FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 17: An International Conference on “Significance of Regional Connectivity for Shared Prosperity: Opportunities and Prospects” was organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad. The aim of the Conference was to highlight the importance of regional integration between countries vis-à-vis socio-economic and cultural cooperation. Bahria University, Islamabad and Midas (Pvt) Limited were the collaborative partners for this Conference.

The Conference was well attended by the worthy Ambassadors of various countries to Pakistan and subject experts from Pakistan as well.

The Conference commenced by the remarks of Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad who explained the concept of the Conference. He discussed the significance of Central and South Asia connectivity. He stated that our aim is of connectivity with Eurasia and ASEAN countries. He thanked the worthy Ambassadors and the students of Bahria University for their contributions.

Prof. Dr. Adam Saud, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad in his welcomeremarks stated that regional connectivity is one of the most important themes and it is the future of the world. The future belongs to this region i.e., Asia and regional connectivity will bring development and prosperity for the whole region.

Mr. Ashfaq Ahmed Gondal, Former Federal Secretary of Information and Vice-President (Federal Region), CGSS in his opening remarks stated that connectivity and interdependence leads to independence of nations. Connectivity is the key and without that the regional issues cannot be resolved. Connectivity is important for peace and prosperity.

The Conference commenced with the speech of Atadjan Movlamov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan (Dean of Diplomatic Corps) who discussed Turkmenistan’s neutrality policy which is a roadmap for the regional peace & progress. He stated that Turkmenistan is an active member of international community and pays special attention to sustainable development. Turkmenistan is cooperating to combat global challenges. Turkmenistan focuses on development of energy sector for future development, energy security, consumption and transportation is basis of Turkmenistan’s energy sector. Turkmenistan does not only propose initiatives but also takes practical steps for their implementation. His Excellency stated that railway links and pipelines are being established to serve connectivity between different regions.

Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan discussed Kazakhstan inclusive foreign policy contours. He stated that connectivity is very important as COVID-19 has affected our economies and regional connectivity is the key to revive our economies and achieve the ultimate goal. Kazakhstan depends on natural resources. Kazakhstan pays special attention to development of communication and transportation routes. Kazakhstan has well developed infrastructure, corridors and railway links. Kazakhstan is willing to provide transit capabilities to Pakistan to enter European and Central Asian markets. Kazakhstan is an attractive country for air corridors development and it is important to develop favorable conditions for foreign investment.

Aybek Arif Usmanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan discussed the role of Uzbekistan in reinvigorating the phenomena of academic cooperation into regionalism. He stated that this era is of understanding and cooperation. The focus of our leaders is on confidence building measures, security and stability for economic integration between regional countries. These initiatives have consequently developed an era of trust and integration. South Asia is the first neighboring region of Central Asia and we all are a part of this development. Pakistan is considered as the main partner of Central Asia and is considered as the main hub to provide access for Central Asia to seaports of Karachi and Gwadar. He stated that our next step towards connectivity is the railway link coming from Uzbekistan to Kabul, Jalalabad and Peshawar.

Mr. Jawad Majid, President, Summit Bank highlighted economic potential of BRI and the opportunities for regional states. This century is about economic growth of South East Asia and Asia. Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is a transcontinental long-term policy and investment program which aims at infrastructure development and acceleration of the economic integration of countries along the route of historic Silk Road. The Initiative was unveiled in 2013.Central Asian states can benefit from broader cooperation on a common project like the BRI, which may help to reduce tensions and strengthen ties. As regional integration is still in a nascent state, BRI would offer a host of additional opportunities to bind the region more closely together.

H.E. Mr. Ulanbek Totuiaev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Pakistan discussed the role of Kyrgyz Republic in broader regional connectivity between Central & South Asia. He stated that the aim of Kyrgyzstan is to enhance partnership and increase people to people connectivity. Furthermore, Kyrgyz Republic envisions to increase cooperation with Pakistan and regional countries in energy sector. Kyrgyzstan offers and alternative trade route. Kyrgyzstan acts as a regional hub for Central and South Asia connectivity.

H. E. Mustafa Yurdakul, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Pakistan stated that Turkey has made billion dollars investment for the connectivity projects that also includes natural gas pipeline. Since 1980, Turkey has invested in connectivity through Europe and Asia because of Turkey’s significant geographical location. He also discussed the concept of Islamophobia and appreciated the steps of Prime Minister Imran Khan to promote religious stance.

