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Middle East shaken after Hamas leader Haniya was killed in Iran
Haniya was shot by a missile while participating in the presidential swearing-in ceremony at the former military officer’s building in Tehran. Former Palestinian Prime Minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in the Iranian capital, Tehran. He was 62 years old. Palestinian militant group Hamas has confirmed that its top
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Man (Rahat Rao) lit on fire in Surrey, B.C., identified as local businessman
RahatRao is an emerging journalist and anchorperson at “Overseas view with Rahat Rao” Rahat is a small business owner who runs dawah booth on Saturdays and participates for Masajids fundraising and he is Community activist too. Please make Duaa for his speedy recovery (Miracle Media)
Rahat
Rao, originally from Pakistan, is being treated in hospital with serious burns after Friday attack. The man who was
Dhaka falls as Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Wajid resigns, flees country
Bangladesh Army Chief Waker uz Zaman addresses nation; Protesters storm PM palace. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left the country on Monday, media reports said, as more people were killed in some of the worst violence since the birth of the South Asian nation more than five decades ago.
Bangladesh Army Chief Wakar uz Zaman held a press conference and said that the Army would decide the future matters of the counNews Cont. @ page 10
Nanaimo
Mitzi Dean Esquimalt-Metchosin
Ravi Kahlon
Ronna-Rae Leonard Courtenay-Comox
Bruce Ralston
Murray Rankin Oak Bay-Gordon Head Burnaby North
Janet Routledge Jinny Sims Surrey-Panorama
Aman Singh Richmond-Queensborough
Rachna Singh Surrey-Green Timbers
Starchuk Surrey-Cloverdale
Westminster Jennifer Whiteside
Henry Yao Richmond South Centre
August 9, 2024
By: Aslam Abdullah
OMuharram and Sectarian Politics
n August 20, 2020, the 1442 of the Hijra will begin in the Muslim world. People will congratulate each other and celebrate with little concern about the plight of Muslims in different parts of the world. Those who take pride in calling them Sunnis will focus on the migration of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) from Makkah to Medina in 622 C.E., and those who describe them as supporters or Shia’s of Ali, will mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet in Karbala.
There is an inherent link between the Hijra and the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet. Yet, the religious leaders, in cohort with rulers, in general, have made every effort to promote divisions within the community.
Hijra was to protect religious freedom, and dignity of humans for a society that respects justice, equality, and fairness. The martyrdom was to eliminate despotism, the law of primogeniture, and fascism to create a culture that values liberty, balance, and freedom.
Imam Hussein lived the legacy of his grandfather when he challenged the tyrant and established the Quranic rule that life is sacred. Still, when the objectives of life are under threat, martyrdom becomes essential to remind the generations of the significance of justice, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
Among Shias, the first 10 days of Muharram are crucial. They hold assemblies and retell the stories of martyrdom of Imam Hussein, describe the virtues of Prophet’s families, and in some cases, curse those who betrayed them and who usurped the right of the Prophet’s cousin and son in law to succeed him. They reassert that Imam Ali was the right
Question 118720:
A girl gave her address to a young man in order to come and propose to her. She did so without her family’s knowledge. What is the Sharee’ah ruling?
political and spiritual successor of the Prophet and not Abu Bakr, the father in law of the Prophet. In several parts of the world, the Shias also hold passion plays repeating the events that led to the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
Sunnis celebrate the new year by taking out processions, distributing sweets, and holding conferences on Hijra. In South Asia, and the Caribbeans, some communities hold parades with Taziya, miniature mausoleums of Karbala, generally made of colored paper and bamboo.
For Sunnis, Muharram is the month of celebration, and for Shias, it is a month of mourning.
As long as the two communities do not reconcile their approach to relate with the beginning of the new year, their differences will continue to create further separation among them. Every Muharram will open the old wounds, and every night will escalate conflict because those who killed Imam Hussein claimed to be Muslims.
Imam Hussein’s martyrdom is a sad reflection on earlier Muslim rulers and scholars, a silence that has continued to prevail even after the fourteenth centuries. Through their support and quietness, the scholars legitimized tyranny, despotism, violation of the Quran, disrespect of the Prophet’s legacy, and destruction of human rights and justice. They laid the tradition of oppression that continues in the attitude of everyone who claims to lead Muslims. They killed the grandson of Prophet in the battlefield of Karbala and killed Islam’s spirit to create a
new world based on justice and equality.
The divisive approach that Shia and Sunnis have adopted to observe the month of Muharram must change to revive the essence of Hijra and the martyrdom.
Shia’s should focus on the essence of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. They should replace cursing with a genuine critique of the silence and support of scholars for the oppression. Cursing and cussing do not serve any purpose except for heightening tensions and increasing hostilities. They should open their assemblies to Sunnis, inviting their scholars and leaders to address the audience on justice and equality issues.
On the other hand, Sunnis should not view martyrdom in the context of the clan politics of Arabs. Imam Hussein is more representative of the legacy of the Prophet than anyone else not because he was the grandson of the Prophet, but because he received the Prophet’s guidance in a manner no one else did. The Prophet loved him. The love of those loved by the Prophet is part of our faith. The Sunnis need to recognize Imam Hussein’s struggle for justice and against despotism as a genuine understanding of the Quran and not as a political ambition. They have to state that the law of primogeniture adopted by the founder of the Ummayad dynasty violated the Quranic principle of governance. They must make a difference between the respect of a companion of the Prophet and respect of the policies the Prophet
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His
Slave and Messenger. Marriage is one of the purposes of Islam since it safeguards lineage and protects honor. In Islam, however, ends do not justify means. In other words, when the end is noble and legitimate, the means must be also noble and legitimate.When a girl gives her address to a young man for a noble end which is marriage, the means must also be noble and legitimate. For example, she can give it to one of that man’s Mahram women. It is impermissible that she gives him the address through an illegitimate means, such as meeting him in private and similar prohibited ways. This is necessary to block the means that may lead to unfavorable results. Generally, the girl must resort to legitimate means in order to reach the legitimate ends. At the same time, she is required to avoid all prohibited means.Allaah Knows best. Source: islamicity.org/qa/
lived. Muawiyas, as a companion, is different than Muawiya as a ruler, not upholding Islamic principles. The Quran demands that the truth must precede everything else. Muawiya’s role in expanding the Ummayad empire was at the cost of the growth of genuine Islam.
They can make Muharram a month dedicated to Hijra and martyrdom for justice, equality, and liberty. In the first ten days of this month, they, along with Shias, can remember the sacrifice and the movement to establish justice. There is a lot of politics in the ShiaSunni conflict. Saudi Arabia, with the help of Salafis, describes Shias as a deviant and non-Islamic group. With the support of its religious clergy, Iran denounces all Sunnis as part of the conspiracy and action against Imam Hussein. Their prejudices, based on their tribalism, politics, and ambitions to claim the leadership of Islam, have promoted the hostilities.
As explained and defined by rulers and their salaried clergy, Islam and the Quran will never allow Muslim masses to come together for justice, equality, and liberty for all. There is a need for an independent initiative by Muslims at the grassroots level. The religious establishment of Shias and Sunnis will not allow this to happen. Their survival depends on the conflict and hostilities. Their livelihood comes from hatred towards each other. Only those who have the innocence of love and respect for the Quran, its eternal universal principles of justice, equality, and freedom and who see the divine faith above their race, sect, and politics can take this initiative. Let us hope that we change our paradigm of looking at this issue.
Source: islamicity.org
What
has been lost and found in these 77 years?
Man is born free by nature, whether personal freedom or religion. Allah has created him free and he intends that he should remain free. Like India, Pakistan achieved independence from British rule on August 14th, 1947, the former day celebrated annually as Independence Day. Muslims travelled to Pakistan; Sikhs and Hindus to India. Up to a million of these refugees were killed in a series of horrific massacres in the border regions. Some of the worst atrocities took place in the Indian Punjab where thousands of Muslims were killed including men, women, and children. The earth has been stained with the blood of more than 1 million martyrs, in which neither the children nor the elderly were pardoned at the time of migration. However, the people of Pakistan have forgotten those who sacrificed for the freedom of Pakistan. We all know the current unstable political, economic, and internal /external affairs situation in Pakistan. If you look at the history of Pakistan, it is known that since the establishment of Pakistan in 1947 till now, it has failed to establish a political system in this country. Assemblies were empowered but unfortunately, there was a failure in the political and demo-
cratic culture in Pakistan as a result of which the political parties remained very weak and self-interested thus giving opportunities to the military generals to run the affairs of the queen. Not only this, but President Ayub also imposed the first martial law in the country in 1958 and gave the nation the gift of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. It is not hidden from anyone, after 24 years in 1971, due to internal and external conspiracies one part of Pakistan was separated as Bangla Dash. Another Martial Law by Zia ul Haq brought Nawaz Sharif into politics. These two families became the fate of Pakistani politics. We are all aware of the ways how these two families dug the roots of the country. 77 years have passed since the liberation of Pakistan, a dream that Allama Iqbal saw, nurtured by Quaid-i-Azam, and came into existence after a history of bloody migration. Those who take turns of power are proudly stealing the Constitution and the law is their slave. The Supreme Court is the biggest in the country which is insulted on many issues. Just think, is this the same region for which bloody history was written? Every day the judiciary is slapped in the face in some way or the other whether it is the elections or any other matter.
Pakistan’s February 8 general elections were plagued by a nationwide mobile internet shutdown on election day, arrests and violence during the lead-up, and unusually delayed results. These issues led to widespread accusations that the vote had been rigged.
There are allegations of manipulating elections and political appointments and using institutions to target opponents. The government targeted and tortured opposition leaders and workers. Restrictions on freedom of speech, press, and opposition leaders and journalists facing arrests and intimidation. The poor and middle class are disproportionately crushed by inflation and unemployment. Allegations of using institutions like the judiciary, NAB, and the Election Commission are part of governance. There are human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture. The people of Pakistan are tired of seeing the judgments of the courts and feeling rejected. The corrupted previous governments erased the distinction between good and bad. A culture has been developed that believes that Might is right. The majority focus is to earn more
money in the least time without distinguishing between halal and haram because this was the mission of rulers and their followers. We overseas Pakistanis send money from abroad to support the economy of the country, but the situation of the people living there is strange. They cry about inflation, but, food in fashionable restaurants, weddings, and other events, there is a race of wasteful spending of money. What damage was done by educated and rich people to Pakistan is considerable. We are also among them. We are using our skills in the Middle East, Europe, and North America, However, It is also a fact that a large part of the income earned by immigrants is in driving the economy of Pakistan. Inflation is an international issue. We in Canada also facing an increase in taxes, in all areas with no increase in people’s salaries. But people are not protesting on the streets and breaking their own country’s property and goods, nor are the anchors on the media shouting about inflation to add fuel to the fire. Dear Pakistanis!!! Appreciate your freedom and don’t invite the wrath of Allah by being ungrateful. Now let’s see where Pakistan will stand by next August 14. This is the dawn of the night
Middle East shaken after Hamas leader Haniya was killed in Iran
News Continued from Pg 1
leader Haniya was killed in an attack in Tehran. One of Hania’s bodyguards was also killed in the attack, according to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Likewise, the Saudi media “ Al Hadat” reported that a “guided missile” was fired to kill Hania. According to the news published in Al Hadat, the missile was fired at the building in Tehran where Haniya was staying at 2 am local time. According to Fars News, affiliated with Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards, Hania was in a building housing exsoldiers in northern Tehran at the time of the attack. Fars News reported that Hania’s death was caused by a “missile from the sky”.
According to Hamas, Haniya traveled to Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s newly elected president, Massoud Pezheshkian. The ceremony was held on Tuesday. Haniyeh met with Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Pezhekian on Tuesday. Simi-
larly, he also met various parliamentarians during his visit to the parliament building in Tehran. Hamas issued a statement claiming that Israel killed him. Hamas said Haniya was killed in a “deceptive Jewish attack”. Musa Abu Marzouk, vicechairman of Hamas’s political department, described the attack as a “cowardly act,” according to international media. Similarly, another leader of Hamas, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that Hamas is sticking to its objectives. Pal-
estinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned Hania’s killing. He urged the Palestinians to remain “united, patient and determined despite Israeli aggression”.
