Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Belarus election: Second night of clashes over disputed poll

 Second night of clashes over disputed Belarus poll
Police in Belarus's capital Minsk have fired rubber bullets for a second night to quash protests following Sunday's disputed presidential elections.

Officials say one demonstrator died when an explosive device went off in his hands - the first confirmed fatality since the clashes began.

Autocratic President Alexander Lukashenko won 80% of the vote.

His main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya refused to accept the results, saying she was the real winner.

A lack of scrutiny - no observers were present - has led to allegations of widespread vote-rigging in the poll.

The election was held amid growing frustration at Mr Lukashenko's leadership, with opposition rallies attracting large crowds. The preceding days saw a crackdown on activists and journalists.

Mr Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has described opposition supporters as "sheep" controlled from abroad, and vowed not to allow the country to be torn apart.

He won 80.23% of the vote, according to election officials, with Ms Tikhanovskaya receiving 9.9%.

Ms Tikhanovskaya entered the election in place of her jailed husband and went on to lead large opposition rallies.

Riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse thousands of demonstrators rallying in the capital.

Polish-based broadcaster Belsat TV aired footage of the police charging into the crowds.

Reports say some of the demonstrators fought back, throwing petrol bombs. Protesters also tried to build barricades.

A number of people were arrested. One journalist was injured, her colleagues and eyewitnesses said.

Later on Monday, the interior ministry said a protester died when he "tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at members of law enforcement".

"It exploded in his hand," the ministry said in a statement.

Opposition Candidate Ms Tikhanovskaya

The opposition candidate said that the authorities should think about how to peacefully hand over power.

"We have seen that the authorities are trying to hold on to their positions by force," she said.

"No matter how much we asked authorities not to turn on their own people, we were not listened to."

Her campaign said it would challenge "numerous falsifications" in the vote.

"The election results announced by the Central Electoral Commission do not correspond to reality and completely contradict common sense," her spokeswoman Anna Krasulina said.

But Mr Lukashenko vowed to stay in control.

"Our response will be robust," he said. "We will not allow the country to be torn apart."

International reaction 

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Belarusian counterpart on his victory, despite friction over accusations of a Russian plot, which Mr Lukashenko has tried to link to the opposition.

The leaders of China and several former Soviet nations have sent messages of support.

But the US said it was "deeply concerned" by the election and urged the government to "respect the right to peacefully assemble and to refrain from the use of force".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the election results to be published, saying harassment and repression had no place in Europe.

Individual EU countries expressed support for the demonstrators, and neighbouring Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said doubts over the election were "a direct road to violence, conflict and growing public outcry".



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Monday, August 10, 2020

Secretary CAA Board removed from post over ‘opposing bifurcation plan’

Civil Aviation Authority
Secretary Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Board Zubair Paracha was removed from his post for expressing reservations over the bifurcation plan of the aviation body.

According to details, Zubair Paracha was replaced by Additional Director Usman Saeed as new secretary of the CAA board.

He was removed after approval from the Director General (DG) CAA.

According to sources, Zubair Paracha was removed from his post after he raised reservations over the government plans to bifurcate the aviation authority and other matters.

“Not publicizing bonus and service regulations also added to the decision against him,” they said.

A spokesman of the CAA while commenting on the move said that he was sent back to the post of additional director (legal).

“There is no truth in reports of his removal over opposing bifurcation plans,” he said.

On March 3, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had announced that the authorities had commenced the delinking process of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) into two separate divisions.

 



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Secretary CAA Board removed from post over ‘opposing bifurcation plan’

Civil Aviation Authority
Secretary Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Board Zubair Paracha was removed from his post for expressing reservations over the bifurcation plan of the aviation body.

According to details, Zubair Paracha was replaced by Additional Director Usman Saeed as new secretary of the CAA board.

He was removed after approval from the Director General (DG) CAA.

According to sources, Zubair Paracha was removed from his post after he raised reservations over the government plans to bifurcate the aviation authority and other matters.

“Not publicizing bonus and service regulations also added to the decision against him,” they said.

A spokesman of the CAA while commenting on the move said that he was sent back to the post of additional director (legal).

“There is no truth in reports of his removal over opposing bifurcation plans,” he said.

On March 3, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had announced that the authorities had commenced the delinking process of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) into two separate divisions.

 



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Process of voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees resumes

Process of voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees resumes
The process of voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan resumed on Monday.

A spokesman of UNHCR Qaiser Afridi told Radio Pakistan's Peshawar Correspondent that a repatriation center has been set up at Azakhel district Nowshera to register refugees who want to go back to Afghanistan.

The spokesman said registering refugees at the center will be on Monday and Tuesday only.

He said that UNHCR is providing about two hundred dollars to each Afghan refugee in the encashment centers after settlement in Afghanistan.



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Sunday, August 9, 2020

Heavy rain expected in different parts of Lahore

Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning
Heavy rain in different parts of Lahore has turned weather pleasant.

According to details, Gulberg, Township, Model Town, Faisal Town, Lakshmi Chowk and other parts of the provincial capital witnessed downpour.

According to the MET Office, the rain will continue to lash Lahore during upcoming 24 hours.

Meanwhile, rain/wind-thundershowers are expected in Kashmir, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, northeast Balochistan, coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan during the next twelve hours.

Heavy falls are also likely to occur at few places in Islamabad, Kashmir, upper Punjab and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.

Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning:

Islamabad twenty-six degree centigrade, Lahore and Peshawar twenty-eight, Quetta twenty-three, Murree twenty, Gilgit twenty-one and Muzaffarabad twenty-four degree centigrade.

According to Met Office forecast about Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the weather in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Baramulla is expected to be partly cloudy with chances of rain and thundershowers.

Temperature recorded this morning in Srinagar, Pulwama and Baramulla thirty, Jammu thirty-one, Leh twenty, Anantnag and Shopian twenty-six degree centigrade.



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UNGA President planted a sapling at the office of foreign ministry

UNGA President planted a sapling at the office of foreign ministry
President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir has arrived in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

On arrival at the Ministry, the Foreign Minister received the visiting dignitary.

On conclusion of the talks, the Foreign Minister and the President-elect of the UN General Assembly are scheduled to address a joint press stakeout.

Volkan Bozkir will also call on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Issues and priorities pertaining to 75th session of the UN General Assembly will be discussed in the meetings.

On the occasion, Volkan Bozkir planted a sapling at the lawn of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the national plantation drive.

Volkan Bozkir is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.



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Park Lane reference: Accountability court indicts former president Zardari

Former President Asif Ali Zardari
An accountability court in Islamabad indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane reference today (Monday) via video link.

The accountability judge had directed authorities to ensure that the accused present himself for the hearing today. Zardari appeared before the court for today’s hearing via video link from his Bilawal House residence in Karachi.

Other suspects in the case also attended proceedings of the case via video link. Zardari told the court that his lawyer, Naek, was busy in court hence he could not be indicted today.

"Your lawyer knew beforehand about the date of today's hearing," responded the judge. "You will be indicted (today)."

The accountability court judge said that Zardari's lawyer could have sent his assistant lawyer to attend today's hearing. "These are just two simple sentences in English, you can listen to them and answer," said the judge.

Zardari requested the judge to write in his order that the charges were framed against him whilst his lawyer was not present in court.

"Charges are always framed against the suspect. If his or her lawyer does not present himself before the court, we cannot force [the lawyer] to do so," replied the judge.

The judge then proceeded to read out the charges against Zardari. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges.



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Islamabad court dismisses Gill’s bail plea in sedition case

A District and Sessions court of Islamabad dismissed the post arrest bail petition of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on Tuesday. Additional Dist...