23-10-2025

Month: August 2023

FO confirms Pakistan HC and Nawaz’s meeting in London

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has confirmed that Pakistan’s High Commissioner (HC) to the United Kingdom Dr Muhammad Faisal met Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif last week in London ahead of former premier Shehbaz Sharif’s arrival in the UK’s capital.

The directives from Islamabad for the HC to meet Nawaz right after the transfer of power to the caretaker setup in the country raised many eyebrows as the meeting took place just before statements from the PML-N that the former prime minister was due back in Pakistan in mid-September.

Later, a video of HC Faisal leaving the office of Hassan Nawaz, son of Nawaz Sharif, at his Central London office also surfaced.

“Yes, the meeting took place. Mr Nawaz Sharif has been our prime minister three times, and we give all former prime ministers such courtesy,” a source affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

The FO sources said that it was a courtesy call on the former prime minister, which was a routine matter.

Meanwhile, another government source commented that the issue was complicated because technically and legally Nawaz has been convicted and is absconding in the eyes of the law.

“It is normal for Pakistan’s diplomats to meet high-profile Pakistanis, and Nawaz Sharif is certainly amongst them,” said the official.

Last week, a Sharif family source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Nawaz will leave for Pakistan from London “after a month”.

This would mean that the former prime minister is expected to return to Pakistan in the mid of this September.

The Sharif family’s lawyers and political aides had advised the PML-N supremo to come to Pakistan immediately after ending his Europe and Middle East visit which started two months ago and ended last week when Nawaz reached London. However, some within the PML-N have advised Nawaz that it’s better to arrive in mid-September.

“Nawaz Sharif’s decision to return to Pakistan after ending nearly four years of exile is final and everything is in order,” said the source who has been part of the negotiation and the arrangements.

 

Shehbaz Sharif calls for official inquiry into President Arif Alvi’s conduct

LONDON: Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for an official inquiry into the conduct of President Arif Alvi after his tweet plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis.

 

Speaking to the media, Shehbaz said that a transparent inquiry should be held into President Alvi’s conduct “to determine facts through a transparent probe”.

Shehbaz is in London for 10 days for his medical treatment and to meet his elder brother Nawaz Sharif.

 

The Pakistan Muslim Legue-Nawaz (PML-N) president also said the inquiry should make it clear whether the staff of the president committed a mistake or Alvi lied. He explained that prime ministers and other office bearers are required by law to sign summaries and bills.

“As a premier, one is required to always put down signatures, the president is required to do the same by putting down his signature,” he added.

 

Shehbaz went on to say that the state business is not conducted through oral or informal means. He said the president either “rejects or approves a bill, he signs it, there is nothing oral”.

 

He said President Alvi holds the highest constitutional office of the state and an inquiry is needed to determine the truth.

 

Shehbaz wondered why President Alvi stayed quiet for such a long time. He asked the president to explain why he failed to do his job and only claimed to remember things at a certain time.

He also questioned why President Alvi had not followed the rules and if he had returned the bills he should have made that clear.

 

Hours after his removal’s request as secretary to the president, Waqar Ahmed issued a statement saying that President Alvi neither assented to the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023 nor gave a written decision for returning them to parliament for reconsideration.

 

In a letter sent to the president, Ahmed stated that the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was received on August 2 and sent to the president on August 3.

President Alvi, he added, had the 10-day time to advise on the bill till August 11.

“The Honourable President neither assented to the Bill nor gave a written decision for returning the Bill for reconsideration by the Parliament. The said file has not been returned to the Office of Secretary to date i.e. 21.08-2023,” the letter stated.

Meanwhile, the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill was received on August 8 and was moved to the president’s office on August 9.

“It was clearly stated in the Note that the Prime Minister’s advice was received on 08-08-2023 and time of 10 days will be completed on 17.08.2023 (Thursday),” the letter also stated.

However, the letter added that the president neither assented to the bill nor gave a written decision for returning the bill for reconsideration by parliament.

Russian strikes kill eight ‘fighters’ in Syria

Moscow’s intervention since 2015 has helped Damascus claw back much of the territory it had lost to rebel forces early in the 12-year civil war, and Russian forces have repeatedly struck the Idlib area.

Early on Monday, “Russian warplanes carried out air strikes on the western outskirts of Idlib city, targeting a military base belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)… killing at least eight fighters,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Several other fighters were wounded in the strikes, with some in critical condition, said the Britain-based monitor which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria.