H.E. Andrei Metelitsa, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Pakistan discussed Pakistan-Belarus bilateral relations. He stated that Pakistan and Belarus have signed agreements on regional connectivity including political agreement to facilitate trade and investment. His Excellency also highlighted the significance of Karachi and Gwadar port for regional connectivity. He stated CPEC and maritime route also holds great significance for regional connectivity. He stated that much part of middle east and south countries contain high resources of oil and gas.

Vice-Admiral Asif Humayon HI(M), (Retd), Former Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) presented speech on “Pakistan’s Maritime Assets: Opportunities under Gwadar Port and Opportunities for Regional Countries”. He stated that cooperation in aquaculture needs to be developed. Regarding the Afghan issue, he stated that peace is necessary for development in Central Asia and to entertain benefits from CPEC. Gwadar as part of CPEC can transform into a new Dubai.

H.E Adam M. Tugio, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Pakistan discussed economic prosperity through regional cooperation and the role of Pakistan, ASEAN and Indonesia. He stated that the focus of ASEAN countries is to work on negotiation through cooperation and regional agreements. He stated that it is also the responsibility of the Government, institutions and academia to play vital role in the promotion of regional cooperation. discussed the cooperation between Pakistan and ASEAN countries. He stated that 21st century is an era of international cooperation.

H. E Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan presented speech on “Vietnam's robust economic model: Prospects for cooperation with Pakistan and Role in ASEAN”. He discussed the Vietnam’s economic model. He stated that Vietnam’s aim is to promote integration and increase trade with the regional countries as economies rely on each other for mutual benefit and win-win situation for all. Vietnam is an active partner of many regional organizations. He also stated that ASEAN plays an important role in Asia and Vietnam is a proactive member of it.

Prof. Cem Karadeli, Senior International Relations Advisor, Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Research (ANKASAM), Ankara, Turkey presented speech (Online) on “Prospects for Pakistan-Turkey Think Tank Cooperation”. He discussed that Turkey and Pakistan are old friends Their historical, cultural and religious ties make this bond stronger. Pakistan and Turkey need to establish group of common practices and ANKASAM and CGSS can play a very important role in Think Tank cooperation.

Ambassador (p) Gheorghe Savuica, President and Founder, Romanian Institute for Europe-Asia Studies (IRSEA), Bucharest, Romania presented speech on “Regional Cooperation and Opportunities for Pakistan-Romania Academic Connectivity”. He discussed about the significance of regional cooperation and focused on the promotion of national interest and people-to-people connectivity. He also focused on cultural and academic cooperation. Discussing about Pakistan and Romania relations, he states that both are working for signing an MOU for cooperation.

Dr. Pek Chuen Khee, Dean, Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University and CEO, UCSI Poll Research Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia presented speech on “Enhanced Regional Integration: Exploring New Frontiers of Pakistan- Malaysia Cooperation”. He discussed the 17 sustainable development goals. He stated that the prime focus is on the economy, society and biosphere.

The Conference concluded by the speech of Rear Admiral Naveed Ahmed Rizvi (Retd), Director General, Bahira University, Islamabad. He stated that this conference is an opportunity for International Relations students to handle the challenges in the contemporary era. He stated that technology can play an important role for the connectivity. Bahria University have faculty development programs which can serve as the better solution for tomorrow problems. He thanks CGSS and Bahia university for 6 weeks internship program and organizing the conference. He said that the ambassadors offer a fresh perspective for the students for better future.

The Conference concluded with Certificate Distribution Ceremony for the interns, guest speakers who delivered lectures during the internship program, faculty members of Bahria University and the management of CGSS.

This Conference was organized to conclude the Six weeks On-Campus Internship Program for the Under-Grad Students of Bahria University which was organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad. The aim of this internship program was to familiarize the students of International Relations with the changing dynamics of the country and the region. The program ensures the exposure of students to the relevant institutions and individuals.

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LONDON, SEPT 17: The United Kingdom on Friday decided to take Pakistan off its "red list" for international travel after five months, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

Eight countries and territories, including Pakistan, Turkey and Maldives, will come off the travel red list at 4 am on Sept 22, he announced via Twitter.

In addition, testing was being made easier for travellers to the UK, Schapps said.

"From Oct 4, if you’re fully [vaccinated] you won't need a pre-departure test before arrival into England from a non-red country and from later in Oct, will be able to replace the day 2 PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow," he shared.

The secretary also announced that the UK was scrapping its "traffic light" system for international travel, according to which low-risk countries were rated green for quarantine-free travel, medium risk countries were rated amber, and red countries required arrivals to spend 10 days in isolation in a hotel.