The Abbas-led Palestinian Authority currently rules the West Bank. But most of the West Bank is administered by Israel. After Haniya’s murder, Iran issued a serious warning to Israel. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that it is “Tehran’s duty to avenge Hania’s murder”... Source: ekantipur.com/
Man(rahat rao) lit on fire in Surrey, B.C., identified as local businessman
News Continued from Pg 1
his family says. Rahat Rao, originally from Pakistan, was identified by family as the victim in the public attack. Rao is the owner of SNS Currency Exchange near Surrey Central station, and has been living in the city for more than 30 years.
His brother-in-law Munir Riasat confirmed his identity to
CBC News on Sunday, adding that Rao remains in hospital for serious burns after being attacked Friday. The exact circumstances of the attack on Rao are still unclear, but Surrey RCMP said they received reports of an attack at about 1:10 p.m. PT, near Rao’s currency exchange business. Police say the attacker allegedly assaulted the victim by throwing a fire accelerant on
the victim’s body and lighting him on fire. The alleged attacker subsequently fled the scene in a stolen Mini Cooper, which was subsequently recovered by police. They continue to search for the attacker as of Sunday morning. Police describe the suspect as a man aged between 25 and 30 years old with a moustache. He was last seen wearing black pants, a grey
hoodie with black sleeves, and a green baseball cap with “Cariboo” written on it.
RCMP say that, currently, police don’t know the motive behind the attack.
Police are asking anyone with information about the assault, or the suspect, to contact Surrey RCMP.
They are asking anyone who sees the suspect to call 911.
Source:cbc.ca/news
Safar 5, 1446H
August 9, 2024
thousands of riot police on standby as UK braces for more far-right anti-Muslim protests
Thousands of riot police stood ready on Wednesday as Britain remained on alert for disturbances during farright protests across the country. Nightly riots, during which mosques and migrant targets have been attacked, erupted after three children were murdered on July 29.
Police said they were investigating several racially motivated hate crimes in Belfast on Tuesday, including an attack on a young boy that left him with minor facial injuries. Far-right groups plan demonstrations on Wednesday in more than 30 locations, with immigration lawyers and buildings hosting asylum seekers as primary targets, according to posts on messaging app Telegram leaked to the British media. The government has said 6,000 specialist police are on standby to deal with the disorder, which has seen more than 425 people arrested and at least 120 charged, according to the latest police figures...S. Dawn
Crew of titan sub knew they were going to die before implosion, according to more than US$50M lawsuit
The family of a French explorer who died in a submersible implosion has filed a more than US$50 million lawsuit, saying the crew experienced “terror and mental anguish” before the disaster and accusing the sub’s operator of gross negligence.Paul-Henri Nargeolet was among five people who died when the Titan submersible imploded during a voyage to the famed Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic in June 2023. No one survived the trip aboard the experimental submersible owned by OceanGate, a company in Washington state that has since suspended operations.
Known as “Mr. Titanic,” Nargeolet participated in 37 dives to the Titanic site, the most of any diver in the world, according to the lawsuit. He was regarded as one of the world’s most knowledgeable people
about the famous wreck. Attorneys for his estate said in an emailed statement that the “doomed submersible” had a “troubled history,” and that OceanGate failed to disclose key facts about the vessel and its durability.
According to the lawsuit, the Titan “dropped weights” about 90 minutes into its dive, indicating the team had aborted or attempted to abort the dive.
Source: ctvnews.ca/
Annual rental rates still rising but pace slowing: report
TORONTO - A new report says rents are still rising in Canada, but the year-overyear pace of growth has slowed.
The data from Rentals.ca and Urbanation says asking rents for all residential property types averaged $2,201 in July(opens in a new tab), up 5.9 per cent from last year. The report says the yearover-year increase is the slowest rise over the previous 31 months, while in more recent years, growth has often topped 10 per cent. However, some markets are still seeing big jumps from last year, even as others see some declines.
Vancouver saw a roughly seven per cent decrease in rents from last year and Toronto had rents decline five per cent as a wave of condo completions came on
prairie cities like Saskatoon, Edmonton and Regina also saw double-digit gains.
Source:aljazeera.com/
Harris and Walz say they’re ‘joyful warriors,’ narrowly miss tarmac confrontation with Vance
ROMULUS, Mich. - U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris declared herself and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “joyful warriors” against Donald Trump on Wednesday as they spent their first full day campaigning together across the Midwest. They got an unusual glimpse of how hotly contested the region will be when they overlapped on a Wisconsin tarmac with Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance.
The Democrats visited Wisconsin and Michigan, hoping to shore up support
among the younger, diverse, labourfriendly voters who were instrumental in helping President Joe Biden win the 2020 election.Harris told the day’s first rally in Eau Claire, “As Tim Walz likes to point out, we are joyful warriors.” Contributing to that feeling, the Harris campaign said it had raised US$36 million in the first 24 hours after she announced Walz as her running mate. The vice-president said the pair look on the future with optimism, unlike Trump, the former president and Republican White House nominee, whom she accused of being stuck in the past and preferring a confrontational style of politics -- even as she criticized her opponent herself.“Someone who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again have the chance to sit behind the seal of the United States,” Harris said, her voice rising... Source:ctvnews.ca/
Imran ‘ready to apologise’ if PtI role in riots proved
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday offered to apologise for the May 9 riots, provided the involvement of PTI supporters in the violent protests was proved. His remarks came during a media talk at the Adiala Jail following the proceedings of the £190 million corruption reference against him and Bushra Bibi. Mr Khan said if CCTV footage identified that the PTI workers had trespassed and attacked government installations, he would not only apologise, but also expel those people from the party, and ensure their prosecution before a court of law. The ex-PM, however, pointed out that he too was manhandled on May 9, as Rangers had dragged him from the premises of the Islamabad High Court
despite the fact that he was “the most popular leader in Pakistan” and enjoyed a good repute at the international level. Mr Khan reiterated his stance that those who were behind his arrest owed him an apology...
Source:Dawn news.com/
Israel issues new evacuation orders as ‘safe areas’ of Gaza under attack
Overnight Israeli air raids hit shelters in Deir el-Balah as Gaza City braces for a possible ground operation. The Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders for Palestinians in northern Gaza, as Gaza City braces for a possible ground operation. On Wednesday, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted the evacuation orders for several districts in Beit Hanoon and Beit Lahiya, areas that were among the most affected by Israel’s ground invasion at the onset of the war 10 months ago. In a message sent to Palestinian residents, he said that Hamas and other groups were “firing rockets from your area” towards Israel and that the military “will act forcefully and immediately against them”.
“For your own safety, evacuate immediately to the known shelters in the centre of Gaza City,” the army spokesman said.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the army was preparing for a “largescale” ground operation in Gaza City, where an Israeli air raid on a house killed three Palestinians on Wednesday, according to medical sources...Source: aljazeera.com/
turkey submits ICJ bid to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel
Ankara says the ‘conscience of humanity and international law will hold Israeli officials accountable’ for its atrocities against the Palestinians. Turkey has submitted a formal bid to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a move that adds to the international pressure on the Israeli government to end its
atrocities in Gaza.
A Turkish delegation, including Ankara’s ambassador to The Hague, Selcuk Unal, officially filed the request on Wednesday, the country’s news agency Anadolu reported.
Turkey’s “decision to intervene reflects the importance our country attaches to resolving the Palestinian issue within the framework of law and justice”, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. “The conscience of humanity and international law will hold Israeli officials accountable.”
Turkey has now become the seventh country formally seeking to join the case at the United Nations top court after Colombia, Nicaragua, Spain, Libya, Palestine and Mexico. Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said the Turkish request will boost the case against Israel.Source: aljazeera.com/
FIJI:Education Minister directs FSSrU to uphold victory of Bucalevu
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro has directed that the U17 Bucalevu Secondary School rugby team on Taveuni be reinstated.
In his social media page, Mr Radrodro wrote: “I confirmed the directive, stating that Bucalevu won their game fairly and deserves to participate in the competition. “I’ve instructed the PS (Permanent Secretary) to inform the FSSRU executives that the game has been played and won by Bucalevu so they have to adhere to the results of the game.”
The Bucalevu school team had defeated Nabua secondary school
in the Fiji Secondary School Deans competition play-off last weekend. However, Nabua school team management lodged a complaint with the FSSRU about an underage player fielded by Bucalevu.
Amount of FJD: Source:fijitimes.com.fj/
the market.
Halifax, on the other hand, had an 18.2 per cent increase and
14 August – the Pakistan Independence Day
Celebrations for the Independence Pakistan came into existence as a result of the Pakistan movement that aimed at forming a separate homeland for Muslims. This movement was led by the AllIndia Muslim League under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Pakistan was established in two wings; West Pakistan (presentday Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). According to the Islamic calendar, we achieved independence on the 27th of Ramadan, the eve of which known as Layltul-Qadr is very sacred for Muslims. The main independence day event takes place in Islamabad where flag hoisting is done in the Presidential and Parliament buildings. It is then followed by the national anthem and speeches by the prominent national leaders. Other events and festivities also take place which include cultural events, flag raising, national songs and patriotic tableaus. Award ceremonies also take place during this day and the people of the homeland show their love for the country by raising flags at the top of their homes or on their vehicles and other attire.
History
The area which now comprises Pakistan was a part of British empire during most of the 19th century. The British got hold of the sub-continent by establishing the East India Company. The War of Independence 1857 put the sub-continent under the direct crown of the British. All-India Muslim League was formed at Dhaka in 1906 for demanding a separate homeland for the Muslims. After World War 1, many Indian activists got into action. There were nationwide non-cooperation movements and civil disobedience. The idea of a separate Muslim homeland was given by Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his sppech on December 1930 as the President of All-India Muslim League. Three years later, the name “Pakistan” for
a separate Muslim homeland was given by Chaudhry Rehmat Ali. It comprised of five units; Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan. Like Iqbal, Bengal was left out by Chaudhry Rehmat Ali in his proposal. During 1940s the independence movement intensified and Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the most prominent leader. For a long time the feeling between Muslims and Hindus had started intensifying. All-India Muslim League was the driving force for creating a separate homeland for Muslims in SouthAsia. On 23rd March 1940, Lahore Resolution was passed which focused on demanding a separate homeland for Muslims. This is why 23rd March is now recognized as Pakistan Day.
Independence
After World War 2, the British realized that now they didn’t have enough British Army and resources to rule restless British India as their sources were already exhausted. Thus,
they decided to end their rule over rebellious British India. In 1946, The India National Congress, demanded a single state being a secular party. The All-India Muslim League opposed this suggestion and gave the separation of Pakistan as an alternative. Efforts were carried out by the British Government to bring peace between the two parties but all went in vain and riots started in SouthAsia.
In February 1947, the Prime Minister, Clement Attlee announced that the India will be given independence no earlier than June, 1948. On 3rd June 1947, it was announced that the British India would be divided into two separate states. The two successor governments will be given dominion status. Lord Mount Batten chose 15th August as the date for transmission of power. He chose 14th August as the date of power transfer to Pakistan as he wanted to attend the ceremonies in both the countries. Thus, the subcontinent was divided into the
Republic of India and The Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Boundaries were established between the two countries. The partition led to a massive massacre. 15 million people migrated towards their homeland according to their religion following the months of partition.
On 14th August 1947, the Dominion of Pakistan was established and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became the first Governor General in Karachi. Independence was marked with great celebrations.
The Date of Independence
The partition took place in the midnight of 14-15 August, so 15th August 1947 was considered as the date of Independence. The Act confirmed this date.
Jinnah also stated the same date in his first radio broadcast.
Celebrations
Independence Day is one of the six national holidays and is celebrated across the country. Meetings are held in Government offices by diplomats, officials and politicians before the day. Government bodies and educational institutions arrange different sport activities, cultural and social events for the day. In Karachi, the Mazar-e-Quaid is cleaned up for the celebrations.