Demonstrators take to the streets again over living conditions

Militant group HTS, led by Syria’s former Al Qaeda affiliate, controls swathes of Idlib province, as well as parts of the adjacent Latakia, Hama, and Aleppo provinces.

A correspondent said the militant group cordoned off the area after the strikes, which came shortly after midnight (2100 GMT on Sunday).

HTS regularly carries out deadly attacks on soldiers and pro-government forces.

On Monday, the Syrian defence ministry said its forces had downed “three drones laden with explosives” operated by “terrorist organisations”.

The Observatory said the army shot down three reconnaissance drones in Idlib and Hama provinces.

Days of rare protests

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets again on Monday in Syria’s southern city of Sweida, local media and an activist reported, as dire living conditions stoke discontent in regime-held areas.

Days of rare protests have erupted in the south after the government lifted fuel subsidies last week, dealing a blow to Syrians already struggling with the heavy toll that 12 years of war have exacted on the economy.

Local news outlet Suwayda24 posted videos showing hundreds of people gathered in the city on Monday, holding banners and chanting anti-government slogans including “freedom” and “long live Syria, down with Assad”.

“We’ve had enough, the Syrian people are suffocating,” one activist in Sweida said on condition of anonymity for security reasons, adding that hundreds had gathered to protest in the city.

Soaring inflation, the rising cost of living, instability and poverty have plagued the country, pushing desperate Syrians to take to the streets, the activist said.

Security forces have not cracked down on demonstrators so far, he noted.

“My only hope is that this movement will spread to other provinces and that our voices will be heard,” he said.

Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions since it broke out in 2011 following Assad’s repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests.

It spiralled into a deadly conflict that pulled in foreign powers and global militants.

Sunday saw a strike over deteriorating living conditions and price hikes across Sweida province — the heartland of the country’s Druze minority — which has been mostly spared the worst of the civil conflict.

One senior Druze religious leader has expressed support for demonstrators and chastised the government. Footage on Monday showed protesters carrying local Druze sheikhs on their shoulders.

In December, one protester and a policeman were killed when security forces cracked down on a demonstration in Sweida against deteriorating living conditions.

On Saturday, dozens demonstrated in southern Syria’s Daraa province, some raising the opposition flag and calling for Assad’s departure, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

An activist said there were further protests on Sunday evening in the province, the cradle of Syria’s uprising. Daraa returned to regime control in 2018 under a Russia-backed ceasefire deal and has since been wracked by violence and dire living conditions.

China lodges complaint over US-Japan-S. Korea statement

US President Joe Biden hosted the summit — described as launching a “new chapter” of close, three-way security cooperation — at the Camp David presidential retreat.

The three leaders said in a joint statement on Friday they opposed the “dangerous and aggressive behaviour” of China in maritime disputes in the East and South China Sea.

Beijing hit back on Monday, saying the leaders had “smeared and attacked China on Taiwan-related and maritime issues, grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and deliberately sowed discord between China and its neighbours”.

Beijing says leaders interfered in internal affairs and deliberately sowed discord between its neighbours

It also expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and has lodged solemn representations with relevant parties”, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing.

Camp David marks the first time the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea have met for a standalone summit, rather than on the sidelines of a larger event.

“If relevant countries really care about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, they should abide by the One-China principle, stop condoning and supporting separatists advocating for Taiwan independence and their activities, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability,” Wang said on Monday.

“The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. Solving the Taiwan question is China’s own business”, he added.

Biden praised the “political courage” of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in turning the page on historical animosity.

Such a summit would have been unthinkable until recently due to the legacy of Japan’s harsh 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula.

The three leaders agreed to a multi-year plan of regular exercises in all domains and made a formal “commitment to consult” during crises, with Biden saying they would open a hotline. The leaders also agreed to share real-time data on North Korea and to hold summits every year.

On Monday, Wang slammed the grouping as an example of an “attempt to revive Cold War mentality by inciting division and confrontation represented by various closed and exclusive small circles”.

Biden insisted that the Camp David summit was not targeted at China. But in the joint statement, the leaders said they “strongly (opposed) any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific”.

Thailand’s former PM Thaksin Shinawatra has been jailed upon returning to the country after 15 years in exile.

But many believe he has struck a deal that will keep him from serving more than a short period in prison.

He arrived on Tuesday morning in a private jet, ahead of a vote for the next Thai leader – the frontrunner is from Mr Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party.

He has sentences of up to eight years outstanding from criminal cases he says were politically motivated.

Mr Thaksin, Thailand’s most successful elected leader, has long been feared by conservative royalists, who have backed military coups and contentious court cases to weaken him.

