Indian court acquits Hindu nationalist leaders in Babri Masjid demolition case

An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted Hindu nationalist leaders, including former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, in a case over the demolition of a mosque at a disputed site 28 years ago, citing a lack of evidence.

The demolition sparked nationwide riots that killed more than 3,000 people in a decades-long dispute that has fueled Hindu-Muslim tension, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for Hindu renaissance helped bring it to power.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Lucknow in its Wednesday ruling said that the demolition was not pre-planned and that the people who demolished the mosque were “anti-national elements”.

The court pinned the blame on miscreants mingled among the crowd instead, adding that leaders such as Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, another former cabinet minister, had tried to keep the mob from turning violent.

Handing down its verdict after a lengthy legal battle, the court said there was not enough evidence to directly tie any of the accused to the violence, defence lawyer Manish Kumar Tripathi said.

“The court did not accept the evidence, it was not strong enough,” Tripathi told reporters at the courthouse.

The court had ignored all the evidence in Wednesday's case, said Zafaryab Jilani, a lawyer for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, adding that it planned to appeal to the high court against the decision.

“We will seek remedy,” he added.

'Indian judiciary miserably fails to deliver justice again'

Reacting to the verdict, Pakistan strongly condemned the "shameful" acquittal of those responsible for demolishing the historic Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

"Taking almost three decades to decide on the criminal act which was televised live and happened as a result of well-planned Rath Yatras and on the instigation to mobs by the accused BJP, VHP and other leaders of Sangh Parivar, tells the world that the Hindutva-inspired Indian judiciary miserably failed to deliver justice again," said a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The demolition of the mosque had resulted in BJP-led communal violence leading to thousands of killings. If there was a semblance of justice in the so-called largest ‘democracy’, the individuals, who had boasted of the criminal act publicly, could not have been set free.

"The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-BJP regime and the Sangh Parivar are responsible for the continued desecration and demolition of mosques in India in an organised manner as they did during the Gujarat massacre of 2002 and Delhi pogrom in 2020."

Pakistan urged the Indian government to ensure safety, security and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship and other Islamic sites "on which the Hindu extremists and zealots have laid claims".

Conversion to temple

Advani, who was then BJP chief, was among 32 people accused of criminal conspiracy and inciting a mob to tear down the 16th century Babri mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya in 1992.

The mosque stood on a site revered by devout Hindus as the birthplace of Ram.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a Hindu temple to be built at the site, after the Supreme Court paved the way last year, in a decision that also ordered land to be allotted further away for a mosque.

Pakistan, called the top court verdict "a flawed judgement", had said: "A temple built on the site of a historic mosque will remain a blot on the face of the so-called Indian democracy for the times to come."

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Oxford to study anti-inflammatory drug as potential COVID-19 treatment

Oxford University said on Wednesday it would study whether the world’s best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients – the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies.

Adalimumab, which is sold under the brand name Humira by AbbVie, is a type of anti-inflammatory known as an anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 patients already taking anti-TNF drugs for inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis are less likely to be admitted to hospital, Oxford said in a statement.

Oxford’s trial, called AVID-CC, will be aimed at treating people in the community, especially in care homes, the university said. It will enrol up to 750 patients from community care settings throughout Britain.

Humira is used to treat a range of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis.

The availability of biosimilar versions of the medicine would make it affordable and accessible if the trial is successful, Oxford said. Novartis makes one of the alternatives, Hyrimoz.

Research has identified some treatments for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, including Gilead’s remdesivir as well as the generic steroid drug dexamethasone.

Researchers have also studied other anti-inflammatory drugs for treating COVID-19. Severe infections are believed to be triggered by an over-reaction of the immune system, known as a cytokine storm, and drugs that suppress certain elements of the immune system can play a role in arresting a rapid escalation of symptoms.

But there are as yet no effective therapies for people who are not admitted to hospital.

Care homes were particularly hard hit by the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK and other countries. If Humira were successful against COVID-19, this could help some older people who are some of most vulnerable, it said, at a time when governments are struggling to contain the pandemic.

