Israel can't lose sight of need to establish Palestinian state: Angela Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday implored Israel not to “lose sight” of the need to establish a Palestinian state, as she wrapped up a two-day farewell visit.

Merkel’s support for a two-state solution has been one of the key disagreements with Israel’s leadership during her 16 years in office, which were characterised by unwavering support for Israel.

Speaking at an Israeli think tank, Merkel welcomed the historic diplomatic agreements reached last year between Israel and four Arab countries — led by the United Arab Emirates. But she said the deals, known as the Abraham Accords, did not erase the need for Israel to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

“We must not lose sight of the right of the Palestinians to have a chance to live,” she said. “Therefore one should under no circumstances, even as it becomes more and more difficult because of the settlements, lose sight of the issue of a two-state solution,” Merkel told a panel at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Backers of the Abraham Accords, which were brokered by the Trump Administration, have praised them as breaking the long-standing belief that Israel could not forge ties with the Arab world before reaching an agreement with the Palestinians.

Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, a hard-liner who opposes a Palestinian state on Israeli-occupied lands, has ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians. Instead, he has advocated what he says is a more pragmatic approach for improving living conditions for the Palestinians as a way of lowering tensions. His government, a patchwork of dovish, nationalist and Arab parties that took office in June, so far has not announced any major changes in policy.

Merkel welcomed Bennett’s intentions but said such an approach would not be enough.

“I think that such a long-running issue (the conflict with the Palestinians) will not disappear from the agenda, even if there are improved relations with neighbouring Arab states,” she said.

Throughout Merkel’s visit, she was welcomed as a “true friend” of Israel. Her agenda included meetings with Israeli leaders and a stop at Israel’s national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.

She repeatedly professed Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security and said she was confident that her country’s next government — to be determined in lengthy coalition talks following an inconclusive election last month — would take a similar stance.

A key issue on the agenda was Iran’s nuclear programme. Germany was one of the world powers that negotiated the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran.

The deal fell apart after then US president Donald Trump, with Israel’s support, withdrew in 2018. The Biden administration has been trying to revive that deal over Israeli objections.

Israel considers Iran its greatest enemy, citing the country’s military presence in neighbouring Syria and its support for hostile militant groups across the region. It accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons — a charge Iran denies — and believes that international deal did not contain sufficient safeguards.

In the meantime, Iran has marched forward with its nuclear activities, such as increased uranium enrichment — a step that can move it closer to building a bomb.

Merkel said that disagreements among the world powers that negotiated the original deal have weakened their position and allowed Iran to buy time and expand its military activities across the region.

“Iran knows this, and therefore, we face a very serious situation,” she said. She acknowledged that she does not have a solution, but called on key players, including Russia and China, to take a stronger public stance against Iran.

“The more countries make it clear that they don’t accept the ambitions and aggression of Iran, the better for the region,” she said.

Israel was formed in the wake of the Holocaust in 1948 and the two countries only established diplomatic ties in 1965. But over the decades, those ties have warmed and Germany is one of Israel’s closest and most important international allies and trade partners.

Merkel was scheduled to visit in August, but the trip was postponed after the crisis in Afghanistan in which the Taliban seized power. She then delayed the visit until after last month’s German election. She now remains in office in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed, a process that could take weeks or even months.

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Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari gives birth to a baby boy

Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, the daughter of Asif Zardari and late Benazir Bhutto, has been blessed with a baby boy.

Taking to Twitter, Bakhtawar announced that the baby was born on October 10.

"We are happy to announce the birth of our baby boy," she wrote on Twitter.

?? @mahmoodchoudhry pic.twitter.com/bIW2q2zFAf

— Bakhtawar B-Zardari (@BakhtawarBZ) October 11, 2021

Reacting to the news, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the brother of Bakhtawar, also expressed his joy of becoming an uncle (mamoo).

Officially, mamoo! ❤️ ♥️ ❤️ ? https://t.co/RbwkGvRI60

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) October 11, 2021

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Bakhtawar's youngest sister, also tweeted about the news and expressed her gratefulness.

"Officially a khala!!! Alhamdullilah!" she wrote.

Officially a Khala !!! Alhamdullilah !
❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/KN44zsPGKl

— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) October 11, 2021

Bakhtawar was married to businessman Mahmood Choudhry on January 29, 2021.

