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NAWAZ 4.0: PAKISTAN ARMY’S NEW SAFE BET

Analysts are unanimous in noting that Nawaz lowered his attacks on the military that he launched from his London exile two years ago … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem

The return of thrice-prime minister Nawaz Sharif from his self-imposed exile after four years may be part of the plans of the military-civil ‘establishment’ to facilitate his return to power after the elections, analysts watching Pakistan say.


If he does win the elections, the army may retain control of some key parts of the governance – mainly the relations with the United States, China and Saudi Arabia, the nuclear policy and India, the last including the Kashmir dispute.


Nawaz is seen as having purchased his peace with the military that he had defied thrice before – and paid for it by being deposed from power. The fourth tenure, as a report in Dawn newspaper – adroitly credited to an unnamed leader of Nawaz’s party – would be one wherein Nawaz, now 73 and supposedly ailing, would require him to ponder over what kind of political legacy he will leave behind.


The newspaper’s editorial comment on the day Nawaz returned was one of scorn towards the supposed ‘deal’. It said that Nawaz was “on the wrong side of history” in that he was succumbing, yet again, to the might of the ‘establishment’ instead of defying it. This sentiment could be attributed either to the democratic ideals that most Pakistani politicians have sacrificed to the altar of power or to the sentiment that Nawaz is back in favour with the establishment, directly at the expense of his arch-rival, Imran Khan.  Khan retains a considerable support base among the middle classes and the intelligentsia.


Analysts are unanimous in noting that Nawaz lowered his attacks on the military that he launched from his London exile two years ago. “Homecoming humbles Nawaz’s stance on the establishment. Contrary to the previous hardline stance of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif against the establishment, the former prime minister has adopted a “neutral policy” to soften his stance on his homecoming, sources revealed to the Express Tribune (October 21, 2023).


In any case, Nawaz’s attacks were political in nature, even if directed against the then-army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa who was supposed to have engineered his ouster and facilitated Khan’s ascendance.


By contrast, Khan was seen as interfering with the army’s internal affairs like transfers and promotions. When ousted from power – even if that was ‘engineered’ by Gen. Bajwa – he launched a diatribe against the military and combined it with attacks on the United States, charging the Biden administration of hatching a ‘conspiracy’. This was more than what Pakistan’s military, among the most significant beneficiaries of American military and financial largess in Asia, could take.


Khan’s worst ‘offence’, however, was his men taking to the streets on May 9 and vandalising key military offices with the hope of polarizing the military top brass against the current army chief, General Asim Munir. Analysts say whether or not Khan ordered or encouraged these attacks as he is accused of, it was a humiliation the military cannot leave unpunished.


This explains Imran Khan being in jail with prospects of being there during the elections or being disqualified from contesting. This is also the time Pakistan is trying to mend its fences with the US that frayed during the months Khan conducted his campaign.


The Biden administration has paid little attention to Pakistan. With Afghanistan on the back-burner, the Biden team, embroiled in Ukraine and now in the Middle East, has little time for Pakistan.


Clear signals are emanating from the ‘establishment’ favouring Nawaz from the way the PPP of the Bhutto-Zardaris, on being ignored, have moved away from Nawaz’s party and are seeking “a level playing field”.


For now, the military has set its target of rehabilitating Nawaz with relief from various corruption cases – Azizia and Avenfield – but also on Toshakhana on which Nawaz faces charges identical to Khan. Nawaz gets relief even as Khan remains in jail on this count. As Dawn observed: “It has never seemed more obvious that neither Mr Sharif’s past conviction nor this sudden relief has much to do with the law.”
This apart, Nawaz used his first public outing in Lahore to send out two signals: that his family is united behind him and that he is not for retribution and revenge, be it the ‘establishment’ or his political rivals. He exuded subdued confidence, media reports said. This could only come from the tacit support of the powers that be.


Not having many options before it, come January elections, the Pakistan Army seems to have opted for a safer bet in Nawaz.

Categories
Sport Sports

ICC head paints grim picture of Test cricket

Head of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Greg Barclay on Saturday painted a grim picture of Test cricket, saying there will be fewer five-day games played annually, and that he doesn’t foresee women’s Tests to “be part of the landscape moving forward”.

Head of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Greg Barclay on Saturday painted a grim picture of Test cricket, saying there will be fewer five-day games played annually, and that he doesn’t foresee women’s Tests to “be part of the landscape moving forward”.

The New Zealander added that there’s precious little the cricket’s global governing body can do as ICC’s events and T20 leagues across the world crowd the calendar.

Barclay, who assumed charge of the ICC in 2020, admitted that with domestic tournaments, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to dominate the international calendar, bilateral cricket will get “squeezed” as a consequence, cricket.com.au quoted the BBC as saying.

