Lahore, 31 Oct. 2020 (Dawn News)

Member National Assembly (PML-N)  and former speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, on Saturday said he stands by his stance expressed during a recent speech on the floor of the lower house, adding that he had "many secrets" but never made irresponsible statements.

Sadiq was referring to his speech earlier this week in which he suggested that the PTI government had released Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in capitulation, fearing an imminent attack from India.

His statement was heavily criticized by ministers and by social media users and also prompted the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Chief Maj.  Gen. Babar Iftikhar to hold a presser in which he sought to "correct the record" regarding the events that surrounded India's violation of Pakistani airspace last year in February.

Although Gen Ikftikhar did not name anyone, he said "a statement was given yesterday which tried to distort the history of issues associated with national security," purportedly in reference to Sadiq's remarks.

Talking to the media in Lahore alongside Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sadiq said that the "political colour" given to his statement did not benefit Pakistan's narrative.

Nassao, Bahamas, 31 Oct. 2020

Sir Sean Connery, one of the greatest silver screen actors,  renowned for his character as British Agent 007, wth dialogue 'Bond ' James Bond', died peacefully in age 90.

James Bond, Character by novelist Ian Flemming immortalized by Sean Connery played by him in seven movies. James Bond, His first movie on the character started with Dr. No released in 1962.

As per media reports, Jason Connery, Sir Sean son told BBCthat his father died peacefully in his sleep overnight while in the Bahamas due to his unwell health condition.

He said that it is a sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."

Sean Connery was raised in the slums of Edinburgh and worked as a coffin polisher, milkman and lifeguard. His bodybuilding hobby helped him entering in film career that took him among the world's top galaxy of stars.

Besides role as Bond. he was a recipient of Academy Award on his acting  as a tough Chicago cop in ' The Untouchables ' released in 1987.

His acting career spanned on five decades.

He was knighted at the age of 69 by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 2000 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.

His acting career spanned five decades, among his BOND's movies included Dr No (1962); From Russia with Love (1963); Goldfinger (1964); Thunderball (1965); You Only Live Twice (1967); Diamonds are Forever (1971); and Never Say Never Again (1983)

Doha, 29 Oct. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Qatar and Turkey share deep-rooted relations and the bilateral trade has increased from $340 million in 2010 to over $2 billion in 2019, Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar HE Mehmet Mustafa Goksu has said.

“COVID-19 pandemic has hardly had any impact on the bilateral trade,” the Turkish envoy said while addressing a press conference to mark the 97th Foundation Day of Turkey.

He said the Turkish embassy in Qatar has planned week-long mini events (in compliance with preventive measures) to celebrate the national day with “our Qatari and resident brothers”.

He said Qatar and Turkey enjoy deep-rooted relations since the end of 19th century.
“We are strategic partners and have made remarkable progress in recent years in all fields. We share same principles in terms of activating mediation efforts, diplomacy and dialogue as the basis for resolving disputes,” he added.

The envoy said both Turkey and Qatar are aligned with truth and justice that fulfils the interests of their people, their aspiration for preserving freedom and respecting sovereignty of other countries.

The Turkish envoy praised His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the unforgettable support and stand with Turkish people in times of major challenges, especially after the 2018 failed coup attempt. The Turkish people stood by Qatar as it faces an unjust blockade since June 2017, he added.

The Turkish envoy said that he feels honoured to represent his country in Qatar, a nation that carries great diplomatic, economic and humanitarian weight in the world. The envoy said he is fully committed to further strengthening the bilateral relations.

He said the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee was established in 2014. Political and security rapprochement between Qatar and Turkey was reflected in their economies, and this strengthened the summit meetings between the Turkish president and HH the Amir.

He said there are 50 bilateral agreements between the two countries covering almost every sector to strengthen the bilateral relations. New agreements are in the pipeline to be signed during the next Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee meeting to be held before the end of the year, he added.
The envoy said Turkey had under gone enormous transformations to find a place among the developed countries of the world. “Turkey has faced many challenges targeting its security and stability. It saw an attempted coup on July 15, 2016. We were able to overcome it, thanks to the will and awareness of our people,” the envoy added.
He said Turkey is playing a significant role at the world level during this COVID-19 pandemic.
The envoy said Turkey has achieved self-sufficiency in medical equipment and supplies for meeting local demand. Turkey has also provided medical aid to 125 countries around the world to combat the pandemic, he added.

