Month: December 2024

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry on Saturday directed the government to withdraw the controversial presidential ordinance that triggered protests in the region.

According to a statement, the president wrote a letter to AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, directing the government to release all persons detained under the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance, 2024”.

The statement said the AJK government immediately initiated action on the president’s instructions.

The development comes after the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) began staging long marches against the contentious presidential ordinance and their arrested activists towards AJK entry points after talks with the committee formed by the government failed.

The wheel-jam and shutter down strike called by the JAAC entered third day in several cities across the region with markets, business and shopping centres remain closed. Meanwhile, the committee also called to stage a long march today.

The JAAC, a coalition of civil society activists advocating for rights in the region, is protesting against the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Ordinance, 2024”, which was suspended by the AJK Supreme Court this week.

Despite the suspension of the ordinance, JAAC’s core committee member Shaukat Nawaz Mir said that the strike would take place unless the ordinance is repealed by the government formally and until their activists are released.

Mir had also said that further negotiations will take place tomorrow (Sunday) while the committee will also give a call to “besiege” the legislative assembly in the region.

The protesters have moved towards entry point of Barakot after talks between the ministerial team and the committee failed. The entry points in the Poonch division and the Kohala and Palandri entry points have also been blocked by the protesters.

Moreover, the protesters have also staged a sit-in at the point connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AJK while others coming from Rawalakot, Bagh and Dhirkot reached the Kohala entry point.

On the other hand, Information Minister Pir Mazhar Saeed claimed that the government has released all the prisoners.

He said that the negotiations on the ordinance haven’t failed, adding that a committee has been formed which comprises people from all schools of thought who will implement the recommendations of the committee.

It should be noted that the AJK government had banned protest rallies, processions and demonstrations a month ago through a presidential ordinance and its violation could lead to seven years in prison.

On December 3, the Azad Kashmir Supreme Court suspended the government’s controversial presidential ordinance.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has activated its Crisis Management Unit (CMU) to assist Pakistanis in Syria amid the ongoing law and order issues and the evolving crisis in the war-wrecked country.

The Syrian army command this morning notified its officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning rebel offensive, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.

Keeping in view the situation, the Foreign Office (FO) has asked the Pakistani nationals in Syria and their families to contact the CMU at the following telephone number/email: 051-9207887/ cmu1@mofa.gov.pk.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Embassy in Damascus remains actively engaged to facilitate Pakistani nationals in Syria, a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday.

Embassy of Pakistan, Damascus can be reached at:

Mobile phone/WhatsApp: +963 987 127 822; +963 990 138 972 and email: parepdamascus@mofa.gov.pk.

Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

Thousands in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom”, witnesses said.

“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” said the rebels.

The head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian on Sunday also declared that Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad”.

Viewing the deteriorating law and order situation in Syria, the FO on December 6 had advised the Pakistani nationals against travelling to the violence-hit country.

In a statement, the FO said: “Pakistan nationals are advised to avoid unnecessary travel or visit to Syria until the situation improves.”

Those currently in Syria are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain in contact with the Embassy of Pakistan in Damascus, read the statement.

The blast and resulting inferno destroyed at least five homes but it was not clear how many people were buried in the debris, Mayor Jan van Zanen told reporters.

Authorities confirmed that four bodies had been pulled from the wreckage, as fears mounted that the toll could rise much higher.

An eyewitness on-site saw scenes of devastation with debris strewn across the street, burned-out cars, blown-out windows and huge plumes of smoke.

Firefighters tackled the blaze from the ground and from huge cherry-pickers, as ambulances carried the injured to hospital and police helicopters circled overhead.

“It is not known how many people are still under the rubble. But the reality is that there is only a slim chance of survival for them,” said the mayor. “It is unbelievable what happened there.” However, hours later, a survivor was plucked from the debris and taken to hospital, the fire service announced.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but police appealed for information about a car seen speeding away from the scene shortly after the explosion.

Van Zanen said there was a small explosion followed by a larger one and a huge fire. After firefighters had extinguished the blaze, heavy construction equipment moved in to try to clear the rubble.

Elite rescue workers trained to recover survivors from natural disasters scoured the debris, with the help of sniffer dogs.

“I was asleep and suddenly there was this huge bang,” Adam Muller, a 14-year-old local resident, said. “I looked out of the window and just saw flames. It’s a massive shock,” he added.

Gaza’s civil defence said the Indonesian Hospital came under Israeli attack in Gaza’s Beit Lahiya.

