WEATHER ISLAMABAD Scattered Thunderstorms
ISLAMABAD ISSUE: 39 VOL: 1
32°C 89°F
Precipitation: 60% Humidity: 71% Wind: 24 km/h Tuesday – June 20, 2017
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PAGES: 4 RS: 15/www.thedestination.com.pk
Ramadan 24 1468 AH.
First Secretary of US Embassy damages four vehicles First Secretary of the US Embassy in Islamabad Michael Wright smashed his vehicle into two private and two police vehicles in Abpara area of Islamabad. All the four vehicles were severely damaged in the accident. However, no casualty was reported in the incident. Police reached the spot after the incident and arrested the accused and shifted him to the Abpara Police Station. Police have also started an investigation.
OIC Chief strongly condemns Indian violence in Occupied Kashmir
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China offers to make Diamer-Bhasha Dam project part of CPEC
Govt taking steps to construct tourist resort in Attabad
The government is taking steps to construct tourist resort in Attabad to promote tourism in Gilgit Baltistan. Official sources said that master plan in this regard is being prepared. Meanwhile, the administration has imposed ban on constructions in the lake area aimed at to preserve natural environment. However, temporary constructions are allowed at Lake Site.
Iran, China begin joint naval exercise in Gulf
Iran and China began a joint naval exercise in the Gulf a day before yesterday. According to Islamic Republic News Agency, an Iranian destroyer and two Chinese destroyers are among the vessels taking part in the drill in eastern portion of the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. The military drill comes at a time of heightened tension between the Iranian and US military in the Gulf.
IMF says Japan needs to stick with fiscal, monetary stimulus
The International Monetary Fund on Monday urged Japan to avoid withdrawing fiscal policy stimulus and to keep monetary policy accommodative to accelerate growth and achieve higher inflation. The real exchange rate is in line with medium-term economic fundamentals but Japan’s current account balance last year was slightly stronger than warranted by economic fundamentals, the IMF said. “The expiration of fiscal support in 2018 under current policies together with a smaller expansion in foreign demand would reduce growth to less than half of that in 2017,” the IMF said in its annual Article 4 evaluation of Japan’s economy.
Muslim teen assaulted outside US mosque, found murdered in Virginia
VIRGINIA: A 17-year-old American Muslim girl was beaten and abducted after leaving a mosque in Virginia on Sunday by a man who police later arrested on suspicion of murder after her body was found dumped in a pond, authorities said. The attack spurred an outpouring of grief and horror in a Muslim community that has been gathering to pray at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society mosque about 30 miles outside Washington in observance of the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Pa na ma c a s e: SC orders DG FIA to probe record tampering charges against SECP chief The bench also warned the government to stop harassing JIT members otherwise it will issue a strict order in this regard.
The OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, has strongly condemned continued violence by Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris in the occupied valley. In a statement, he said the Kashmiris remain victims of the denial of their inalienable rights to self-determination and have been suffering from
the non-implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. He called upon India to immediately stop human rights violations of the Kashmiri people. Meanwhile, a protest rally was held against killing of civilians by Indian troops in Shopian, occupied Kashmir on
Monday. Thousands of people participated in the rally. Meanwhile, shutdown was observed in Islamabad town on Monday to commemorate the death anniversary of the founder of Ummat-e-Islami Qazi Nisar who was martyred in 1994.