Celebrations start with hoisting of flags in the Presidential and Parliamentary office. The President and Prime Minister of Pakistan address the nation in live telecasts. Government officials and politicians make speeches in different rallies and events in which they appreciate the sacrifices of our national heroes and discuss the future goals. Main buildings like the President House etc are lightened up. A change of guard takes place at the National Monuments. The Airforce, Army and Navy feature in independence day parades. Flag hoisting ceremony in the city is carried out by the Mayor and by senior officials in different private and public sectors.
Source: blogger-hub.com
Gandhi’s role in the Indian independence movement
Gandhi became the leader of the struggle for independence in 1921. The Jallianwala Bagh incident spurred him into taking on a larger role in the freedom fight, and in a few years his civil disobedience movement had become popular across the country.
Gandhi believed in non-violence, or ahimsa, and started the non-cooperation movement, in which he urged Indians to boycott Brit-
ish goods. He also led thousands of Indians in the Salt March against a British law that forbade Indians to make salt and force them to buy the heavily taxed British salt instead. Shortly after, Winston Churchill asked India to join World War II, and Gandhi responded by launching the Quit India Movement, which led to his arrest and widespread tension in India. Due to growing unrest in the
country between Hindus and Muslims, plans were announced to partition British India into two nations – India and Pakistan. Gandhi had believed in unity, but was unable to stop the partition of the country into India and the new nation of Pakistan and the migration that caused the loss of a million lives.
Source theculturetrip.com
Divisions between Hindu and Muslims had been encouraged by the British “divide and rule” approach. Muslims were a minority in India and some leaders were worried about what an India dominated by Hindu rulers would mean for them. Gandhi called for the two religious
groups to work together, and the leader of the political group the Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, believed that Muslims needed a homeland within India. However, widespread violence between Hindus and Muslims started in Calcutta in August 1946 and spread later
throughout North India. During Direct Action Day, also known as the Great Calcutta Killings, Muslims in Calcutta went on hartal (strike) to press for the new nation of Pakistan. The protest resulted in the worst few days of communal rioting British India had ever seen
Although the majority of the Indian population under the British Raj were Hindus, some provinces (now called states) had Muslim majorities. Due to the political unrest in the country, Britain decided that India would need to be partitioned to carve out a separate homeland for Indian Muslims, but it wasn’t immediately clear which provinces would join which country. Some were given the right to choose, while others were divided up –the provinces of Assam, Bengal and Pun-
jab were each split in half, with one half going to India and the other to the new Pakistan. The remaining princely states could pick a side. After the partition, Jinnah became the first Governor-General of Pakistan, and Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first president. Gandhi, who remained the strongest advocate for a unified country, was shot by a Hindu religious fanatic in 1948, just a month before the last of the British troops finally left India. Source theculturetrip.com
It’s officially known as British Columbia Day, and is held the first Monday in August.
By: John Mackie
On Aug. 2, 1858, the Colony of British Columbia was created in London,
England. One hundred and sixteen years later, it provided the impetus for a holiday Monday on the August long weekend, British Columbia Day.
The first B.C. Day was on Aug. 5, 1974, which means this is the 50th anniversary.
It’s now a staple of the calendar, the busiest weekend of the year for B.C. Ferries. Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 6, B.C. Ferries is expecting to handle 215,000 vehicles and 600,000 passengers.In Vancouver, the August long weekend is the time for many popular events, such as the Pride Festival and the Powell Street Festival.But the first B.C. Day in 1974 wasn’t as big a deal as you might
expect. After Dave Barrett’s NDP government made it a holiday in March, some companies didn’t give their employees the day off.
This led to a “personal protest” where two B.C. Tel employees who were denied the holiday dressed up in striped convict uniforms outside the U.S. consulate in downtown Vancouver.
“They call themselves the B.C. Telephone Company, but they ignore B.C. Day, the day honouring the province,” said protester Sidney Brewer. “They are treating us as second-class citizens.”
The Vancouver Sun didn’t even write a story about B.C. Day on Aug.
Fire erupts at construction site on Vancouver’s west side
Deputy fire chief says blaze is one of several that started Tuesday evening Flames and smoke could be seen rising from a construction site on Vancouver’s west side Tuesday evening in the city’s second major fire of the day. The large fire in the city’s Dunbar neighbourhood started around 6:30 p.m. PT.
The crane collapse pulled down power lines, damaging other electrical equipment and creating an outage, according to B.C. Hydro. The utility said around 760 customers were still affected as of 11:10 p.m. PT. It was looking at switching some customers to other circuits to restore power faster.
residents displaced
The blaze engulfed a six-storey wood-frame building that was under construction. “We have no indication that there were people on scene and the building is a total loss,” said Robert Weeks, deputy fire chief of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. The fire also spread to a number of surrounding homes, displacing residents. Weeks told CBC News that crews and community members were able to put out most of the secondary structural fires but one house was lost east of the original fire. Late Tuesday night, the city has advised any residents who have been displaced by the fire or need assistance to seek help at Crofton House
School, located at 3200 W 41st Avenue. Dozens of fire crews from Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond were at the scene to respond to the fire. Its cause is still under investigation. Weeks said there were some minor injuries among firefighters, but no injuries have been reported among residents. He added he’s aware of a citizen who had to be rescued as a result of the crane collapse, but he can’t comment on the person’s condition.A spokesperson for the Provincial Health Services Authority, which manages the B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), said no one had to be assessed for injuries and no one needed to be taken to hospital as of 8:30 p.m. PT.
6, 1974 —
it simply ran a big photo of sunbathers cramming Kits Beach.
To be fair, there was more pressing news. U.S. president Richard Nixon was expected to resign after confessing that he ordered the Watergate coverup, six days after the break-in at the Democratic party national headquarters.
The big B.C. news was sad — 32 people had died in accidents on the first provincial long weekend, which The Sun said made it “the most costly holiday weekend in human lives in the province’s history.”..
Source: vancouversun.com/news
Some Dunbar residents told CBC News that it was alarming and scary to see such a major fire burning in their residential neighbourhood. But they also expressed gratitude toward firefighters who responded... Source: bc.ctvnews.ca/
2 former Canada world junior players charged with sexual assault sign with top russian league
da world junior hockey team players awaiting trial on charges in connection with an alleged group sexual assault from 2018 have signed contracts to play in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Astana Barys, a team based in Kazakhstan, announced Friday on Twitter the signing of former New Jersey Devils player Micheal McLeod to a deal that expires at the end of May 2025.
the five Canadian junior players facing sexual assault charges. McLeod is also charged with one count of being party to the offence.
By: Andrew Lupton
Investigators believe a sudden stop due to an obstruction, reportedly a ladder, caused crash.
A woman and child are dead after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 1 in Chilliwack, B.C., on Tuesday afternoon, according to police.
B.C. Highway Patrol and Chilliwack RCMP responded to multiple 911 calls about the collision around 2:40 p.m. PT. The crash involved six vehicles, police said.
The Belarus-based KHL team Dinamo Minsk also has listed on its roster Dillon Dubé, a former Calgary Flames player who, like McLeod, is among
The woman and child were travelling in the same vehicle. A second child in the vehicle was taken to hospital with serious injuries but is expected to survive, said Melissa Jongema with the B.C. Highway Patrol.
No other serious injuries were reported. Jongema says the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) is working with investigators to determine the cause of the collision. She said initial infor-
A woman’s bid to sue Facebook for $75 million over a variety of alleged misconduct – including copyright and trademark infringement, harassment and breach of privacy – has been mostly dismissed in B.C. Supreme Court.
Jasbir Rai will have the opportunity to amend her case to focus more narrowly on the privacy allegations, according to the decision by Justice Carla L. Forth(opens in a new tab), which was issued last week and pub-
The other three players on the team facing charges are Cal Foote, Carter Hart, and Alex Formenton, who played in Switzerland last year. All five players have spent some time on NHL teams but as of July, their contracts had expired and they hadn’t re-signed with any NHL or European team, essentially leaving them as free agents.
The five players face charges tied to an alleged group sexual assault
mation suggests that an obstruction, reportedly a ladder, on the roadway led one or more vehicles to stop abruptly, causing a chain reaction of collisions. Impairment is not believed to be a factor, she said. Highway 1 was closed eastbound for approximately 12 hours, reopening just before 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to DriveBC.
Source: cbc.ca/news
lished online Tuesday. “The plaintiff claims that she is a self-employed ‘spiritual influencer’ who runs multiple spiritual websites online,” Forth’s decision begins, before explaining that Rai conducts this work under the pseudonym “Bobby Dazzler.”
According to the court decision, Rai registered a trademark for that name, with a specific font, in April 2008. She also asserted that she has a copyright in the name Bobby Dazzler, though the defendants in the
in a player’s hotel room following a Hockey Canada Foundation Gala and Golf event in London, Ontario, on June 19, 2018. Lawyers for the players say they have denied any wrongdoing and will plead not guilty in a trial by jury. The players are next due in court early next month to set a trial date.
None of the players have been disciplined by the NHL. In February commissioner Gary Bettman said he would allow the court process to play out before deciding on whether to take any disciplinary action...
Source:cbc.ca/news/
case – Meta Platforms Inc. and Facebook Canada Ltd. – disputed this. Rai filed her lawsuit against the social media giant and its Canadian arm in September 2023, making a variety of claims related to the existence of more than 80 Facebook accounts and pages using the Bobby Dazzler name, as well as the company’s response to her efforts to get those pages and accounts taken down...
Source: bc.ctvnews.ca/
Academic says hockey players should not play until court process wraps up.
Two of the five former Team Cana-
Pakistan: Facts & Stats
APākistān
lso Known AsIslamic Republic of Pakistan
• Islām-ī Jamhūrīya-e
Head Of Government
Prime Minister: Shabaz Sharif
Capital: Islamabad
Population in Aug 6, 2024 is 245,638,394
Currency Exchange Rate
1 USD equals 278 Pak rupee, Aug 6
Head Of State
President: Asif Zardari
Form Of Government federal republic with two legislative houses (Senate; National Assembly
Official Languages:
English; Urdu
Official Religion: Islam
Official Name
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Total Area (Sq Km) 796,096
Total Area (Sq Mi)
770,880 Km2 (297,638 sq. miles)
Monetary Unit Pakistani rupee (PKR)
Population Rank (2023) 5
Population Projection 2030
242,564,000
Density: 312 per Km2 (808 people per mi2).
Urban-Rural Population Urban: 64% of the total population as rural and 36% as urban.
Life Expectancy At Birth
Male: (2020) 64.5 years •
Female: (2020) 65.5 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over
Literate Male: (2019) 69% •
Female: (2019) 46%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2024)
343,623
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2024) 1538
Source: worldometers.info/
Art & Culture of Pakistan
The Culture of Pakistan. Pākistāni Saqāfat) is based in the Indo-Persian cultural matrix that constitutes a foundation plank of South Asian Muslim identity.The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia. There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices.
The existence of Pakistan as an Islamic state since 1956 has led to the large-scale injection of Islam into most aspects of Pakistani culture and everyday life, which has accordingly impacted the historical values and traditions of the Muslim-majority population. Marriages and other major events are significantly impacted by regional differences in culture, but generally follow Islamic jurisprudence where required.[citation needed]
Civil society in Pakistan is largely hierarchical, emphasising local cultural etiquette and traditional Islamic values that govern personal and political life. The basic family unit is the extended family, although for socio-economic reasons there has been a growing trend towards nuclear families.The traditional dress for both men and women is the shalwar kameez; trousers, jeans, and shirts are also popular among men.