From Oct 4, there would be a "simplified system" for international travel, he said. Under the new proposal, there would be a single red list while the rules would be simplified for all other countries, the secretary added.

The news regarding the lifting of the travel restrictions was also shared by British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner.

"Pleased to confirm Pakistan is off the red list. I know how difficult the last 5 months were for so many who rely on close links between the United Kingdom & Pakistan," he tweeted.

He said he was grateful to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, federal minister Asad Umar and the Pakistan health ministry "for their close collaboration".

Turner said the UK "will continue to work closely with Pakistan to ensure data sharing and safeguard public health in both countries".

"No one is safe until everyone is safe."

'Finally the right decision'

Reacting to the development, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, said: "Good to know finally the right decision [has been] taken to take Pakistan off red list."

Umar appreciated the UK High Commission for its support as well as British parliamentarians for "conveying facts about the Covid situation in Pakistan".

SAPM Dr Faisal Sultan termed the decision "great news" for travellers. He also appreciated the British high commissioner and UK government officials for engaging with Pakistani officials for "in-depth understanding of our epidemic response and systems as well as the ongoing sharing of data and information to enable disease security".

Pakistan was placed on the red list in early April and India followed on April 19 due to surging case numbers and the emergence of the Delta variant.

The decision was criticised by UK MPs who dubbed it "consciously and knowingly discriminatory". They also blasted the government for keeping Pakistan on the red list while promoting India to amber in its updated guidelines issued on Aug 4.

Last month, a group of 21 British lawmakers wrote a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, questioning why Pakistan had not yet been removed from the red list for travel and urging that it be promoted to the amber list "as soon as possible".

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Munaza Kazmi

Karachi, The largest and most populous city of Pakistan and second most populous among the world. Reasoning its strategic importance, the city of Karachi is known as capital of Sindh. Along this, the city is the major seaport and financial hub of Pakistan, due to its prime location, as it connects Pakistan coastline with the Arabian Sea; from where Pakistan do most of its trade, obviously this betrays the city’s importance.

With this however, the city is well known for its exotic beaches, delicious food and the beautiful heritage sites; beside business one can enjoy exploring the city with the open options of adventure, foodie and religious tourism.

Readers, you all must have heard that, “Karachinever sleeps” but let me tell you it sleeps and sleeps long during the most glorious times of the day; Mornings I mean…. So, don’t worry if you would find empty streets; people exist and exits in abundance.

My time started in Karachi in the current; September when my PIA flight for Gwadar cancelled, nevertheless I had planned of coming to Karachi but later, hence it was a totally unplanned trip.

What you would be feeling when upon landing at Jinnah International Airport, waiting for the delayed connecting flight you heard the announcement, “Sorry the flight is Cancelled” Disaster!!!

Well I really thank the management of Movenpick Hotel that they booked my room and arranged the pickup sooner.

The pickup took me straight to the hotel, in the mean while I watched the huge sparkling buildings; I wonder what it would be like watching the city from the top of them, the busy roads; yellow taxis, green blue colorful rickshaws, local food stalls: ummm must be yummy and beautiful locals. Let me tell you however I found Karachi more and less like Rawalpindi.

From downtown of the city through Shahrah-e-Faisal road I reached the hotel, where finally I took the breath of relief: whole day in transit from Islamabad to Karachi.

Next morning, I woke up whenmouzon calling for prayers, from the balcony of the hotel my view got blurred due to the morning mist, however outside there was lawn of some government building, serene green when mixing with white mist, it gives the viewer a feel of tranquility.

The breakfast started 6:30am on the poolside of the hotel, which was full of variety of tasty and delicious Continental, Chinese and Pakistani food, I took quiet a lot time in selecting and tasting the variety of food. Besides, it was quiet early for Karachi, hence I took pleasure in the luxury of stillness while sitting beside the pool, enjoying my food, with the romantic view of Swans and pretty pigeons flying here and there.

After the breakfast I wished to explore the city, but I was being told that I have to wait for hours as the city is sleeping. At last at 11:00am the driver took me for touring the city, you must hear about the jamming of roads due to traffic but luckily it was Friday; means lockdown, that was good as well as alarming since most of the tourist places and malls were closed.

However, my first stop was Jinnah’s tomb, the resting place of father of the nation besides it was my desire to see and talk to him, well reaching there I got to know of its closure, reasoning the preparations for 6^th September,Pakistan celebrates Defence Day on that particular date, however following my continued pleading the men in uniform never let me enter, which still hearts me, well I said him a goodbye later from the sky.

