Nicosia  (TRNC)                                                                                                                                                                                 23 Nov 2017

Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, TRNC Foreign Minister held a series of working meetings in Poland as a guest of Diplomats International (DMW) and the European Business Club. 

During his trip, the Foreign Minister visited Warsaw, the capital, and Lodz respectively, where he held a number of bilateral meetings, attended conferences and gave several press interviews regarding the latest developments on the Cyprus Problem.

In Warsaw, Ertuğruloğlu visited the Polish Parliament and met with former Polish Prime Minister and former President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek. The Foreign Minister also met Polish MPs and Foreign Ministry officials, as well as Polish MEPs.

In Lodz, Minister Ertuğruloğlu attended the European Bio-economy Congress, which was organized in cooperation with two organizations in Lodz, as well as holding meetings with research institutions, universities, and companies during the Congress. 

The Foreign Minister  met  with Witold Stepien, Marshal of the Lodzkie Region.

Minister Ertuğruloğlu returned to the TRNC on Wednesday evening, having completed his contact programme in Poland.

Sochi, Russia                                                                                                                                                                                        22 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                                    (TASS/IRNA)

The tripartite meeting of the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey was held in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday.

The meeting was aimed at discussing the results of Syria peace talks held in Astana, Kazakhstan, and the beginning of political process within Syria.

The achievements in the fight against Takfiri terrorism in Syria as well as future steps to be taken to bring about sustainable stability in the country was also on the agenda of the meeting.

Iran, Russia and Turkey are the main guarantors of the peace talks in Astana.

Russian News Agency TASS reported today 'Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that the meetings on Syria in Astana were beneficial for the entire region but called for pushing ahead with joint efforts.

More:
http://tass.com/world/976960

 

Beirut                                                                                                                                                                                                 22 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                              (AlJazeera News)

Saad Harriri has deferred his resignation as Lebanon's Prime Minister and has vowed to work with the country's President, Michel Aoun, to "protect" the country and maintain its security.

"Today, I presented my resignation to the president and he urged me to hold onto it for more dialogue about its reasons and its political underpinnings ... and I accepted," he said during a televised speech at the country's presidential palace on Wednesday.

"I will do so in hopes that it will renew talks to strengthen our unity and resolve internal conflicts we have and how they reflect in our relations with our Arab brothers," Hariri added.

"At this time, Lebanon needs exceptional efforts from everyone in the face of upcoming challenges ... I look forward today to a real partnership with all of the political parties to put Lebanon's interest on top of anything else."

Hariri addressed the nation after holding a private meeting with Aoun in the capital, Beirut.

Earlier, various leaders in Lebanon, including Aoun, attended an annual military parade that commenced the 74th Independence Day celebrations in Beirut.

Hariri's return to Lebanon comes two weeks after he announced his shock resignation as the country's prime minister in a televised speech from Saudi Arabia.

In his resignation speech, Hariri blamed Iran's "meddling" in the country and its Lebanese ally,  the Hezbollah movement for his decision, adding that he feared an assassination attempt.

The sudden move plunged Lebanon - a country with fragile political stability - into an ongoing period of uncertainty,  raising fears of a potential war between Saudi Arabia and Iran with Lebanon on the front lines.

Officials in Lebanon had alleged that Hariri was being held hostage by Saudi authorities, an allegation Hariri denied in his first public statement following his resignation speech. The Sunni Muslim politician and Saudi ally has been promising to return home since.

Lebanese officials previously said they would only accept his resignation if it was delivered on Lebanese soil.

Hariri's political rival, Hezbollah, also refused to acknowledge the resignation.

In a televised speech, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of forcing Hariri to quit and holding him against his will. The Lebanese unity government that Hariri formed a year ago includes Hezbollah members.

Al Jazeera's Zein Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said that Hariri's tone has shifted since he gave his resignation speech two weeks ago.

"He (Hariri) didn't even mention Hezbollah or Iran … He even said that he's looking forward to a partnership with all political parties in the country

"What is clear is that there has been intensive discussions behind closed doors," she said.

"The resignation was an attempt by Saudi Arabia to curb Hezbollah's influence …That attempt backfired ... Hariri was conciliatory in his message."

There have been international calls for stability in Lebanon, with the US warning regional powers against using the country for proxy conflicts. The UN, too, is calling for stability in Lebanon.

On Saturday, Hariri made his way to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron. There, he announced that he would be partaking in Lebanon's Independence Day celebrations.

Lahore                                                                                                                                                                                               22 Nov. 2017                                                                                                                                                                                    Daily 'Dawn'

A review board comprising judges of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday refused to extend the detention orders of Jamaatud Dawa’s (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.

