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-Top News PAKISTAN

Looming US sanctions shake Pakistan

The bill tabled in the US Senate, which seeks to investigate Pakistan’s role with respect to the Afghan Taliban over the past 20 years was the main reason behind the fall today, said expert…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan stocks fell nearly 3 per cent on Wednesday while the rupee dropped to a record low, as investors feared a US Senate bill that is seeking to impose sanctions on the Afghan Taliban could be extended to Pakistan, Dawn reported.

After only a day of breather, sellers were back in action, which was also triggered by anxiety regarding the rupee as the KSE-100 shed 908 points on Wednesday to close at 44,366.74, down 2 per cent.

While macro concerns continue to be on the minds of investors, Wednesday saw the rupee hitting its lowest ever at Rs 170.27 against the greenback, weighed down by high demand for the dollar and the situation in Afghanistan, analysts said.

Raza Jafri, executive director at Intermarket Securities, said a bill tabled in the US Senate, backed by 22 senators, which seeks to investigate Pakistan’s role with respect to the Afghan Taliban over the past 20 years was the main reason behind the fall today, the report said.

“If something is found, they plan to impose sanctions on Pakistan and that is a taboo word and it causes panic. The sentiment was already weak and then it caved in,” Jafri said.

But, according to Jafri, this was just an initial reaction and the chances of the bill actually getting passed are quite low, which is why the market did see some recovery after the early plunge on Wednesday.

Samiullah Tariq, head of research and development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Pvt Ltd, had similar comments on the development, saying that the plunge appeared to be related to the US Senate bill seeking to impose sanctions on the Afghan Taliban and which could extend to Pakistan.

“Dollar parity is consistently rising as demand for the dollar is high due to the current account deficit, and the Afghan situation is also adding pressure,” he said.

ALSO READ: ‘Pak-Taliban ties will not be easy as hoped in Islamabad’

ALSO READ: ‘Unrecognised’ Taliban regime lands Pakistan in hot water

Categories
-Top News Business Food

Sajid Gets A Spicy Surprise

Mr Javid, one of the most influential politicians in the country, picked up his favourite choice from the Wanis lot – Tropical Sun’s Caribbean Hot Pepper Sauce!

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid lauds the contributions of the African & Caribbean community to Britain’s socio-cultural and business sectors.

The former chancellor also praised the entrepreneurship among Britain’s BAME communities. He was interacting with Paul Harrison, Head of Community, Wanis International Foods.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid picks up his hot choice – Tropical Sun’s Caribbean Hot Pepper Sauce!

Mr Javid, one of the most influential politicians in the country, picked up his favourite choice from the Wanis lot – Tropical Sun’s Caribbean Hot Pepper Sauce!

Mr Harrison shared his experiences with the health secretary as a successful entrepreneur and his association with NHS’ Heart to Heart Campaign.

He also briefed the former chancellor about the rise of Wanis as the No 1 wholesaler in the world foods (Ethnic) and the African & Caribbean community being the biggest consumers of Wanis.    

The meeting was organised by Nichola Richards MP at Lewisham Bar & Restaurant.

“We look forward to working with the government more closely, seeing how we can increase our support for the NHS,” Mr Harrison told Asian Lite after the meeting.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid with Paul Harrison, Head of Community, Wanis International Foods

READ MORE: Tropical Sun Fuels Ray of Hope

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-Top News Afghanistan

Taliban Triumph and Political Islam

Russian commentator Kiriil Semonov has noted, if international recognition is not forthcoming, the Taliban could use extremist groups to perpetrate violence in neighbouring countries, posing a particularly serious threat to the Central Asian republics, writes Talmiz Ahmad

Over several months before the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021, their spokespersons asserted that they were now a “new” Taliban–a Taliban who would be moderate in doctrine and accommodative of the country’s diversity. During the last six weeks, there have been few indications of change. On women’s education and employment, the Taliban have not yet taken a final view: though women at present are not permitted access to higher education or employment, the door has not been finally closed on these claims.