Doha, 30 Oct. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

The second round of political discussions and consultations between Qatar and Finland will be held in Doha and will cover a wider range of areas of interests, Foreign Minister of Finland Pekka Haavisto has said.

In an interview with Qatar Tribune, Haavisto said Qatar and Finland share common approaches towards building harmony among states in conflict zones and working to bring peace, safety, security and stability in various regions.

He said he was in Afghanistan for the forthcoming international donors meeting for Afghanistan to be held in Geneva on November 23 and 24 to consider future aid commitments to Afghanistan.

Because the COVID-19 situation is not permitting free movements and the Afghanistan issue is so crucial, he said he thought, on his way back home, to visit Qatar for consultation with the country’s leadership.

Haavisto said that during his two-day stay in Doha, he met the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his counterpart HE Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, where both sides discussed bilateral relations, including trade, Finish School Doha and the ongoing Afghan talks in Doha.

On the present status of the Afghan talks, he said his message for the teams is that a very important donors meeting is coming up after four years and the donors’ decision to help Afghanistan very much depends on the development of their talks, especially reduction in casualties.
He said when he was contacting ministers all over the world in preparation for the Geneva meeting, all of them had one question -- the development of Doha talks.

Haavisto advised both the parties to issue very constructive statements so that the international community can trust that there will be positive results and peace will prevail in Afghanistan. He said there is a small Muslim community in Finland and it enjoys full freedom and its members play their role in administration as well as in parliament.

On Qatar-Finland bilateral relations, Haavisto said there are some major Finnish companies, including Nokia, and few hundreds of Finnish nationals are contributing towards the development of Qatar, in addition to a Finnish school with around 700 students.

There are various areas, he noted, where both the countries can cooperate and enhance their relations -- areas like education, communication technology and natural gas sector.

He said Qatar Airways’ direct flights between Doha and Helsinki play an important role in the economic relations and praised the airline for its role during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in transporting both cargo goods and stranded passengers at various airports to their home countries.
Talking on labour reforms in Qatar, Haavisto said these will have immense impact on the national production and growth.

Quetta, 27 Oct. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Monday launched an awareness campaign for the 2020-2021 cam-ing season. Under the slogan ‘Camp Safely’, the campaign aims to enhance full awareness of security and safety measures to protect lives and property and to ensure an accident-free camping season.

At a press conference on Monday, the General Directorate of Traffic announced the details of the awareness campaign and its objectives for the winter camp, which attracts hundreds of families annually.

Director General of Traffic Brigadier Muhammad Abdullah Al Shahwani said the awareness campaign aims to enhance security during camping in general to achieve safety for the campers and visitors. He said the department and all participating parties will intensify their efforts to serve the campers, citizens and visitors in the Sealine area and all camping places such as North, Al Khor, Al Wakra and other beach resorts.

He said a committee was formed to plan, supervise and folllow up to ensure a safe camping season. He called on everyone to adhere to the procedures and rules for camping, especially those related to traffic rules and regulations. He praised all concerned ministries and partners for their support and cooperation for meeting the objectives of the campaign.

Lt Col Muhammad bin Jassim Al Thani, Head of the Southern Traffic Department said the committee has developed an executive plan to deal with traffic accidents and to raise the level of traffic safety in the Sealine area.

WHEN asked why so much emphasis is placed on Sealine Resort, he said the resort is very popular with visitors and campers. He said there are strategic objectives for the Traffic Department to deal with accidents, pointing out that an operational plan has been developed to raise the level of traffic safety in the Sealine area.

He said the committee has begun implementing the plan, which includes an intensified traffic patrols on the tracks leading to camping points, deputing patrols to monitor violations and track unregulated practices that may cause traffic offences. There are also plans for traffic movements in the southern region.

He said about 50 percent of the patrols are equipped with speed radars. He said the Traffic Department will not tolerate traffic violations and will strictly monitor the implementation of all identity requirements of young people, as well as the issue of renting out motorcycles to children.

