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The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership announced on Wednesday that it ended the ongoing protest which was launched in Islamabad three days ago in view of the federal government’s ‘plan to shed the blood of innocent citizens’. The announcement comes after the party’s protesters were dispersed from the Red Zone in Islamabad following a crackdown by law enforcers with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi taking to their heels, fleeing the protest site. The PTI’s central media cell issued a press release on Wednesday, saying, “In light of the government’s brutality and plans to turn the federal capital into a “slaughterhouse” for unarmed citizens, we are announcing the temporary suspension of our peaceful protest.” The former ruling party said that it would announce the future course of action in the light of guidance from party founder Imran Khan. It said that the party’s political and core committees would analyse the details of the government’s brutality toward the citizens during the protest and later, the findings would be shared with the PTI founder. So far, the party has received the details of eight martyrs, said the PTI spokesperson. The martyrs include Anis Shehzad Satti, Malik Mubeen Aurangzeb, Abdul Qadir, Malik Safdar Ali, Ahmed Wali, Muhammad Ilyas, and Abdul Rashid, per the PTI spokesperson.,” the statement added. Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif claimed that the PTI founder had agreed to move the ongoing protest to outskirts of Islamabad, but his spouse Bushra Bibi refused to do so. PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat told Geo News that he and Gandapur were not in favour of the PTI march to enter D-Chowk as the KP chief minister wanted the workers do not exceed the limits of Kulsoom Hospital. After the PTI march entered the red zone, the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) started operation and pushed back the marching protesters from Islamabad’s D-Chowk — the venue of the party’s much-touted power show. The PTI protesters retreated from the site following the heavy teargas shelling and action by the authorities with Bushra Bibi and KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur fleeing the protest venue on board a vehicle. Sources said the personnel of the Islamabad police chased them and reportedly captured their guards. Later, sources privy to the chief minister’s family said that the two safely arrived in KP.  Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1255446-pti-claims-govt-planned-violence-suspends-peaceful-protest

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/11/27/live-countdown-to-lebanon-ceasefire-as-israel-reaches-deal-with-hezbollah

Russia’s use of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Thursday is the latest escalation in the Ukraine war. It also marks a decisive, and potentially dangerous moment in Moscow’s conflict with the West. The use of what Vladimir Putin said was a ballistic missile with multiple warheads in offensive combat is a clear departure from decades of the Cold War doctrine of deterrence. Ballistic missiles with multiple warheads, known as “multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles,” or MIRVs, have never been used to strike an enemy, experts say. “To my knowledge, yes, it’s the first time MIRV has been used in combat,” Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, said. Aftermath of Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, on November 21, 2024. Ukrinform/Cover Images/AP Ballistic missiles have been the underpinning of deterrence, offering what is known as “mutual assured destruction,” or MAD, in the nuclear age. The thinking is, if even a few missiles survive a nuclear first strike, there will be enough firepower left in the opponent’s arsenal to wipe out several major cities of the aggressor, therefore ensuring neither side is unable to escape the consequences of nuclear actions. In that vein, ballistic missiles were designed to stand sentinel over a future where nuclear arms would never again be fired in anger. But analysts, including Kristensen, argue that MIRVed missiles may invite, rather than deter, a first strike. The highly destructive capacity of MIRVs means that they are both potential first-strike weapons and first-strike targets, Kristensen and colleague Matt Korda at the Federation of American Scientists wrote in a study published in March. That’s because, it’s easier to destroy multiple warheads before they are launched, than try to shoot them down as they are dropping at hypersonic speed on their targets. And according to a recent posting from the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit science advocacy organization, this creates a “use them or lose them” type scenario — an incentive to strike first in a time of crisis. “Otherwise, a first strike attack that destroyed a country’s MIRVed missiles would disproportionately damage that country’s ability to retaliate,” said the posting. Videos of Thursday’s Russian strike showed the multiple warheads falling at different angles on the target, and each warhead would need to be defeated with an anti-missile rocket, a daunting prospect even for the best air defense systems. And while the warheads dropped on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday were not nuclear, their use in conventional combat operations is certain to raise new uncertainty in a world already on edge. Importantly, Russia alerted the United States to the use of the missile fired Thursday beforehand. But even with that advanced warning, any further launches by Putin’s regime will now inevitably ratchet up fears across Europe, with many asking the question: Has deterrence just died? Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson ordered not to discuss reported ICBM strike during news conference The world MIRVs It is not only Russia and the United States that have MIRV technology. China has it on its intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-proliferation, and the United Kingdom and France, along with Russia and the US, have long had MIRV technology on their submarine-launched ballistic missiles. And there are new players in the MIRV game, too. Pakistan reportedly tested a missile with multiple warheads in 2017, and earlier this year India said it had successfully tested a MIRVed ICBM. Analysts worry about land-based MIRVs more than those on subs. That’s because subs are stealthy and hard to detect. Land-based missiles, especially those in stationary silos, are more easily found and therefore are more tempting targets. In their March report, Kristensen and Korda wrote about the perils of the expanding MIRV club, calling it “a sign of a larger worrisome trend in worldwide nuclear arsenals” and an “emerging nuclear arms race.” Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/22/europe/russia-mirv-deterrence-analysis-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

