Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Veteran Kashmiri resistance leader Syed Ali Geelani passes away in Srinagar

former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Confe­rence (APHC), Syed Ali Shah Geelani
A symbol of the Kashmiri freedom movement, and former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Confe­rence (APHC), Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away on Wednesday in the Indian-occupied Kashmir city of Srinagar.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the veteran Kashmiri leader was 92.

Geelani had been under house arrest for many years, KMS added.

Syed Ali Geelani was born on September 29, 1929 in a village on the banks of Wular lake in Sopore area of Kashmir's Baramulla district, according to Anadolu Agency.

He remained a staunch opponent of India's illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and lead the Kashmiris’ struggle for their right to self-determination.

Geelani was previously a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir but later on founded his own party by the name of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

He also served as the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a forum of freedom parties in Jammu and Kashmir.

The veteran leader was a member of the Kashmir Assembly from the Sopore constituency of Jammu and Kashmir three times — 1972, 1977 and 1987.



from Latest Pakistan News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3kJ2S3B

Taliban should respect international opinion, norms: FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
The Taliban should respect international opinion and norms because if they are in power they would require assistance, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.

In an interview with Sky News, published on Wednesday, Qureshi said he is of the view if the Taliban are in charge they will need humanitarian and financial assistance.

"Otherwise, we will see an economic collapse, and do we want to see an economic collapse? And if there is an economic collapse, look at the repercussions, look at the consequences that would lead to.”

Qureshi said that Pakistan had asked for the peace process negotiations to move in tandem with the withdrawal of troops so there is no sense of insecurity and anxiety.

He said he had been saying in his engagements: "Withdrawal is inevitable. Make sure it is a responsible, orderly withdrawal."

“[What we saw on the television] was not responsible and not orderly," he told the interviewer, adding: "Why was there such a rush?"

The foreign minister said that the international community has to weigh its options now. The first option is engagement, as opposed to isolation.

Of isolation, he said: "It's a dangerous option. That's an option of abandonment, of Afghan people. Of people. I'm talking of the people.”

“That's the mistake that was committed in the 90s. I would urge the international community not to repeat the same mistake again,” he said, adding that if this happens “it could lead to a civil war, things could become chaotic, there could be anarchy”.

He said that will moreover give space to "the organisations that we all dread", the international terrorist organisations whose footprint we do not want growing.

When asked whether he wants the international community to recognise the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, the federal minister said that he only feels that it is important to "engage" with the Taliban because the “consequences of disengagement are far worse.”

“The initial statements that the Taliban have made are positive, are encouraging,” he said.

Qureshi noted that the international community is sceptical because it is unsure if the Taliban mean what they have said and if they will implement the same, however, we should simply "test them".

When asked that whether the minister believes they have changed and can be trusted, Qureshi stated: “All I can say is I hope they have. I hope they have learned from their mistakes. They have suffered as well. They have been isolated.”

He added, however, that does not mean one should sympathise with them.

“I think the attitude and approach that they have demonstrated so far is reflective of a different approach,” he said.

“What I am saying is, test them before trusting them.”

Qureshi said we should “see if they live up to [the statements made] and if they do, then build on it because the other option is far worse”.

On people celebrating the Taliban's victory out in the streets of Pakistan, the foreign minister said: “First of all, if there was raising a flag in jubilation, do not forget that there are over four million Afghans living in Pakistan."

"Many have connections with the Taliban. They are related. They are family. They have been living here for almost four decades. They want to go back home. The prospect of returning home obviously gives you some sense of relief."

Qureshi dismissed the notion that Pakistan ever supported the Taliban, saying that Pakistan had always "sincerely cooperated" with the international community.

"The Taliban did not require our cooperation. [...] All the militants were [already] in Afghanistan. The political leadership were sitting in Doha negotiating. The fighters were in Afghanistan. Even before the withdrawal, 40-45% of the territory was under their control.