In recent decades, the middle class has increased to around 35 million and the upper and upper-middle classes to around 17 million, and power is shifting from rural land-
owners to the urbanised elites. Pakistani festivals, including Eidul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Ramazan, Christmas, Easter, Holi, and Diwali, are mostly religious in origin. Increasing globalisation has resulted in Pakistan ranking 56th on the A.T. Kearney/FP Globalization Index.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The Art & Cultural of Pakistan
Pakistan’s cultural heritage dates to more than 5,000 years ago, to the period of the Indus civilization. However, the emphasis on Islamic ideology has brought about a strong romantic identification with Islamic culture—not only that of the Indian subcontinent but of the broader Islamic world. Literature, notably poetry, is the richest of all Pakistani art forms; music and, especially, modern dance have received less attention. The visual arts too play little part in popular folk culture. Painting and sculpture, however, have made considerable progress as expressions of an increasingly sophisticated urban culture.
Pakistan shares with the other parts of South Asia the great Mughal heritage in art, literature, architecture, and manners. The ruins of Mohenjo-daro, the ancient city of Taxila, and the Rohtas Fort of Shīr Shah of Sūr are but a few of the places in Pakistan that have been named UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Mosque of the Pearls, Badshahi Mosque, and Shalimar Garden, all in Lahore, are among the country’s architectural gems.
Why midnight of 15 August 1947 for Indian Independence?
Why was the midnight of 15th August 1947 chosen as the date & time for Indian Independence? We can divide the above question into 3 sub-questions: Why 1947?
Why 15th Aug?
Why Midnight?
Let us pick each of the above and find out the answers
Why 1947?
The awakening of masses by Gandhi and the activities of Bose behind the scenes (of strengthening Indian National Army) which had intensified during 1940s were already a cause of concern for the British.
By the time the World War II had come to an end in 1945, the British were financially weak (sources indicate they were in the verge of bankruptcy) and were struggling to rule their own country, let alone their colonies. The victory of Labour party in the Britain elections of 1945 was received very well by our freedom fighters because the Labour party had promised to work on granting independence to English colonies including India.
Lord Wavell initiated talks with Indian leaders for Indian Independence and inspite of several disagreements and disruptions, it was gaining momentum and in Feb 1947, Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the last viceroy of India to oversee the transfer of power.
The plan initially was to transfer power from Britain to India by June 1948. Immediately after assuming power in Feb 1947, Lord Mountbatten had begun a series of talks with Indian leaders for a consensus. But things were not so simple especially due to conflicts between Jinnah & Nehru on the matter of partition. Jinnah’s demand for a separate nation had instigated large scale communal disturbances across India and upon passing of each day, situation was going out of control. This was certainly not something expected by Mountbatten
Bhangra
Popular traditional folk dances include the bhangra (an explosive dance developed in Punjab) and khatak steps. The khatak is a martial dance of the tribal Pashtuns that involves energetic miming of warriors’ exploits. There are a number of traditional dances associated with women; these include a humorous song and dance called the giddha, a whirling dance performed by girls and young women called the kikli, and a form in which dancers snap their fingers and clap their hands while bounding in a circle. The luddi is a Punjabi dance usually performed by males, typically to celebrate a victory—formerly victory in a military conflict but now in a sports contest.
Source: britannica.com
Pakistani Cuisines
Pakistani cuisine romanized: pākistānī pakwān) can be characterised as a vibrant blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South, Central and Western Asia, as well as ingredients, recipes and techniques borrowed from the Indian Subcontinent, Persian cuisine and Arab cuisine. The cuisine of Pakistan also maintains certain Mughal influences within its recipes and techniques. The country’s various cuisines are varied from place to place, with its ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as diverse climates and geographical environments, and availability of different produce options.
Pakistani cuisine, as in the food culture of most Muslim nations, is structured around halal princi-
and hence such circumstances forced him to prepone the date of independence by almost an year, from 1948 to 1947. It was decided in the meeting (related to independence & partition) on June 3, 1947 which was aptly titled “June 3 Mountbatten plan”.
Why 15th August?
It was Lord Mountbatten who had personally decided the date of Aug 15 because he had considered that date to be “very lucky” for his career. During the World War II, it was on Aug 15, 1945 (Japan timezone) that the Japanese Army had surrendered before him (Lord Mountbatten was the commander of the allied forces).
Why Midnight?
When the date of independence was decided in “June 3 plan” and announced to public, there was an outrage among astrologers across the country because 15-Aug-1947 was an “unfortunate & unholy” date according to astrological calculations. Alternative dates were suggested but Lord Mountbatten was adamant on Aug 15 (since it was his lucky date). As a work around, the astrologers suggested the midnight hour between Aug 14 and 15 due to the simple reason that the day according to English starts at 12 AM, but according to Hindu calendar, starts at sunrise. Detailed reasons can be found in this astrological analysis:
The astrologers had insisted that the speech of acknowledgement of transfer of power be done within the 48 minutes window (referred to as “Abhijeet Muhurta”) which lasted between 24 minutes before and after 12:15am i.e between 11:51pm & 12:39am. Nehru had to deliver a speech only within that timeframe and an additional constraint was that the speech had to end by 12 AM, so that the holy conch (Shanka) be blown to herald the birth of a new nation at the stroke of midnight hour, and the rest is history.
http://guruprasad.net/posts/why-midnightof-15-August-1947-for-indian-independence.
ples (similar to Judaism and Kosher), which—for example—forbid pork and alcohol consumption in accordance with Sharia, the religious laws of Islam. Many more details of halal regulations apply to meats, which types of animals are acceptable or “clean” for human consumption—for example, pigs enjoy wallowing in mud, and are thus deemed “unclean”. Further important points declare precisely how animals are to be slaughtered; it must be done quickly and with minimal suffering, with the animal’s awareness of the situation being extremely brief (preferably nonexistent, as stress releases cortisol and adrenaline, potentially spoiling meat quality). The animals must also be raised (more or less) “free-range”, with sufficient freedom of movement provided, as halal principles forbid the consumption of sickly, stressed, abused, beaten, cancerous or otherwise mistreated or unhealthy animals. Additionally, animals that are killed inadvertently, or during accidents or found deceased by the roadside, are forbidden, as the intention was not slaughter in those cases.
International cuisine and fast food are popular in major cities such as Islamabad and Karachi; blending local and foreign recipes (fusion food), such as Pakistani Chinese cuisine, is also common in large urban centres. As a result of lifestyle changes, health trends, and new dietary research being published, traditional ingredients such as masala (pre-mixed and readyto-use) and ghee (clarified butter)—with its health benefits and high smoke pointhave been increasingly popular... Source: en.wikipedia.org
Dhaka falls as Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Wajid resigns, flees country
try and the Army would hold talks with the political parties to form an interim government in the wake of Sheikh Hasina Wazed’s resignation confirmation news...Source: samaa.t Why was Abu Sayed shot dead in cold blood?
Why was Abu Sayed of Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University shot down by police? He was standing alone, totally unarmed with arms stretched out, holding no weapons but a stick. Nor was he engaged in any violent activities. When he was shot, he posed no threat to police and was standing quite a distance away, which an eye-estimate suggests could be about 50-60 feet. Yet police shot him in cold blood. Earlier, we saw the home minister, an otherwise soft-spoken person, explain several times how the police were exercising restraint. He claimed repeatedly that police had been instructed not to indulge in any
violence and also not to engage the demonstrators in a way that may lead to violence. Yet police shot an unarmed student who stood all by himself showing that he posed no danger. Sayed was one of the nine children of very poor parents. He was the youngest and the brightest of nine brothers and sisters. When he got admitted to Begum Rokeya University, the first one ever from his family, his siblings were so elated that they all contributed to his studies, even by saving from their own educational expenses. His very old and ill father said they all hoped that Abu Sayed would change the fate of the family after joining the government service, which was his life’s sole aim. This made him interested in the quota reforms, and hence he joined the protests. His story clearly shows that his desire was only to reform the quota system so that his chances of success would increase. There was no other agenda as is now being alleged.As reported in this paper, at 12:37pm on Monday, the day before his murder, Sayed shared a photo card of martyred Professor Shamsuzzoha, a young Rajshahi University teacher who was shot dead while trying to protect student protesters in 1969. He wrote, “Sir, we desperately
need you right now … Your legacy is our inspiration. We are enlightened by your ideals”. Prof Shamsuzzoha became one of the heroes of student movement inspiring us in the lead-up to our Liberation War. As someone dedicated to our freedom and progress, he also served as a source of inspiration in the following five decades of our independence.
Source:thedailystar.net/ Dr.Muhammad Yunus ready to head Bangladesh ’interim government’; says ‘I am honoured’ Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus said on Tuesday he was ready to head an interim government in Bangladesh after mass demonstrations forced longtime ruler Sheikh Hasina to flee the country.
“I am honoured by the trust of the protesters who wish for me to lead the interim government,” he said in a written statement to AFP.
“If action is needed in Bangladesh, for my country and for the courage of my people, then I will take it,” he said, also calling for “free elections.”
“The interim government is only the beginning,” he said.
“Lasting peace will only come with free elections. Without elections, there will be no change.”
Yunus, known as the “banker to the poor-
est of the poor”, was awarded the Peace Prize in 2006 for his work loaning small cash sums to rural women, allowing them to invest in farm tools or business equipment and boost their earnings.
Earlier Tuesday, student leaders in Bangladesh demanded that Yunus lead a caretaker government, a day after the military took control as demonstrations forced Hasina to flee the country.
Hasina, 76, had been in power since 2009 but was accused of rigging elections in January and then watched millions of people take to the streets over the past month demanding she quit.
Hundreds of people were killed as security forces sought to quell the unrest but the protests grew and Hasina finally fled aboard a helicopter on Monday after the military turned against her.
“Youth have voiced their need for change in our country,” Yunus said.
“The prime minister heard them by leaving the country. This was a very important first step taken yesterday. S.livemint.com/
rioters carry out violent, racist attacks across several British cities. What happened, and what comes next?
The UK is facing the worst disorder it has seen in more than a decade, after outbreaks of far-right, anti-immigrant violence swept the country. Protests first broke out late last month, after an anti-immigrant misinformation campaign stoked outrage over a stabbing attack that left three children dead in Southport, northern England. Over the weekend crowds of farright agitators set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers in two cities, leaving those inside trapped and terrified, while throngs of rioters in other cities damaged public buildings and clashed with police, throwing objects at officers and smashing their vehicles. Hundreds of people have been arrested so far and some 6,000 specialist officers have been mobilized, the UK government says,
Who
as police prepare for more potential riots on Wednesday.After chairing a second meeting of the government’s emergency response committee UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to reassure communities, saying riot perpetrators are “likely to be dealt with within a week” and warning anyone involved “you will feel the full force of the law.”
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service said on Tuesday that prosecutors have already charged around 100 people over the violent unrest.
A number of rioters who took part in the instances of violent disorder across the UK have been handed lengthy prison sentences, Britain’s PA Media news agency reported.
One man was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to violent disorder and assaulting an
emergency worker in Southport last Tuesday. Another was sentenced to 30 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder in Liverpool last Saturday and sending a malicious communication last year. The cases were due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court later this month but were fast-tracked. The riots are the first crisis for Starmer, who became Britain’s leader a month ago after his Labour Party unseated the Conservatives in a general election. His next steps will be closely watched by lawmakers and the public. Here’s what we know about the violence, and what may come next. What happened on Britain’s streets? Throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday, violent protesters congregated in city and town centers across the UK, many of them
apparently intent on clashing with police and causing havoc.
The gatherings ostensibly started as anti-immigration marches, organized on social media platforms like X and on WhatsApp and Telegram groups. They quickly turned disorderly and violent...
Source:cnn.com
is yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh’s successor as Hamas chief?
Sinwar will now lead the resistance movement from an unknown location in Gaza, amid fears of a wider escalation across the region.
Hamas has appointed its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar as the political chief at-large to succeed Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in a suspected Israeli attack in Tehran last week.
The announcement by the Palestinian group came on Tuesday as tensions skyrocket across the Middle East, with Iran promising revenge against Israel for Hani-
yeh’s killing on its soil.
Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in the July 31 attack.
Seen as the architect of the October 7 attack against Israel, Sinwar will now try to push the movement through uncertain times across the region from an unknown location in Gaza.