His current house arrest is going to expire on Nov 24 (Friday).

The review board under the chair of Justice Abdul Sami Khan passed these orders after a senior finance ministry official failed to convince the board that the release of Saeed would bring diplomatic and financial problems to the country.

During the last hearing, the government while seeking extension in the detention orders had argued that Saeed could not be released because the move would result in financial sanctions and a halt in foreign funding to the country. In response, the board had directed the government to send an official from the finance ministry to explain how release of a single individual would affect the entire country.

The JuD chief had been placed under house arrest on January 31 for 90 days. Subsequently, his house arrest had been extended several times.

Following the decision, Saeed told media that an end to his detention is tantamount to the victory of truth, calling it "a serious blow" to India's demands.

Earlier, Saeed's counsel informed the board that a court had declared the detention of his four aides as illegal. He argued that there is no proof against him and he had been detained illegally. He alleged that the government had placed him under house arrest to oblige the United States. Seeking an end to his detention, Saeed argued that his captivity without any legality amounts to a violation of the Constitution and his fundamental human rights.

The counsel of the federal government argued that the release of four associates of Saeed had created law and order issues. He also argued that his release may warrant international sanctions against the country. However, the board rejected the plea to extend his detention on the grounds of insufficient evidences.

Following the decision, admirers of Hafiz Saeed chanted slogans and showered him with rose petals.

Islamabad                                                                                                                                                                                          21 Nov. 2017                                                                                                                                                                                    (Geo News)

National Assembly  of Pakistan on Monday passed the Elections Bill 2017, paving way for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to regain chairmanship of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

The bill was also ratified by President Mamnoon Hussain.

A controversial clause in the bill allows politicians disqualified from holding public office to lead political parties.

Enraged opposition members protested the passing of the bill and tore copies of it after it was presented by Law Minister Zahid Hamid.

Members of the opposition also chanted slogans against Nawaz Sharif.

Moreover, the amendment to the bill presented by the Jamaat-e-Islami was rejected by the assembly.

While addressing the National Assembly, Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rasheed had spoken against the bill.

“You are risking the country's democracy over one person," he said, adding “You have attacked the Supreme Court with a rocket launcher.”

Nawaz Sharif does not even want to see his brother [Shehbaz Sharif] as a party leader, he remarked.

“You can start digging the grave of democracy with your majority,” he said while referring to the PML-N parliamentarians.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi remarked that clause 203 of the bill is against the spirit of the country's Constitution.

The clause seeks to help an unqualified man to become the head of a party, he said, adding that the Supreme Court had also disqualified the person.

"You [PML-N] have the majority and we are a minority. But, if you pass the bill then we will challenge it in the court. We want clause 203 to be removed and Political Parties' Order must be restored," said Qureshi.

Responding to Qureshi, NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq asked him "Why didn't you speak when you had the chance?"

PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood remarked that the party was deceived due to the way the bill was presented.  Nawaz Sharif was bound to be disqualified because of his corrupt practices," he said. He further said that the bill should be deferred as opposition won't accept it.

In August, following Nawaz Sharif's disqualification by the Supreme Court, the ECP had informed the PML-N that according to the Political Parties Order 2002, a disqualified MNA cannot hold any position in the party.

Last week, the PML-N managed to amend the Elections Bill 2017 in the opposition-controlled Senate in favour of Nawaz's bid to become the party president. The bill will now be tabled in the Lower House of Parliament, where the PML-N holds a majority, on Monday.

According to the bill, every citizen will have the right to be a part of a political party, except those in government service, and will also have the right to form a party.

It enables the ECP to scrutinise election expenses within 90 days, failing which election expenses submitted by a political party would be deemed to be correct.

The bill states that any parliamentarian could only be disqualified for a period of five years and that ECP will be an independent and autonomous body, which will formulate its own law, and party funding details will be available online.

It also restricts the caretaker government from making any policy decisions.

During a meeting of Central Working Committee at the Punjab House, the party members endorsed a resolution forwarded by Climate Change Minister Senator Mushahidullah Khan.

The party leaders expressed confidence and reaffirmed their trust on the party leader. They also paid tribute to the former prime minister for his services during his tenure.

Meanwhile, the PML-N has also summoned a meeting of its general council Tuesday to appoint Nawaz as the party's president after his removal from office.

Former senator and the party's chief election commissioner, Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal, will apprise the members of schedule for the election of party president.

It is quite unlikely for any other PML-N member to file his nomination for post.