But now the brash, politically-ambitious telecoms tycoon is back – he landed in Bangkok’s main airport to cheers from hundreds of loyal supporters who had gathered overnight to see him. Flanked by his two daughters and son, he emerged briefly from the airport terminal and paid his respects to a portrait of the king and queen.

He was immediately taken to the Supreme Court where he was sentenced to eight years on the outstanding charges, and then to Bangkok Remand Prison. The department of corrections has said that he “is safe under the supervision of the staff”.

Outside the Don Mueang Airport, 63-year-old Samniang Kongpolparn had been waiting since Monday evening to see Mr Thaksin. She, like many of the other supporters, had travelled from Surin province in the northeast, the stronghold of Mr Thaksin’s party in past decades.

“He’s the best prime minister we’ve ever had. Even though I won’t get to see him today, I still wanted to come to show him support,” she said. “I’m ok with them reconciling with the pro-military government, or else we’re stuck with the senators. We don’t want that.”

Mr Thaksin greets supporters after arriving in Bangkok

Mr Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party is expected later today to join a coalition government – a byzantine process which in three months has taken Thailand full circle.

It began with the heady hopes of a new dawn led by the radical young Move Forward party, which won the most seats in the May election.

Move Forward initially formed a partnership with Pheu Thai but it’s now certain that the coalition will include almost everyone but the reformers, including two parties led by former coup-makers – a deal with its sworn enemies that Pheu Thai vowed it would not do.

Pheu Thai insists the two developments are unconnected. Few people believe that.

 

It is true that Pheu Thai’s hands have been tied by the unelected senate, a 250-seat constitutional landmine planted in Thailand’s political landscape by the military junta which ruled for five years after a 2014 coup.

And Pheu Thai’s bargaining position was weakened by its poorer-then-expected performance in the election, when it lost a lot of support to Move Forward and for the first time was relegated to second place.

The senators, all appointed under the junta, are allowed to join the 500 elected MPs in voting for the new prime minister. Their thinly-disguised remit is to block any party which might threaten the status quo – the nexus of monarchy, military and big business which has dominated decision-making in Thailand for decades.

Unsurprisingly they refused to back the Move Forward-led coalition with Pheu Thai, despite its commanding majority in the lower house. When it was Pheu Thai’s turn to negotiate a new coalition, its need for senate support meant it had to take in some of its former opponents.

Many of the supporters had come from the northeast, a Thaksin stronghold

However some Pheu Thai politicians argue that the party should have held out for a better deal, by refusing to be in a government with the most hard-line conservative groups. Any minority administration formed without Pheu Thai and Move Forward would quickly collapse, because the senators cannot join normal parliamentary votes on issues like the budget.

But the Pheu Thai leadership was not willing to wait; it even invited the ultra-royalist party United Thai Nation to join the coalition, whose leaders have in the past been virulently critical of the Shinawatra family and their supporters, and were instrumental in ousting the last Pheu Thai government led by Thaksin’s sister Yingluck. That these two factions will now sit together in the same government is a mark of how far Thai politics has shifted.

In the end for the ultra-royalists the perceived threat posed by Move Forward, and by a younger generation of Thais demanding a conversation about the power and wealth of the monarchy, eclipsed their long feud with the Shinawatra family.

For the Shinawatras, and Pheu Thai’s more conservative, business-minded elements, getting into government again and guaranteeing the deal to bring Thaksin back, have been bigger priorities than worrying about the party’s reputation.

But there are those, even within Pheu Thai, who are horrified by the cynical pragmatism of this deal. They are warning that the party will lose even more of its once-passionate grass-roots supporters, and lose, perhaps forever, the dominance it held over electoral politics in Thailand for two decades.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have come to Balmoral Castle for their first summer residence in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II

The King is continuing his mother’s tradition of taking a summer holiday on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire.

He is expected to stay for three weeks and be there on the first anniversary of the Queen’s death on September 8.

His visit began by inspecting troops from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The King was also introduced to the regiment’s official mascot, the Shetland pony Corporal Cruachan IV.

 

The inspection ceremony marks the formal welcome of the monarch to the Aberdeenshire castle.

Last August it was held privately inside the grounds for the comfort of the Queen.

She died at the castle a month later at the age of 96. She was the first monarch to die at Balmoral.

The last photograph of Queen Elizabeth II was taken at Balmoral

The 50,000 acre estate sits 50 miles to the west of Aberdeen, within the Cairngorm National Park. It has long been established as the private summer home of the Royal Family.

It was bought by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, in 1852 and has been handed down through the generations.

