The tombstone of the resistance front commander has previously been disrespectfully and hatefully destroyed by Taliban government fighters…reports Asian Lite News
The desecration of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s tombstone, the late commander of the Resistance Front in Panjshir, on Saturday has sparked reactions across Afghanistan.
The former government’s Supreme Council for National Reconciliation head, Abdullah Abdullah, responded angrily to the vandalism of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s gravestone by describing the offenders as “villainous and irresponsible,” reported Khaama Press.
Pictures that have been made public reveal that the recently restored headstone of the late resistance front leader has once more been desecrated and broken, with pieces scattered all over the place.
The tombstone of the resistance front commander has previously been disrespectfully and hatefully destroyed by Taliban government fighters.
Videos of Taliban dancing and stomping in Ahmad Shah Massoud’s tomb have been circulated throughout the past year, reported Khaama Press.
In response to the outrage and protests of the public, the Taliban restructured Massoud’s mausoleum, but recent reports indicate that the tomb has once more been damaged.
Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government, claimed that Taliban forces were not responsible for destroying Ahmad Shah Massoud’s tombstone, reported Khaama Press.
He dismissed the claims and stated that the rumours of the Taliban members desecrating the tombstone is untrue.
Ahmad Shah Massoud was one of the main leaders of Afghanistan’s anti-Soviet resistance in the 1980s and was assassinated on September 9, 2001, at the behest of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
When the Taliban took Kabul in 1996, then-President Burhanuddin Rabbani and Defence Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud and their allies retreated to northern Afghanistan.
They built a united front of anti-Taliban forces in the Panjshir Valley and launched a resistance.
The Northern Alliance played a critical part in the US-led attacks on the Taliban. India, Iran, and Russia also supported the province in resistance.
The tough terrain allowed Massoud to keep the Valley away from the Taliban. After 20 years, the Taliban recaptured Kabul almost all of Afghanistan except Panjshir.
The Taliban who has taken control of all of Afghanistan is facing tough resistance from the Panjshir province. Ahmad Massoud has been leading the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. He closely resembles his father in appearance and commands a militia in the valley. (ANI)
As part of the IFR, WPNS, and Malabar, Admiral Hari Kumar is also going to interact with his counterparts and other heads of delegation from around 30 nations…reports Asian Lite News
India’s Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar began a five-day official visit to Japan on Saturday.
While there, as a representative of the Indian Navy, he will attend the International Fleet Review (IFR) that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will hold at Yokosuka on November 6 to mark the 70th anniversary of its establishment, the Ministry of Defence said.
He will also participate in the 18th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), which will be hosted by Japan as the WPNS’s current Chair. This will take place in Yokohama on November 7-8, and he will represent the Indian Navy as it is one of the Observer Navies in the WPNS.
Additionally, he will be attending the inauguration of the 2022 edition of Exercise Malabar, which will be held at Yokosuka with the participation of Australia, Japan and the USA.
Exercise Malabar was first conducted in 1992, which makes thisedition special because this year will be commemorating its 30th anniversary.
As part of the IFR, WPNS, and Malabar, Admiral Hari Kumar is also going to interact with his counterparts and other heads of delegation from around 30 nations.
Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kamorta had arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on November 2 to take part in the IFR and Exercise Malabar 2022.
As per the official press release from the Ministry of Defence, CNS Hari Kumar’s visit to Japan demonstrates the importance of India’s support for and involvement in international engagements, as well as the high degree of bilateral defence interactions with Japan.
Despite the ongoing political impasse in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last year, 85 per cent of India’s total requirements for nuts and dry fruits are being sourced from Kabul…writes Mahua Venkatesh
India has prominently featured among the few countries that provided assistance to Kabul, since the withdrawal of the US troops in August last year. Aid from India in the form of food and medicine to Kabul has been continuously flowing since the beginning of this year. Flights between the two countries have also been resumed now.
Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay, who was appointed by the ousted Ashraf Ghani government told India Narrative that New Delhi, which shares a special chord with the Afghans, now needs to play a more important role in engaging with the Taliban and bring the latter to the negotiating table. He noted that India can emerge as the key peace negotiator for Afghanistan.