The Gaza-based Palestinian leader is public enemy number one in Israel. So, by choosing him as the head of its political bureau, Hamas is sending a message of defiance to the Israeli government. But it remains unclear how Sinwar will be able to communicate with fellow Hamas operatives, run the day-to-day political operations of the movement, and oversee Gaza ceasefire negotiations while in hiding. Israeli officials have made no secret of their desire to kill him.
Born in 1962 in Khan Younis, Sinwar is often portrayed as one of the most uncompromising top Hamas officials. He was arrested by Israel repeatedly in the early 1980s for his involvement in anti-oc-
cupation activism at the Islamic University in Gaza. After his graduation, he helped establish a network of fighters to take up armed resistance against Israel. The group would later become the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
Sinwar joined Hamas as one of its leaders almost as soon as the group was founded by Shaikh Ahmad Yasin in 1987. The following year, he was arrested by the Israeli forces and handed four life sentences – the equivalent of 426 years in jail – for alleged involvement in the capture and killing of two Israeli soldiers and four suspected Palestinian spies.
He spent 23 years in Israeli jail where he learned Hebrew and became well versed in Israeli affairs and domestic politics. He was freed in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange deal that saw the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas.
After his release, Sinwar quickly rose through Hamas’s ranks again. In 2012, he was elected to the group’s political bureau
and was tasked with coordinating with the Qassam Brigades.He played a leading political and military role during Israel’s sevenweek offensive against Gaza in 2014. The next year, the United States labelled Sinwar as a “specially designated global terrorist”. In 2017, Sinwar became Hamas’s chief in Gaza, succeeding Haniyeh, who was elected as the chair of the group’s political bureau. Unlike Haniyeh, who had travelled regionally and delivered speeches throughout the continuing war on Gaza, until his assassination, Sinwar has been tight-lipped since October 7.
But in a 2021 interview with Vice News, Sinwar said that while Palestinians do not seek war due to its high cost, they will not “wave the white flag”. “For long periods, we tried peaceful and popular resistance. We expected that the world, free people and international organisations would stand by our people and stop occupation from committing crimes and massacring our people. Unfortunately, the world stood by and watched,” he said...Source:.aljazeera.com/
Happy 77th Independence Day
With continuous support and encouragement from both within and outside of Canada, The Miracle team feels proud to launch another edition on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day of Pakistan and India. It’s confusion every year that, is it 77th or 78th? Pakistan will complete its 77 years of Independence on 14th August 2024(Anniversary) and celebrate the 78th Independence Day. Pakistan’s first Independence Day on 14th August 1947, so if we count from 1947 then this will be the 78th Inde-
pendence Day celebration in 2024.
However, I would take the opportunity to thank the supporters and well wishers of “The Miracle’ for providing continuous support through advertisements of their businesses, sharing their thoughts in writing with our readers. Keep up the good work not only for the Miracle but for all.
We are proudly continuing our thirteen years old tradition of Azadi editions. As Pakistani Canadians, we not only have the responsibility of being faithful and loyal to Canada but also represent our distinct cultural identity in a positive manner. Be part of the upcoming Canadian Provincial & Federal Elections.
I am very proud that I am a Muslim and Pakistani Canadian, and it is my
More than 70% of dentists
Participation jumped after Ottawa allowed dentists to submit individual insurance claims without signing up.
More than 70 per cent of dentists are now accepting patients through Canada’s new public dental insurance program — a significant increase over the 50 per cent participation rate reported a month ago.
The federal government attributes the higher uptake to changes it introduced on July 8 that allow dental clinics to submit claims without officially registering as providers of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
The changes permit dentists, denturists and independent hygienists to perform work on patients covered by the CDCP and to be re-
Canada has set ambitious post-pandemic tourism targets and has a new strategy to meet them, but experts say geopolitical challenges, cost of travel in the country and climate change will make those goals difficult to achieve. Canada’s goal is to get back into the top 10 tourist destinations in the world, after falling to 13th in 2021 on the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index. Canada was 11th on the 2024 index, but the federal government has set a goal of seventh by 2030.
It also wants to increase annual tourism revenues from $140 billion to $160 billion and to boost the sector’s contribution to Canada’s GDP by 40 per cent.
But experts say it won’t be easy. “The index is not about measuring the number of visitors coming to the country,” said Frederic Dimanche, the director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University.“Some of the criteria being used are about safety, security, the quality of air transport, railroad and other travel infrastructure. It’s also about the attractions, the natural resources and cultural resources in the country.
duty to promote not only Canadian values but also our Pakistani businessmen community, which is serving Canadians day and night. I have high respect for these people who contribute to the economic prosperity of Canada and are also equipping their future generations with high education and skills to serve this country and make it stronger and more prosperous. In the end, I once again request to all Pakistani Canadians be proud of their Pakistani origin, and live here with peace and dignity as Ambassadors. Promote Pakistani businesses and their products and make your contribution in benefiting both Canadian and Pakistani economies. Feel free to comment on this issue as your concerns and suggestions are highly appreciated for improving our quality in the future.
United we stand, divided we fall! Long Live Pakistan and Long Live Canada.
now accepting patients through Canadian Dental Care Plan
imbursed by Ottawa on a case-by-case basis.
Health Minister Mark Holland said more than 6,500 oral health-care providers have chosen to take part in the plan since Ottawa changed the rules last month.“We’ve been absolutely blown away by the participation,” Holland told CBC News on Tuesday.
As of today, 16,612 dentists, 1,746 denturists and 857 independent dental hygienists are accepting CDCP patients. That’s more than 19,000 oral health-care providers out of what Health Canada estimates is a potential pool of 25,170.
Holland said more than 75 per cent of all eligible oral health-care professionals are participating, while dentists are taking part at a slightly lower rate of more than 70 per cent.“We’re working with the associations to make sure that we answer every hygienist, denturist and dentist question, that we work on any obstacles that we have. We’re not stopping until we get to 100 per cent,” Holland told a press conference at an
Ottawa dental clinic Wednesday.
The number of dental clinics signing up was low when the program was launched, prompting concerns about its ability to meet patient demand.
Dental associations initially took issue with the paperwork and contracts Ottawa required them to complete in order to register. In response, Ottawa offered clinics the option of accepting patients on a case-by-case basis, allowing them to keep current patients who otherwise would need to seek out clinics registered with the program.
Holland has pitched the option as a way for dentists to try the program out before signing on fully. He also has assured dentists that submitting claims on a case-by-case basis will be a permanent option going forward.
450,000 treated in first 3 months of program
The Canadian Dental Association said Tuesday it wants the CDCP to succeed.
“The federal government has addressed some immediate and shortterm concerns, and we are com-
Canada wants to be in the top 10 global tourism destinations
“Canada has to improve on its own, but also it depends on how well the other countries are doing,” Dimanche added.
Tourists take selfies and photograph Perce Rock in Perce, Que., during a boat tour.
Tourists take selfies and photograph Percé Rock in Percé, Que., during a boat tour. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press)
Destination Canada, the Crown corporation tasked with reaching Canada’s tourism goals, released a new strategy in June on what needs to be done to get there. That strategy includes identifying the top target audiences, how to brand Canada, how to attract more business events and conventions, how to increase labour supply and how to do it all with environmental sustainability in mind.
One of those target markets is East Asia, including China. Canada-China tensions weigh on tourism. The Canada-China relationship is still fraught. China has not put Canada back on its list of approved tours.
“We know that we’ve lost a lot of business from China,” said Dimanche. “Some operators have been badly affected by this. So if we can change that, it would be for the bet-
mitted to continuing our work with them to further enhance the CDCP for the future,” a statement from the association said. The dental association said each dentist must decide whether they want to participate, based on what is best for their practice and patients.
“Changes through our continued advocacy have increased the comfort level of many dentists to participate in the plan,” the statement said. The CDCP is a massive expansion of Canada’s universal healthcare system. It’s expected to cost taxpayers $13 billion over the next five years and to eventually cover one in four low- and middle-income Canadians who don’t have access to private dental insurance plans. Right now, applications for the CDCP are open to seniors, children under the age of 18 and people who receive the federal disability tax credit. Applications for the rest of the eligible population will open in January 2025.
Health Canada said 450,000 Canadians have received dental care through the program since it began providing care on May 1...
Source: cbc.ca/news
— but it’s struggling to get there
ter, but it’s not really something that we can control.” ”We’ve noticed the impact. It’s been huge. Big groups aren’t in the city anymore.” Three quarters of Canada’s tourism sector is domestic demand, and Fan argues that’s what the government should focus on growing. But the travel industry is considered an export sector because foreign travellers bring in new money. So foreigners continue to be a target market.
Other obstacles include strained relations with India and recently reinstated Canadian visa requirements for visitors from Mexico.
Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada says tourism is a huge economic driver for Canada. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)“It means you get more travellers, they spend more money, they stay longer and they come all year around,” said federal Minister of Tourism Soraya MartinezFerrada.
1.9M
Canadian jobs depend on tourism
According to government statistics, the tourism sector supported 1.9 million jobs across Canada, in every region of the country. “Tourism is an economic driver.… It’s actually more than the automotive sector, the agriculture sector, the fisheries sector,” said Martinez Ferrada.
But the cost of getting around a country as large as Canada is also a hard sell, especially when it does not have rapid rail to offer or airline competition to keep prices low — offerings that other much smaller countries have. Martinez Ferrada said one part of the government’s tourism strategy is to invest further in transportation.
“If you want to go from Montreal to Vancouver and it costs you as much as going to Paris, yeah maybe people would say ‘Maybe I’ll go to Paris.’ But if you go to Paris, then the costs of being in Paris is very high,” Martinez Ferrada said... Source: cbc.ca/news
Jazakum Allah khair M. Naseer Pirzada
S & SP ort S
Shuhada-e-Karbala Conference Hosted by Masjid Aulia Allah
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On August 4, the Islamic Association of Western Canada in association with Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah held Shuda-e-Karbala Conference at Fiji Islamic Centre Surrey to remember the great sacrifice of Hazrat Imame- Hussain (AS) and his companions in Karbala. It was attended by the Muslim community members. Mr. Haider Khan did MC. The program started with Tilawat-e-Quran-Pak after that Abul Salis,
Masjid
OSaad Salis, Mohammad Muzamil and Adil Iqbal (Toronto)presented beautiful Naats e Rasool in their melodious voice. Br. Khan invited Imam Syed Badiuddin Soharwardy, who came from Calgary for this Shuada e Karbla conference.
Br Syed said that the Prophet (saw) left for us the Holy Quran, Sunnah, and love with Ahel Bayt, and if we love with Mohammad(saw) it is mandatory for every believer that they love Ahel Baayt and Allhumdulillah we all send Darood
o salam in each prayer. I am also worried about the young generation, who have very little knowledge about the facts of Shahadat e Imam Hussain (RA). He said, how the Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) set the example of His and his family’s sacrifice for Kalama e Haq for Dean e Islam for the rest of his life. We do love and respect each companion of the Prophet(saw). Allah (SWT) granted Mohammad (saw) the first time Hassan and Hussain names on this land. How much our Prophet (saw)
loved His grandsons no one can imagine, but we can prove our love with Ahel Bayt, by our actions in the teachings of Islam.
After Syed Badiud Dean’s speech, world-renowned Naat Khan, Al Hajjaj Qari Fasiud Dean Soharwardhy recited a few beautiful Naats and Nasheeds. The program was concluded with the recitation of Darood o salam and then after the Maghrib prayer, delicious food was served.