The Oxford study is funded by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator initiative set up by global health charity Wellcome, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Mastercard.

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Vice Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi appointed new Naval chief

Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi has been appointed as the new Chief of Naval Staff.

He will replace Admiral Zaffar Abbas who retires on October 6. Zafar has been serving as Naval Chief since October 2017.

Prime Minister Imran Khan recommended his appointment which has been approved by President Arif Alvi.

Vice Admiral Amjad Khan will take charge as a new Naval chief on October 6.

Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi joined Pakistan Navy in 1983. Also a recipient of Sword of Honour, the Admiral has an illustrious career with wide-ranging experience of various Command and Staff appointments.

His major Command appointments include Commanding Officer PNS BADR, Commanding Officer PNS TARIQ, Commander18th Destroyer squadron, Commandant PNS BAHADUR and Commandant Pakistan Navy War College, Lahore.

He is a graduate of Army Command & Staff College, Quetta and National Defence University, Islamabad. The Admiral has been awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-e-Basalat by the Government of Pakistan and French Medal Chevalier (Knight) by the Government of France.

 

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Move to sell extra telecom spectrum for $1bn

Pakistan will this week begin the process of selling unused telecom spectrum in an auction it hopes will raise around $1 billion and enhance network capacity, said three senior government officials familiar with the matter.

The spectrum is in the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands typically used by operators for 4G LTE (long-term evolution) networks that offer faster video streaming and internet downloads, said the officials.

They asked not to be named as they were not authorised to discuss the matter with the media.

The country plans to kick-start the process by laying out plans to retain an international consulting firm that would design the auction process, and advise on base pricing and other details, they said, adding that no sale date has yet been set.

Pakistan is anxious to replenish state coffers that have been hit by a slump in the economy and in tax collections exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesman for Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said the process to hire a consultant for “Spectrum Auction 2020-21” has been initiated. He declined to give further details.

The country has some 85 million 3G/4G subscribers, and the upcoming auction is seen as a precursor to any 5G launch.

The Pakistan telecom market is dominated by Jazz, backed by Netherlands-based Veon Ltd; Telenor Pakistan, backed by Norway’s state-controlled Telenor; Zong, owned by China Mobile and Ufone, which is controlled by state-owned Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd.

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PCB’s Ehsan Mani admits PSL 1, 2 had financial irregularities

Following questions by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Wednesday Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani admitted that there were financial irregularities during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 1 and 2.

“There indeed were financial irregularities in PSL 1 and 2 but this matter is with the committee now,” he told reporters in Islamabad. “This matter will be investigated. Whatever the truth may be, will be revealed.”

Mani also touched a variety of subjects, defending PCB’s conduct during his tenure as opposed to what was done during his predecessor Najam Sethi’s times.

“Cricket teams are coming to Pakistan after 10 years but no one appreciates that,” he bemoaned.

“We did not pay even a rupee to any player of any team to come here. In the past, West Indies players were paid to visit Pakistan.”

Regarding the Board’s legal battle over the PSL’s financial model, Mani pinned the blame on the franchises themselves.

“I had told PSL franchises in the beginning that their financial structures were not right,” he said.

The PCB chair was expected to hold a meeting with head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, Test captain Azhar Ali and veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez this week for bypassing the Board and airing their grievances to Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the new domestic cricket structure. The meeting could not take place due to the National T20 Cup but Mani hinted that the trio may not be out of the woods yet.

Misbah-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez met the prime minister without permission. This is PCB’s disciplinary matter and will certainly be looked into,” he said.

Mani also reiterated that PCB’s stance on conflict of interest, saying: “Misbah and others have been told clearly that they will have to leave their other jobs.”

Meanwhile, Senator Sherry Rehman, following Mani’s appearance in the PAC, reminded the PCB chairman that he was answerable and accountable to the authorities on how the PCB spends its monies.

She said that Mani was “unable to respond to any query” in front of the committee and kept on saying that he was “autonomous”, which she said evoked “a storm of questions and rejoinders”.