Bakhtawar is the first granddaughter of former Pakistani prime minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She was born on January 25, 1990, in Karachi.

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Balochistan crisis deepens as angry BAP lawmakers file no-confidence motion against CM Kamal

A group of disgruntled Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) lawmakers and their allies in the coalition government on Monday filed a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani, deepening the months-long crisis.

The no-confidence motion, signed by 14 lawmakers was submitted to the secretariat of the Balochistan Assembly, five days after the disgruntled BAP members decided to file the motion following the expiry of a 24-hour ultimatum given to Alyani by members of his own cabinet and other lawmakers to resign.

Lawmakers including Saeed Hashmi, Jan Jamali, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Asad Baloch, Naseebullah Marri and Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran were present in the assembly during the submission of the application.

Speaking to reporters on the occasion, BAP leader Buledi said their group had expressed a lack of confidence in Chief Minister Alyani with a "majority", requesting the Balochistan governor to summon a session of the assembly soon so that the no-confidence motion could be presented.

He called upon Alyani once again to step down himself before the motion was taken up.

Balochistan National Party-Awami's (BNP-A) Asad Baloch said it was a principle that "one person is sacrificed for the larger interest of the majority."

"We are not the disgruntled group, but the united group," he stressed, saying the political crisis had given rise to many issues and calling upon Alyani to "give up".

PTI MPA Marri said the PTI had been a part of the ruling coalition in Balochistan "from day one" and remained the same, adding: "Jam Kamal is requested to resign immediately."

The no-confidence motion will be sent by the Balochistan Assembly Secretariat to the provincial governor. If he approves it, a session of the assembly will be convened in 7-10 days to discuss the motion.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Alyani on Monday held a meeting with PTI parliamentary leader in the Balochistan Assembly Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind during which the existing political situation was discussed.

Previously, 16 members of the opposition had filed a no-trust motion against the chief minister on September 14. However, the Governor House Secretariat had returned the motion to the Balochistan Assembly on technical grounds.

Sources had said at the time that officials concerned of Governor House while reviewing the no-trust motion had found a technical mistake in the summary for convening the Balochistan Assembly’s special session for discussing the motion.

Balochistan Assembly has 65 members, and according to the Constitution, a no-confidence motion needs the signatures of 20 per cent of the make-up of the legislative body to be tabled for discussion. With existing figures, 20pc of 65 members is 13 members, while the no-confidence motion has been signed by 14 members.

On Sunday, the tug of war between Chief Minister Alyani and angry BAP members had intensified as efforts made by different quarters to find a solution to the crisis could not succeed.

Angry ministers, advisers and parliamentary secretaries have announced that they would not be ready to work with Alyani and demanded his resignation.

On the other hand, the chief minister made it clear that he would not resign just on the demand of a few members of his party and claimed that he was enjoying the support of the majority of the BAP members and coalition partners.

The signs of the ongoing political crisis in Balochistan were first seen in June this year, when opposition members had camped outside the provincial assembly's building for days in protest against the government led by Alyani for its refusal to allocate development funds for their constituencies in the budget.

The protest had led to mayhem and police had later booked 17 opposition lawmakers in connection with the incident.

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Noor Mukadam murder: SC seeks evidence against Zahir Jaffer's mother in next hearing

The Supreme Court directed on Monday the prosecution to submit evidence against Asmat Adamjee, the mother of Zahir Jaffer, who is the prime suspect in the Noor Mukadam murder case. The direction came as the Supreme Court took up the bail applications of the suspect's parents, Adamjee and Zakir Jaffer, for hearing.

On Oct 6, Zahir's parents had filed separate petitions for bail in the Supreme Court — almost a week after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected their bail pleas and ordered authorities to keep them in detention until the completion of the trial.

Moved through counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed, the pleas stressed that the case against the petitioners was not based on tangible evidence, rather the allegations against them were highly speculative.

During the hearing today, Justice Umar Ata Bandial pointed out there was no mention of Adamjee in the IHC order denying bail to the duo. "We are just trying to get the hang of the Noor Mukadam case," noted Justice Bandial.

Justice Qazi Amin remarked that Noor Mukadam's murder was a sad incident, adding that "we sympathise with the family of the deceased".

The petitioner's lawyer, Khawaja Haris, told the court he had not yet received the forensic reports. He added that the IHC order to complete the trial in two months will affect the right to a fair trial.