“The single biggest issue that we’ve got in front of us now is we’re creating the cycle for the next eight years (and) just fitting everything that we’ve got into that into that calendar,” Barclay told BBC during the ongoing Test between England and New Zealand.

“And I think there’ll be some unfortunate consequences from a playing experience point of view and in a revenue generation perspective for some of these countries who just won’t get the amount of cricket that they will hope to have,” said Barclay.

The New Zealander also indicated that arranging series with the top-three cricket-playing nations — India, England and Australia — will get increasingly difficult with time.

“And they (cricket-playing countries outside the top-3) won’t get exposure against, particularly, India and to a lesser extent Australia and England,” he opined.

Barclay said that while he appreciated Test cricket’s legacy and history, he added that the longest format of the game was costing nations money.

“We’re fortunate in some respects that we’ve got other forms of the game that can help us sustain, particularly financially, Test cricket because, with the exception maybe of one or two series, it is effectively loss making for member boards,” Barclay said.

“It may well be that there’s less Test cricket, and some countries will just have to make room and play less Test cricket. Maybe some of those countries will have totally different long-form and short-form squads, and we can see that happening already.

“But I think also some of the smaller full members will have to accept that from a resourcing point of view that they’re just not going to be able to play the amount of Test cricket that they wanted to. So I think we’ll see a lessening of that, four or five Tests a year maybe. Whereas England, Australia, India, I think they’ll be playing Test cricket like they are now. It’s only one man’s opinion but I think that that’s how will it play out,” he was quoted as saying.

Categories
-Top News Business UK News

Sun Mark Shines At Gulfood

Lord Ranger paid tribute to all those who worked closely with him and how the success of Sun Mark was a result of a combination of customers, and suppliers and other service providers coming together to help each other to progress….reports Asian Lite News

London-based FMCG giant Sun Mark held its annual celebration dinner in Dubai during the Gulfood exhibition at the lavish Shangri-La Hotel. It was, as always, a glittering affair with esteemed guests mostly from the Middle East and South Asian region but with many flying in from as far away as the USA, Canada, Mauritius and with the array of guests resembling a gathering of the United Nations.

Sun Mark has been exhibiting at the Dubai Food Exhibition for over 10 years. Sun Mark as the pride of Britain is one of the largest exhibitors at the exhibition, showcasing not only Sun Mark brands but the best of British through its unique association with the leading British Brands, thereby being able to support its customers globally most competitively. The evening was hosted by Lord Rami Ranger CBE, chairman of Sun Mark group with the Chief Guest Dr Aman Puri, Counsel General for India to UAE.

The evening began with Mr. Harmeet (Sunny) Ahuja, CEO of Sun Mark, welcoming the guests. He expressed how he and his colleagues had missed meeting friends who they would otherwise see every year. He went on to share what the pandemic had meant to him and what he had seen a change in society but that he was very happy to see so many old friends again.

Lord Ranger paid tribute to all those who worked closely with him and how the success of Sun Mark was a result of a combination of customers, suppliers and other service providers coming together to help each other to progress. He thanked his team from Sun Mark for all of their efforts. He reminded his guests that with the right values anyone can succeed and told his own story and how it can inspire anyone to do the best they can.

Mr Paresh Rughani, the international motivational speaker, addressed the guests and shared his views on Lord Ranger’s inspirational leadership and how he has always emphasized the role of his family in his achievements; so much so that Paresh was thinking of writing a book about him.

Dr Aman Puri spoke about how has always worked closely with Lord Ranger; both when he was in the UK and even now in the UAE. He gave thanks to the Indian diaspora who are lifelong ambassadors for India. He gave thanks to Lord Ranger for all that he does for the Indian community wherever he goes in the world and is a shining role model for all Indians.

Sun Mark then recognised some of its regional partners and distributors in the region who had made a significant contribution to the growth and development of business in the region. They were Chief Joseph Ukeji, chairman of J.I. Ejison International; Mr Atif Majeed, of Super Asia Foods, Canada; Mr Mukesh Rajwani of Jaidev Stores, Sierra Leone and Mr Ashish Agarwal of Spicy World of USA.

The Vote of Thanks was given by Mr Mohnish Singh of Sun Mark who thanked Lord Rami Ranger CBE and Sun Mark UK and UAE team for making the evening possible and for bringing together such a myriad of people from all over the world.

Sun Mark is the only British company to have the accolade of being awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade for an unprecedented 5 consecutive years and is currently engaged in sales in over 130 countries and its reputation extends far and wide.

ALSO READ: LUFI Middle East & Africa Forum meet at Dubai Expo

Categories
Bollywood

Kangana spends time with family after recovering from Covid

Actress Kangana Ranaut shared a series of pictures with family members on Saturday. The actress, who has tested Covid 19 negative, is glad that she can now spend time with her close ones.