There were belongings of Jinnah and her beautiful little sister Fatima; I wonder he never allowed me to visit his resting place but am glad that he let me visit the place where he breathed, smiled and lived.

After, the clock was telling me of having lunch, hence for satisfying my hunger and giving my taste buds an exotic trip of flavors, I went to Burns Road, Karachi’s oldest and biggest food street. 

Although it bears no semblance to any street from the colonial era, the famous Burns Road derives its name from a British spy-doctor Mr James Burnes, who served the Raj in the first half of 19th century in Sindh. Where I found hundreds of people from different ethnic background buying and eating delicious food items.

Well, seriously I don’t know which the best food supplier would be however I liked a name in the crowd, “DilBaharDahiBaray” where I had a really nice ans spicy Dahi Chat and Dehli Rabri House, ohh the sweetest! And the bun kebab. Karachi is really fun for a foodie.

Next day first I went to pay visit to Abdullah Shah Gazi, the famous eighth-century Muslim mystic and Sufi, then to the beautiful Seaside where I watched the playful dance of waves, that I found much hospitable that they welcome its guests by kissing on feet. Later I went to the well-known Dolmen mall, where I took pleasure in collecting things for my next trip.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 17: Huawei Technologies Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. FusionSolar made their mark at the Solar Pakistan Exhibition held at local Hotel. They showcased products and solutions at the event to highlight their positioning of leading a Green Pakistan in this endeavor to empower a zero-carbon future.

At this Solar Pakistan Exhibition, the FusionSolar team signed 100+MWs of MOUs with leading and emerging EPC companies of Pakistan. 50 MW were signed with Ningbo Green Light Energy and the rest with Beyond Solar, Foton and Magnet.

The company chose this opportunity to award its partners for completing technical trainings and certification courses. Gifts and certificates were given to the first two engineers who passed the Huawei installer examinations, Mr. Saad Ahmad & Mr. Hussain Ibrahim. The candidates who received the certificates were from Renergy, Diwan and Uenery.

Ever since Huawei shipped its first solar inverters in 2013, the company has moved fast to become a leader in the global solar industry, climbing to the top spot in inverter shipments by 2015, gaining a reputation for rapid innovation.

This year, Huawei launched FusionSolar All-Scenario PV & Storage Solution, which offers the advantages of a “smart string” design, such as intelligence, modularity, multi-MPPT, high protection and so on, provides a completely new power electronics architecture, creating the world’s first Gemini ±1500V design. This architecture design can help to support larger sub-arrays and higher voltages, further reducing LCOE by up to 7%. It can even enhance the power grid and can also adapt to large-scale wind + solar + storage projects. It will redefine PV plant standards in various market segments.

About Huawei

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they're at home, in the office, or on the go.

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WASHINGTON, SEPT 16: US Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Tuesday that the Trump administration had enabled the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, as he vindicated Pakistan, which he said had released three top Taliban commanders on the then US government's request to push forward the Afghan peace process.

The senator, a Maryland Democrat who was born in Karachi, argued at the first senate hearing on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that it was in Pakistan’s interest to “prevent chaos and civil war” in its neighbourhood.

At Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, some Republican lawmakers blamed the Biden administration for the chaos — and the Taliban takeover — that followed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan last month.

Others — both Republicans and Democrats — also targeted Pakistan for its alleged support to the Afghan Taliban during the 20-year war.

Responding to these allegations, Senator Van Hollen engaged in a dialogue with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was the main witness.

“Is it not the fact that the Trump administration asked the Pakistani government to release three top Taliban commanders as part of that process?” he asked.

“That’s correct,” Blinken replied.

Van Hollen asked a number of questions from the secretary such as Abdul Ghani Baradar being one of those released to the US negotiators, not including the former Afghan government in the Doha talks and pressuring them to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners who were later involved in Kabul's takeover, to which Blinken responded: "That's correct."

The US senator also raised the agreement reached that said US forces would leave by May and would not be attacked but there was no such restriction on attacking Afghan forces, to which Blinken said he was correct.

“And so, we pick a date. We say to the Taliban you can attack Afghan forces and then we say, now let’s negotiate the future of Afghanistan. Isn’t the way it was set up when you walked in?” the senator asked. “That’s essentially, yes," Blinken replied.

“There is a saying in Afghanistan, partners have watches, we have the time. So, the Trump administration, with this negotiation, set it up perfectly for the Taliban. Greenlight to attack the Afghan forces. No discussions going forward," Van Hollen said.