The court, however, observed that while the right to a fair trial was a must, "but the delay in handling the case only adds to anxiety".

As the hearing progressed, Justice Bandial said he had to leave for Lahore immediately due to death in the family. Adjourning the hearing till Oct 18, the court directed the prosecution to submit all the evidence against Adamjee by the next hearing.

Last week, a sessions court in Islamabad fixed Oct 14 for the indictment of suspects in the case.

A total of 12 people will be indicted in the case, including Zahir Zakir Jaffer, his parents, their three household staff Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel and six Therapy Works employees including Tahir Zahoor, Amjad, Dilip Kumar, Abdul Haq, Wamiq and Samar Abbas.

The court had last month set Oct 6 for framing charges in the case, but deferred it after the suspects filed fresh petitions, seeking certain documents along with the copy of the challan.

Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad's upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20.

A first information report (FIR) was registered later the same day against Zahir, who was arrested from the site of the murder, under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim's father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

Zahir's parents and household staff were also arrested on July 24 over allegations of "hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime". They were made a part of the investigation based on Shaukat's statement, according to a police spokesperson.

In his complaint, Shaukat had stated that he had gone to Rawalpindi on July 19 to buy a goat for Eidul Azha, while his wife had gone out to pick up clothes from her tailor. When he had returned home in the evening, the couple found their daughter Noor absent from their house in Islamabad.

They had found her cellphone number switched off, and started a search for her. Sometime later, Noor had called her parents to inform them that she was travelling to Lahore with some friends and would return in a day or two, according to the FIR.

The complainant said he had later received a call from the suspect, whose family were the ex-diplomat's acquaintances. The suspect had informed Shaukat that Noor was not with him, the FIR said.

At around 10pm on July 20, the victim's father had received a call from Kohsar police station, informing him that Noor had been murdered.

Police had subsequently taken the complainant to Zahir's house in Sector F-7/4 where he discovered that his "daughter has been brutally murdered with a sharp-edged weapon and beheaded", according to the FIR.

Shaukat, who identified his daughter's body, has sought the maximum punishment under the law against Zahir for allegedly murdering his daughter.

Police later said that Zahir had confessed to killing Noor while his DNA test and fingerprints also showed his involvement in the murder.

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Pakistan does not want any instability in Afghanistan: President Alvi

President Dr. Arif Alvi has stated that peace in Afghanistan will bring prosperity to the region and open a window of business opportunities for the world to connect with Central Asian states through the war-torn country.

“Devastation in Afghanistan means more refugees in Pakistan. We don’t want any instability in our neighboring country and hope to see an ‘inclusive government’ representing all political stakeholders,” Dr Alvi said in an interview with Khaleej Times during his two-day visit to UAE.

Dispelling the impression that Islamabad has been backing the change in regime, the President said Pakistan is not an active player in Afghanistan.

“We are just helping the Taliban on humanitarian grounds as the Afghans are suffering due to sanctions and blockage of funds. There is a flight of capital from Pakistan to Afghanistan. So, it is in our interest to bring stability in the country,” he said in the interview published by Khaleej Times on Monday.

The newspaper quoted President Alvi terming the US withdrawal “a hasty call” and that there was no military solution in Afghanistan.

“We always tried to persuade the US into avoiding war, and back negotiations as a better solution. If US and Nato forces are unable to bring stability in Afghanistan despite spending $2.3 trillion, then how will Pakistan be able to do that?,” the president asked.

Dr. Alvi said that Pakistan has been hosting four million refugees and stressed that such a gesture must be considered as a matter of goodwill by the Afghan people.

“We have also played a very active and positive role in the repatriation of diplomats and other people from Afghanistan and the world has acknowledged our efforts,” he said.

President Alvi said inflation was on the rise worldwide and Pakistan was not the only country in the world facing this challenge.

“Inflation is high because commodities and oil price are increasing in the international market. However, the government will be taking steps to control the food inflation through supply chain mechanism and good governance,” he said.

To a question, he said the country was on the right track and its future was bright.

“The government has taken the right steps at the right time to overcome serious challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, jobs creation, and reviving the economy. We have managed to register close to four percent GDP growth rate in last financial year despite the pandemic,” he said.

About the Expo 2020 Dubai, the president said it is a wonderful event and all credit goes to the visionary leadership for hosting a successful show despite a challenging environment worldwide.