*An earlier version of the story said that the bill was titled Electoral Reforms Bill 2017. The error is regretted. 

Michael Kugelman                                                                                                                                                                         20 Nov. 2017                                                                                                                                                                                  (Herald-Dawn)

Ultimately, recent events don’t change the tense state of Pakistan-America relations.

If there is one song that best describes this relationship, it’s Land of Confusion, the 1980s hit from the band Genesis. Because when it comes to this perplexing partnership, one never truly knows what is going on. The developments of recent days provide a sobering case in point. After several weeks of rocky relations following the announcement of Donald Trump’s new Afghanistan strategy – which called on Islamabad’s bitter enemy, India, to play a greater role on Pakistan’s western flank – the relationship appeared to stabilise with a logic and order as surreal as it was reassuring.

First came Pakistan’s rescue of a Canadian-American family from the clutches of the Haqqani network. Then came several drone strikes in Afghanistan that, we were told, eliminated Jamaat-ul-Ahrar leader Omar Khalid Khorasani, the mastermind of many mass-casualty attacks in Pakistan.

It was seemingly a case of two feuding factions burying the hatchet: Pakistan helping recover the Canadian-American couple and their children, and America reciprocating by removing one of Pakistan’s most-wanted terrorists. This is the transactional nature of Pakistan-America relations, in all its glory: you do this, I’ll do that. And, with a famously transactional businessman in the White House, a strong indication of the relationship’s likely trajectory.

If only things were that simple.

Reports soon surfaced that Pakistan may have rescued the family not out of the goodness of its heart, but only after heavy pressure – and with Navy SEALS on standby – from Washington. Reports also emerged that Khorasani wasn’t killed after all. But we did receive confirmation that another Pakistani Taliban leader, Umar Mansoor, is dead — but this more than a year after he was supposedly killed in a drone strike.

Ultimately, recent events don’t change the tense state of play of Pakistan-America relations. Washington’s policy toward Pakistan has become singular in approach: it wants Islamabad to eliminate terrorist safe havens on its soil used to target Americans in Afghanistan. For an ‘America First’ president dead set on protecting US interests abroad at all costs, this is a perfectly predictable policy.

Pakistan, like any nation, no matter how weak or strong, has national interests. These interests – driven by a need to push back against India, which the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network also aim to do in Afghanistan – make crackdowns against them unlikely.

Compounding the challenges for Pakistan-American relations is that each side’s claims and demands are contradictory and even unfair. America somehow wants Pakistan to crackdown on the Afghan Taliban while simultaneously urging the group to come to the negotiating table. The recent resumption of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group is a reminder that, despite Trump’s security-oriented Afghanistan strategy, the administration still supports the idea of reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan, meanwhile, insists it need not ‘do more’ in the ‘war on terror’ given all the sacrifices it has made and all the terrorists it has killed. It’s a fair point. Except Washington believes that Pakistan hasn’t done nearly enough about the terrorists that threaten America the most. As for Islamabad’s demand that America go after Pakistani Taliban leaders in Afghanistan? This is already happening, as evidenced by the hit on Mansoor.

Where does this leave us? For all the talk of Washington tightening the screws on Pakistan, coercive American tactics risk provoking Pakistani retaliations, from shutting down North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (Nato) supply routes to suspending intelligence cooperation, that could imperil US interests.

This means that possibly the most draconian US measures – sanctioning individual Pakistani security establishment officials, revoking Pakistan’s non-Nato ally status or designating Pakistan a state sponsor of terror – are likely to be set aside, at least for the short-term. Then again, maybe not. In the land of confusion known as Pakistan-America relations, nothing is ever what it seems.

---

The article was originally published in the Herald's November 2017 issue. To read moresubscribe to the Herald in print.

---

The writer is a deputy director and senior associate for South Asia within the Asia programme at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.

 

 

Myanmar                                                                                                                                                                                  20 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                    (AlJazeera)

Rohingya activists have accused Aung San Suu Kvi of "denying their existence", after Myanmar's leader failed to mention a humanitarian crisis that has seen the exodus of more than half a million refugees to Bangladesh since August.

In a speech on Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi said the world is facing new threats partly because of illegal immigration and the spread of "terrorism", drawing criticism that she is trying to divert attention away from the Rohingya crisis.

"Today we are facing a new period of global uncertainty and instability," Aung San Suu Kyi said at the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of foreign ministers in Naypyidaw.

"Conflicts around the world are giving rise to new threats and emergencies: illegal immigration, spread of terrorism and violent extremism, and even the threat of nuclear war."