Anwar e Madina hosts yaad-E-Shuhada Karbalah Program
Saiyad Hamza Dean, Saiyad Faraz, Qari
n July 27, The Masjid Anwaar e Madina organized a very spiritual program in the remembrance of the great martyrs of Karbala and the great and high status of the grandson of the holy prophet (PBUH) Imam Hussein (R.A). The program started with the recitation of Quran by Hafiz, then a few Nasheed’s were recited including
Mohammad Amin and Ali Ahmed in a group. M/C Saiyad Afroz described the Shuadha e Karbalah event of this evening and its purpose in English in detail. After that he invited Imam and Khateeb of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Maulana Saiyad Imroz Dean Saify, He recited a few Suras and Hadiths and gave a brief Biyan in Urdu about the Ahell Bait. His bayaan was contains on Ayat e Sajdah. He said that Prayer is the ascension of a
believer, there is a place in prayer where a believer reaches ascension O my servant, prostrate to me and come close to me SubhanAllah !I have come to know that there is no other place closer to Allah (swt) than prostration, the final position is achieved only in prostration. Oh, my brothers and sisters, when the prostration of a believer is the Ascension, then what will be the glory of the prostration of Imam Hussain (R.A.)?
Neither in the shadow of the walls of
the House of Allah (swt), nor in the mosque. Salutations to the prostration in the state of Imam Hussain, O Imam, for every drop of your holy blood, our salutations, O Hussain Ibn Ali, O martyrs, Imams of love, Peace be upon you, O Hussain Ibn Ali.
After his speech, the program finished with Salaat o Salaam and Duaa and then delicious dinner has been served.
Imam Hussain(rA)
Alhamdolillah Bullay Shah Academy paid rich tribute to sacrifice of Imam Hussain (AS) and Ahl-e-Bayat at Karbala in a spiritual gathering on Saturday, July 27, 2024. At the Bullay Shah Astana on Scott Road Surrey. The MC of the evening was Taha Younas.
A beautiful recitation of the Holy Quran was recited by Sheikh Hafiz Abdul Malik. Br. Asad , Ijaz Hussain, Raheel Aslam
and Chacha Sharif recited nasheeds and presented tributes to the august household of Ahl-e-Bayat, honouring their sacrifice for Islam.
In his keynote address, Pir Afzal Ahmed Naqshbandi detailed how the sacrifice of the Blessed Imam Hzt. Hussain (RA) and his companions saved Islam. His description of the cruelties visited upon the Ahil e Baitt of Prophet PBUH by the Yazeed and their followers’ brought
Canadian Muslim Media Club’s (CMMC) Board Meeting!
On July 25, The Canadian Muslim Media Club (CMMC) convened for a pivotal meeting, during which Ashiana Khan was elected as the new
Media President. In her inaugural address, President Ashiana expressed her dedication to fostering closer ties with community members and organizations, emphasizing the importance of actively listening to their concerns.President Khan outlined her vision to serve as a catalyst for change, promising to advocate for Canadian Muslim interests at
all levels. She announced plans to double the club’s membership by reaching out to a broader audience and engaging with diverse communities. Moreover, she pledged to elevate CMMC’s profile by representing the community across various sectors, including government and media platforms.
Emphasizing the significance of unity, President Ashiana encouraged collaboration among members to strengthen CMMC’s influence in the media landscape. She vowed to establish robust connections within the community and expand par-
ticipation in key events. Additionally, she affirmed her commitment to liaise with religious and political entities to raise awareness about CMMC’s initiatives. Furthermore, Tariq Yauqub has been elected as the General Secretary of CMMC. In his role, he aims to closely collaborate with the team and community to advance the club’s mission and enhance its visibility.The newly appointed leadership team is determined to promote inclusivity, unity, and meaningful engagement within the Canadian Muslim community and beyond. Stay tuned for exciting developments from CMMC.
Canadian Muslim Media Club (CMMC)
Ashiana Khan Hanif, President M.Naseer Pirzada, Vice President Tariq Yaqub, General Secretary Naveed Waraich (Media Liason) Intikhab Ahmed, Treasurer Rai Ali Abrar Kharal, Joint Secretary Tariq Kiyani , Advisor Added two New Directors on July 30th CMMC Board Meeting Raza Khan & Rana Umair
Politicians, cricketers hail Arshad Nadeem as ‘national hero’ after
President Zardari calls Nadeem’s success “entire nation’s win” while others highlight the Olympian’s “hard work” despite challenges.
Superstar athlete Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record on Thursday in the men’s javelin final in Paris and won Pakistan’s first gold medal in 40 years.
Achieving a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres on his second attempt, the Mian Channu-born left the audience astonished. Nadeem’s throw was Pakistan’s first individual gold medal, first track and field medal and the second time a South Asian has had a podium finish in track and field. His competitors, including arch-rival Neeraj Chopra from India, could not even come close to the mark for the rest of the competition. Chopra’s 89.45m throw on his second attempt secured him the silver medal.
Social media was on fire. People from across
the country — even from neighbouring India — expressed their joy at Nadeem’s javelin gymnastics.
Of course, government officials, politicians, journalists and others could surely not be behind in celebrating the rare moment of national ecstasy. “Bravo Arshad. History made!” wrote Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“You’ve made the whole nation proud young man,” the premier said. President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement shared by his party, said, “Arshad Nadeem’s win is the entire nation’s win.”“You have made us proud by winning a medal for Pakistan at the Paris Olympics,” the president said, wishing the athlete further success in the future.
The government, on its official X account, described Nadeem’s throw as “massive” and said he had made “Pakistan proud once again”.The armed forces, the services chiefs and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Commit-
tee Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza also extended their “warmest felicitations to the nation on this momentous occasion”, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. “This remarkable achievement is a testament to Arshad Nadeem’s unwavering dedication, unrelenting perseverance, and exemplary hard work, serving as a beacon of inspiration for the entire nation. His triumph is a resounding affirmation of Pakistani talent and determination, showcasing the country’s potential to excel on the global stage,” the ISPR said. It added that the feat had “cemented his status as a national hero and an iconic symbol of sporting excellence”.
Former president Dr Arif Alvi highlighted that the Olympic medal was Pakistan’s first
overall in 32 years. “His persistence & perseverance has done him and the nation proud,” former prime minister Imran Khan was quoted as saying in a statement shared on his account.Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a statement shared on X, said Nadeem had “performed a historic and an unforgettable feat” by hoisting Pakistan’s flag at the Paris Olympics.
Source: cbc.ca/news
Event photographs at Pg
Event photographs at Pg 13
Event photographs at Pg 13
Event photographs at Pg 13
On July 30, The Media Waves hosted a grand event in Refelection Banquet Hall, Surrey to celebrate the launch of their brand-new 24-hour TV channel!
The incredible evening saw the gathering of community members and esteemed government representatives at their exciting unveiling. President Ashiana Khan graciously extended heartfelt thanks to all the distinguished guests for their support and presence By: Naveed Waraich
Who are Ghost Consultants and what is being done to tackle them?
Ghost consultants, unlicensed and unregulated individuals pretending to be legitimate immigration consultants, have long been a problem for Canada’s immigration system. These fraudsters take advantage of people trying to immigrate to Canada by offering fake services, charging exorbitant fees, and often leave their victims in difficult situations with Canadian immigration authorities.
In recent years, the Canadian government has taken steps to address this issue by implementing various measures to curb the activities of ghost consultants and protect the interests of prospective immigrants. In this article, we will discuss the problem of ghost consultants, their impact on individuals and society, and the measures taken by the Canadian government to combat this ongoing issue.
Who are Ghost Consultants?
Ghost consultants operate outside the legal framework established for immigration consulting in Canada. Unlike licensed professionals, these individuals are not registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), the regulatory body responsible for overseeing immigration consultants in Canada. They often promise guaranteed entry into Canada, fake their connections with government officials, and charge high fees for services they are not qualified to provide. The consequences for individuals who fall victim to ghost consultants can be severe, including denied visas, deportation, and significant financial losses. How do they exploit prospective immigrants?
Here are some of the tactics by which ghost consultants exploit individuals, with the most common one being misleading them about the complexity of the immigration process.
• They often promise guaranteed visas or permanent residency, something no legitimate consultant can assure due to the rigorous and competitive nature of Canada’s immigration system.
• They typically charge exorbitant fees for their services, leaving individuals with little recourse for recovering their money once they realize that they have been scammed.
• They may encourage applicants to forge documents or provide false information, leading to severe repercussions when discovered by Canadian authorities.
Impact of Ghost Consultants
The presence of ghost consultants in
Canada’s immigration system has farreaching impacts on both individuals and society as a whole.
For individuals, the consequences of dealing with ghost consultants can be devastating:
• Applicants often face denied applications due to false or incomplete information provided by ghost consultants, resulting in lost opportunities.
• In cases where fraudulent documents or information are submitted, individuals risk being deported or banned from re-entering Canada for several years.
• The stress and anxiety associated with being deceived can have longlasting effects on individuals and their families, both emotionally and financially.
• Victims of ghost consultants often have limited options for recourse, as these fraudulent scamsters typically operate outside the reach of Canadian law.
On a broader scale, ghost consultants undermine the integrity of Canada’s immigration system and contribute to several societal issues:
• The actions of ghost consultants can tarnish the reputation of legitimate immigration consultants, causing mistrust among potential immigrants.
• They often target vulnerable populations, including refugees and lowincome individuals, further exacerbating existing inequalities and exploitation.
• The need to investigate and address fraudulent cases puts an additional strain on Canada’s immigration resources, diverting attention from legitimate applications and processing.
Measures taken by the government
Recognizing the significant threat posed by ghost consultants, the Canadian government has implemented various measures to protect individuals and enhance the integrity of the immigration system.
• Establishment of regulatory bodies: The creation and strengthening of regulatory bodies have been central to the government’s strategy to combat ghost consultants. Established to replace the previous regulatory body, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), the CICC is responsible for regulating immigration consultants and enforcing professional standards.
• Strict licensing and certification: The CICC requires consultants to undergo rigorous training and certification processes, including passing exams on immigration law and practice management.
• Code of Conduct: Licensed consultants must adhere to a strict code of conduct, ensuring that ethical practices and accountability are maintained.
The Canadian government has also focused on strengthening legal frameworks to deter ghost consultants and protect consumers.
• New laws have been introduced to impose criminal penalties on individuals found guilty of acting as ghost consultants, including severe fines and in some cases, imprisonment.
• Enhanced consumer protection laws provide individuals with more avenues for recourse and compensation if they fall victim to fraudulent consultants.
• The government collaborates with, and has increased funding for, law enforcement agencies like the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), to investigate and prosecute ghost consultants.
• The CBSA and other agencies have established confidential tip lines for individuals to report suspected ghost consultants.
• The government also runs public awareness campaigns to educate potential immigrants about the risks of ghost consultants and how to identify legitimate services.
• The CICC conducts random audits and inspections of licensed consultants to ensure compliance with regulations and to identify any unauthorized practices.
Challenges and limitations
Despite the measures taken, challenges and limitations remain in the fight against ghost consultants.
• Many ghost consultants operate outside of Canada, making it difficult for Canadian authorities to investigate and prosecute them.
• Ghost consultants continually adapt their tactics to evade detection, requiring ongoing efforts to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Tips for identifying and avoiding Ghost Consultants
While the Canadian government has made significant strides in combating ghost consultants, individuals must remain vigilant and informed when seeking immigration assistance.
Here are some tips to help identify and avoid ghost consultants:
• Verify credentials: Always verify the credentials of any immigration consultant through the CICC website. Ensure they are registered and in good standing.
• Be vigilant: Be cautious of consultants who guarantee sure-shot success or make unrealistic promises about visa approvals.
• Request documentation: Legitimate consultants provide retainer agreements and official documentation outlining the services they offer.
• Compare fees: Obtain quotes from multiple consultants to ensure fees are reasonable and transparent.
• Seek referrals: Ask for recommendations from friends or family who have successfully navigated the Canadian immigration process with the help of a reputable consultant.
• Report suspicious activity: If you suspect you have encountered a ghost consultant, report the individual to the CBSA and CICC.
Conclusion
Canada is not alone in facing the challenges posed by ghost consultants. Many countries with robust immigration systems encounter similar issues. Examining international strategies can provide valuable insights and potential solutions:
Australia, like Canada, has a strict regulatory framework for immigration consultants. The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) oversees the registration and regulation of migration agents. In Australia, all migration agents must be registered with OMARA, ensuring they meet professional standards. The United Kingdom employs a multi-agency approach to combat immigration fraud and conducts joint operations involving law enforcement, immigration authorities, and financial institutions to tackle immigration fraud comprehensively.