“Our expectation from India is that it utilises its influence and power to persuade the Taliban and the world to come to a negotiating table..the Taliban is here to stay but now there has to be a roadmap,” Mamundzay said.
The US-Taliban peace deal signed in Doha in early 2020 was based on four issues: reduction of violence, withdrawal of foreign troops, intra-Afghan negotiations, and guaranteeing that Afghanistan should not again become a refuge for terrorists.
While the US troops withdrew Afghanistan last year, the Taliban is yet to start intra Afghan negotiations. To adhere to the Doha accord, the Taliban would now need to fulfil the rest of the clauses.
Meanwhile, a large chunk of payment settlement for bilateral trade estimated at around $1 billion between India and Afghanistan is currently being routed through informal channels due to a paralysed banking system.
Despite the ongoing political impasse in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover last year, 85 per cent of India’s total requirements for nuts and dry fruits are being sourced from Kabul.
“But since there is no banking system in Afghanistan, the money does not come into the formal channel,” Mamundzay told India Narrative.
Besides dry fruits and nuts, fresh fruits, saffron and asafoetida or heeng imported from Afghanistan continue to dominate the Indian markets.
Most of the goods are being sourced through the Wagah border. Once the goods are brought into India through the Wagah border, they are then distributed to other cities which include Mumbai, Kolkata and even in the metros in southern India.
Mamundzay also said that India needs to look at issuing visas to the Afghan students who have been studying in India. Approximately 2500 Afghan students are stranded in Kabul due to visa issues. “We have been talking to the Indian government on this matter…we have urged the Indian authorities to at least allow the women stuedents to
Last month External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the delay in issuing visas to the students was due to certain logistical challenges.
“No one can doubt India’s feelings for Afghans. We had a situation where we had to pull out our embassy, we did not even have a presence on the ground to verify what is what. At that time there was a lot of uncertainty about which passport was whose, whose visa was whose..these are real issues out there,’’ Jaishankar said while speaking at an event—Rising India and the World– in Vadodara.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart agreed the UK and Japan were incredibly important allies, who played a vital role in ensuring global stability and prosperity…reports Asian Lite News
Britain plans to sign a new defence agreement with Japan next month, which will enable the two countries to further ties with the US in the Indo-Pacific region, The Financial Times reports citing sources.
The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) will also aim to enhance deterrence against China and will make joint exercises easier, people familiar with the talks told the London-based newspaper on Saturday.
Japan is also in the “initial stages” of considering a similar agreement with the Philippines, The Financial Times said. This report comes in the wake of a recent phone call between the two prime ministers on November 4.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart agreed the UK and Japan were incredibly important allies, who played a vital role in ensuring global stability and prosperity.
“Reiterating the importance of ensuring a free and independent Indo-Pacific, the Prime Minister said that the UK was aligned with Japan on the challenges in the region,” Downing Street said in a statement.
Notably, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced last month that Australia and Japan had agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of defense and security by signing a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.
Kyodo news reported that any breakthrough with the UK would follow a similar deal Japan signed with Australia in January. That agreement was the first such pact for Tokyo, outside of its alliance with the United States, the report added.
Imran’s agitation may have brought out `a historic role reversal’, where the Army’s failures in imposing hybrid models are being questioned by discerning critics in civil society, writes Rana Banerji
The attack by a `lone wolf ‘gunman, Naveed s/o Basheer, on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vehicle on the seventh day of the Pakistan Tehreek- e- Insaf (PTI)’s Long March at Allahwala Chowk, Wazirabad on Nov 03 afternoon will intensify the PTI’s confrontation with the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition and the Army establishment.
As many as fourteen persons were injured and one killed in the burst of gunfire, which apparently emanated from a 9 mm pistol. Doubts have been voiced though, that automatic assault weapons could have been used and more than one assailant could be involved. Imran Khan received bullet and shrapnel injuries on his right leg. Others standing close to him like Senator Faisal Javed and Ahmed Nasir Chatha were also seriously wounded, with facial or stomach injuries.