In the broad area of ideology, there have been three developments: one, there are reports that numerous Salafi mosques and madrassas in 16 provinces have been shut down. Two, Taliban militants have committed themselves to conflict with the ISK, which the latter has cheerfully accepted.

Three, the Taliban have made no call for jihad or for attacks on western targets; in fact, the emergence of Taliban in power suggests the efficacy of dialogue with major powers. This is affirmed by the Taliban’s recent engagements with Russia and China, both of which have been important interlocutors for the nascent administration, despite being associated with abiding hostility to their domestic Muslim communities — the Uyghurs in China and the Chechens in Russia.

What implications does this have for Afghanistan emerging as the bastion of violent extremism?


The Taliban’s hostility to Salafi influences in Afghanistan and specifically the ISK would suggest that it is unlikely to provide sanctuary to jihadi groups and allow the country to become the playing field for extremist activity. In fact, the Hayat Tahreer al-Sham (HTS), the erstwhile Al Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat Nusra in Syria, has seen the value of re-inventing itself on the Taliban precedent — confine its activities to Syria, back Turkey and Russia in fighting extremist groups at Idlib, and seek international recognition and support as a legitimate opposition movement in Syria.

While HTS cadres have welcomed the Taliban’s success, their leaders have cautioned that they view Afghanistan as a refuge for them as civilians and not as a base for violent attacks as the Taliban will not tolerate them.

The crucial issue is that of international recognition — like any liberation movement that has come to power after prolonged struggle, the Taliban would like broad international acceptance. Failure in this regard could have serious consequences: as Russian commentator Kiriil Semonov has noted, if international recognition is not forthcoming, the Taliban could use extremist groups to perpetrate violence in neighbouring countries, posing a particularly serious threat to the Central Asian republics.

The success of the Taliban in Afghanistan is thus a victory for freedom from foreign occupation, but it is not yet a triumph for representative governance. Developments over the next few months will tell us in which direction that country will move.

Outlook for political Islam: Today, in West Asia, neither jihad nor the Brotherhood have the state sponsors they had earlier. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that, besides Pakistan, had been the only countries to recognise the “emirate” at Kandahar, now espouse moderate Islam; neither has shown any enthusiasm for the Taliban victory in Kabul. The UAE has given sanctuary to former president Ashraf Ghani, while the kingdom has called for an “inclusive” government in Kabul.

A Saudi commentator has said Saudi Arabia would like to see an Afghanistan that is not driven by extremist religious ideology. It now only views the country through the prism of its geopolitical competition with Iran and is expected to work with Pakistan to stem Iranian influence rather than back extremist ideological politics in that country

Again, Turkey and Qatar, both champions of Brotherhood-affiliated political Islam, are shaping fresh ideological approaches. Both have called for an inclusive government in Kabul; in fact, Turkey has made its management of Kabul airport conditional on the fulfilment of this requirement.

Turkey has also been similarly cautious in its criticism of the Tunisian president’s attack on Ennahda, despite close ties of the AKP with its ideological partner. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has remained silent, in contrast with the rallies he had personally led when President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt was ousted. Turkish spokespersons have merely described events in Tunisia as “worrisome”, “illegitimate” and a source of “deep concern”.

Turkey’s low-key responses reflect its interest to revive its ties with Egypt and Saudi Arabia and promote a new political order in Libya in cooperation with Egypt. A commentator has noted that Turkey will sacrifice the Brotherhood to appease Cairo and Riyadh “in the hopes of securing new friends in the region”.

In an ironical twist, Saudi Arabia is also reviewing its ties with the Brotherhood-affiliated Al-Islah party in Yemen. Contrary to its traditional hostility to the Brotherhood and its off-shoots, the kingdom has maintained close relations with the Al-Islah for several decades and has in recent years used the party in its fight against the Houthis. This is an opportunistic alliance as the two sides differ on important matters: Al-Islah rejects the sectarian approach of the Saudis and supports a united Yemen made up of all its diverse groups and ideologies.