“The Expo 2020 is a landmark event not just for the UAE but also for the whole region. It offers a unique opportunity to the countries of the region and beyond to establish linkages and partnerships with multinational companies,” the president said.

“We have a very beautiful pavilion at the Expo. I suggest everyone should go to the Expo and must visit the pavilion projecting Pakistan’s positive image as a peaceful country,” the President said.

Dr Alvi also expressed grief over the sad demise of nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan who passed away in Islamabad on Sunday morning at the age of 85.

“He helped us develop nation-saving nuclear deterrence, and a grateful nation will never forget his services in this regard,” he said.

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Pakistan speaking to TTP groups 'from position of strength': PM Imran

Pakistan is speaking to various groups of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from a position of strength, said Prime Minister Imran Khan in an interview with Middle East Eye.

PM Imran Khan said Islamabad is trying to speak to elements within the TTP who can be reconciled "because it’s from a position of strength".

"I always believed all insurgencies eventually end up on the dialogue table, like the IRA [Irish Republican Army] for instance," he explained.

"We now have to talk to those we can reconcile with [and persuade] to give up their arms and live as normal citizens," he added.

He spoke about the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the War on Terror, saying that Pakistan had lost 80,000 citizens and its economy had been left devastated.

The prime minister said the Taliban had assured Islamabad that the TTP would not launch attacks into Pakistan. He accused India of instigating terrorism in Pakistan via Afghanistan, during the Ashraf Ghani-led government.

"Events in Afghanistan are still evolving, people like us still don't know where it will go," he said. "The US vacating the region will create a vacuum," he acknowledged.

The prime minister said Afghanistan is a trade corridor that connects Pakistan to the Central Asian countries. "And so, it is a very important country that way," he said.

"It should not be a 'US vs China' camp. Now, it should be about economic ties, economic connectivity. That's what we are looking for," he added.

PM Imran Khan said the Taliban had people among its leadership who had given a lot of sacrifices in blood. These people, he said, would now want to be a part of the government.

"And yet the government [in Afghanistan] is looking for international acceptability," he explained. "So it wants an inclusive government. It talks about human rights and not wanting its soil to be used for terrorism."

PM Imran Khan said it is a "critical point in Afghanistan" and called on the world to engage with the country.

The prime minister spoke about US President Joe Biden, saying that he is yet to speak to arguably the most powerful person in the world.

"Well, you know, it's up to him. It's [US] a superpower," he said.

When the interviewer told him he found that "absolutely astonishing" that the two heads of states had not yet spoken, PM Khan said:

"Well, our security chiefs have spoken. Our foreign minister has been in touch with the US foreign secretary. But no, we haven't spoken, but we are in touch," he added.

The premier spoke about his visit to the US back in 2008, adding that he had spoken to Biden, John Kerry and Harry Reid – then all senators - warning them that they were creating a problem for themselves in war-torn Afghanistan.

Khan said he had warned the three that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, however, he added that they did not listen to him.

He said a couple of years later, then Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, delivered the same message to US President Barack Obama.

"But unfortunately, they were led by their generals. And do you know what generals always say: give us more troops and more time," he added.

When asked about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the cricketer-turned-politician said Islamabad was "relieved" as it expected a bloodbath when the Taliban were about to take over the capital a couple of months ago.

"We have been so relieved because we expected a bloodbath but what happened was a peaceful transfer of power. But we also felt we were blamed for this," he noted.

The prime minister said the Afghanistan Army, numbering around 300,000 troops, had surrendered without a fight to the Taliban. "So clearly we did not tell them to surrender."

When asked whether the Taliban had formed an inclusive government in the country, Khan admitted it was not one. However, he said the current Afghan government, as per the Taliban itself, was a transitional one.

He said Pakistan was working with regional countries, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, who had more sizable ethnic populations, to ensure the Taliban agreed to a more diverse representation in its government.

A longtime critic of America's drone strikes in Pakistan and other countries, PM Imran Khan lashed out at Washington's strategy to counter terrorism through drone attacks.

"It is the most insane way of fighting terrorism. Doing a drone attack on a village mud hut and expecting there will not be casualties. And a lot of time the drones targeted the wrong people," he stressed.