Elsewhere in the city, 29 people were reported killed in a series of air strikes on and near the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel targeted an ambulance at the hospital, and a rights group said the Israeli army used human shields in an attempt to evacuate patients and medical staff.

Meanwhile, Hamas released a video of an Israeli prisoner held in Gaza Strip since October last year.

In the undated, three-and-a-half-minute video, the prisoner can be seen saying in Hebrew that he had been in captivity for more than 420 days and called for public pressure on the Israeli government to secure the release of captives.

On the other hand, Qatar voiced hope of fresh momentum in efforts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said his country was engaging with the incoming Trump administration on Gaza after sensing fresh momentum for ceasefire talks following the US election.

Sheikh Mohammed said momentum had returned to talks aimed at securing a truce and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza following the election of Donald Trump as US president.

“We have sensed, after the election, that the momentum is coming back,” the Qatari premier told the Doha Forum for political dialogue.

He spoke as a source close to the Hamas delegation in the talks said a new round of negotiations will “most likely” begin in the coming week”.

‘No disagreement with US’

Sheikh Mohammed said that while there were “some differences” in the approach to an agreement by the outgoing and incoming US administrations, “we didn’t see or recognise any disagreement on the goal itself to end the war”.

The Gulf emirate, along with the United States and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and prisoner release.

But last month, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed “willingness and seriousness”.

Sheikh Mohammed said there had been “a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office”, adding this had affected Qatar’s decision to get talks “back on track” over the past two weeks.

“We hope to get things done as soon as possible. We hope that the willingness of the parties to engage in good faith continues,” he said.

The Hamas source said: “Based on contacts with the mediators, we expect a new round of negotiations to begin in Cairo, most likely this week, to discuss ideas and proposals regarding a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange.”

The US president-elect warned this week on social media of unspecified massive repercussions if the Israeli prisoners were not released by the time he takes office next month.

Donald Trump has vowed his staunch support for Israel and promised to rein back on occasional criticism voiced by outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration.

Qatar’s premier dismissed the prospect of his country facing greater pressure over the status of its political bureau for Hamas.

Sheikh Mohammed called the Hamas office, which the Gulf state has hosted since 2012 with the blessing of the United States, a “platform to convene between the different parties”.

Qatar was not “expected to enforce solutions” on Palestinians, he added.

In a press conference in Monte­video, European Commission Presi­dent Ursula von der Leyen and her Mercosur counterparts heralded the deal after 25 years of talks, citing the need for free trade in the face of rising protectionism globally.

“This agreement is not just an economic opportunity, it is a political necessity,” von der Leyen said.

“I know that strong winds are coming in the opposite direction, towards isolation and fragmentation, but this agreement is our near response.”

The Mercosur bloc consists of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

European officials and proponents of the deal say that it offers a way to reduce reliance on trade with China as well as insulating EU nations from the impact of likely trade tariffs being threatened by US president-elect Donald Trump.

The trade agreement is however just the start of what could be a lengthy endgame to turn it into a reality.

It needs to be legalised, translated and then approved by member nations, and could even be blocked, with France the fiercest opponent.

France has branded it as “unacceptable”. Underscoring the obstacles it now faces, French Trade Minister Sophie Primas pledged to resist its next stages, citing environmental and farming concerns.

European farmers have repeatedly protested against an EU-Mercosur deal that they say would lead to cheap imports of South American commodities, notably beef, that do not meet the EU’s green and food safety standards.

European farm lobby Copa-Coge reiterated its opposition to the deal on Friday and called for protests in Brussels.

Italy said on Thursday there were no conditions for signing off on a deal. Poland said last week it opposed the free trade deal in its current form.

European green groups also broadly oppose the accord. Friends of the Earth calls it a “climate-wrecking” deal.

Conversely, a group of EU members including Germany and Spain say the deal is vital for the bloc as it looks to diversify its trade after the near-closure of the Russian market and discomfort about reliance on China.

“Spain will work to ensure that this agreement is approved by the majority of the (European) Council because trade openness with our Latin American sister countries will make us all more prosperous and stronger,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X.

EU proponents of the deal see Mercosur as a market for European cars, machinery and chemicals and a potentially reliable source of critical minerals, such as battery metal lithium, required for Europe’s green transition.

They also point to agricultural benefits, given the deal offers greater access and lower tariffs for EU cheeses, ham and wine.