The arrested assailant, Naveed disclosed at the local police station (PS) that he was motivated to take this drastic step as he was mentally disturbed by the manner in which Imran Khan was misleading people and how conservative Islamic mores of conduct like `azaan’ (prayers) were being disregarded. This statement convinced no one. Its disclosure to media within half an hour of his apprehension constituted, in itself, grave professional misconduct on part of the concerned police personnel, leading to their suspension.
The PS falls under jurisdiction of Gujrat district, the home constituency of Punjab Chief Minister, Pervez Elahi. Federal government Ministers did not fail to point this out, stressing repeatedly that law and order remained a provincial responsibility. Elahi did not initially join the chorus of condemnation by PTI leaders but later announced the setting up of a high- level joint investigation team to look into the incident.
Protests erupt across Pakistan after attack on Imran Khan
A prominent PTI Senator, Ejaz Chaudhary claimed he was aware of an imminent attack on the Long March at Wazirabad, which input he had shared with Ahmed Nasir Chatha the night before. There were intelligence reports suggesting possible attacks of this nature during the Long March but these warnings were either not heeded or did not engender any additional or strict security measures to ward off the danger. By all accounts, security seemed lax around the Container vehicle carrying PTI leaders and counsel to install bullet proof screens was disregarded.
Even from his hospital bed, Imran Khan did not hesitate to raise the stakes of his anti- establishment tirade by naming the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah and the Director General, Counter Intelligence at the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Maj Gen Faisal Naseer as those responsible for plotting and executing this attack. This was disclosed to the media by his close henchman, Asad Omar directly after he came out after meeting Imran at the Shaukat Khanum hospital, Lahore where the latter is being treated.
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), media agency for the military establishment condemned the attack as did other senior politicians of the ruling party. This did not prevent spontaneous outbreaks of angry protests by PTI sympathizers in several major cities of Pakistan. Agitators gathered outside the house of Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad and pelted stones. A PTI MNA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) claimed, he had organized a dharna (protest) outside the official residence of the XI Corps Commander in Peshawar, Lt. Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat Khan, known to be close to Army Chief, Gen Bajwa.
Awareness of possible escalation in these protests, through possible descending on the Capital of hordes of agitating PTI supporters from KP, Gilgit Baltistan/ PoK and Punjab, led the Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad to issue sealing of movement orders in Punjab, under the Pakistan Anti- Terrorism Act, 1958 quoting advice received from the Ministry of Defence vide their letter F No. 4(13)-Defence/ICT dated Nov 3, 2022.
There can be no doubt that this attack on Imran Khan will add to the sympathy wave for the PTI and benefit Imran politically. The Long March had not been drawing as large crowds as had been anticipated at the planning stage. In fact, only a core group of a few hundred die-hard fans were moving with the cavalcade and local PTI organizers were asked to join up, to avoid visual impact of thinning crowds. Imran himself acknowledged this ebbing tide by remarking only a day before, that he would have to stay on in agitational mode in Islamabad during the next ten months, only after which his demand for fresh elections could be conceded.
The judicial noose was also tightening, as hearings before the hitherto sympathetic Supreme Court Chief Justice, Omar Ata Bandial on the alleged contempt and violations of Court orders on the May 25 demonstrations seemed to indicate. Imran and his party had been forced into a cul de sac.
All this may now change. Though former Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that the Long March will continue, this would depend on how quickly Imran recuperates from his leg injury. Without his physical presence, the Long March may peter out.
Imran Khan,(grab)
Two main types of conspiracy theories abound about the incident. One is that about a self-inflicted `false flag’ operation, to garner sympathy against the Army and ISI after their rather unprecedented press conference of October 27. The rather amateurish or even ham-handed attack by this small-time ex-criminal, occurring in Gujrat would lend some credence to this theory. The other, more sinister suggestion is that the military establishment planned it as Imran Khan was adamant and did not heed their Oct 27 warning to eschew his verbal attacks on them.
Imran Khan’s direct accusation will force the senior Army leadership to introspect on how to counter the smear campaign at this vulnerable juncture, as a transition to a new leadership is imminent within a few weeks. The new Army Chief will have to take credible damage control measures to ensure that the Army’s credibility as an institution is not damaged beyond repair, even as their erstwhile protégé remains hell bent to make the transition controversial just because he may have failed to have any role in it. Despite divisions within, they cannot perhaps consider early elections as a remedy, as this would only bring back Imran Khan with a resounding majority.