These differences have come to the fore in recent months: Saudi Arabia has voiced strong criticisms of Al-Islah as an Islamist organisation. The kingdom’s clerics have called it a “terrorist” organisation and accused it of “sedition, wreaking havoc, committing violence and terrorism”. Al-Islah member and Nobel laureate, Tawakkol Karman, has responded sharply by calling the Saudi clerics “hypocrites for bin Salman and his shoe polishers”, pointing out that the Brotherhood is struggling for freedom, and that Saudi Arabia is “the mother and father of terrorism”. This divide has pushed Al-Islah closer to the Houthis.

These developments reflect a region in the throes of uncertainty as the US prepares to disengage from the region’s competitions and conflicts. But they certainly do not portend the demise of political Islam, even if its principal parties are experiencing pressure from authoritarian rulers.

Despite severe repression in Egypt, the Brotherhood remains resilient today largely due to the depth and spread of its leadership, the discipline and commitment of its members, and the free debate that is going on through social media on how the movement should face the current challenges and where it should affect major changes.

Ideas being discussed include: accommodation with the al-Sisi government; recourse to violent opposition; and even a shift away from Islam towards the adoption of a broader agenda that would include matters that concern the global South: issues of culture and identity; ethnic, communal and sectarian extremism; poverty, inequality and exploitation, and environmental degradation and food security, etc.

In order to understand the place of Islamism in West Asian affairs we should see it, not as movements with diverse expressions, but as a solid platform of resistance to authoritarian rule. The only relevant political issue in West Asian politics, as Peter Mandaville has learnt from Brotherhood activists, is whether one supports or opposes the authoritarian regime — Islam, he points out, “provides a culturally and politically permissible means of registering dissent”.

Recent developments in Tunisia and Morocco are setbacks in the struggle for popular participation in governance. However, given the persistence of authoritarian rule in the region, political Islam will remain for several years the principal and enduring instrument of resistance in West Asia.

(The author, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, holds the Ram Sathe Chair for International Studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune. This is the second and concluding part of his article. Views expressed are personal. The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: ‘Pak-Taliban ties will not be easy as hoped in Islamabad’

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan

Govt employees will get paid: Taliban

The Taliban are also working on a mechanism based on which they will pay the salaries of all the government employees…reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban announced that they had partly or completely paid salaries of staff in five ministries namely education, higher education, public health, finance, and the central bank, a media report said.

The Taliban are also working on a mechanism based on which they will pay the salaries of all the government employees, Khaama Press reported on Wednesday.

Abdul Salaam Hanafi, the Taliban’s acting deputy prime minister, said that they have established an exclusive commission to address the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The commission has allowed all the private banks in Afghanistan to conduct money transfers in order for the traders to access their money and import food ingredients and medicine, Hanafi said.

“We have created this exclusive commission so that we address the ongoing economic problem, a spike in prices, and preparation for the upcoming winter season.” Khaama Press quoted Hanafi as saying.

Calling on the US to release the country’s assets, Hanafi stressed that the money belongs to the people of Afghanistan, not to any government. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Pak-Taliban ties will not be easy as hoped in Islamabad’

Categories
-Top News PAKISTAN

As boys return to school, girls wait for Taliban orders

The Taliban’s spokesperson Bilal Karimi had said that the halt to the education of girls was due to the transportation. …reports Asian Lite News

After the Taliban takeover, this is the first week when boys have started going to school in Afghanistan, but the outfit is yet to announce a timeline when Afghan women can return to schools, a media report said.

Currently in Afghanistan, boys’ education continues, but it is unclear when — or if — girls too will be allowed to resume their education. The Taliban thus far have only allowed boys of all ages to return to school. Girls in sixth grade and under have returned, but only under strictly gender-segregated conditions. However, high schools are still firmly closed with no mention from the Ministry of Education regarding a reopening anytime soon, reported New York Post.

