FARUKH SHEHZAD

With the launch of Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) many smartphone manufacturers have started contemplating the establishment of smartphone production plants in the country. With G-Five, Infinix and Tecno, among other companies, already manufacturing smartphones in the country more new entrants are expected in 2021.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo ranked at no.6 in the world in regards to the global market share has already decided to establish a smartphone manufacturing facility in Pakistan. In this regard the Federal Minister for Industries & Production tweeted “International smartphone brand VIVO has decided to establish a smart phone manufacturing facility in Pakistan. Land purchased.” According to sources Vivo will invest around $10 million in Pakistan for building a production facility which is planned to be established at M3 Industrial Estate.

Samsung, Oppo, Realme, TCL, Huawei and many other manufacturers are in the process of establishing local plants in the country looking for possibilities. To be fair a smartphone manufacturing facility needs high-tech labour force and special tech-oriented environment which currently does not exist in Pakistan and needs to be developed from the grassroots level.

It is a time taking process but one which, once developed, will help save million for the national exchequer in the long term. Local mobile manufacturing has the potential of creating 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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Raja Furqan Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: Former Senator Javed Jabbar has said that Pakistan is the only country in the South Asian region which challenges and deter the Indian hegemony.

He was speaking in a webinar organized by Muslim Youth University (MYU), International Relations department titled “Revitalization of Two Nation Theory from perspective of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”

Jabbar said that many people believe that the two-nation theory ended with the creation of Bangladesh, something he could not agree with. Bangladeshis rejected the state of Pakistan, not the concept of a Muslim nation. They are still proud and committed Muslims, he said.

He further added that the Two-Nation theory becomes the two Nation three-state. We still have two nations in the subcontinent if religion is considered to be one of the criteria for defining a nation.

“Pakistan should aim to become the Israel of South Asia, in the best, not the worst sense,” the former senator said.

He said the Pakistani nation is ethnically diverse and that was its strength. History and civilization bound together with the people of Pakistan regardless of their caste, colour, ethnicity and religion.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, vice-chancellor Muslim Youth University Dr Syed Tahir Hijazi welcomed the distinguished speaker, laying out the agenda for the discussion.

While presenting the Vote of thanks and concluding remarks Dr Muhammad Munir, Head of Department International Relations thanks the guest speaker for sharing their opinion.

It was attended by more than 100 participants from civil society, media professionals, academia, international organisations and students.

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COURTESY daily spokesman

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Samsung has launched its first entry-level Smartphone of 2021 dubbed the Samsung Galaxy M02s in India. It comes with a huge battery and triple sensor rear camera setup.

Design and Display

The smartphone comes with a Galaxy S20-like camera bump and a geometric design at the back. It is built around a 6.5-inch LCD with HD+ (720p) resolution, 270 PPI pixel density, and an 81.8% screen-to-body ratio.

Internals and Storage

Internally, the smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 450 chipset which is an almost three years old chip built on a 14 nm process. The SoC is topped with 3 GB or 4 GB RAM and 32 GB or 64 GB expandable onboard storage.

The Samsung Galaxy M02s features a dual-SIM slot with dual 4G VoLTE support, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and an FM radio. It runs Samsung One on top of Android 10.

Cameras

The handset sports a triple sensor rear camera setup with a 13 MP main sensor, and two 2 MP sensors for macro and depth. For selfies, it is equipped with a 5 MP single sensor shooter.

Battery and Pricing

The whole package is fueled by a 5000 mAh battery backed with 15W fast charging. The launch date and pricing will be announced soon.

Specifications

• CPU: Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
• GPU: Adreno 506
• Chipset: Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (14 nm)
• OS: Android 10, Samsung One
• Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE,
• Display:
  • LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 6.5 inches, 720 x 1600 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio
• Memory:
  • RAM: 3 GB, 4 GB
  • Internal: 32 GB, 64 GB
• Camera
  • Primary: 13 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP
  • Selfie: 2 MP
• Connectivity: LTE, USB type-C, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0,
• Fingerprint scanner: N/A
• Battery: 5000 mAh (15W charging)
• Price: N/A

Baghdad, JAN 7 - An Iraqi court on Thursday issued a national arrest warrant against incumbent US President Donald Trump in the investigation into the killing of Abu Mehdi al-Mouhandis, the powerful commander of pro-Iran forces in Iraq, killed last year along with Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, informs Agerpres, which quotes FP.