In the pictures she posted on Instagram, Kangana is seen hugging her mother, relaxing with sister Rangoli and spending time with her nephew and other family members. The actress also informed where she would be headed next in the caption.

“Most challenging during Covid was the isolation, it was lovely meeting friends and relatives today in Manali, going to meet grandmaa tom in Mandi,” she wrote.

On the work front, Kangana will be seen in the film “Thalaivi”. The film’s release was postponed due to the Covid outbreak. She is also part of the films “Tejas” and “Dhaakad”, and recently announced a film under her banner Manikarnika Films titled “Tiku Weds Sheru”.

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 Health

NHS Seeks More Community Volunteers

New call for more NHS Volunteer Responders to help neighbours through the pandemic. Volunteers are needed to support members of their communities with vital tasks such as grocery and prescription collection. NHS Volunteer Responders scheme is open to people at high risk from COVID-19 who are continuing to stay at home during the pandemic. People can register for support by calling 0808 196 3646. The line is open every day from 8am – 8pm …. Reports Asian Lite News

he NHS and Royal Voluntary Service are calling for more NHS Volunteer Responders to support their community with essential tasks. The volunteers help people who are continuing to keep contact with others to a minimum because they have other health conditions which make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

NHS Volunteer Responders provide support with lifts to medical appointments, collecting shopping, medication or other essentials, and by making ‘check in and chat’ calls to people who would enjoy regular phone contact and friendly conversation.

Despite lockdown easing, those with underlying health conditions such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma will continue to minimise their exposure to COVID-19 and each volunteer who steps forward is helping to keep people in the community safe.

The GoodSAM app puts volunteers in touch with people needing help. NHS Volunteer Responders now encourages volunteers to add all the languages they speak to their GoodSAM profile so they can be matched with people who would prefer to talk to a volunteer in one of those languages. The programme currently has volunteers who speak English, Guajarati, Hindustani, Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi.

 “It’s fantastic that the GoodSAM app enables people to input the languages they speak. It means that we can connect with people from all communities across the country and ensure that everyone who needs help is able to access it,” said Mark Wilson, Co-founder at GoodSAM.

To apply to become an NHS Volunteer Responder, visit the NHS Volunteer Responders website . If you need support from the volunteers you can register by calling 0808 196 3646 (open 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week). Volunteer support is also available to people who are self-isolating because they or a member of their household have COVID-19 (excluding patient transport).

Rebecca Kennelly MBE, Director of Volunteering for Royal Voluntary Service said: “The way that volunteers have stepped forward during the pandemic has been nothing short of amazing. Volunteering has brought people together over the last year in amazing ways, I would like to thank everyone who has stepped up to support the NHS and their community this year.”

Since the programme’s launch in March 2020, around 400,000 on-duty NHS Volunteer Responders have played a vital role in keeping people safe and have now completed more than 1.7 million tasks.

Those who apply will have the opportunity to support their community with six roles:

  • Community Response volunteer: to collect and deliver shopping, medication or other essential supplies.
    • Community Response Plus volunteer: to collect and deliver shopping, medication or other essential supplies for people with learning disabilities and other conditions
    • Patient Transport volunteer: to give lifts by car to patients who are medically fit to attend routine medical appointments.
    • NHS Transport volunteer: to transport supplies between NHS sites, and make medication deliveries.
    • Check in and Chat volunteer: to provide telephone support to people who would enjoy regular phone contact and friendly conversation.
    • Check In and Chat Plus volunteer: this is a peer-support role, provided by responders who are at risk from COV~ID-19 themselves. Regular telephone support and a ‘listening ear’ is offered to people who are also at risk or experiencing challenges as a result of COVID-19.
    • Steward Volunteer volunteers help on site by guiding people to make sure the vaccination process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. They help ensure social distancing and identify people who need additional support. Recruitment to this role has been paused but you can register your interest for future vacancies. 

The scheme gets support from the community.  Mazhar Chafekar, 51, is an NHS Volunteer Responder from Birmingham and wanted to support her community. She said: “When I first heard about NHS Volunteer Responders, I believed that the role was just perfect for me. I signed up right at the start and I haven’t stopped since. It is such a positive way to engage with people and give back to my community in this difficult time. It’s very rewarding.”

Categories
Bollywood

Nick wants to have ‘many’ kids with Priyanka

American pop star Nick Jonas said he plans to have a big family with his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra. He also describes Priyanka as the most important piece of the puzzle in his life.

“It’s going to be a beautiful journey, and I hope for many, or whatever that is,” Nick said, while discussing children, in an interaction with eonline.com.

The singer, who married Priyanka in a Christian wedding and then a Hindu ceremony in 2018, still seems completely smitten by his wife.