"They didn't need our nod, consent or help. They were managing their own affairs."



from Latest Pakistan News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3jxr75s

App store antics: Legal screws tighten for Google, Apple

App store antics: Legal screws tighten for Google, Apple
David Barnard owes his entire livelihood to Apple.

In 2008, he sold his car to start a company building apps for the fledgling iPhone. He's since found success making what he self-deprecatingly calls "boring" apps, including ones that check the weather or help drivers monitor their gas use.

But his conflicting feelings sum up a growing debate -- playing out in courts and parliaments around the world -- over whether both Apple and Google are abusing their monopoly over the app market.

In a world first, South Korean MPs passed a law Tuesday banning the two tech giants from forcing app developers to use their payment systems.

Until now, those restrictions have allowed Apple to take a cut of up to 30 percent from payments made inside apps downloaded via the App Store, and Google to do the same through its Play Store.

The tech giants, whose operating systems run on 99 percent of the world's smartphones, have argued this is fair recompense for providing the platforms that allow apps to be downloaded in the first place.

And to some extent, Barnard agrees. "Apple enabled me to build a business, which I'm incredibly grateful for," he said from his home in Texas. "But it comes with some pretty big trade-offs."

Barnard said he had witnessed frustrating cases of companies building clever apps, only for Apple to release similar features that work better with the phone's technology "in ways that developers can't compete with".

And with tens of billions of dollars floating through Apple and Google's payment systems as apps become increasingly integrated into people's shopping and entertainment habits, the commission charges have come in for particularly fierce opposition.

- Epic legal battles -

The fees are at the heart of a bitter lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games, maker of the phenomenally successful video game Fortnite.

The game lets players spend real money on digital items like clothing and weapons. It sounds frivolous, but the trial revealed that this translated to at least $100 million collected by Apple.

Furious over these lost profits, Epic is also suing both Apple and Google in Australia and has filed complaints with EU and UK competition authorities, in what competition lawyer Pierre Zelenko described as a "worldwide battle" against the tech giants.

"They're piling on the pressure on multiple fronts to have more chances of a recognised authority coming out in their favour," the Linklaters lawyer said.

Epic are not the only challengers taking on the app market overlords.

In July, 37 US states banded together to sue Google, alleging that the Play Store represents an illegal monopoly.

They claim Google used various strategies to prevent viable competitors to the Play Store emerging, including offering to pay Samsung to make its Galaxy Store less appealing.

Consumers are meanwhile waging class actions against both companies in the US and UK, while France's competition authority has joined forces with an alliance of start-ups to take Apple to court.

- 'Toxic' mess? -

Analysts say the new South Korean law could set a precedent as US and European lawmakers debate similar proposals to ban tech giants from forcing customers to use their app stores and payment systems.

Both Apple and Google have sought to fend of criticism that its hefty fees strangle smaller businesses, by taking a reduced 15 percent from companies earning less than $1 million a year from app sales.

Last week, Apple also proposed a settlement to a class action that would see it pay $100 million to smaller developers like Barnard.

The offer "clarified" the company's policies to state that developers can use information collected inside apps -- like customers' email addresses -- to tell them about payment efforts that don't involve handing money to Apple.

But developers have complained that the changes are much less radical than Apple claims.

"I've finally come to the conclusion that it's going to take regulation to get Apple to do right by developers and ultimately customers," Barnard said.

Both tech giants have argued that their stores help consumers by vetting apps, offering better security and privacy.

Without the App Store, Apple chief Tim Cook told the Epic trial, the app marketplace would be "a toxic kind of mess".

Barnard broadly agrees that Apple's system makes life easier for consumers, and that it's entitled to reward itself for that.

But he also thinks the vast amounts the company is paying itself are untenable.

"It's time for Apple to rethink how much they charge," he said.



from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3DFrwLa

Veteran Kashmiri resistance leader Syed Ali Geelani passes away in Srinagar

former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Confe­rence (APHC), Syed Ali Shah Geelani
A symbol of the Kashmiri freedom movement, and former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Confe­rence (APHC), Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away on Wednesday in the Indian-occupied Kashmir city of Srinagar.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the veteran Kashmiri leader was 92.