ISPR says two terrorists also injured in intelligence-based operation The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday that security forces have killed three terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in District Bannu. The military’s media wing, in a statement, said that the IBO took place in the early hours of Friday with not only terrorists or “khwarij” being killed, but two also sustaining injuries. The ISPR mentioned that the forces recovered weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians. The military’s media wing added that the sanitisation operation was being carried out to eliminate any other khwarij found in the area, as the security forces are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country. The operation comes days after terrorists martyred at least 12 security personnel in a suicide attack in the same Khyber Pakhtunkhwa district of Bannu, the ISPR said, while six terrorists were killed. The country has been reeling under a spike in terror attacks on security forces and civilians — especially in KP and Balochistan. As per a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the third quarter of 2024 saw a 90% increase in fatalities linked to terrorist violence and counterterrorism operations. The report recorded 722 deaths and 615 injuries in 328 incidents, with KP and Balochistan accounting for 97% of fatalities. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for carrying out a successful operation in Bannu to eliminate terrorists. In their separately issued statements, both the president and prime minister lauded the gallantry of the security forces for killing three terrorists and arresting another two in injured condition. President Zardari reiterated the resolve that the security forces would continue their action till the complete elimination of terrorists. “We will continue to thwart the evil designs of these enemies of humanity. The government is fully resolved to purge the country of terrorism,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said and vowed to continue the anti-terror fight till the elimination of this scourge.Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1253821-forces-eliminate-three-terrorists-in-bannu-operation

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/11/22/live-palestine-welcomes-war-crimes-arrest-warrants-for-israeli-leaders

Fighting Politics and diplomacy Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/18/russia-ukraine-war-list-of-key-events-day-997

A “remote-controlled” bomb blast has claimed the life of one person and wounded five others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, police said on Sunday. The wounded persons have been shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Wana, after the bomb blast rocked Azam Warsak bazaar in the tribal district, the police added. The martyred man was identified as Mufti Ejazul Haq while the wounded persons include Saddam, Shah Hussain, Noor Hussain, Zain Ullah, and Maulana Shahzada Wazir. Maulana Shahzada was seriously injured in the blast, and the condition of some of the injured is also critical, according to Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Fazlur Rehman. The injured are being treated at the DHQ Hospital and an emergency has been declared in the hospital by the authorities. Two injured were shifted to Dera Ismail Khan in critical condition for further treatment. Station House Officer (SHO) Usman Wazir of Azam Warsak Police Station confirmed the incident and stated that unidentified persons had planted a remote control bomb near the mosque. The police have started investigating the incident, sources told Geo News. Pakistan continues to battle militancy as terrorist activities spiked across the country, especially in KP and Balochistan, since the Taliban takeover of bordering Afghanistan. As per a report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in fatalities of terrorist violence and counter-terrorism campaigns, with a 90% surge in violence. A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review. Nearly 97% of these fatalities occurred in KP and Balochistan — marking the highest percentage in a decade, and over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1252028-remote-controlled-bomb-blast-kills-one-injures-5-in-south-waziristan