In June 2020, Iran issued an arrest warrant and demanded a "red notification" to Interpol on Trump's behalf for the assassination of General Soleimani, a procedure that has not been successful so far.

The drone that sprayed the vehicles in which the two were on January 3, 2020, at Baghdad airport, took off at the order of Trump, who expressed his satisfaction after a few days about the fact that two people were removed from a fire.

Soleimani, Donald Trump accused, "said that 'we will attack your country, we will kill your people'". "And then I said, 'How long do we have to hear this shit?'" President Trump continued to justify the killings, described as "illegal" and "arbitrary" by Agnes Callamard, the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.

The Baghdad Eastern District Court in Roussafa has "decided to issue an arrest warrant against US President Donald Trump under Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code," a judicial statement said. This article provides for the death penalty for any premeditated homicide.

The tribunal assured that it had completed the preliminary investigation, but that "investigations are continuing to expose other perpetrators of this crime, whether they are Iraqis or foreigners."

For a year now, pro-Iranian forces in Iraq have not stopped accusing Iraqi Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi, then head of the intelligence services, of complicity in these assassinations, AFP notes.

With the festivities commemorating one year since their deaths, Iraq's political climate, already tense in the run-up to the June legislative elections, has become even harsher. Pro-Iran media promise "names soon", while several senior politicians have accused each other in recent televised interviews.

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COURTESY universul.net

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WhatsApp has updates its Terms and Privacy Policy for users around the globe. 

“WhatsApp is globally announcing new Terms of Service, on WhatsApp for iOS and Android (beta and stable versions) TODAY!” shared WABetaInfo on Twitter.

Among the updates, the messaging service has updated its terms regarding the data of users.

The other key update is on how businesses can use Facebook-hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats.

The terms of service also give a detailed insight to users how WhatsApp is partnering with its parent company, Facebook.

Reports suggest that the updated privacy policy and terms of service will come into effect from February 8.

Users that accept the terms and services will be allowed to continue using the app but those who opt out will be barred from using it.

The rollout of the new terms of service comes two days after the instant messaging app introduced a Beta update for Android for the first time in 2021.

According to WABetainfo, the updated version 2.21.1.1 has been uploaded onto the Google Play Beta Program.

The portal said that WhatsApp has started asking some of its users to begin accepting the new terms of services.

“Accepting these new terms won’t change your WhatsApp experience: your chats, messages, calls and status updates are still end-to-end encrypted,” the portal said.

Multi-device use

Moreover, an important update that, according to WABetainfo, is not available to all users at the moment, is the multi-device feature.

This new feature will allow users to use WhatsApp on multiple devices without requiring an active internet connection on the main device.

“WhatsApp is considering the idea to offer a public beta for WhatsApp Web in order to let the user try the new experience to use WhatsApp without keeping your phone connected,” it said.

However, the official release date for the feature has not been released yet. 

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COURTESY THE NEWS

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Exclusive by Editor-in-Chief  ‘DN NEWS’

Farukh Shehzad

LALAMUSA / GUJRAT, JAN 4 (DN) -  ‘DN NEWS’ is one of the top ranking private media outlet in Pakistan operating over the past few months to deliver accurate news stories to its readers.

The titled of the project is “Career Opportunities for Youth”.

‘DN NEWS’ will upload latest job offers so that the people of Pakistan will be able to find their desired jobs by applying for it thru our website soon in the days to come.

‘DN NEWS’  taking this bold step to reduce the level of poverty in Pakistan and for providing accurate information about LATEST UPCOMING JOBS for helping job seekers in Pakistan.

‘DN NEWS’ has been committed and shall continue to play its part for Pakistani Youth in order to provide them a best platform on our website https://diplomaticnewspk.blogspot.com/.