Geelani had been under house arrest for many years, KMS added.

Syed Ali Geelani was born on September 29, 1929 in a village on the banks of Wular lake in Sopore area of Kashmir's Baramulla district, according to Anadolu Agency.

He remained a staunch opponent of India's illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and lead the Kashmiris’ struggle for their right to self-determination.

Geelani was previously a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir but later on founded his own party by the name of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

He also served as the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a forum of freedom parties in Jammu and Kashmir.

The veteran leader was a member of the Kashmir Assembly from the Sopore constituency of Jammu and Kashmir three times — 1972, 1977 and 1987.



from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3kJ2S3B

Overseas Pakistanis allowed direct investment in companies through Roshan Digital Account

Roshan Digital Account
The State Bank of Pakistan on Tuesday allowed overseas Pakistanis to directly invest into the shares of companies in Pakistan and units of funds through the rupee-based Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA).

Overseas Pakistanis have been allowed investment in Pakistani companies as well as funds operated by a private fund management company licensed by the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

The SBP said that it has trying hard to involve maximum number of overseas Pakistanis into the domestic economy. The new step has been taken to provide further investment and financing opportunities to non-resident Pakistanis (NRPs), the central bank added.

“To facilitate investment in real estate in Pakistan, financing facility has been allowed to RDA holders through their Pak rupee account using digital channels. In addition, inflow of funds into rupee denominated RDA has been allowed through Money Transfer Operators (MTOs),” said the SBP.

Earlier, investment through rupee denominated RDAs was allowed in registered government securities, listed securities on the stock exchange, mutual funds, real estate with self-financing and term deposits of the banks.

“The above changes will not only provide more investment opportunities to non-resident Pakistani but also facilitate them to purchase property in Pakistan through bank financing,” said the SBP.

Likewise, earlier the flow of funds into RDAs was allowed only through banking channels. Now inflows from abroad into RDA have been allowed through MTOs, said the SBP adding that this would provide another convenient and economical avenue for sending remittances, particularly to the NRPs who might not have a bank account abroad.

“The remittances received through RDA have already crossed $2billion,” the SBP added.



from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3kIYX6T

Taliban should respect international opinion, norms: FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
The Taliban should respect international opinion and norms because if they are in power they would require assistance, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said.

In an interview with Sky News, published on Wednesday, Qureshi said he is of the view if the Taliban are in charge they will need humanitarian and financial assistance.

"Otherwise, we will see an economic collapse, and do we want to see an economic collapse? And if there is an economic collapse, look at the repercussions, look at the consequences that would lead to.”

Qureshi said that Pakistan had asked for the peace process negotiations to move in tandem with the withdrawal of troops so there is no sense of insecurity and anxiety.

He said he had been saying in his engagements: "Withdrawal is inevitable. Make sure it is a responsible, orderly withdrawal."

“[What we saw on the television] was not responsible and not orderly," he told the interviewer, adding: "Why was there such a rush?"

The foreign minister said that the international community has to weigh its options now. The first option is engagement, as opposed to isolation.

Of isolation, he said: "It's a dangerous option. That's an option of abandonment, of Afghan people. Of people. I'm talking of the people.”

“That's the mistake that was committed in the 90s. I would urge the international community not to repeat the same mistake again,” he said, adding that if this happens “it could lead to a civil war, things could become chaotic, there could be anarchy”.

He said that will moreover give space to "the organisations that we all dread", the international terrorist organisations whose footprint we do not want growing.

When asked whether he wants the international community to recognise the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, the federal minister said that he only feels that it is important to "engage" with the Taliban because the “consequences of disengagement are far worse.”

“The initial statements that the Taliban have made are positive, are encouraging,” he said.

Qureshi noted that the international community is sceptical because it is unsure if the Taliban mean what they have said and if they will implement the same, however, we should simply "test them".