Blinken responded: “I believe that’s accurate.”

Senator Van Hollen reminded Secretary Blinken that former President Donald Trump even criticised President Joe Biden for not withdrawing the forces by May, as agreed in the US-Taliban agreement.

He noted that the Biden administration now had both Pakistan and India on the table because the Afghan dispute could not be resolved without involving regional players.

“I think a number of those countries, at least Pakistan — like India, like the others — have an interest in preventing chaos and civil war in Afghanistan,” he added.

Then returning to Pakistan, he said: “Obviously, we asked them to release prisoners that they had locked up, Taliban prisoners. So, obviously, we have to keep an eye on the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) , [I] get that, but let's all work together to achieve the goal of a stable Afghanistan that protects the rights of its people.”

Referring to some lawmakers’ hostility towards both Pakistan and the Biden administration, he repeated what another senator, Jeanne Shaheen, said earlier: “The level of hypocrisy in this Congress is staggering.”

Secretary Blinken, however, said that the United States was aware of countries such as China, Russia and Pakistan that stand as "outliers" in the effort of resolving the situation in Afghanistan, adding, "that's something we'll be very vigilant about as well."

The committee’s chairman, Senator Bob Menendez, observed that the Taliban were now ruling over Afghanistan, so the international community will have to deal with it in some form.

“But let’s not kid ourselves. There’s no such thing as a reformed Taliban,” said Senator Menendez while urging the Senate to “reimpose sanctions that were waived during the [US-Taliban] negotiations and consider new measures to impose higher costs on the group and its leaders". But he also appealed for allowing life-saving humanitarian assistance to reach the most vulnerable.

“No country should be in a rush to unilaterally recognise this regime. Implore the administration to remain focused on Afghanistan,” he warned.

Senator James Risch, the senior Republican on the committee, said he believed the Biden administration wanted to normalise ties with the Taliban government, but warned that “this must not occur without extensive congressional consultations.”

Recalling that the committee’s chairman had called this “a difficult but important situation”, he added: “We also must understand Pakistan’s role in this entire matter.”

Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, was worried about the impact of the current situation on India. “India has to be looking at this, saying if the United States could have … Pakistan unravel its aims, what chance do they have confronting China?”

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ISLAMABAD, SEPT 15: WhatsApp is working on a number of new features for the chatting app. We will soon get extra security for our chat backups on WhatsApp thanks to end-to-end encryption for cloud backups. More recently, the renowned WABetaInfo has spotted another upcoming WhatsApp feature in a new beta build.

According to their report, WhatsApp will soon let you transcribe audio messages into text. The messages will be transcribed using speech recognition AI and the transformation will take place at the smartphone level only. Meaning none of the data will be sent to WhatsApp or saved by them.

Once a message is transcribed for the first time, it will be stored in the local WhatsApp database so it does not have to be converted every single time.

But of course, if you need to use this feature, you will have to give WhatsApp access to your phone’s AI engine responsible for voice recognition. This may be a cause for concern for people who support the total protection of personal data.

This will also help your phone company improve its speech recognition technology since the conversion data will be sent to OEMs to process requests.

This feature is still under development so there is no possible launch date in sight just yet.

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COURTESY propakistani

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Exclusive by Farukh Shehzad

Editor-in-Chief

A large number of Afghan women few days ago on September 11 gathered on the road that we fully support Taliban government and its policies.

During the gathering Afghan women had covered their body with complete hijab which was absolutely fantastic to watch for all Muslims.

It was a clear message from Afghan women for all those communities of the world that do not interfere in our Islamic rules as we are well aware of rights of women in Islam.

Also Read: Dozens of women rally in support of Taliban government in Kabul

Muslims from all over the world paid homage and appreciated Afghan women for their excellent demonstration in order to promote beautiful Islamic laws and supporting Taliban in today’s modern era where most of the nations are preferred  to follow western culture.

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• More people in rural areas expressed displeasure over Taliban rule compared to in urban centers
• Highest number of people rejoicing Taliban takeover was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 14: Around 55 percent Pakistanis were ‘happy’ the Taliban would be ruling Afghanistan, the results of a survey conducted by a leading Pakistani research firm showed on Tuesday, with the highest number of such respondents based in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

The study was released by Gilani Research Foundation (GRF) and carried out by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan (GGP), which is a local affiliate of Gallup International. 

It was carried out among a sample of 2,170 men and women in urban and rural areas of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces between August 13 and September 05.