In August, a fierce military crackdown, in the wake of attacks on army posts, sent more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing what the United Nations has described as "textbook ethnic cleansing" in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State.

Described as the "world's most persecuted minority", the Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and abuse at the hands of Myanmar's army and have been denied citizenship since 1982.

Many Buddhists in Myanmar believe that Rohingya are Bengali who migrated to the country illegally during the British rule in the subcontinent.

'Change the discussion'

Reacting to Aung San Suu Kyi's speech, Ro Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist based in Germany, said her statement was nothing but a "denial of our existence".

"Rohingya were recognised as citizens after independence in 1948. Our citizenship was snatched in 1982 by the military regime," he told Al Jazeera.

"When Suu Kyi's party, National League for Democracy (NLD), was established in 1988, many Rohingya supported her," he added.

"The NLD issued IDs that mentioned the word Rohingya," he said, adding that four Rohingya stood in the 1990 parliamentary elections on the ticket of Aung San Suu Kyi's party.

Al Jazeera's Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from the border town of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where most of the fleeing Rohingya have taken shelter, said the Myanmar leader's speech was seen by many as a "calculated move".

"She is trying to change the main discussion from the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and the issue of ethnic cleansing to the crisis of immigration and terrorism," added Chowdhury.

"She is trying to please the military, which controls the borders, defence and interior ministry."

 

Beirut                                                                                                                                                                                                    19 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                              (AlJazeera News)

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has has rejected claims made by Arab foreign ministers that the Lebanese group is arming rebels in Yemen.

In a televised speech on Monday from Beirut, Nasrallah, whose Shia group is represented in the Lebanese parliament and has a strong military wing, called the claims made at the previous day's Arab League meeting "ridiculous".

Referring to a paragraph in the final statement made after the meeting in Cairo, which accused Hezbollah of "supporting terrorism and extremist groups in Arab countries with advanced weapons and ballistic missiles", Nasrallah said there was no proof for such claims.

Saudi Arabia has accused Hezbollah of playing a role in the November 4 firing of a ballistic missile by Yemen's Iran-allied Shia Houthi rebels towards the King Khaled International Airport outside Riyadh.

"We have not sent any ballistic missiles or advanced weapons - not even guns - not to Yemen, not to Bahrain, not to Kuwait, not to Iraq ... or any Arab country," Nasrallah said, adding that Hezbollah does not own ballistic missiles.

The only places that Hezbollah has sent weapons to were Palestine and Syria, he said.

Nasrallah's speech comes amid heightened tension between Iran - Hezbollah's ally - and Saudi Arabia since Saad Hariri's surprise resignation in Riyadh as Lebanon's prime minister, just hours before the missile fired by the Houthi rebels was intercepted near the Saudi capital.

Hariri, a Sunni politician and ally of Saudi Arabia, cited Iran's "grip" on his country and threats to his life as the reasons for his resignation.

Arab League accusations

The special summit in the Egyptian capital on Sunday was requested by Saudi Arabia to discuss alleged "violations" committed by Iran in the Arab region.

At the meeting, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi foreign minister, said Iran was aiming "to destabilise and fuel sectarian rift" in the region "and to drive a wedge between ourselves and our people".

The Bahraini foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, also spoke, accusing Iran of inflicting "thousands of wounds" on his country.

"Iran has arms in the region, the largest of which is Hezbollah," said Khalid bin Ahmed, adding that Iran threatened the security of Arab states.

Referring to the November 4 missile incident near Riyadh, Nasrallah said: "I spoke of this before, but some did not understand: no one from Hezbollah had any responsibility in this. The problem with Saudi Arabia is that they don't understand that Yemenis have brains and are strong and can produce their own weapons."

He went on to condemn the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, saying: "Call on Saudi Arabia to halt its massacres."

Despite waging a military offensive in Yemen for more than two years now, the coalition has so far failed to achieve its stated aims of dislodging the Houthi rebels from the capital, Sanaa, and the country's north.

The war has taken a huge toll on the country: More than 10,000 civilians have been killed and millions of Yemenis have been left without basic necessities.

War against ISIL

In the context of the ongoing war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Nasrallah said on Monday that the armed group's era would be over when its fighters are removed from the Syrian border town of al-Bukamal.

"This does not mean that Daesh is over, but the infrastructure of Daesh is over," he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL, also known as ISIS.

Nasrallah, whose fighters are battling anti-government groups in Syria, said he is willing to pull Hezbollah out of neighbouring Iraq once the central government announces victory over ISIL in that country.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said Nasrallah's comments on ISIL "have to be viewed within the context of Hariri's resignation, who said he would be ready to withdraw his resignation if Hezbollah disengages itself from regional conflicts".