A short press conference in Montevideo itself underscored some of challenges. Only von der Leyen and Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou spoke, with no questions taken after. The presidents of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay sat in silence.

South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol apologised but stopped short of resigning Saturday over his declaration of martial law, with a vote to impeach him hours away and mass street protests planned in Seoul.

Yoon stunned the nation and the international community Tuesday night by imposing martial law for the first time in over four decades and deploying troops and helicopters to parliament.

But lawmakers managed to vote down the decree, forcing Yoon to rescind the order in the early hours of Wednesday in a night of extraordinary drama for a country assumed to be a stable democracy.

“The declaration of martial law arose from my desperation as the president,” he said in a televised address, the first time he has appeared before the public since plunging the country into political chaos.

“However, in the process, I caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I sincerely apologize to the citizens who were greatly distressed.”

The opposition and key members of his own party have called for him to step down, and parliament is set to vote later Saturday on his impeachment, although opposition leader Lee Jae-myung told AFP it was not clear the motion could pass.

Police have said they expect tens of thousands of anti-Yoon protesters to take to the streets ahead of the vote, with organisers hoping 200,000 people will attend.

Yoon did not offer to resign in his brief address, saying only that he would “entrust the party with measures to stabilise the political situation, including my term in office.”

His People Power Party (PPP) is divided on the issue, with lawmakers late Friday sticking to the official line that they would block impeachment, even after party head Han Dong-hoon said Yoon must go or Seoul risked more political chaos.

“The normal performance of the president’s duties is impossible under the (current) circumstances, and an early resignation of the president is inevitable,” Han Dong-hoon told reporters early Saturday.

The opposition bloc holds 192 seats in the 300-strong parliament, while Yoon’s PPP has 108.

Just eight ruling party lawmakers need to defect for the vote to get the two-thirds majority it needs to pass.

A successful vote would suspend Yoon from office pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Police have begun investigating Yoon and others for alleged insurrection.

“I will not shy away from the issue of legal and political responsibility regarding the declaration of martial law,” Yoon said during his address.

Opposition leader Lee said Yoon’s speech was “very disappointing” given widespread public demands for him to step down.

His speech “only exacerbates the sense of betrayal and anger among the citizens”, he said, adding the only solution to the current political chaos was “the immediate resignation of the president or an early departure through impeachment”.

An opinion poll released Friday put backing for the 63-year-old president at a record low of 13 percent.

On Friday night, at least 15,000 anti-Yoon protesters braved the cold weather to gather in Seoul’s Yeouido district, where the National Assembly is located.

Some camped out all night despite freezing temperatures, while opposition MPs remained in parliament, fearing Yoon might try some desperate measure to remain in office.

– ‘Anti-state elements’ –

In his address to the nation late Tuesday, Yoon said martial law would “safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness”.

Security forces sealed the National Assembly, helicopters landed on the roof, and almost 300 soldiers tried to lock down the building.

But as parliamentary staffers blocked the soldiers with sofas and fire extinguishers, enough MPs got inside — many climbed walls to enter — and voted down Yoon’s move.

Soldiers had been ordered to detain key politicians, lawmakers from both parties have said, with the special forces chief saying this week they’d been told to “drag out” lawmakers from parliament.

But experts and lawmakers have speculated that the elite special forces soldiers may have slow-walked following orders, after discovering themselves to be involved in a political rather than national security incident.

The episode brought back painful memories of South Korea’s autocratic past and blindsided its allies, with the US administration only finding out via television.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Friday that he “expects the… democratic process to prevail”.

A Sudanese military air strike on a north Khartoum mosque killed seven civilians on Friday, pro-democracy lawyers said, in a toll also confirmed by an activists’ committee.

“The attack occurred as worshippers were leaving the mosque” after Friday noon prayers, said the Emergency Lawyers, who have been documenting human rights abuses during the 19-month war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The local resistance committee, one of hundreds of volunteer groups across Sudan delivering frontline aid during the war, confirmed the death toll and said “a number of wounded” had also been transported for treatment.

The attack was “part of a series of arbitrary military assaults that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets,” the lawyers said in a statement, calling the strike a “crime against humanity and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”.

Both the army and the RSF have been accused of deliberately targeting civilians and indiscriminately shelling residential areas.

Friday’s attack occurred on a mosque in Khartoum North, also known as Bahri, which has been under near-total control of the RSF since the war began in April 2023.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the war and more than eight million internally uprooted in what the United Nations calls the world’s largest displacement crisis, with another three million having fled abroad.