A key factor that will hound the new military leadership will be the issue of legitimacy as well as the process that it has repeatedly used in recent – the `hybrid construct’- to put in place a civilian `puppet regime’- to sustain a democratic façade while the military continues to call the shots. Imran’s persistent challenge, buttressed by evident popular appeal, makes the nature of this crisis fundamentally different from similar ones in the recent past when political parties used to vie with, even conspire against, one another for earning favours of the Miltablishment.
Imran’s agitation may have brought out `a historic role reversal’, where the Army’s failures in imposing hybrid models are being questioned by discerning critics in civil society. Whether mere pronouncement of `noble intentions to return to a `neutral role’, without actually relinquishing the strings of power and going back to the barracks in a more traditional sense will satisfy a more aware civil society in Pakistan will be the million-dollar question.
(Rana Banerji was Special Secretary (retd.) in the Cabinet Secretariat. Views expressed are personal and exclusive to India Narrative)
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the production line of the Sayyad B4 missiles, which run on combined solid fuel, was also inaugurated…reports Asian Lite News
Iran on Sunday unveiled an “upgraded version” of the Bavar-373 (Belief-373) surface-to-air missile system with a range of more than 300 km.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Iranian Defense Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani, during which the system was successfully tested by launching a long-range Sayyad B4 (Hunter B4) missile, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report by IRNA news agency.
During the test, its upgraded radar managed to detect a target at a distance of more than 450 km, and track the target at a distance of about 405 km before destroying it at a range of over 300 km.
Prior to the upgrade, the Bavar-373 missile system was capable of detecting, tracking and hitting targets at ranges of 350 km, 260 km, and 200 km respectively.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the production line of the Sayyad B4 missiles, which run on combined solid fuel, was also inaugurated.
The Bavar-373 system made its first official appearance on August 22, 2019.
Imran Khan called on his supporters to reach Rawalpindi as an announcement of the long march’s resumption…reports Asian Lite News
PTI chief Imran Khan said that his party would be resuming its march to Islamabad from Tuesday and he will join the protestors from Rawalpindi, media reported.
“We will start the march from Tuesday. I will hold an address daily,” Khan said while speaking at the hospital. He added that he would lead the march from Rawalpindi when it arrives in 10-15 days.
Khan called on his supporters to reach Rawalpindi as an announcement of the long march’s resumption, saying that the reason the Pakistani nation is treated as beggars is not because of the lack of resources but due to a lack of justice, Geo News reported.
“It is time to realise Haqeeqi Azadi. All of you should come and reach Rawalpindi when I join the party and lead (the march).”
Addressing a press conference from the hospital, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that “slave nations cannot rise”.
“My first point is what will the judicial commission do when the three people I named are the ones who will head the investigation,” said Khan. He added that he sought the interior minister, prime minister and a military official’s resignation as he wants “transparent investigations because there is an entire pattern”.
“First, video surfaces that I’m committing blasphemy, it should be probed in the investigations. The video is then highlighted by a journalist affiliated with a political party. After this, a press conference is held by Maryam Safdar, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Javed Latif and they say that I committed blasphemy,” said the PTI chief, Geo News reported.
The PTI chief said that he was seeking an FIR against the three people he named as he was aware that they wanted to murder him just like Salman Taseer.
The former prime minister questioned how did it happen that the gunman’s interview was leaked despite PTI having a government in Punjab.
“We ask the police and they say they were under pressure, when we ask the IG, he says it was hacked,” said Khan. He also demanded that a judicial commission be formed to probe Arshad Sharif’s murder.
Wickremesinghe made these remarks during a meeting with the officials of the National Trade Negotiations Committee at the Presidential Secretariat..reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasised the need to gradually liberalise the country’s service sector to attract foreign direct investment (FDI).
The president also said steps should be taken to gain membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest free trade agreement to date, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Sunday.