Director of information and culture for Kandahar province, Mawlawi Noor Ahmad Saeed, said: “Afghanistan is an Islamic country, women and girls should go to work and schools, but we face economic issues. We want girls to be separate from boys, and arranging that will take some time.”

“We have the facilities, but we don’t have the transport part. So the whole issue is about transport,” he added.

The Taliban’s spokesperson Bilal Karimi had said that the halt to the education of girls was due to the transportation. Karimi added that he is surveying every facility to ensure complete gender separation and then security, according to New York Post.

“First, we need to manage the transport and create a safe environment for the girls. For example, tens of gas poisonings have happened across the country to girls, where they have fallen asleep for hours,” Karimi said.

Girls were also prohibited from secondary education under the Taliban’s previous rule across Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Over the weekend, Kabul University’s nearly 70 teaching staff resigned in protest after the Taliban fired the doctorate-level vice-chancellor. The group replaced the chancellor with one of their own members who has had significantly less formal education, reported New York Post.

On Monday, the Taliban-appointed new chancellor barred women from the institution as either teachers or students.

But under the strict mandate of gender segregation, classes in various private institutions are open to all. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Pak-Taliban ties will not be easy as hoped in Islamabad’

Categories
-Top News PAKISTAN

‘Pak-Taliban ties will not be easy as hoped in Islamabad’

This assertion was made by Siegfried O. Wolf, Director of Research at the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), during a webinar titled ‘After Kabul’ on September 24. …reports Asian Lite News

After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the relations between the outfit and Pakistan will be not as easy as hoped in Islamabad and the Durand-Line will remain as a ‘severe issue of content’ between both countries, according to an expert.

This assertion was made by Siegfried O. Wolf, Director of Research at the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), during a webinar titled ‘After Kabul’ on September 24.

Wolf stated that considering the manifold support offered to the Taliban during the last two decades, Pakistan has reason to anticipate a friendly regime in Kabul.

“There are also reasons to believe that the relations between the Taliban government and Pakistan will be not as easy as hoped in Islamabad.” Wolf stated that the Durand-Line will remain as a ‘severe issue of content’ between both countries and added that the Afghan Taliban does not support Pakistani efforts fighting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

(Image Source ANI)

“The Haqqanis [a major component of the Afghan Taliban and traditionally close to Pakistan] seemed to have recalibrated their relations with Islamabad in favour of the TTP,” he added. According to Wolf, this could “energize anti-state militant extremists and bolster Pakistan’s ultra-conservative religious groups.”

Another expert Antonio Giustozzi, visiting Professor at King’s College London, described the Taliban as “essentially quite loose and federal in structure”. He argued that the leadership [foremost the Quetta Shura] rejected centralisation attempts and adopted a model which is ‘resilient’ and ‘adaptive’ to ‘manage the diversity among the Pashtuns’.

The “Taliban are designed to tolerate and to coexist with internal conflict”. “The Taliban, like in the past, are divided into groups, there are leaders and figures who are competing for influence, there are regional differences, but that does not imply that they are on the verge of collapse or splintering,” he said.

Meanwhile, another expert of the region James M Page highlighted that the rapidity (and shock) of the Taliban offensive that culminated, in its latter stages, in the fall of Kabul should not have come as a surprise.

“The collapse of ANDSF [Afghan National Defence and Security Forces] was not, as claimed by some, because they did not fight; there is considerable evidence that various factors were involved, from the withholding of crucial air support and contractors, to the undermining of the Afghan government through the US-Taliban Doha Deal.”

It is widely acknowledged that external support has been crucial for the Taliban offensive from Pakistan and other states. As political dynamics and relationships alter in the region, Page stated this has important implications for alliances, and issues such as Counterterrorism capabilities. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Border clashes with China will continue’

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-Top News China

China slams deportation of Chinese student from US

The embassy said the US’ action infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of the student and caused serious physical and mental damage to him and his family…reports Asian Lite News

China has opposed the interrogation and deportation of a Chinese student by the US officials at an airport in Texas, and has lodged solemn representations with the US.