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/11/18/live-israeli-attacks-kill-111-in-gaza-as-pope-calls-for-genocide-inquiry

Here is the situation on Saturday, November 16: Fighting Politics and diplomacy Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/16/russia-ukraine-war-list-of-key-events-day-995

Punjab continues to struggle with a deepening smog crisis as various cities remain engulfed in grey smog, with Lahore and Multan topping the air pollution rankings on Saturday. The region is grappling with its annual winter air pollution, exacerbated in recent years by a combination of cold air that traps dust and harmful emissions, low-grade diesel fumes, and smoke from illegal crop residue burning.  The situation has been worsening in recent months, with the capital city consistently reporting deteriorating air quality levels. Air quality in Lahore was deemed “hazardous” as the AQI reached 766 around 9am, according to data by IQAir, with the concentration of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes most damage to health — around 87.4 times the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organisation.  Meanwhile, Multan remained the most polluted city in the country, in terms of air quality, despite a decline in the AQI compared to the extremely high smog levels recorded during the past week. The AQI in the southern Punjab city was 396 around 9am, which is well within the hazardous range. Karachi, on the other hand, had the sixth worst air quality in the world, with an AQI of 188, which is deemed “unhealthy” by the Swiss group, IQ Air. Traffic disruptions The hazardous smog has severely impacted daily life, with poor visibility, disrupted traffic flow, and health concerns plaguing residents. Dense fog has significantly reduced visibility, causing major arteries to close for traffic. M4 Motorway was blocked from Multan to Toba Tek Singh, while M5 Motorway was blocked from Multan to Sukkur. The district administration has said all markets across the city will remain closed for two days this weekend — Saturday and Sunday. Moreover, leaves of medical staff have been cancelled after health emergency was imposed in Lahore and Multan. Major traffic disruptions were also reported from Kamalia, Orgarra, Gujrat, Kot Addu and surrounding areas, as drivers faced hazardous conditions due to extremely low visibility. In an unfortunate incident, a man died after being hit by a trailer near Rojhan Miani Phatak area in Rajanpur, police said, blaming the accident on smog and low visibility. With no immediate relief in sight, residents have been advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. In response to the worsening air quality, the provincial government has extended school closures in Lahore for another week to protect students from exposure to the dangerous air. Local authorities have also declared a health emergency in Lahore and Multan, the two cities that are most affected by the ongoing pollution crisis. Hospitals in both cities are on high alert, with an increase in respiratory issues and other smog-related health problems. Lahore has topped Swiss group IQAir readings as the world’s most polluted city, for most of the week. The province, home to more than half of Pakistan’s 240 million people, last week closed all schools until November 17 in major cities enveloped by smog. Colleges and universities were also ordered shut down, moving to virtual classes. The authorities have also banned construction, extended schools’ closure for another week and shifting all educational institutions to online classes.  Meanwhile, entry to parks, zoos, playgrounds and other public spaces also remained restricted. As the smog continues to smother the country, authorities are urging citizens to wear masks and limit outdoor activities. Other parts of South Asia are also dealing with high levels of pollution and Punjab blames neighbouring India for contributing to its hazardous air quality. New Delhi, the world’s second most polluted capital, has banned non-essential construction, moved children to virtual classrooms and asked residents to avoid using coal and wood from Friday. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1251646-punjab-struggles-as-lahores-air-quality-hits-hazardous-levels