Connect with us

Pakistan

Journey from resistance to reconciliation!

Written

on

The effects of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's occupation of the entire country are being felt throughout the region.

Imran Yaqub Khan Profile Imran Yaqub Khan

The Afghan Taliban will conquer Kabul, a prediction made by the US intelligence a year ago, and the chairman of the US military, Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milli, acknowledged it in a US Senate committee. Mark Milli also said he had been adamant for a year that if the United States left Afghanistan unconditionally, no one would be able to stop the Afghan Taliban from occupying the country, with the help of the United States and its allies. The established Afghan army and government will disintegrate.

In view of this change in the region, major capitals have formulated policies and Pakistan is nowhere to be seen in these policies. Whether it is the US trilateral defense alliance-- Oaks --or the four-member informal alliance-- Quad, or the European Union's Indo-Pacific policy, India seems to be important in all pacts.

A few short-sighted people who call themselves intellectuals and analysts are celebrating victory without fully understanding the situation in the region. Terrorism has witnessed an increase in the country since the formation of the Afghan Taliban government, and after the Taliban's victory, there were 35 terrorist attacks in Pakistan in August alone, in which 52 civilians were killed. The figures, published by the American broadcaster Bloomberg with reference to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, are shocking. Economic activity is influenced by Bloomberg reports, and foreign investors and international financial institutions formulate policies based on Bloomberg reports.

It's not difficult to predict what effect the Bloomberg report and the new wave of terrorism will have on the country's already crippled economy, but some unscrupulous friends of the rulers are still chanting "all is well". Same Bloomberg report mentioned that a foreign investor had postponed a deal to buy a Pakistani company, which is just one example.

Ameer Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister in Kabul's interim government, said in a statement yesterday that US drones were flying over Afghanistan, a clear violation of state sovereignty. He named the United States and called on governments around the world to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty. Where did these drones fly from and through which route did they enter Afghanistan? The interim government of Kabul has not given any indication yet but this issue will also arise tomorrow and Pakistan could be traditionally blamed. Prime Minister Imran Khan had long ago raised the slogan of "Absolutely Not", but perhaps the new administration of Kabul also began to doubt Islamabad and this slogan became a sign of diplomatic failure and our rulers were seen muttering this message.

"Even strangers are angry with me, even strangers are unhappy."

If that were the case, efforts would have been made to improve the situation, but the situation is much worse now. A storm is about to lift. The coming of this storm is signaled by a bill to be introduced in the US Senate. The bill aims to impose sanctions on those who helped the Taliban conquer Kabul. Within 180 days of the bill's passage, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence will submit a report to the congressional committee detailing Taliban supporters.

The first report will look at which state and non-state actors, including the government of Pakistan, helped the Taliban between 2001 and 2020. Who provided the Taliban with safe havens, financial support, intelligence, medical care and supplies? Armed them and helped determine their military, administrative or strategic direction? It will also look at how the Pakistani government, including state and non-state actors, helped overthrow the US-led Afghan government in 2021. The report, called for in the proposed US congressional bill, also called for a review of allegations that the Pakistani government, including state and non-state actors, attacked the Taliban in the September 2021 Panjshir Valley and resisted the Taliban. Helped

The powers that be must have sensed the internal situation of the country and the geopolitical situation in the region and the storm raging in the US Congress. Feeling the atmosphere and maybe that is why the ruling party is also going into electoral mode. Recently, a few political birds that have changed allegiances have been brought under the sway of the PTI. These birds have come at a price, not at the behest of traditional power centers, but at the behest of this government. The leaders of the opposition parties will also get hints and they have sensed the situation on the basis of political experience.

The signs that the opposition making preparations have been circulating for days, but former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's virtual address on Tuesday is an important development in this regard. Former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif said, "Your and my slogan is, respect the vote, these are our goals, abide by the constitution, do not break the parliament, do not arrest the prime minister, let the country run, and respect the civil government. 

If we get all this through reconciliation, then Bismillah (With the name of Allah Almighty), if we get it through resistance, then still Bismillah, we are ready for both." This speech of the former prime minister is a sign of political change in the country, the clear proof of which and the first major change is the willingness of the PML-N leader himself for reconciliation.

All further stages in the journey from resistance to reconciliation are in the hands of PML-N President Mian Shehbaz Sharif. It seems that Shehbaz Sharif has persuaded his elder brother without holding his feet. If this is indeed the case, then understand that now an interesting turning point has come in this political game and this is the decisive turning point.

Continue Reading

Technology

Portuguese school sets world record for largest programming lesson

The previous record grouped 724 participants in Dallas, on Oct. 31, 2016

Published by Samiullah Farid

Published

on

Lisbon (Reuters): Nearly 1,700 students aged between 12 and 67 gathered at the University of Lisbon's IST school of technology on Saturday to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest computer programming lesson in a single venue.

The previous record grouped 724 participants in Dallas, in the United States, on Oct. 31, 2016.

"The final total was counted on how many people were here and 1,668 participants were achieved," said Guinness World Records Adjudicator Paulina Sapinska.

Organisers sought to draw more international attention to Portugal as a growing hub for information technology and to generally popularise computing.

