India – “Do as we say, not as we do” View(s):
It’s the irony of ironies that while on the one hand, the Indian Government is at least ostensibly calling upon their counterparts in Colombo to re-energise Provincial Councils, they have themselves adopted Sri Lanka’s doomed pre-1987 District Development Councils (DDCs) at home.
This is what India has done to ward off separatist tendencies in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, its longstanding headache ever since Independence and the creation of Pakistan next door. The state had ‘special status’ until a year ago, when the New Delhi Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped it of its constitutional safeguards and thereby its autonomous status, bifurcated the state, brought it under the Union Home Ministry, dissolved its state assembly, locked up its local politicians, imposed week-long curfews and lockdowns not related to COVID-19, and right now, is holding elections to newly created DDCs instead of a
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An image of a purported news report by a Pakistani broadcaster has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook and Twitter in November 2020 alongside a claim that Afghanistan announced a $30 million aid package for Pakistan to support the country during the Covid-19 pandemic. The claim is false; the Pakistani broadcaster whose logo was shown in the posts told AFP it had not aired the purported segment; the Pakistani government also said the claim was “fake news”.
The image was published here on Facebook on November 21, 2020. It has since been shared 555 times.
It purports to show a screenshot of a news report by Pakistani news channel Geo TV. The Urdu-language text in the image translates to English as: “Afghan government announced 30 million dollar aid for Pakistan to combat coronavirus . The strapline reads: “Afghan people stand by in this difficult time with Pakistani people and government: President Ashraf Ghani.”
Friday, 18 Dec 2020 10:19 PM MYT
This handout photograph taken December 18, 2020 shows Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan along with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (5th left) and his delegation during their meeting in Islamabad. Pakistan Prime minister office handout pic AFP
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GHAZNI, Dec 18 At least 15 children were killed when a motorbike laden with explosives blew up near a religious gathering in eastern Afghanistan today, officials said.
The children had gathered at a home in Ghazni province to recite Quran verses, a regular activity on the Islamic holy day of Friday, when the blast happened.
Islamabad V. Doha: Why Are Taliban Delegates in Pakistan? Published December 17th, 2020 - 08:52 GMT
Members of Taliban s Qatar-based political bureau have met with Pakistan s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan s ongoing peace process. (Twitter)
Members of Taliban s Qatar-based political bureau have met with Pakistan s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss recent developments in Afghanistan s ongoing peace process.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban s co-founder who spent eight years in Pakistani custody, led a delegation that arrived in the capital, Islamabad, on a three-day visit on Wednesday morning.
The Taliban delegation is set to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during the visit as well.
Afghan Peace Process at Special Stage : Abdullah
Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, spoke at a women s gathering on Afghan peace in Kabul on Thursday and said that the Afghan peace process has “reached a special stage.” For us, it was important that the negotiations start. The negotiating team is working in a very united way,” Abdullah said.
He also said support for the negotiating team helps the team work harder.
“Hopefully the second round of the talks will start exactly on time,” Abdullah said.
The peace negotiations witnessed a breakthrough earlier this month after the two sides agreed on procedural rules for the talks.