“She is the most important piece of the puzzle, and it’s obviously something we hope happens, and god willing, it comes together. You know, whatever is right. We’re blessed to have each other and have a full heart for the future, I say, and things are out of your control. And the foundation of a couple is strong, and you’re excited about the possibility of that,” he said.

Categories
Bollywood

Swastika Mukherjee on her bond with Shamita Shetty, Mona Singh

Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee has opened up about her bond with co-actors Shamita Shetty and Mona Singh. She says she has made great friends on the sets of her new show, Black Widows.

“It was wonderful. We took a day to break the ice, but eventually we all looked forward to seeing each other. We chatted a lot on the set between takes. We met after work almost every day. The bonding that you see on screen turned into a larger bonding off-screen. I have made great friends, (and it is) not something that happens at this age,” Swastika said.

Swastika says Shamita and Mona are special and that she is very proud of them.

“They are special and I am very proud of them. When we work with a stellar cast, zeal builds up automatically and that’s exactly what happened while shooting Black Widows. Each and every person working in the sets was brimming with enthusiasm and energy. Post shoot we used to hang together, sing, dance, play games. We worked hard and we partied harder,” she said.

The show is a remake of a Nordic series of the same name. The story follows three best friends who are in abusive marriages, and whose lives are in for a twist when their husbands die suddenly.

The Hindi show is the eighth international remake following adaptations in Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, the Middle East, Mexico, Scandinavia and the Czech Republic.

Directed by Birsa Dasgupta, Black Widows also features Mona Singh, Shamita Shetty, Sharad Kelkar, Raima Sen, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Aamir Ali, and Sabyasachi Chakraborty among others. The show releases on the OTT platform Zee5.

Categories
Bollywood

Diana Penty is sure of what she won’t wear at her wedding

Actress Diana Penty is pretty sure about what she will not wear on her wedding day. She also gave a hint of where she would like her destination wedding to be held.

“Wedding outfits are absolutely stunning and gorgeous, but they are also so heavy. I have made a mental note to never wear something too heavy. It is definitely going to be something light, easy and comfortable. Comfort for me is everything because only then can I have a good time. I don’t want to be tugging at my outfit and, by the end of it, feel my body hurt because of how heavy it is! I really don’t want to be in that position!” Diana said.

She also expressed her desire to be surrounded by the mountains for her destination wedding, because her big day has to be held in a place filled with tranquillity.

“I haven’t really thought about it, but I generally love the mountains. They are beautiful, calm and therapeutic. It gives me a sense of peace. So, if I could just be surrounded by mountains with just a little nip in the air, I’d be happy,” said the actress.

Diana will next be seen in the upcoming film Shiddat, which also features Mohit Raina, Radhika Madan and Sunny Kaushal.

Categories
Bollywood

Diana Penty is sure of what she won’t wear at her wedding

Actress Diana Penty is pretty sure about what she will not wear on her wedding day. She also gave a hint of where she would like her destination wedding to be held.

“Wedding outfits are absolutely stunning and gorgeous, but they are also so heavy. I have made a mental note to never wear something too heavy. It is definitely going to be something light, easy and comfortable. Comfort for me is everything because only then can I have a good time. I don’t want to be tugging at my outfit and, by the end of it, feel my body hurt because of how heavy it is! I really don’t want to be in that position!” Diana said.

She also expressed her desire to be surrounded by the mountains for her destination wedding, because her big day has to be held in a place filled with tranquillity.

“I haven’t really thought about it, but I generally love the mountains. They are beautiful, calm and therapeutic. It gives me a sense of peace. So, if I could just be surrounded by mountains with just a little nip in the air, I’d be happy,” said the actress.

Diana will next be seen in the upcoming film Shiddat, which also features Mohit Raina, Radhika Madan and Sunny Kaushal.

Categories
Bollywood

Diana Penty is sure of what she won’t wear at her wedding

Actress Diana Penty is pretty sure about what she will not wear on her wedding day. She also gave a hint of where she would like her destination wedding to be held.

“Wedding outfits are absolutely stunning and gorgeous, but they are also so heavy. I have made a mental note to never wear something too heavy. It is definitely going to be something light, easy and comfortable. Comfort for me is everything because only then can I have a good time. I don’t want to be tugging at my outfit and, by the end of it, feel my body hurt because of how heavy it is! I really don’t want to be in that position!” Diana said.

She also expressed her desire to be surrounded by the mountains for her destination wedding, because her big day has to be held in a place filled with tranquillity.

“I haven’t really thought about it, but I generally love the mountains. They are beautiful, calm and therapeutic. It gives me a sense of peace. So, if I could just be surrounded by mountains with just a little nip in the air, I’d be happy,” said the actress.

Diana will next be seen in the upcoming film Shiddat, which also features Mohit Raina, Radhika Madan and Sunny Kaushal.