So, visit our website and enter your E-Mail Address and hit the subscribe button and Get All The Latest Updates Specially about Career Opportunities which will be Delivered Straight Into Your Inbox For Free.=DN

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ISLAMABAD: On Jan 4, 2021, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad organized an Online Conference on, Pakistan-China-Iran: Trilateral Cooperation: Opportunities and Way Forward.

The conference aimed to examine the opportunities in trilateral cooperation, particularly the sphere of economic partnership. Moreover, the conference also highlighted the prospects of economic cooperation between Gwadar and Chabahar port in the region under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The conference was commenced with the welcome remarks from Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Senior Member Board of Advisors, CGSS & Professor, School of Politics & IR, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. He stated that it is a very timely initiative to organize this conference, there is huge potential in this cooperation and certain challenges as well, we must understand how to maximize the potential of triangular cooperation of Pakistan, Iran, and China.

His Excellency Mohammad Ali Husseini, Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan discussed Iran's vibrant Foreign Policy and relationship with China and Pakistan. He discussed Iran-Pakistan cooperation by emphasizing the neighborhood component and in the light of the commonalities of the relations. Discussing the bilateral relations, he stated that believes Pakistan is the gateway to Asia and Iran is the gateway to Europe. This has made cooperation inevitable for the two countries. Furthermore, Iran has resources and these resources can meet the needs of Pakistan and other friendly & countries. If Pakistan requires energy, Iran has rich resources. If Iran is a drought-stricken country that needs rice and agricultural products, Pakistan is a rich source of these products.

He also highlighted the development of economic and trade relations between these countries. Chabahar Port in Iran and Gwadar Port in Pakistan have great potential to strengthen the connection between both economies in the first place and all countries in the region in the second place. He emphasized that the BRI and CPEC are undoubtedly favorable platforms for the development of regional cooperation, especially for the three countries of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the People's Republic of China.

He concluded by announcing, that Iran is utilizing its full capacity to promote its ties with Pakistan in all spheres including trade and economic relations, and welcomes any idea and initiative to achieve this objective.

Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Senior Member Board of Advisors, CGSS & Professor, School of Politics & IR, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan discussed Challenges in the path of China-Iran-Pakistan Economic Development. He highlighted that a new realignment process between all three countries is reemerging. The 400-billion-dollar Chinese investment for the next 25 years reported in US media in the middle of 2020 is good news for Pakistan.

While discussing the domain of domestic challenges he stated that the three states have to keep in mind that there are big potential challenges for their international and economic progress as well as stability. The second important challenge is the law and order issue. Pakistan has also been affected by propaganda and subversive activities against the economic corridor through BLA. 

He emphasized that Pakistan, Iran, and China have to deal with how to counter these rival powers who are trying to disrupt this trilateral relationship.

Furthermore, Pakistan and Iran’s ports are very important for many countries in this region. The US propagated about the chain of pearls after Chinese infrastructure building was initiated in Gwadar, similarly, India can also be rightly blamed for many of such activities. He concluded by emphasizing that we have to work together for this trilateral cooperation and be aware of various challenges like the one posed by the US-India alliance. 

If these three countries work together, they can effectively counter and neutralize these challenges.

Mashallah Shakeri, Former Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan & Member, Institute for Political & International Studies (IPIS), Tehran, Iran discussed implications of China-Iran-Pakistan economic ties for the US Interests in the region. He stated that the Chinese leadership has overtaken the reigns of many international organizations during recent times.

China has also replaced Russia’s contentious position in the US foreign policy. He highlighted that the downward trend in the American economy will continue as their administration’s misbehavior in the last four years was a major issue. Discussing the BRI projects, he stated that China and Pakistan are engaged under the CPEC initiative under the Belt and Road projects. It is interesting to see that as many as 16 countries are to join this initiative.

In event of Iran-China cooperation, CPEC can take a new look. He discussed, that this is the time for Iran to join CPEC. The geostrategic position of Iran can add to the value of CPEC projects. Iranian oil and gas resources can go to China through this route. Furthermore, Iran’s geostrategic positions for countries like Turkey and Afghanistan can also play an important role in this regard.

Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, Member Board of Experts, CGSS & Regional Geopolitical Analyst discussed Iran's Economic Resurgence and Cooperation with China, countering the United States agenda of isolating Iran in the International system. He stated that it is indeed an important victory of China and Iran over Trump’s policies and US imperialism. It is also a great example of vibrant Iranian diplomacy. Furthermore, Iranian geography also opens new routes for BRI projects. Cooperation in naval development will neutralize and equalize naval issues in the region. He further stated that Iran has found a partner in the form of China which is strong enough in the east to counter the west.

He suggested, for further strengthening of bilateral cooperation, a new entry point with Gwadar between Iran and Pakistan has been initiated which is the second border crossing between both countries. Transcontinental railway project between Pakistan-Iran-China has also been agreed in the recent past. He concluded by suggesting that, we need to have collaborative efforts in the region to counter challenges imposed by the alliances of rival players in the region.

Prof. Deqiang Ji, Vice Dean, Institute for a Community with Shared Future, Communication University of China, Beijing, China discussed China's BRI and its significance for regional development. He highlighted that the Chinese leadership has continuously proposed working together and having a win-win relationship with all its partner countries. He discussed the importance of BRI projects for China and countries involved in it in the wider region. 

Moreover, he also emphasized that China has tried to avoid geopolitical tensions with different players and alliances working against it in the region. Discussing the bilateral ties of China and Iran, he stated that there can be better energy ties and initiatives for infrastructure building as the strategic location connecting both countries is very important. Highlighting the positive implications of BRI projects, he mentioned, regional connectivity and dialogue under the trilateral cooperation as well as multiple channels and dialogue initiatives for scholars and experts.

Prof. Wang Hu, Associate Professor, School for Southeast Asian Studies, Xiamen University, Siming-Xiamen, Fujian, China discussed, Prospects of China Pakistan and Iran Trilateral Partnership, Challenges, and Implications. He emphasized that relations between these countries can be established through a trilateral partnership by establishing collaboration. To achieve a real trilateral partnership, we must include civil society participation and broader partnership. 

He suggested that civil society organizations and various enterprises can help in effective grass root development. Discussing the trilateral partnership of Pakistan, China, and Iran, Both Pakistan and Iran have friendly relations with China which can be beneficial in many ways. He also mentioned that BRI projects are important to establish friendly contacts and people to people relations amongst partner countries.

Dr. Qudsia Akram, Assistant Professor, IR, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan discussed the Prospects of building cooperation and linkages between Gwadar and Chahbahar ports. She presented a detailed geographical overview of the Gwadar and Chabahar port. Discussing the concept of economic integration, she stated that it could be used as an instrument of foreign policy, where political considerations influence the choice of contracting partners. Gwadar and Chabahar present multiple opportunities for connectivity across the region. If geo-politics is isolated from geo-economics, then both ports could provide an impetus for growth for the entire region. Discussing the prospects of linkages and integration she emphasized that, diplomatic means should be utilized on all levels to achieve trilateral dialogues.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, Member Board of Experts, CGSS & Regional Geopolitical Analyst extended his gratitude to all the panelists. He praised the role of CGSS in initiating important dialogues as being an important institution in Pakistan to bring Pakistan, China, and Iran on the same platform.

The conference was moderated by Ms. Minahil Shawal Afridi, Research Executive, CGSS, and was attended by 100 participants from various fields. It was also viewed by more than 300 people on various social media networks through live stream.

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COURTESY cgss.com.pk

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Ottawa: Pakistan High Commissioner in Canada Raza Bashir Tarar has said that Pakistan and Canada enjoy good bilateral relations which will be further strengthened as the volume of trade and commerce between both the countries grows in coming years.

Talking to a local Canadian television, Raza Bashir Tarar said the private sector was playing a leading role in driving the trade and investment ties between both the countries and the ease in the travel restrictions likely after the COVID-19 pandemic was over, was likely to give a further boost to the bilateral trade and commerce.

He said the Pakistan High Commission had recently approached various premiers in Canada for enhancement of trade and the response had been quite positive so far. He said Pakistan was open for business and investment and any investment in Pakistan was fully secure. He said the Canadian businessmen could benefit from Pakistan’s geostrategic position and use it as a hub for the manufacturing of their products to be further sent to Central Asia and other parts in the region.