The estate includes grouse moors, forestry and farmland and is home to a large population of red deer.

It is the private property of the monarch and is not part of the Crown Estate.

Queen Elizabeth II with Philip and their children at Balmoral in 1960

Queen Elizabeth II hosted numerous royal garden parties there and enjoyed watching events at the nearby Braemar Highland Games with other members of the Royal Family.

She spent her final months at Balmoral and held an audience there with Liz Truss, the 15th Prime Minister of her 70 year reign, just two days before her death.

Thousands of people lined the route as the Queen’s body was driven from Balmoral to Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

King Charles grew up visiting the castle every year and the estate was the inspiration for his 1980 children’s book The Old Man of Lochnagar.

He inherited the neighbouring Birkhall estate from his grandmother, the Queen Mother, upon her death in 2002.

He honeymooned there with Queen Camilla in 2005 and the couple later self-isolated at the house after testing for Covid-19 in March 2020.

18 killed, 15 injured as passenger bus catches fire near Pindi Bhattian

As many as 18 people, including women and children, lost their lives while 15 others were left injured after a passenger smashed into a pick-up carrying diesel drums and caught fire on the Faisalabad Motorway near Pindi Bhattian early Sunday.

The bus — carrying around 35-40 people — was en route to Islamabad from Karachi, according to rescue officials. Drivers of both vehicles were among those who lost their lives.

The injured were transported to Pindi Bhattian and Faisalabad Hospital, said the medical superintendent.

The accident occurred near the Pindi-Bhattian Interchange at 4am, after the bus hit a pick-up van that was carrying diesel drums, District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Fahad said, adding that fire engulfed the bus shortly after the hit.

People nearby tried to pull the passengers out of the bus by breaking windows. The injured — of whom four are in critical condition — were taken to the hospital.

DPO Dr Fahad further shared that 18 bodies had been removed from the bus and will be identified through DNA testing.

It must be noted that there have been a number of such highway accidents, claiming numerous lives.

Five people, including a woman and two minors, were killed, and 20 others injured when a bus overturned in the Fazilpur area of Punjab’s Rajanpur district back in July.

With the devotees of a Sufi saint aboard, the bus was on its way back to Jacobabad from Sakhi Sarwar, when it turned over after the driver lost control of the vehicle as he “fell asleep”, rescue officials said.

People with severe injuries were shifted to Rajanpur district hospital, while the others were shifted to a local hospital in Fazilpur.

The July accident came days after another unfortunate tragedy in the Geeti-Das area near Babusar Top, which killed eight people and injured several others.

The tourist bus fell into a deep gorge while navigating a sharp turn on the mountainous terrain, and caught fire.

Before that, six lives were claimed in a similar accident in the Thalichi area of Diamer district on July 16.

In June, at least 12 people — including women and children — died leaving 24 others injured after a passenger bus turned turtle on the Islamabad-Lahore motorway near Kallar Kahar.

Motorway police said at that time that the bus was heading to Lahore from Rawalpindi when the accident happened.

A spokesperson of NHMP said that due to the accident, two lanes of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway were closed, while the third one was open for traffic.

Shehbaz Sharif, other PML-N leaders set to leave for London to discuss Nawaz’s ‘return’

LAHORE: Former Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said Sunday that ex-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for London from Lahore today (Sunday) to meet with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Aurangzeb wrote: “Former Prime Minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Mr Shehbaz Sharif will leave for London from Lahore today. During his stay in London, Mr Shehbaz Sharif will also meet the party leader Mr Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.”

According to The News, the delegation is likely to include other senior party leaders as well.

The visit comes amid speculation that Nawaz Sharif may be returning to Pakistan soon.

PML-N Lahore President Saiful Mulok Khokhar confirmed that he and Faisal Saif Khokhar were scheduled to board a flight to London on Sunday. He said that the delegation would meet with Nawaz and discuss the party’s future plans.

The visit is likely to be closely watched by political observers, as it could provide clues about Nawaz’s intentions.

If he does return to Pakistan, it would be a major boost for the PML-N ahead of general polls.

Party sources said Nawaz has summoned the local leaders to London where all formalities for return to Pakistan will be discussed. Party sources claimed that Nawaz planned to return to Pakistan in the middle of September 2023.

They said the legal wizards of the party were also scheduled to reach London to brief the PML-N’s head about legal issues for his return. Khokhar, while talking to this scribe, said that he would meet Nawaz in London and finalise arrangements for his welcome reception.

About the exact date of return, he said this will be decided by the party chief himself.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz visited the residence of Atta Tarar, Deputy Secretary General of the party, and met his parents and members of his family.