U.S needs to be in Afghanistan for long haul: Petraeus
VIRGINIA—U.S general (R) David Petraeus said recently that the U.S needs to stay in Afghanistan and that in being in the country the U.S has a useful platform there for the regional counterterrorist effort. Speaking to PBS, Petraeus, who commanded American and coalition forces in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said, “I think what we need to get to in Afghanistan is a sustainable, measuring the expenditure of blood and treasure, a sustainable, sustained commitment.” “We need to recognize that we went there for a reason and we stayed for a reason, to ensure that Afghanistan is not once again a sanctuary for al-Qaeda or other transnational extremists, the way it was when the 9/11 attacks were planned there,” he said. “That’s why we need to stay. We also have a very useful platform there for the regional counterterrorist effort. And, of course, we have greatly reduced the capabilities of al-Qaeda’s senior leaders in that region, including, of course, taking out Osama bin Laden,” Petraeus said. “But this is a generational struggle. This is not something that is going to be won in a few years. We’re not going to take a hill, plant a flag, go home to a victory parade. And we need
to be there for the long haul, but in a way that is, again, sustainable,” he said. He said, “The U.S has been in “Korea for 65-plus years because there is an important national interest for that.” On the back of this, when asked whether he meant the U.S needed to stay in Afghanistan for 60, 70 or 80 years, Petraeus said, “I wouldn’t say 60, but I think we shouldn’t approach this as a year-on-year mission.” On the issue of increasing U.S troop levels in the country, Petraeus said he felt the U.S needed to have a sustained commitment and that 3,000 to 5,000 more troops was sustainable. “But also we should relax the remaining restrictions on the use of our airpower to support our Afghan partners who have shown that they are willing to fight and die for their country against al-Qaeda, the insurgents of various types and so forth,” he said. Petraeus also said, “The U.S’s presence did actually turn back the Taliban. “We are not going to permanently win this. Keep in mind, there’s a huge difference between Afghanistan and even Iraq when we did the surge there. You can’t pressure the leaders of the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and
even some of the other insurgent groups, because they’re out of our reach. They’re in sanctuaries inside Pakistan.” “And, indeed, there should be a regional effort there to try to get our Pakistani partners to do more to deny this sanctuary to those elements that are making life so difficult for Afghans and the Afghan government,” he said. He also stated that, “The U.S’s national security team is currently working on its strategy for Afghanistan and I do think you can anticipate an integrated strategy.” “Again, the troops are just a part of this. They’re an important part, because, without them, without halting the erosion of security that has characterized Afghanistan over the last year or more, then you’re going to have a serious problem on your hands,” he said. This comes after reports emerged Fr iday that the Pentagon plans to send almost 4,000 additional U.S troops to Afghanistan. A U.S official said on Thursday that more troops would be sent and the decision could be announced as soon as next week. Last week, the U.S Defense Secretary James Mattis said in a statement that the United States “will not repeat the mistakes of the past” and in
Record 65.6 million people displaced worldwide: UN GENEVA—Devastating conflicts, violence and persecution in places like Syria and South Sudan had left a record 65.6 million people uprooted from their homes by the end of 2016, the UN said yesterday. That number marks a jump of just 300,000 from the end of 2015, but is more than six million higher than at the end of 2014. This is “the highest figure since we started recording these figures,” UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi told reporters ahead of the report launch. “By any measure, this is an unacceptable number, and it speaks louder than ever to the need for solidarity and common purpose in preventing and resolving crises,” he said. The figures released ahead of World Refugee Day showed that a full 10.3 million of the
world’s displaced people fled their homes last year alone, including 3.4 million who crossed international borders to become refugees. “This equates to one person becoming displaced every three seconds -- less than the time it takes to read this sentence,” UNHCR pointed out in a statement. Most people who have been forced from their homes flee within their own country, and are defined as internally displaced people, or IDPs. At the end of 2016, there were some 40.3 million IDPs in the world, down slightly from 40.8 million a year earlier, with Syria, Iraq and Colombia accounting for the greatest numbers. Another 22.5 million people -half of them children -- were registered as refugees last year, the UNHCR report showed,
pointing out that this is “the highest level ever recorded”. Syria’s six-year conflict alone has sent more than 5.5 million people seeking safety in other countries, including 825,000 last year alone, making it the world’s biggest producer of refugees. Along with the 6.3 million Syrians displaced inside the country, these numbers show that a nearly two thirds of all Syrians have been forced from their homes, the report said. As the Syrian civil war rages on, desperately needed funding for humanitarian aid in the country has begun to dwindle, Grandi said, lamenting that very little of the billions promised at an international donor’s conference in Brussels in April had so far materialised.
setting new troop levels, its military will have greater agility in conducting operations in Afghanistan. “This administration will not repeat the mistakes of the past. We cannot allow Afghanistan to once again become a launching point for attacks on our homeland or on our allies,” he said.
China has offered to bring Diamer-Bhasha Dam project under the umbrella of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This was informed at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms in Islamabad on Monday. Chairman WAPDA Muzamil Hussain told the
committee that the project has been pending since long, as Asian Development Bank has declined to fund it, raising objection on its location. He informed that currently, no mega hydro-power project is included in CPEC, therefore governments of both Pakistan and China are seriously mulling over including this project in
CPEC. Chairman WAPDA said other hydro-power projects including Neelum Jehlum and Tarbela extension would be completed by May next year which would provide additional 2500 MW electricity. He said work on Dasu project would be started next month, and completed by 2022.
Pakistan to be one of top three teams by 2019 WC Former Twenty Skipper Shahid Afridi believes Pakistan has the ability to develop into one of the top three teams by the time the 2019 World Cup to be played in England. Pakistan thumped defending champions India by 180 runs to clinch their maiden ICC Champions Trophy title on Sunday. “This squad is built around exciting young talent and has an astute and
passionate leader in Sarfraz,” wrote Afridi in a column for the International Cricket Council (ICC). Afridi said the teams that might have taken Pakistan lightly in CT would never dare to repeat such a mistake again and whatever the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup may be like; Pakistan will be a serious contender for the trophy,” he said.