She said it is possible that he is "trying to open the door to a compromise so that Hariri can withdraw his resignation and there could be some sort of a national agreement in Lebanon".

 

Malaysia                                                                                                                                                                                                19 Nov 2017

Making history, Afghanistan's under-19 cricket team beat Pakistan on Sunday to bag the Asia Youth Cup trophy in Malaysia.

The team won by a margin of 185 runs, with Ikram Ali Khelof making a century. He also became the 'man of the match' with his 107 not out.

Afghanistan's Mujeeb Zadran took an overall 20 wickets in the tournament and was named the best player of the tournament.

Pakistan had won the toss and elected to field. They managed to restrict Afghanistan to 248 for 7 off 50 overs. However, the greenshirts were all out on just 63 off 22.1 overs, with Afghanistan's M Rahman taking 5-13 and Q Kamawal 3-18.

Afghanistan's chief executive Abdullah Abdullah also congratulated the team via Twitter.

"I feel proud to congratulate our nation on this very unique, rare and prideful occasion of our country's cricket as Afghanistan's U19 clinches historic win over Pakistan at the ACC U-19 Asia Cup and lifts the trophy for the first time in the history."

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                     19 Nov 2017

Qatar Ministry of Interior signed today, 19 November 2017, an agreement with a Singapore based company to hold the services for simplifying the residency procedures of expatriate workers coming to Qatar.

Brig. Muhammad Ahmad Al Ateeq, Director General of the General Directorate of Passports and Suresh Kumar, Manager of the Singapore based company signed the agreement at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Interior.

Present on the occasion were Maj. Gen. Engineer Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al Ansari, Director of International Cooperation Department, Brig. Abdullah Salim Al Ali from the Office of the Interior Minister, Brig. Nasser Al Mahmoud, Director of Criminal Evidences and Investigation Department, and Dr. Ibrahim Al Shaar, Director of Medical Commission.

The project will be implemented in its first phase in eight countries – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines and Tunisia as the workers from these countries constitute 80% of total workforce in Qatar.

Brig. Muhammad Ahmad Al Ateeq said that the agreement was intended to facilitate the services for easing the residence procedures for the expatriates coming to work in the State of Qatar. This system will be implemented through a mechanism starting from the issuance of a visa to the person coming to Qatar from the above said eight countries. Service providing centers will be opened in those countries where the Qatar visa holders from there can complete many steps of the entry and residence procedures from their home countries. As a first phase the services such as the biometric data record, fingerprint, medical checkup and work contract singing will be carried out through these centers form their own countries before their departure to Qatar.

He pointed out that this project has been undergone longer studies and evaluation to ease the entry processes in favor of the expatriate workers and preserve his rights well. The documentation and signing of contract in his country before his travel to Qatar will help the workers to start their works with the hosting companies immediately after entering the country and transfer his salary to the bank since the first month of work.

This project is implemented in cooperation between different authorities in the State. At the principal stage, the service will be started in cooperation between Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.

Capt. Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, Recruitment Support Services Department at the General Directorate of Passport said that the second phase includes the authorization of educational certificates and other documents and services like wage protection of the workers.

He added that this project would help to solve several issues that expats facing in residence procedures such as medical fitness, fingerprint and contract signing. Expats would not be asked to go through these procedures after their entry to Qatar again. The processes will be linked electronically to concerned departments to avoid mismanagement and can be verified in Airport counters upon their arrival. The medical checkup will be approved electronically by the E-governance service.

The project would be carried out in other countries after studies to cover all countries of expats in Qatar.

The project which will be worked out within 4 months will be piloted in Sri Lanka where first of such centre will be opened in Colombo and it will be followed with opening of such centres in other 7 countries. There will be 7 centres in India (Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, Cochin, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Lucknow), while 4 in Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar), 3 each in Bangladesh (Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong), and Indonesia, 2 in Philippines (Manila and Cebu) and 1 each in Sri Lanka (Colombo), Nepal (Kathmandu) and Tunisia.

Later, briefing  to media at a press conference in this regard, Capt. Abdulla Khalifa Al-Muhannadi, Director of Visa Support Services, Ministry of Interior, Qatar while providing above details told that this step will help in reducing return back after arrival to Qatar back to source countries of workforce on medical grounds from 3 % to 1 %.

Capt. Al-Muhannadi told that Visit Visa holders upon getting a job offer have to go back to their respective countries to meet necessary procedure.