The issue of ghost consultants remains a significant challenge within Canada’s immigration system, but the government’s efforts to combat this problem are gaining momentum. Through the establishment of stronger regulatory bodies and increased public awareness, Canada is making progress in protecting individuals from immigration fraud. By learning from international experiences and by working together, individuals, government agencies, and legitimate consultants can create a safer and more equitable immigration environment in Canada.
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By : PIRZADA & CPIC Global
On August 14th 2024, Pakistan celebrated Independence Day. Here is a list of some major highlights during its 77-year existence…
1947: On August 14 Muslim Pakistan comes into being from the partition of India at the end of British rule. Liaquat Ali Khan is appointed first Prime Minister. India became an independent state one day later. Two provinces, Punjab and Bengal were divided along religious lines. Punjab’s mostly Muslim western part went to Pakistan and its mostly Hindu and Sikh eastern part went to India. Rioting in the Punjab forced the governments of India and Pakistan to agree to a forced population exchange. Around 10 million people migrated across the border and anywhere between 200,000 and 2,000,000 (the majority of them Muslims) died in the subsequent violence.
University of Sindh established. This was the first university formed in Modern Pakistan.
The country’s oldest institute of higher learning is the University of the Punjab, established in 1882 in Lahore.
1948: Urdu is declared the national language of Pakistan; Pakistan’s first postage stamp is issued; State Bank of Pakistan established; Pakistan’s founder and first governor-general, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who is revered as the Father of the Nation, dies of tuberculosis.
1950: Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
MIRACLE’S SPECIAL 2024
Pakistan’s 77 Years and Its Achievements
instituted.
1953: Pakistan produces its first vehicle at the National Motors plant in Karachi, in partnership with General Motors. GM arranged the facilities for the production of Vauxhall cars and Bedford trucks. Subsequently, buses, light trucks and cars
would be assembled at the same plant. Later in the year, Ford Trucks partnered with Ali Automobiles to manufacture the Ford Anglia, Ford Pickups and the Ford Kombi.
1954: K2, the world’s second highest mountain, is conquered by an Italian expedition led by Professor Desio; Pakistan defeats England by 24 runs at Oval during its maiden tour of England.
1955: Pakistan International Airlines comes into being. 1957: President Iskandar Mirza lays the foundationstone of the State Bank of Pakistan building in Karachi.
achieved its first Gold Medal in 1960 Olympics, defeating India in hockey by 1–0 at Rome.
1961: Decimal coinage introduced in Pakistan; Government institutes Film Awards; Jasmine is chosen as the national flower of Pakistan.
1962: Pakistan launches its first weather rocket.
1963: First trade agreement is signed between Pakistan and China.
1964: Pakistan Television Lahore Station inaugurated.
1967: Pakistan’s first steel mill opens at Chittagong.
1972: New education policy enforced. Free education in all private and public schools; Karachi Nuclear Power Plant opens.
1973: Foundation stone of Pakistan Steel Mills laid.
1979: Dr. Abdus Salam, eminent Pakistani scientist, is awarded Physics Nobel Prize.
1987: Jan Sher Khan wins World Open Squash Championship for the first time.
1988: Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Pakistan’s first woman Prime Minister.
1989: Pakistan rejoins Commonwealth. 1990: Pakistan becomes 37th country to send expedition to Antarctica.
1991: Jahangir Khan creates history by winning British Open Squash title for the record tenth consecutive time.
1992: Pakistan wins Cricket World Cup, defeating England by 22 runs in Melbourne, Australia; Pakistan’s Alam Channa enters Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest man in the world.
1994: Pakistan Television transmission gets access to 38 countries via satellite.
1998: Pakistan first tested nuclear weapons in May 1998 in response to nuclear tests by its regional rival, India.
2009: The JF 17 Thunder becomes the first ever multi role state of the art fighter aircraft manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, and was added to Pakistan
Air Force’s fleet.
2012: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy becomes the first Pakistani to ever win an Oscar at the 84th Academy Awards for the reconstructive surgery of acid attack victims, Saving Face wins for Best Documentary (Short Subject).
2015: Pakistan and China announced their intention to develop the $46 billion China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which in turn forms part of China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road. Gwadar becomes the link between the One Belt, One Road and Maritime Silk Road project. $1.153 billion worth of infrastructure projects will be invested into the city as part of CPEC. The city will also be the site of a floating liquefied natural gas facility that will be built as part of the larger $2.5 billion Gwadar-Nawabshah segment of the Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline project.
plots in Gwadar.
2018: Pakistani doctors performed first-ever mechanical heart transplant at Karachi’s National Institute of Cardio
Vascular Diseases.
2019: Pakistan ‘captures Indian pilot after shooting down two jets in dogfight over Kashmir’Pakistan has claimed to have shot down two Indian jets and captured a pilot after a dogfight over Kashmir, igniting fears of an all-out conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours :Saudis announce $20 billion investment in Pakistan; first tranche of Gwadar land plots handed to owners by CPIC.
Source: cpicglobal.com :
Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s visit to the US a success? Pakistani
Prime Minister Imran Khan returned from a three-day visit to the United States to the Pakistani : Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), located in Lahore, Pakistan, is a 347-bed tertiary care hospital providing nationwide comprehensive cardiac care services.
2020: Nigar Johar becomes Pakistan Army’s first female lieutenant general.
:
Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
2021: PM Imran given demo of Pak-made electronic voting machine
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday
received a detailed presentation and a demonstration of a new locally-made electronic voting machine (EVM).
: August - Pakistan at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games
: 8TH Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference.
2022: Expressing his disap-
;
2023: The Government of Pakistan and the United Nations co-hosted one-day International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva, Switzerland to aid Pakistani people after the devastating floods in 2022. :
Khan convicted for 3 years sentanced and disqualified for 5 years.
1976: Lahore-Amritsar train service, Samjhota Express, starts.
2001: Construction on the first phase of Gwadar Port begins.
pointment with the Supreme Court’s decision that revived the no-confidence motion against him, Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a last-ditch call to the nation’s youth to take to the streets on Sunday night against what he termed an “imported government”, : Shehbaz made premier as ‘opposition’ forms govt
2024: Pakistan’s surprising election results, explained, Imran Khan’s candidates won the most votes. He can’t be prime minister. :
1952: Pakistan National Scouts
1960: Presidential Cabinet decides to name the new Capital as Islamabad; Pakistan
1977: Friday is announced weekly holiday, replacing Sun.
2003: AAJ TV, Pakistan’s premier channel inaugurated.
2016: The China Overseas Port Holding Company in June 2016 began construction on the $2 billion Gwadar Special Economic Zone, which is being modelled on the lines of the Special Economic Zones of China; First season Pakistan Super League.
2017: CPIC begin selling land
Pakistan will build biggest dam in Pakistan’s history’: PM Imran kicks off construction work at
Sources: from multiple websites
Celebrations of Pakistan platinum (75th) Independence Day.
Imran
Shehbaz Sharif wins Pakistan’s top job for second time : Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif proposes 5-year plan for country’s economic revival
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New Listings in 2024
Brand New 3 Level Detached home with 2 Basements(2+1) in Surrey’s Sullivan Ridge New Sub Division. Main Floor Features Spacious Living/Dining rooms, Designer kitchen with Top Stainless Steel Appliances, Spice Kitchen, Family room, Full bathroom & Den which can be converted in a Bedroom. Upper Floor Features Master Bedroom with a Walk In Closet + 3 Large bedrooms and 3 washrooms & Laundry. Full house is Centrally Airconditioned and Radiant Heat. Basement you have 2 suites (2+1) that will generate great rental income Appro.$3500 a month, it comes with Stainless Steel Appliances, and both Basements have their own laundry. Also there is a Theatre Room in the Basement for Entertainment. House comes with 2-5-10 years New Home Warranty.
Luxury Brand-New House over 8000 sq ft lot, 7-bed, 7-bath 4200 Sq Ft + built home. Discover the pinnacle of sophisticated living in Cloverdale. Turn your dream home in Reality. High Ceiling, Grand Entry The Open-concept main floor is perfect for entertaining, featuring a great room, chef’s kitchen, and a convenient spice kitchen. Radiant in-floor heating adds comfort throughout, Central Air Condition, Security Camera’s, Upstairs 4 beds and 4 baths offer spacious living + Huge Private Deck (480 Sq Ft). The Main Floor Boasts a 2-bedroom legal suite and a 1-bedroom suite. Home has stainless steel appliances throughout and 3 laundries.
a 2 Bedrooms Suite + 1 Bedroom Suite for Mortgage helper + a Common Laundry for the Basements. Radiant Heat along with Central Air condition. Close to all schools, and major routes. Backed by 2-5-10 New HOME WARRANTY.
This lovely 1 bedroom features granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, and much more!. Open layout with lots of natural light, large balcony perfect for your summer BBQ’s. Convenient location! Walking distance to Gates Park, Nature trails, Coquitlam River, Restaurants, Shopping, Schools and Transit and the West Coast Express. Everything you need is right at your door step!! Open House June 15/16 2-4pm
2024 Newly Built 7100 Sq Ft Corner Lot, Two level Home 8 Bedrooms + Den + 7 Bathrooms, has 2 Basements (2+2), Main Floor Features has 2 Basement Suites (2+2) for Mortgage Helper & Den with Full Bathroom which can be used as a Bedroom or an Office, Upper Floor has an Open Concept Kitchen along with Spice Kitchen, 4 Spacious Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms, An abundance of natural light helps to create an open and spacious feel. A stone throw way from Berkshire Park Elementary School and Kids First Montessori. Short walk to Johnston Heights Secondary School. Easy access to public transit, Guildford Mall, Port Mann bridge, Surrey Central, Skytrain & major routes. Great house appeal on a street full of flowering cherry trees in a nice family-oriented neighborhood!
Location! Location! Gorgeous over 7000 sq ft Lot, Over 5000 sq Ft livable house! 3 Mortgage Helpers (3+3+3)generating at present rent of $6250 a month, with Separate Laundry. Investors can generate over $11000 in rent for the full house. 13 Bedrooms + 6 Bathrooms, Double Garage, additional 8 Parking space on Driveway. Back lane access. Please note Basement Bedrooms do not have Closet. Walk to Transit. School and Guildford Mall nearby, along with Golf Course. Close to Highway 1.
AI (Artificial intelligence) and AGI (Artificial general intelligence)
By: Nafisa Siddiqui
Just plug it in and hit the key
And let the old brain rest
We do our race through cyberspace And compose the digital thunder Just how the technology does for soul Causes me to wonder
(John Calhoun Merril)
The poetry above by John Calhoun gives us a moment of thought, it is true just plug in, hit the key and get the work done by AI without using your own brain cells means resting brain which means rusting your own brain. We all know that brain cells operate under this principle. Use it, or lose it. If our brains are not used to communicate with each other, these cells lose their function.
The new technology is creeping in our day to day existence without giving us a chance to figure out what it is. Is it good or is it invading our privacy and how harmful for our well being and for our society culture and ethics. Usually you get a message or a command letting you know need to update your software. After up date You
find some new app pop up without your permission. Most of the time you don’t even know how to use it and learn that new app by instructions provided by app developers.
Geoffrey Hinton godfather of AI and a famous award winning computer scientist retired from Google. His reason for retirement was his concern that AI technology is going out of control and this rapid development is a danger for humans, this triggered a violent emotional agitation in the tech world. Further, his claim that AI will be misused for political gain, he confessed he regrets some of his contributions to artificial intelligence.
In a conference in 2014, Hinton said that he has changed his mind about how AI technology works. He now believes that AI systems can be much more intelligent than humans and are better learners.
“Things like GPT.4 know much more than we do”.