To a question, Raza Bashir Tarar urged the Pakistani community living in Canada and elsewhere in the world to rise above their group affinities and political loyalties to forge a strong sense of unity among them to be a strong player in the public and political life. He also advised the Pakistani community to reach out to and help each other as together they could overcome unusual challenges such as those posed by the COVID-19. He lauded the Canadian government for putting up a strong response in the wake of COVID-19 to help businesses to stay afloat despite closures and lockdowns.

To another question, the High Commissioner noted that Pakistan was not a pushover for any one and it enjoyed a special status in the comity of nations which had been further enhanced by a leading role Pakistan had played in the successful resolution of various regional and international issues since its inception.

He advised the fellow countrymen to shun their despondence and negativity built around the negative coverage Pakistan sometimes received in the international press but such situations had been faced by other countries as well, and a confident approach backed by a strong association with the historical and cultural moorings of the country, could help the Pakistanis to forge ahead and play a constructive role in whatever situations and conditions they found themselves at different places in the world.

During the interview, the High Commissioner also reflected on the role of civil servants in the development of nation building and the changing nature of public policy and diplomacy and the challenges it had spawned in today’s world.

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COURTESY DAILY SPOKESMAN

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 5 - Higher Education Commission has invited Pakistani researchers and scholars to submit applications for HEC Research Awards 2021.

The awards aim to recognize and reward excellence in research and promote publications with higher impact.

According to details, the 2021 awards will be given in the following three categories:

• Best researcher
• Best young researcher
• Best publication

The winners of the first two categories will receive a cash prize of Rs. 0.5 million each while Rs. 1 million will be given to the winner of the last category.

Moreover, the awards will be given across the following three broad disciplinary domains:

• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Law, Education, Management, or Public Policy
• Physical Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Computer Science, Statistics, or Mathematics
• Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Agriculture, or Veterinary Sciences

RAWALPINDI, JAN 5 - Pakistan Army's top officials attended the  238th Corps Commanders' Conference, held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. 

The conference was chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to Geo News, during the meeting, the military's top brass reviewed the regional and domestic security environment of the country, with a special focus on the situation along the borders, internal security, and other professional matters of the Army.

 Military leaders said that "terrorists and their abettors" seeking to harm peace and stability in Pakistan "will be defeated at all costs".

The forum also noted that the "defeat of complete threat spectrum is only possible through a comprehensive national effort, where all segments of the society play their rightful role".

Speaking about Kashmir's Right to Self-Determination Day, which is commemorated on January 5 every year, the forum expressed solidarity with the resilient and brave people of Kashmir and vowed to stand with them until the realisation of their just cause in accordance with their aspirations and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the ISPR statement said.

"Decades of atrocities committed by the Indian Occupation Forces have failed to suppress Kashmiris' ever-strengthening freedom struggle, the statement read. "Determined Kashmiris shall succeed, InshaAllah."

The forum also expressed its satisfaction over the positive developments in the Afghan Peace Process and efforts made for regional peace and stability.

The Corps Commanders present at the conference also shed light on the ongoing security situation along the Line of Control (LoC), the Working Boundary, and the Eastern Border.

"Training and professional pursuits must remain our prime focus to enhance operational preparedness and thwart any possible misadventure," the forum said, according to the statement.

Read more: Two Pakistan Army soldiers martyred as Indian troops initiate firing along LoC

Gen Bajwa said that the "highest standards of capability and maintaining a cutting edge at all levels is vital to meeting all the challenges in tandem with other elements of national power."

According to the statement, the forum also voiced its respect and appreciation for all those who are putting their lives at stake while fighting against COVID-19. 

Participants of the conference also paid a special tribute to all the martyrs and their families for their supreme sacrifices rendered for a peaceful and secure Pakistan. The recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan were discussed and soldiers who embraced martyrdom during the incidents were remembered.

"The sacrifices of Pakistani soldiers will not go to waste," Gen Bajwa said, adding that "terrorists and their abettors will be defeated at all costs."

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COURTESY THE NEWS

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