The Taliban captured Kabul on August 15 and announced their interim government — an all-male cabinet — this month.

People from across Pakistan’s four provinces were asked the following question: “Some people are happy that the Taliban will now rule Afghanistan. Some are not happy about that. What is your opinion?” 

In response, 55 percent said they were happy, 25 percent said they were unhappy, 16 percent did not know and four percent did not respond, according to the survey.

More people from rural areas (28 percent) were unhappy about the Taliban now ruling Afghanistan as compared to those from urban areas (20 percent).

In Punjab, 54 percent cheered the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, 24 percent said they were displeased by it, 17 percent didn’t know and four percent didn’t answer the question.

Around 54 percent people surveyed in Sindh rejoiced the Taliban victory, 27 percent were unhappy with it, 14 percent didn’t know and five percent didn’t respond.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the highest number, 65 percent, were delighted over Taliban rule in Afghanistan, 18 percent were unhappy over it, 15 percent didn’t know and one percent didn’t answer the question.

Fifty-five percent people surveyed in Balochistan were happy over the same, 26 percent unhappy, 17 percent said they didn’t know and two percent did not respond.

In a gender-wise breakdown, it was found that 58 percent of men were happy about the Taliban now ruling Afghanistan as compared to women at 36 percent.

Sixty-eight percent of people above 50 years were happy about Taliban rule, compared to 52 percent under 30 years of age or 55 percent of those aged from 30 years to 50 years, according to the study.

The Taliban, known for their heavy-handed rule during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, have pledged a more “inclusive” brand of rule as US troops completed their chaotic pullout. But all the key positions in their interim government have gone to veteran players of the movement.

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COURTESY arabnews

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BAKU, SEPT 14: Three military prosecutor’s offices have been established in Azerbaijan’s territories liberated from the Armenian occupation, Colonel of Justice Mehdi Huseynzade, head of the department of control over the investigation in the military prosecutor’s offices under the Military Prosecutor’s Office, said on Tuesday.

Huseynzade noted that in accordance with the order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the creation of military prosecutor’s offices in the liberated territories, dated April 1, 2021, the Gubadly and Kalbajar military prosecutor’s offices were established. Besides, on the basis of the Karabakh military prosecutor’s office, the Aghdam military prosecutor’s office was formed.

Thus, the military prosecution bodies were created in all territories under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan.

“Due to the 30-year occupation of the Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, the military prosecution bodies, like other state bodies of Azerbaijan, were unable to function in these territories. Thanks to the historical victory achieved under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity,” he added.

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COURTESY ednews

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• 2 high-level meetings of regional and world powers will discuss issues of recognition, bilateral relations, cooperation with Taliban-led Afghanistan

Hence Moscow may not encourage the CSTO to extend support for “tacit military cooperation with the Northern Alliance, as was the case with the Panjshir leader Ahmad Shah Massoud” during 1996-2001, says Russian defense expert Shamil Gareev.

LAHORE, SEPT 13: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja on Monday became the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after being elected "unanimously and unopposed", according to a press release issued by the board.

A special meeting of the PCB's Board of Governors was held at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore to elect the cricketing body's 36th chairman.

Retired Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed conducted the election and presided over the special meeting.

“I am thankful to all of you for electing me as the PCB chairman and look forward to working with you to ensure Pakistan cricket continues to thrive and grow stronger, both on and off-the-field," Raja was quoted as telling the other board members in a PCB press release.

“One of my key focuses will be to help introduce in the Pakistan men’s cricket team the same culture, mindset, attitude and approach that once made Pakistan one of the most feared cricket playing nations.

As an organisation, we all need to get behind the national team and provide them the desired assistance and support so that they can produce that brand of cricket, which the fans also expect from them each time they step on to the field of play.

“Obviously, as a former cricketer, my other priority will be to look into the welfare of our past and present cricketers. The game has and will always be about the cricketers and, as such, they deserve more recognition and respect from their parent institution.”

The newly elected PCB chairman is expected to address a news conference later today (Monday).

Raja replaces Ehsan Mani, who completed his three-year tenure last month.

Ramiz and Asad Ali Khan were the two nominees of PCB’s patron-in-chief Prime Minister Imran Khan.

When he was in the opposition, PM Imran was against the policy of the PCB chairman being a prime minister's nominee. However, he nominated Mani as the chairman, and followed the same policy this time round by picking Asad and Ramiz.

Interestingly, Asad was also nominated last time along with Mani.

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