He called on parents to adhere to the conditions for renting, especially with regard to choosing the appropriate bike for children. He said more than 150 vehicles were seized in sealine area last week for violations.

Captain Abdul Wahid Al Enezi from the Traffic Awareness Department said the administration has prepared a vehicle dedicated to traffic awareness equipped with the latest technologies, adding that awareness messages will be broadcast and leaflets with the guidelines will be distributed among young people.

Ali Darwish, Assistant Executive Director of Ambulance Services at HMC, said although the Sealine area is covered through-out the year by the Ambulance Department, 13 ambulances are exclusively dedicated for Sealine area for the camping season. In addition, one air ambulance is also allocated for weekends only. Last year, he said, the Ambulance service Department handled 1,225 reports from the Sealine area alone with 660 sick cases and 565 accidental injuries.

Doha, 25 Oct. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Outgoing Ambassador of Argentina HE Carlos Hernandez has described Qatar as a great example in promoting global humanitarian works, education, research, sports, and uplift of underprivileged societies in various regions through its contributions to the UN and other international organizations.

Speaking to Qatar Tribune, HE Hernandez said Qatar was one of the first countries to extend help to the needy countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, and praised Qatar Airways for its support and help in transporting stranded Argentine nationals at various airports back to Buenos Aires.

Talking about the bilateral relations between Argentina and Qatar, he said his tenure of two years and five months witnessed the state visit of the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Buenos Aires in October 2018, which strengthened the close relations between the two
countries as a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements were signed.

He said the period also saw the visit of Foreign Minister of Argentina, two visits of Argentine vice-president and a number of commercial visits.

The envoy said that before his posting, there were only about two bilateral agreements between the two countries, adding that during his tenure around 45 MoUs and agreements were initiated, some of which have been signed while six or seven are ready for signing but delayed due to COVID-19 He added that some agreements are under discussion and at various stages with the hope to get finalised soon.

In the trade and investment sector, the ambassador said a number of Argentine products, including meat, fruits and vegetable are available in Qatari market.

He said Qatar Petroleum, as part of a consortium, has handsome investment in Argentina as it has exploration agreements in the northern part and western basins of the country.

He said the governor of Misiones Province, home of Iguazu Water Falls system, the South American wonder of the world, will be visiting Qatar to discuss investment opportunities and promote Iguazu Water falls.

In the sports sector, Hernandez said Qatar plans to construct polo stadium and Argentine experts will be providing training to Qatari polo team, adding that Qatar Women’s Sports Committee is also interested in engaging with Argentine Women Sports training programme.

He said Argentine TV and radio anchor Flavio Azzaro, who was in Qatar as part of his year-long world tour, will, on his return home by December 2020, produce a special documentary on Qatar’s preparations for FIFA World Cup 2022 for football lovers in Latin American states.

Hernandez described his family as being lucky to come to Qatar as they made the best of friends in the country, adding that he and his wife will be carrying great memories to cherish for life. “In Qatar, I have discovered a new world, which seems like a world for the present and future and I am
very happy that I was posted here,” he said.

He praised the leadership and people of Qatar for the way they managed the blockade and COVID-19 crises successfully.

 

23 Oct. 2020 (Jazeera News)

Pakistan will remain on a terrorism financing watch list until it completely implements a set of preventive guidelines, a global watchdog said, urging Islamabad to improve financial controls.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body, praised Pakistan for progress on 21 of 27 recommendations but said the rest must also be implemented.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. The inter-governmental body sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society. As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.

With more than 200 countries and jurisdictions committed to implementing them.  The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations or FATF Standards, which ensure a co-ordinated global response to prevent organised crime, corruption and terrorism.

They help authorities go after the money of criminals dealing in illegal drugs, human trafficking and other crimes.  The FATF also works to stop funding for weapons of mass destruction.

Islamabad/Karachi, 20 Oct. 2020 (Express Tribune)

Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa has ordered an inquiry into the ‘Karachi incident’ that led to registration of a first information report (FIR) against PML-N’s Capt.  (Retd) Muhammad Safdar and his subsequent arrest during a visit to Sindh provincial capital.