Wickremesinghe made these remarks during a meeting with the officials of the National Trade Negotiations Committee at the Presidential Secretariat, Xinhua news agency reported.
The president talked to them about free trade negotiations, the future outlook of international trade, and the importance of aligning policy priorities.
He further said that in parallel with the expansion of international trade activities, the government will implement a trade adjustment programme to support local industries to adjust to the competition.
Access to regional and global supply chains and re-engagement with the global economy to enhance export and export-oriented foreign direct investment is an element of the government’s economic reform programme to revitalise the domestic economy, he said.
The former Pakistan Prime Minister suffered gun shot injuries in leg on Thursday when he was leading the anti-government long march toward Islamabad…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will return to the political stage within two to three days, party leader Hammad Azhar said.
Talking to mediapersons at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore, where Imran is being treated for the leg injury, Azhar said the party would continue its peaceful protest against the “attempted assassination” of Imran Khan.
The former Pakistan Prime Minister suffered gun shot injuries in leg on Thursday when he was leading the anti-government long march toward Islamabad, Geo TV reported.
Family of Moazzam Gondal, the youth who lost his life during the attack on Imran Khan, will get a total of Rs 15 million, Azhar claimed, adding that the party will bear all the expenses of Moazzam’s children.
Hammad Azhar said that the PTI has given Rs 5 million to the children of Moazzam and the Punjab province government also will give another Rs 5 million to the bereaved family in a day or two.
In a televised address from the hospital, Imran had alleged, “Three people – including Rana Sanaullah, Shehbaz Sharif, and a major in the army – made a plan to assassinate me after they saw that the number of people in my long march was exponentially increasing.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the concerned authorities to take action against Imran Khan and his associates for levelling allegations against the armed forces.
'I only wanted to kill Imran and no one else', says attacker
Police sources said the polygraph test of the accused could also be conducted to dig out more information…reports Asian Lite News
The police investigation into the attack on former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during his long march has revealed that suspect Naveed is a drug addict and his statements regarding the incident are “doubtful”.
According to Express News, during the interrogation the accused admitted to opening fire on Khan’s container in Wazirabad on Thursday.
The suspect told the police that he bought 26 bullets along with a pistol through a man named Waqas from Wazirabad.
Police sources said the polygraph test of the accused could also be conducted to dig out more information, The Express Tribune reported.
The family members of the accused were also detained while the bullet shells had been recovered from the crime scene which will be sent for forensic examination, sources added.
During interrogation with major investigation agencies including Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the accused revealed that first he tried to attack the PTI chief from a roof of the mosque but he was not allowed to go there due to Asar prayer, The Express Tribune reported.
The accused reached the crime scene through the bypass road where he asked the people participating in the march to turn off the loudspeaker playing party’s anthem, as per sources.
According to the police investigation, the accused opened a full burst at a distance of fifteen to twenty steps from the container.
The bullets in the pistol were homemade and the weapon got jammed after he fired eight bullets.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested two more suspects in connection with the investigation into the attack on PTI’s long march.
The suspects were arrested on the identification of prime accused Naveed.
The suspects have been identified as Waqas and Faisal Butt, Express Tribune reported.
He initially remained in the custody of the district police. On Friday, he was moved to Counter Terrorism Department centre at Chung for further investigation.
The investigators also grilled the accused to find out if there was any mastermind of the attack.
The suspect, however, did not point out to anyone during the initial investigations. He remained firmed that he acted alone and said some speeches of Imran Khan hurt his religious sentiment. His mobile phone reportedly had those clips, The Express Tribune reported.
He also told the investigators that he used to hear the speeches of few religious scholars. The clips of Israr Ahmad, Late Maulana Khadim Rizvi and his son Hafiz Saad Rizvi were also recovered from his mobile phone.
Naveed told the investigators that he was frustrated because the PTI chief was allegedly misleading the nation and had also uttered “blasphemous and anti-religion words”.
He said that as he opened fire, the guards at the container shot at him and a bullet fired from guards hit the PTI supporter Moazam, killing him on the spot.
So far the investigations could not find out any evidence that could lead them to the involvement of another shooter unlike the claims of the PTI leadership.