Furthermore, he referred to the latest iteration of research lab OpenAI’s large language model. “They have sort of common sense knowledge about everything.”The more this technology learns about humans, the better it will get at manipulating humans, he said and then he further added that risks of AI technology and its misuse by criminals and other wrongdoers -particularly those who would use it for harmful political ends -- can become a danger to society”-
Ex-Google engineer Blake Lemoine
By: Hassan Nadeem Rabani, Grade 8 Miracle New contributor
2024-2025 will, insh’Allah, be my first year in high school and as a graduate of an Islamic school I’ve heard what feels like a million times that high school is a place full of distractions to take us away from our deen — a place where we’ll have to make decisions between good and bad. In my 7 years of Islamic schooling, my teachers have taught me many Islamic teachings and values, and out of all those things, I’ve
Also claimed that vendor’s AI chat boat LaMDA can hold spontaneous conversation and have human feelings. These are the statements given by the tech wizards who contributed to developing AI.
One thing is very clear with all those statements of tech experts that all these new technological innovations need checkpoints and regulations otherwise it will be very risky. Especially generative AI which had a self learning system. And it’s very clear now that unregulated and unrestrained generative AI systems lead the society towards disaster in the hands of people with unscrupulous political intentions or criminals and hackers. The bad actors could use generative AI for fraud or even to try to trigger terrorist attacks.
This is our one worry that AGI4 technology will make humans obsolete and another loss, a bigger one will happen when we outsource our decision making to algorithmic systems which we hardly understand.
The human use of AI covers everything humans can imagine could be automated and made more efficiently evil with AI.
Green, director of technology ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, said it’s helpful to frame AI risks as those that come from the AI itself and risks that come from the use of AI. He further said : “Everything horrible that human intelligence can do, artificial in-
chosen three that I think need to be highlighted the most for Muslims on their way too, or already in high school. Remember to offer/make-up or salah, keep away from haram things, and make the right friends. Firstly, we must offer our salah even if we are in school. Salah is one of the five pillars of Islam and is one of the first questions we will be asked about in the grave. Unfortunately, due to school timings students can be prone to missing one of the salah, but we should try our best to pray that salah or at least make it up. Thankfully, most high schools have allocated rooms for students’ religious use. . Allah says in verse 103 of Surah An-Nisa: Indeed, performing prayers is a duty on the believers at the appointed times. Secondly, we should keep away from haram things, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or haram relationships because Allah will punish us for the bad we do, and he will reward
telligence might be programmed to do as well as or better than humans”. Green also said “There are vastly more chances that humans might use AI for existentially risky purposes than there are chances that AI would just pursue these goals on its own.”
If we see the history of humans, there are always moments we call those moments turning points and right now we are facing another such moment, the rise of the coming wave of technology (ie. advanced AI and Biotechnology).
We can see from the rapid developments of these technologies we have to face this with a choice between a future of unparalleled possibilities or a future of unimaginable peril.
The fate of humanity is to keep balance the decision we make now will shape the future, weather we rise to the challenges to these technologies or fall victim to there dangers.
Both technologies possess potential benefits.
With AI, humans can unlock the secrets of the universe, cure diseases and create new forms of art
us for the good we do. We need to be mindful of the fact that Allah is Al-Basir, meaning allseeing. He will always know what we are doing and the angels on our shoulders will record it. We will all be held accountable for our sins on the day of judgment. Finally, we need to make the right friends. Our friends can influence us heavily, from doing good or bad. Even being near a bad person can be dangerous since you can get easily involved or peer pressured into doing something you previously didn’t want to do. We should make friends with good, pious people, who instead of telling us to skip class remind us to pray. As it says in Surah al-Furqan, verse 28 when talking about what the disbelievers will say on the
culture that have no boundaries, no bounds of imagination.
With Biotechnology we can engineer life to fight disease and transform agriculture.
That is one side of the story. On the other hand, with AI and AGI the technocrats are a creating a system that in the long run is going to be beyond our control.
My main concern is human tracking devices. This is the right time to think and raise your voices to the tech tycoons to take serious action to control AI before it gets out of hand.
I end my article with a paragraph from Patrick M.Wood’s book “The Hard Road To World Order”. “In the smart cities of tomorrow, people will indeed be living in a fishbowl: tracked, monitored, analyzed, nudged, limited and directed. They will be told what to think, how to think, when to think, and how they are allowed to speak. Non-conformist will be conformed or shunned. Trouble makers will simply be excluded altogether”.
References
Technocracy: The Hard Road to world order....
day of judgment:
“ Woe to me! I wish I had never taken soand-so as a close friend.
Highschool is a challenge that you will have to overcome, and a place where you will have to fight the distractions to keep on your deen but Allah will reward us for it, as Allah has seen your struggles. One of Allah’s names is Al-Alim or the all-knowing. There will be moments when you feel like giving up, but as Allah says in Surah AshShahr, verse 5:
“So, surely with hardship comes ease”
PtI marks Imran’s ‘year in prison’ with Swabi jalsa
SWABI: As its founder Imran Khan completed one year in jail, the PTI and its allies on Monday organised a large power show in Swabi to demand the former prime minister’s release.
The jalsa was held at Shahmansoor Town and PTI leaders and workers from across the country participated in the event, despite the hot weather. The PTI workers were waving party flags and holding Imran Khan’s portraits, demanding the govern-
ment release their leader immediately.
In their speeches, PTI leaders said they had launched the campaign for the release of Imran Khan and they would organise rallies in different cities, including Islamabad and Lahore.
They asked the party supporters to be ready for upcoming gatherings in Islamabad, Lahore and other cities of Punjab to sustain the pressure on the federal government. According to the PTI leaders, the public gathering in Islamabad will be held in the last week of August or the first week of September. “If we reduce the pressure, it will mean that we have lost the initiative for which we have given numerous sacrifices,” claimed PTI leader Asad Qaiser.
Barrister Gohar said they have launched the struggle for the release of their leader, who was imprisoned along with his wife Bushra Bibi in “false cases”. He alleged that the federal government used various tactics to tarnish Mr Khan’s image and popularity but the government could not break their momentum. The PTI leader said that the judicial system should be independent so that the judiciary could deliver, adding that interference in judicial and political affairs must come to an end.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who heads the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party as well as a PTI-led opposition alliance, said that there was a need to restore the rule of law and constitutional supremacy in the country. He said that Imran Khan was right to say that there was a need for ‘real independence’ and they supported this idea of Mr Khan.
“We strive for the supremacy of parliament in the country…every institution should work in line with its constitutional role, and the people-elected government should de-
Pakistan expresses solidarity with people of Bangladesh, hopes
Pakistan on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and hoped for a “peaceful and swift return to normalcy” after deadly protests led to the end former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule two days ago.
“The government and people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh, sincerely hoping for a peaceful and swift return to normalcy,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
“We are confident that the resilient spirit and unity of the Bangladeshi people will lead them towards a harmonious future,” it added. The statement comes as a caretaker
Are some people more equal than others in the world of human rights?
By: Fayyaz Baqir
August 5 is named as Youm e Istehsal by the people of Kashmir to depict the forced annexation of Kashmir into Indian Union by the present government. It reminds us of a long trail of tyranny and bloodshed that unfolded in Kashmir due to the problematic transfer of power from the British Raj to the people of the Indian subcontinent. When the British left India they agreed on a three-way division of India, areas where the Muslim league gained the majority of provincial assemblies seats went to Pakistan, areas where the Congress gained the majority of provincial assembly seats went to India and 500 princely were given the freedom to remain independent or accede to India or Pakistan. This mutually agreed principle was
government is expected to be formed under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus after student protest leaders asked him to do so.
The movement that toppled Hasina rose out of protests against public sector job quotas for families of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war, seen by critics as a means to reserve jobs for allies of the ruling Awami League party. More than 400 people have died since July as security forces sought to quell the unrest but the protests grew and Hasina finally resigned and fled aboard a helicopter on Monday after the military turned against her.
Hasina flew to India and is staying at a safe house outside New Delhi.
Bangladesh’s army chief General Wakeruz Zaman announced on Monday that the military would form an interim government, saying it was “time to stop the violence”.
The next day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved parliament today — a key demand of the student leaders and the major opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which has demanded elections within three months.
Hasina’s arch-rival, BNP chairperson and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, was also freed from years of house arrest.
liver according to the wishes and benefits of the masses,” he said, adding that there was no space for “engineered” elections anymore. Addressing the gathering, Omar Ayub said that he wanted to convey a message to the PTI workers from Imran Khan about the military.
Imran Khan has said that the PML-N was trying to create a gulf between the nation and the Pakistan Army but such an attempt would be foiled by the PTI leadership with complete determination, said Mr Ayub. He added that the PTI leaders and workers had been picked up by intelligence agencies without any reason and PTI wanted that this practice should be stopped.
In his address, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said Islamabad belonged to all provinces and no one could prevent them from holding a public gathering there. He called for the unconditional release of Imran Khan, saying he did not do anything wrong.
Source: .dawn.com/
Source: .dawn.com/
youm e Istehsal and a blood stained Kashmir
violated in Punjab. The Punjab Assembly was divided into Muslim and non-Muslim chambers and each chamber was asked to vote separately. Even then the majority of Punjabi members of the assembly voted for Pakistan. But then, contrary to any prior agreement it was decided that Punjab will be divided, and the majority of Muslim districts would go to Pakistan and the majority of non-Muslim districts would go to India. Even this principle was violated in marking the boundaries of the newly independent countries of India and Pakistan. The district of Gurdaspur which was a majority Muslim district was handed over to India, and it provided India a passage to Kashmir-a majority Muslim statewhich was an independent princely state at that time.
Accession of Kashmir was an explosive issue. While the majority of the population of Kashmir was Muslim, the ruler of Kashmir was a Hindu. The raja of Kashmir decided to accede to India after the partition. An armed conflict
followed this unjust decision in Kashmir. To resolve the conflict the matter was taken to the United Nations by the government of Pakistan and the UN Security Council passed a resolution asking for a plebiscite to decide the status of Kashmir based on the Kashmiri’s right to self-determination. Indian government continued denying this democratic right to the people of Kashmir. Due to popular resistance against accession to India, the Indian government gave an internal autonomy status to the government of Kashmir. This was not acceptable to the people of Kashmir and led to militant resistance to end the Indian occupation.
5 August 2024 marks the fifth year of the revocation of the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). This is in continuation of a direct assault on Kashmiri culture and identity, the rapid expropriation of land, heightened economic marginalization, and the accelerated forces of settler-colonialism. Pakistan has always expressed soli-
darity with the people of occupied Kashmir and upheld their right to self-determination in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. These resolutions of 1948 and 1949 call for the holding of a free and impartial plebiscite for the determination of the future of the state by the people of Jammu and Kashmir and make it mandatory for India to safeguard and maintain the historical, ethnic, cultural, and demographic status of Jammu and Kashmir in its Constitution.
Actions taken by the government of India on 5th August 2019, in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir have led to huge demographic changes as the Indian government is systematically paving the way for settler colonialism in Kashmir. Kashmiri youth resisting settler encroachments are being killed and Indian forces are snatching agricultural land from the local farmers.
Pakistan has always desired to involve the Kashmiri people in the diplomatic process to decide their
status. Pakistan has proposed a trilateral arrangement to bring the Kashmiri people to the negotiating table along with India and Pakistan. Kashmiris call upon the world to condemn India’s illegal settlement and colonization of IIOJK and insist upon compliance with India’s international legal obligations. At present approximately, 900,000 Indian troops have besieged the defenceless Kashmiris and thousands of people in IIOJK have been killed by Indian forces in custody and subjected to extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances. India has committed these human rights violations with absolute impunity. Kashmiris wonder why the world community is a silent spectator on this long brutal act of colonization. Are some people more equal than others in seeking their human rights?
More than 400 people have died since July as security forces sought to quell the unrest but the protests grew and Hasina finally resigned and fled aboard a helicopter on Monday after the military turned against her...
Mohammed Iqbal Cheema Founder of pakistani Canadian Cultural Association
Independence is a precious gift from Allah. May we always remain independent. Ameen.
On this Independence Day, I and My Family pray for peace and stability for our nation and the region. Pakistan Zindabad.
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