This comes after a Chinese student was reportedly interrogated at the border entrance in Houston. After a probe that lasted for a few hours, the student was deported by the US, the Global Times reported citing the information from the Chinese embassy in the US.

The embassy said the US’ action infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of the student and caused serious physical and mental damage to him and his family.

Alleging serious violations of students’ human rights, the embassy complained that there have been a number of similar cases of arbitrary and harsh interrogations and even deportations of Chinese students by US officials.

The embassy added that “people-to-people exchanges are the social foundation of China-US relations. Chinese students in the US play a positive role in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.”

China urged the US side to honour its statement of welcoming Chinese students and asked them to stop “abusing” them by using national security.

Beijing and Washington have been at loggerheads over a slew of issues including trade, COVID-19, human rights issues and multiple groupings Quad and Aukus.(ANI)

ALSO READ: Pakistan pays interest for Chinese loans

Categories
-Top News China

China targets LGBTQ students

The social media swoop down came as a surprise because in recent times the Chinese government had left the LGBTQ community alone….reports Asian Lite News

In a series of crackdowns that included big tech firms, entertainment stars, business magnets, China is now targeting the LGBTQ community.

Fabien Baussart, writing in The Times of Israel said that China’s communist government is coming down heavily on the LGBTQ community, initiating measures to keep them under constant surveillance in a university and instructing broadcasters to stop using “effeminate men” in television programmes in order to promote “revolutionary culture”.

In a country where there is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships or marriage, the attempt of the Chinese Communist Party to gain control over the country’s education, culture and entertainment is ending up interfering in people’s private lives.

In the latest crackdown on entertainment programmes on television, the Chinese television regulator is heard saying, “resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal esthetics”. The insulting slang used for “effeminate men” is “niang pao”, literally, “girlie guns,” wrote Baussart.

The official concern is that television programmes are not encouraging China’s young men to be masculine enough, instead of copying, as some Chinese pop stars do, the sleek, girlish look of some South Korean and Japanese singers and actors.

“China has instituted stricter censorship of LGBTQ and related terms on social media. Earlier this summer, social media giant WeChat deleted the official accounts of over a dozen student-run LGBT groups,” echoed The Diplomat.

The social media swoop down came as a surprise because in recent times the Chinese government had left the LGBTQ community alone.

In July first week, WeChat, China’s most popular messaging app, shut down without notice scores of LGBTQ accounts operated by university students. It came as a shock because it was the biggest and coordinated censorship targeting the community in several years.

As per The Times of Israel, this was done in response to an event in China a few weeks ago. Soccer star Li Ying created history when she became the first woman sportsperson to come out openly as gay. She posted a series of photographs on social media, including some with her partner.

The post on Weibo went viral and suddenly without explanation, it was deleted. The soccer star has not posted anything ever since. The Chinese state media did not report the incident at all. There is no official reaction to date.

Worse things were in store for the community. The media has reported that Shanghai University, which has three campuses in the Chinese city, is preparing a list of “non-heterosexual” students and those belonging to “LGBTQ rainbow groups”, said Baussart.

Apart from denying several rights to them, the Chinese government has over time done things like equating homosexuality with violence and obscenity, censoring references on television, and promoting books referring to homosexuality as a mental illness, reported The Times of Israel.

It was only in 2001 that China removed homosexuality — decriminalized in 1997 — from its official list of mental disorders. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Pakistan pays interest for Chinese loans

Categories
-Top News PAKISTAN

Child sex abuses on the surge in Pakistan

The fresh report titled “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2021” by Sahil said that more than 10 children were subjected to sexual abuse on average every day between January and June …Reports Asian Lite News

Incidents of sexual abuse against children are surging in Pakistan with the child protection organisation Sahil stating that the abuse has increased by two children per day in comparison with last year’s January-June report, local media said.

The fresh report titled “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2021” by Sahil said that more than 10 children were subjected to sexual abuse on average every day between January and June, according to Geo News.