“AGPR (Accountant General Pakistan Revenues) and I informed him he is answerable to the government,” she explained.

“It’s accounting procedures and, therefore, it’s rules. It is not above law.”

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Azerbaijan 'determined' to fight until Armenian troops leave Karabakh

Azerbaijan on Wednesday vowed to pursue military action against Armenian separatists in the breakaway Nagorny Karabakh region until a full Armenian withdrawal from the disputed territory.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are engaged in the heaviest fighting in years over Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian province that broke away from Azerbaijan in the 1990s during the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The long-simmering conflict erupted on Sunday with both sides blaming each other for the outbreak of violence.

“We only have one condition: Armenian armed forces must unconditionally, fully, and immediately leave our lands,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in televised remarks.

If “the Armenian government fulfils the demand, fighting and bloodshed will end, and peace will be established in the region,” he added.

Earlier today, Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said in a statement that Baku was “resolutely determined to continue the counter-offensive operation until its sovereignty and territorial integrity is fully restored [...] (and) we clearly see the Armenian troops leaving the territory of Azerbaijan”.

On Wednesday, Armenia and Azerbaijan rejected international calls for a halt to fighting and negotiations.

Nearly 100 people are confirmed to have died in the flare-up and both sides are claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces.

Meanwhile, France’s president voiced solidarity with Armenia amid its conflict with Azerbaijan over Armenian-occupied Upper Karabakh.

Claiming that it was Azerbaijan last weekend that started the conflict, Emmanuel Macron called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to end the conflict unconditionally, adding that he had discussed this issue with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“I wanted these attacks to end. I explicitly condemned these disproportionate attacks,” he said in a news conference during a visit to Latvia.

“Something has been happening since July,” he added, evidently referring to the killing of three Azerbaijani soldiers and the wounding of four others when Armenia launched a border attack on July 12.

“It was determined that the attacks on Sunday came from Azerbaijan,” claimed Macron, adding: “Both sides must comply with the cease-fire.”

Border clashes broke out early on Sunday when Armenian forces in Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh reportedly targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to multiple casualties.

He said he would also discuss the issue with United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I have noticed the political statements made by Turkey [in favour of Azerbaijan], which I find to be inconsiderate and risky,” said Macron, a frequent critic of Turkey.

“France is concerned by the warlike messages from Turkey which is in favour of Azerbaijan’s reconquering Nagorno-Karabakh. And that we won’t accept it,” he added, not mentioning that the region is internationally recognised as belonging to Azerbaijan.

Macron said that Armenia's sovereignty and people should be respected, urging against any statements that would raise tensions.

International pressure for a ceasefire has mounted as fears grow that the conflict could escalate into all-out war.

Karabakh's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan sparked a war in the early 1990s that claimed 30,000 lives, but it is still not recognised as independent by any country, including Armenia.

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Joe Biden's use of 'Inshallah' to mock Trump raises eyebrows

Former US Vice President and Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden on Tuesday night took on incumbent President Donald Trump in the first debate and used the word “Inshallah”.

Apart from its original meaning of 'If God wills it', the phrase 'Inshallah' is also often used sarcastically by Muslims when they are talking about something that is unlikely to happen.

A video going around on social media of the debates showed President Donald Trump saying that he will soon release his tax returns filed with US authorities, when Joe Biden interjected with "Inshallah".

Okay, for those of you wondering - did Joe Biden really drop an “inshallah” with the appropriate sarcastic usage?

Yes, he did. I confirmed with his campaign - that is indeed what the man said. https://t.co/MqseBsl2Ck

— Asma Khalid (@asmamk) September 30, 2020

“You will get to see it [tax return] and you will get to see it,” said the US president, when Joe Biden interjected saying: “When?…Inshallah”

Hours later, Asma Khalid, a correspondent for the US-based National Public Radio, said she contacted Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and they confirmed that he did say “Inshallah”.

Khalid also said that Biden’s team also confirmed to her that Biden did use “Inshallah” as an “appropriate sarcastic” remark.

“Yes, he did. I confirmed with his campaign - that is indeed what the man said,” tweeted Khalid.

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