When asked that whether the minister believes they have changed and can be trusted, Qureshi stated: “All I can say is I hope they have. I hope they have learned from their mistakes. They have suffered as well. They have been isolated.”

He added, however, that does not mean one should sympathise with them.

“I think the attitude and approach that they have demonstrated so far is reflective of a different approach,” he said.

“What I am saying is, test them before trusting them.”

Qureshi said we should “see if they live up to [the statements made] and if they do, then build on it because the other option is far worse”.

On people celebrating the Taliban's victory out in the streets of Pakistan, the foreign minister said: “First of all, if there was raising a flag in jubilation, do not forget that there are over four million Afghans living in Pakistan."

"Many have connections with the Taliban. They are related. They are family. They have been living here for almost four decades. They want to go back home. The prospect of returning home obviously gives you some sense of relief."

Qureshi dismissed the notion that Pakistan ever supported the Taliban, saying that Pakistan had always "sincerely cooperated" with the international community.

"The Taliban did not require our cooperation. [...] All the militants were [already] in Afghanistan. The political leadership were sitting in Doha negotiating. The fighters were in Afghanistan. Even before the withdrawal, 40-45% of the territory was under their control.

"They didn't need our nod, consent or help. They were managing their own affairs."



from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3jxr75s

Sarfaraz dropped, Shahnawaz Dahani made part of 20-member squad for upcoming ODI series

pakistan cricket team
Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed failed to retain his spot in the national side as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 20-member squad for the three upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against New Zealand to be played in Rawalpindi later this month.

Batsmen Haris Sohail, Salman Ali Agha and Sohaib Maqsood also failed to make the cut, according to a statement issued by the cricketing body on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the PCB included uncapped wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris, fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Shahnawaz Dahani, wrist-spinner Zahid Mahmood, and middle-order batsmen Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah in the 20-member squad.

The PCB noted that Iftikhar's last international appearance had been against Zimbabwe in late 2020 while Khushdil's sole international appearance in the format had also been in the same match.

Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim said he knew that a few players would be "disappointed" at not being included. However, there was a busy cricket season ahead and there would be "ample opportunities down the line for everyone to put up strong performances and push their case for national selection".

Terming the series against New Zealand "extremely important" for Pakistan, as the Rawalpindi ODIs will count towards the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualification, Wasim said the PCB had tried to put together a "formidable and balanced unit".

"We have continued to ensure that we give opportunities to high-performing players while looking into the future so that we can develop a strong bench-strength," the PCB statement quoted him as saying.

Wasim said it was "unfortunate" that Shahnawaz had been missed during the team selection for Pakistan's tour of England last month since the national squad was announced before the completion of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 6.

Therefore, the fast bowler was a "straightforward selection" for the upcoming series, he said. Mohammad Wasim was also given a continued run because of his impressive performance during the series against West Indies, he added.

Giving further details about the squad, the chief selector said Zahid was added to the team to support leg-spinner Usman Qadir. He recalled that Zahid had excelled in the last white-ball match he played against South Africa in Lahore.

The wrist-spinner had the temperament to perform in ODIs, Wasim added.

While Mohammad Rizwan would remain the first choice for wicketkeeper, Mohammad Haris was included in place of Sarfaraz "not only to reward Haris for his outstanding domestic performances in the previous season but also to give him a taste and flair of international cricket along with its rigours and demands", Wasim further said.

The middle-order has remained a concern for the PCB, the chief selector said, adding, "after trying a few options, we have decided to give another run to Iftikhar and Khushdil."

Noting that the two players had sufficient domestic experience in the format, he said the PCB was "optimistic they will come good in home conditions".

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mahmood.

Pakistan will play three ODIs against New Zealand at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sept 17, Sept 19, and Sept 21. Meanwhile, the Gaddafi Stadium will stage the five T20Is scheduled to take place from Sept 25 to Oct 3.



from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/3yzLgMC

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...