When asked whether Pakistan will allow the US to launch strikes into Afghanistan, targeting Daesh, the prime minister said: "They don’t need a base here because we do not need to be part of a conflict again."

When the prime minister was asked to speak his mind on the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to pull out of the Pakistan tour against the British High Commission's advice, PM Imran Khan said "I think England let itself down".

The prime minister said that he had seen the evolution of Pakistan-England cricket ties over the years.

"I think that there is still this feeling in England that they do a great favour to play countries like Pakistan," he added. "One of the reasons is that, obviously, the money."

The prime minister said that the BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world, adding that no other country would dare to do to India what England had done to Pakistan.

"Money is a big player now," he said. "For the players, as well as for the cricket boards. The money lies in India, so basically India controls world cricket now. I mean, they do, whatever they say goes. No one would dare do that to India because they know that the sums involved, India can sort of produce much more money," he added.

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Noor Mukadam murder: SC seeks evidence against Zahir Jaffer's mother in next hearing

The Supreme Court directed on Monday the prosecution to submit evidence against Asmat Adamjee, the mother of Zahir Jaffer, who is the prime suspect in the Noor Mukadam murder case. The direction came as the Supreme Court took up the bail applications of the suspect's parents, Adamjee and Zakir Jaffer, for hearing.

On Oct 6, Zahir's parents had filed separate petitions for bail in the Supreme Court — almost a week after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected their bail pleas and ordered authorities to keep them in detention until the completion of the trial.

Moved through counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed, the pleas stressed that the case against the petitioners was not based on tangible evidence, rather the allegations against them were highly speculative.

During the hearing today, Justice Umar Ata Bandial pointed out there was no mention of Adamjee in the IHC order denying bail to the duo. "We are just trying to get the hang of the Noor Mukadam case," noted Justice Bandial.

Justice Qazi Amin remarked that Noor Mukadam's murder was a sad incident, adding that "we sympathise with the family of the deceased".

The petitioner's lawyer, Khawaja Haris, told the court he had not yet received the forensic reports. He added that the IHC order to complete the trial in two months will affect the right to a fair trial.

The court, however, observed that while the right to a fair trial was a must, "but the delay in handling the case only adds to anxiety".

As the hearing progressed, Justice Bandial said he had to leave for Lahore immediately due to death in the family. Adjourning the hearing till Oct 18, the court directed the prosecution to submit all the evidence against Adamjee by the next hearing.

Last week, a sessions court in Islamabad fixed Oct 14 for the indictment of suspects in the case.

A total of 12 people will be indicted in the case, including Zahir Zakir Jaffer, his parents, their three household staff Iftikhar, Jan Muhammad and Jameel and six Therapy Works employees including Tahir Zahoor, Amjad, Dilip Kumar, Abdul Haq, Wamiq and Samar Abbas.

The court had last month set Oct 6 for framing charges in the case, but deferred it after the suspects filed fresh petitions, seeking certain documents along with the copy of the challan.

Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad's upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20.

A first information report (FIR) was registered later the same day against Zahir, who was arrested from the site of the murder, under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim's father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

Zahir's parents and household staff were also arrested on July 24 over allegations of "hiding evidence and being complicit in the crime". They were made a part of the investigation based on Shaukat's statement, according to a police spokesperson.

In his complaint, Shaukat had stated that he had gone to Rawalpindi on July 19 to buy a goat for Eidul Azha, while his wife had gone out to pick up clothes from her tailor. When he had returned home in the evening, the couple found their daughter Noor absent from their house in Islamabad.

They had found her cellphone number switched off, and started a search for her. Sometime later, Noor had called her parents to inform them that she was travelling to Lahore with some friends and would return in a day or two, according to the FIR.

The complainant said he had later received a call from the suspect, whose family were the ex-diplomat's acquaintances. The suspect had informed Shaukat that Noor was not with him, the FIR said.

At around 10pm on July 20, the victim's father had received a call from Kohsar police station, informing him that Noor had been murdered.

Police had subsequently taken the complainant to Zahir's house in Sector F-7/4 where he discovered that his "daughter has been brutally murdered with a sharp-edged weapon and beheaded", according to the FIR.

Shaukat, who identified his daughter's body, has sought the maximum punishment under the law against Zahir for allegedly murdering his daughter.

Police later said that Zahir had confessed to killing Noor while his DNA test and fingerprints also showed his involvement in the murder.

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