Story Highlights
Global Terrorism
In the aftermath of Paris attacks, most of the European countries have tightened the security while military operation against terrorists has been intensified. Meanwhile Turkey shot down a Russian war plane on the Syrian border on Tuesday, an act Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced as a ‘stab in the back’. However Russian government announced it would not go to war over the incident despite what it called a ‘planned provoacation’. Ankara and Moscow are on rival sides in the Syrian war that has lasted over four years, with Turkey wanting to see the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while Russia remains his ally.
Meanwhile US has also shown its resolve to uproot ISIS from Syria. In a latest statement President Barack Obama said that the United States and its international partners ‘will not relent’ in the fight against the Islamic State group. The president also pressed Russia to align itself with the US-led coalition, noting that IS has been accused of bringing down a Russian passenger jet last month, killing 224 people.
Meanwhile taking notice of rising instances of hate crime against Muslims globally following the Nov 13 Paris carnage, Pakistan reacted by saying that it was not appropriate to link terrorism in France with Islam and that the international community should take notice of attacks on Muslims. According to reports following Paris attacks, a 300 per cent increase in hate crime targeting Muslims was registered in the week only in the United Kingdom.
Local Politics
An anti-terrorism court in Karachi remanded PPP leader and former Federal Minister Dr Asim Hussain in four-day custody of the Sindh Police in a case regarding treatment and sheltering of terrorists. The FIR filed against the PPP leader accuses him of using Dr Ziauddin Hospital to treat members of banned outfits, members of militant wings of political parties and those injured in encounters with security agencies. The FIR says Dr Asim treated the above-mentioned individuals on the request of their leaders.
Over in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government alleged that the federal government was conspiring to deprive the province of its due share in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative despite all its announcements and commitments. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also said that the province has decided to stage widespread protests against federal government.
Meanwhile former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was acquitted by a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court in the SGS-Cotecna references. SGS-Cotecna reference pertains to the award of pre-shipment contracts in which the accused had allegedly received six per cent kickback.
Pakistan Fights Terrorism
Two policemen were killed this week in Bannu in an attack on federal Minister Akram Khan Durrani. The minister however narrowly escaped the attack as an improvised explosive device hit his convoy. Party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has also been previously targeted thrice in suicide attacks.
Meanwhile a founding member of banned Lashkr-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and three other terrorists were killed in an alleged police encounter in Lahore. Founding member Haroon Bhatti, who was brought to Pakistan through Interpol from Dubai, was being escorted by the police to a hideout when his alleged accomplices opened fire on the police van. According to Police the terrorists were involved in target killing, extortion and abduction for ransom. The government had fixed head money of Rs 2.5 million on the arrest of Haroon Bhatti.
Meanwhile Pakistan also expresses its commitment to uproot the menace of terrorism from the region. In a meeting with Afghan delegation Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan was ready to help Afghanistan in its quest for peace and development. He also said that Pakistan believes that a peaceful, prosperous and progressive Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and the region
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