“Taking notice of the Karachi incident, the COAS (Chief of the Army Staff) has directed the Karachi Corps Commander to immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible,” said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday.

The development came after Peoples Party of Pakistan, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing a news conference, requested the army chief and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to investigate how the Sindh police chief was pressured into registering a case against the PML-N leader.

In a high drama, Capt. (Retd) Safdar – the son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif -- was arrested from the hotel room of his wife Maryam Nawaz in Karachi on Monday morning for allegedly disrespecting the mausoleum of the Founder of the Nation, only to be released by a court hours later.
Safdar, who was in Karachi along with his wife Maryam Nawaz to attend the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) rally, had allegedly chanted slogans at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah when he paid a visit to the place on Sunday along with other party leaders ahead of the rally.

“Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar,” the PML-N vice president tweeted soon after Safdar’s arrest, setting off a political storm.

The PDM leaders had termed it an attempt by the federal government and its agencies, which “kidnapped the provincial police chief and forced him into signing the arrest order”.

Soon after the arrest, former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair – who is also the spokesperson of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz – appeared on some TV channels to claim that Sindh Inspector General Police (IGP) Mushtaq Mahar was coerced into arresting Safdar.

Referring to his conversation with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Zubair had claimed that Sindh police chief Mushtaq Mahar was kidnapped by Rangers at 4 in the morning and brought to a military office where he was forced to issue the orders for the arrest.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Sindh police thanked army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa for “realising the sense of hurt that prevailed within a uniformed force, and for promptly ordering an inquiry into the matter, which he has also assured will be impartial in order to restore the prestige of the Sindh police”.

The Sindh police also thanked PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for showing solidarity with the police force.

Washington, 20 Oct. 2020 (Anadolu News)

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee to late Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, filed suit in US district court Tuesday against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the journalist's grisly murder.

Cengiz and a rights group founded by Khashoggi before his death filed the lawsuit in Washington, D.C. District Court against bin Salman and over two dozen other top Saudi officials.

It alleges that Khashoggi was the victim of a ruse that began in Riyadh's US embassy when he went there to secure documents to marry Cengiz.

It accuses bin Salman and Saudi officials of having "manufactured an opportunity to murder him" in which Saudi officials in the Washington Embassy told Khashoggi he could not receive the documents in the US, and would instead have to travel to Istanbul to get them at the Saudi Consulate there.

"This fatal misdirection took place in the United States and was part of the overall conspiracy intended to have a direct impact on Mr. Khashoggi’s political activities in the United States. Defendants and their co-conspirators orchestrated these actions with the intention of murdering Mr. Khashoggi," according to the lawsuit.

Khashoggi was ultimately killed in the consulate in October 2018, and his likely dismembered body has yet to be returned to his family.

Saudi Arabia acknowledges its agents killed Khashoggi but blames it on a botched rendition operation that was executed without bin Salman's consent, an explanation scoffed at by critics who doubt the killing could have been conducted without the direct knowledge and consent of bin Salman, the Kingdom's de facto ruler.

The CIA determined with confidence that bin Salman directed Khashoggi's murder.

The lawsuit filed by Cengiz and the Democracy for the Arab World Now seeks significant monetary damages, which it says should be determined by a trial jury.

Ankara, 20 Oct. 2020 (Anadolou News)

Turkey is set to continue its search for energy resources in Black Sea region, where it has so far discovered 405 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas, the country's president said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference following an hours-long cabinet meeting in the presidential complex in the capital Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered remarks on various topics including the novel coronavirus outbreak, as well as the country's energy research and foreign policy.

Erdogan said a discovery this weekend in the Black Sea that raised the known capacity of previous natural gas reserves from 320 to 405 bcm would finally allow Turkey to meet its hydrocarbon needs to some extent, adding that Turkey's drill ship, the Fatih, would start on fresh operations next month.

More good news may await the country, he added, as the vessel is slated to start operations on a new Black Sea well -- Turkali 1 -- next month with available data suggesting the possibility of similar discoveries in the region.

Erdogan went on to say that the natural gas to be extracted would significantly contribute to Turkey's peace, prosperity and security, as the country enjoys the financial benefits of the find.