to Netanyahu’s “problematic” accusation is very harsh – this seems to be serving the prime minister’s political career more than working to bring back the captives and save innocent lives. Also important to remember is Israel and Qatar have a longstanding relationship when it comes to Hamas. Over the years Qatar has brought money into Gaza – at the request and cooperation of the Israelis in particular – to try and keep the situation there from exploding, according to analysts over the years, because of the restrictions and blockade. A protester flashes a message in Hebrew reading ‘there is no time’ during a rally to release captives in Gaza [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP] Click here to share on social media Israel demolishing buildings to create Gaza buffer zone: Report The Israeli military demolished hundreds of buildings in Gaza within 1km (0.6 miles) of the fence as it seeks to create a buffer zone, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing a new Hebrew University study. The study, carried out using satellite-image analysis, shows 40 percent of the 2,824 buildings in Gaza located within 1km of the border have been razed since October 7. “Everything has been flattened. It was mostly agriculture. Now it’s a military zone, a complete no man’s land,” one soldier is quoted as saying. Near the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, a densely populated area that suffered intense bombardment by Israel’s military for weeks, 67 percent of buildings within 1km of Israel’s demarcation have been destroyed. The move is likely to further