“This year, 81 daily national and regional newspapers were monitored during January-June 2021 to collect data on child sexual abuse, abduction, missing children, and the cases of early forced marriages,” the report said.

The report has data from all four provinces of Pakistan and it revealed that a total of 1,896 cases of child abuse were reported in the period.

Out of these, 1,084 cases were of sexual abuse against children, 523 were cases of abduction, 238 cases of missing children, and 51 cases of child marriages, reported Geo News.

Nearly 53% (1,013) of the victims were girls and (883) 47% were boys. Nearly 60% of the total cases were reported from Punjab and 6% from the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Since 1996, the child protection agency Sahil has been working on child protection, especially against child sexual abuse (CSA), according to Geo News. (ANI)

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Dubai EXPO 2020 UAE News

Expo 2020 opening ceremony to be streamed to 430 spots

Screens will be set up in locations ranging from airports and shopping malls to hotels and other landmarks, relaying the incredible music and cultural performances as they happen…reports Asian Lite News

Expo 2020 Dubai’s star-studded Opening Ceremony will be streamed live to more than 430 locations across the UAE, giving everyone the chance to participate in the mind-blowing spectacle, wherever they might be.

This will be followed a night later by three spectacular fireworks displays in Dubai, marking the first full day of the Expo in a spectacular visual celebration commemorating the journey from winning the bid in 2013 to opening the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region and the largest global event held since the start of the pandemic.

Registration open for Expo 2020 Dubai Run

On Thursday, 30 September, nation-wide Opening Ceremony viewing parties will take place across the country, thanking the nation for its support and inviting everyone to come together to celebrate this momentous occasion for Dubai, the UAE and the region as a whole.

Screens will be set up in locations ranging from airports and shopping malls to hotels and other landmarks, relaying the incredible music and cultural performances as they happen.

Viewers from anywhere in the world can also join the evening’s proceedings via a global live stream, available on virtualexpo.world

https://virtualexpo.world/ and Expo TV

http://www.expo2020.com/tv from 1930 GST onwards.

Among those slated to perform are world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli; Grammy-nominated, Golden-Globe-winning actress, singer and songwriter Andra Day; platinum-selling British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding; international mega-star pianist Lang Lang; and four-time Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo.

The incredible fireworks displays will take place on the evening of Friday 1 October, kicking off at 2020 GST, at Dubai Festival City, The Frame and The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, with each presenting their own unique celebrations. Both The Pointe and Dubai Festival City will incorporate their fountains into a dazzling light and sound show themed on Expo 2020, while The Frame façade will be lit up in Expo colours. The flags of participating countries will also be displayed at each, with booths on the ground for purchasing Expo 2020 tickets.

Expo 2020

The roster of streaming locations for the Opening Ceremony includes more than 240 hotels nation-wide, including Emaar’s Rove, Armani, Address Hotels & Resorts, and Vida Hotels & Resorts, as well as Accor, Marriot, Hilton, IHG, Rotana, Jumeirah, Hyatt International and Atlantis The Palm.

In addition, 17 Majid Al Futtaim malls, plus City Walk, Nakheel Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall, as well as 50 Jashanmal locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, 97 Mediclinics, Dubai and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Zabeel Ladies Club and Sharaf DG will also stream the experience.

ALSO READ: Influential women to be a part of Visions and Journey’s at Expo 2020

Expo 2020 Partners are also offering their invaluable support, with many, including Dulsco, Terminus Group, L’Oreal and Nissan, hosting Opening Ceremony viewing parties for their staff. Emirates, the Official Airline Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, will also stream proceedings across its first and business class lounges, both local and international.

Adding to the evening’s magic, viewings are taking place at various locations in Umm Al Quwain, Yas Plaza in Abu Dhabi and across various locations in Ras Al Khaimah, including the Corniche, Al Marjan Island and Manar Mall. Ajman Heritage District and Fujairah Fort will also host a live broadcast, the latter accompanied by an evening of other festivities that include a mini village, folklore bands, traditional crafts, heritage displays and traditional food.