He paid tribute to the services of former President Rafiq Tarar for Pakistan and the nation and commended Tarar for his services to the party and country during the 16-month premiership period.

Suspected N. Korean hackers target S. Korea-US drills

Suspected North Korean hackers have attempted an attack targeting a major joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington that starts on Monday, South Korean police said.

South Korea and the United States will kick off the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills on Monday through August 31 to counter growing threats from the nuclear-armed North.

Pyongyang views such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take “overwhelming” action in response.

The hackers — believed to be linked to a North Korean group dubbed Kimsuky — carried out “continuous malicious email attacks” on South Korean contractors working at the allies’ combined exercise war simulation centre, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said in a statement on Sunday.

“Police investigation confirms that North Korean hacking group was responsible for the attack,” it said in a statement, adding that military-related information was not stolen.

A joint investigation by the police and the US military found that the IP address used in the latest attack matched one identified in a 2014 hack against South Korea’s nuclear reactor operator blamed on the group, according to the statement.

The Kimsuky hackers use “spearphishing” tactics — sending malicious attachments embedded in emails — to exfiltrate desired information from victims.

According to findings by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in 2020, Kimsuky is “most likely tasked by the North Korean regime with a global intelligence gathering mission.”

The group — believed to be active since 2012 — targets individuals and organisations in South Korea, Japan, and the United States, focusing on foreign policy and national security issues related to the Korean peninsula, nuclear policy, and sanctions, it added.

Chernihiv: Russian missile strike kills seven and injures 144, Ukraine says

Fifteen children were among 144 people wounded, the police said. At least 25 people were in hospital.

Among the victims were people who had been celebrating an Orthodox Christian holiday at church.

A main square and a university building were also damaged in the attack.

The UN called it “heinous”, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed a firm response by Ukrainian soldiers to a “terrorist attack”.

Chernihiv is located about 50km (31 miles) south of Ukraine’s border with Belarus. It was besieged by Russian troops in the first few months of President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.

The city’s imposing theatre was hit directly. Tiles were blown off the roofs of neighbouring buildings with one catching fire 100 metres away.

The theatre was hosting a gathering of drone manufacturers, the acting mayor of Chernihiv told the BBC.

“I understand that their aim was a military event taking place in the building of the drama theatre and that it was their target,” Oleksandr Lomako said.

“But it is clear that the Russians launching those missiles and those giving them orders in the middle of the day to the civilian city realised that the victims will be primarily civilians.

“There is no other way to interpret it than a war crime against civilians, yet another Russian war crime,” he added.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko later said all those inside the theatre had managed to reach shelter in time.

He said that “most of the victims were in their vehicles or crossing the road at the time of the rocket strike, as well as returning from a church”.

 

The city centre of Chernihiv is a popular area for people to stroll around, especially on the weekend, locals told the BBC.

Anna Zahreba, the manager of a Crimean Tatar restaurant just across the street from the theatre, said her staff were getting ready for a busy day when the missile hit.

“I ran outside to see what was going on,” she said. “There were two 12-year-old girls here and a lot of blood. One had her leg badly wounded. Another girl was screaming.

“We applied a tourniquet and waited for an ambulance. It was taking a long time to get here, but some man stopped his car and we took a girl to a hospital.”

Anna says staff rushed to help injured people with medical kit and blankets.

“There are always many people walking around here, with children and baby strollers. Many restaurants and cafes in the area,” she tells us.

“We did not expect a day like this.”

In his video address late on Saturday, President Zelensky said the child killed in the Russian strike was a girl named Sofia.

Earlier, he said that Russia had turned an “ordinary Saturday” into “a day of pain and loss”.

Footage shows damage in Chernihiv’s central square

The UN said it was “extremely disturbed” by the attack.

“It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to the church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians,” Denise Brown, the current head of the UN in Ukraine, said in a statement.

“Attacks directed against civilians or civilian objects are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law,” she said. “It must stop.”

Three days of mourning have been announced in the city.

Moscow is yet to comment.

Elsewhere, Russia has claimed that a Ukrainian drone hit a military airfield in the northwest Novgorod region, causing a fire that was quickly put out.

One plane was damaged but no casualties have been reported, it added.

Ukraine has not commented on the alleged drone attack.

Meanwhile, Kyiv’s air force said the Ukrainian military had shot down 15 out of 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Moscow in an overnight strike.

Copyright © UNews-UK All Rights Reserved. Designed By Webtechnomind IT Solutions