IST chief Rogerio Colaco said computing literacy these days was the same as the ability to read and write 100 years ago, adding this meant "everyone must know a little bit about computer science, about programming, to live in the present world".

Continue Reading

Pakistan

Pakistan ready to host SCO Summit amid tight security

PM Shehbaz will preside over the SCO Council of the Heads of Government

Published by Samiullah Farid

Published

on

Islamabad: Pakistan is all set to host Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 23rd Heads of Government Summit on October 15 and 16 in the federal capital.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Jinnah Convention Center on Saturday to review preparations for the SCO Summit while CDA chairman and officials of Foreign Office briefed him on arrangements.

According to Foreign Office spokesperson, PM Shehbaz will preside over the SCO Council of the Heads of Government meeting in his capacity as the current Chair.

The SCO member states will be represented by the prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The First Vice President of Iran and External Affairs Minister of India will arrive in Pakistan to attend the SCO Summit. The prime minister of Mongolia will attend the summit as an observer, and deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and foreign minister of Turkmenistan as a special guest.

Prime Minister Shehbaz will also hold bilateral meetings with visiting heads of delegations on the side-lines of the summit.

The SCO summit will discuss ongoing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, environment, socio-cultural linkages and review the performance of the organisation.

All visiting member nations are expected to send government heads apart from Pakistan's arch-rival India, who will dispatch its foreign minister in a rare visit to its neighbour.

The SCO is sometimes touted as an alternative to the Western-dominated NATO military alliance.

As China's claim over Taiwan and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have seen them clash with the US and Europe, analysts say the SCO is one forum where they are trying to curry regional influence.

While the SCO has a mandate to discuss security, the Islamabad summit is due to focus on trade, humanitarian and cultural issues.

Continue Reading

Sports

The NLCS matchup is set! What Mets, Dodgers need to do to reach World Series

It's East Coast vs. West Coast for a trip to the Fall Classic. Here's your first look at how New York and L.A. stack up.

Published by Web Desk

Published

on

The 2024 National League Championship Series matchup is set!

Starting Sunday, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers will clash with a trip to the World Series on the line.

After the Mets booked their first NLCS trip since 2015 when Francisco Lindor delivered a Game 4 grand slam to knock out the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers eliminated the San Diego Padres with a 2-0 NLDS Game 5 win in Los Angeles.

What have we learned about each of these teams so far? What does each side need to do to punch a ticket to the Fall Classic? And who could be the NLCS difference-makers? ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield break it all down.

Jump to: Mets | Dodgers



What's the most impressive thing about the Mets this postseason?

Castillo: The Mets' lineup is relentless. They might not match the Dodgers' star power, but their lineup is as deep as any in baseball. They can beat you 1 through 9. They conduct smart at-bats. They have a knack for huge hits in the clutch. And they pounce on bullpens. Look no further than Game 4 of the NLDS when, after they left the bases loaded in each of the first two innings against Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, Francisco Lindor cracked the go-ahead grand slam off Carlos Estevez, Philadelphia's best reliever, in the sixth. One day it's Lindor. The next it's Mark Vientos or Pete Alonso or Brandon Nimmo or Jose Iglesias. Or someone else. There aren't any holes in the lineup, and that could be an NL pennant-winning recipe.

Schoenfield: The Mets actually have the most starting pitching depth of any team left in the playoffs, with six reasonable options if you include Kodai Senga (who started Game 1 against the Phillies but isn't stretched out yet). Sean Manaea pitched a gem in NLDS Game 3 against the Phillies with seven scoreless innings, and the Mets just win when he pitches -- they're 16-4 in his past 20 starts. Jose Quintana has allowed just one unearned run in 11 innings in two playoff starts, and Luis Severino, David Peterson and Tylor Megill round out the options, although Peterson has also proved to be a valuable relief option. With three days off before Game 1, the Mets can reset, get some much-needed rest and figure out which of the starters will pitch out of the pen.

Why will it (or won't it) work against the Dodgers in the NLCS?

Castillo: The Dodgers' bullpen was impressive in the NLDS, but relying on bullpen games won't be sustainable against the Mets. Chances are New York will grind the Dodgers' relief corps down if Los Angeles doesn't get more innings from its starters. That means Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty, in particular, must pitch deeper into games. If not, the Mets will eventually solve the bullpen over the seven-game series.

Schoenfield: The other advantage the Mets have is three lefties in Manaea, Quintana and Peterson. Shohei Ohtani is actually human against lefties -- .867 OPS compared to 1.128 against righties. Max Muncy hit .172 against lefties. Freddie Freeman, if his ankle allows him to play, was much worse against lefties (.250 average with less power versus .300 against right-handers). Gavin Lux hit .152 against southpaws. That's why we might see Peterson back in the rotation after he pitched in relief against the Brewers and Phillies. The more lefty innings the Mets can throw at the Dodgers, the better.

Who is the one player who must deliver for the Mets to win the NL pennant?

Castillo: The Mets' biggest weakness is the bullpen, which makes closer Edwin Diaz a pivotal character in this series. Díaz is the best reliever the Mets employ. He boasts a triple-digit fastball and a wipeout slider. But this year, after missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL, has been a roller coaster. He briefly lost his job in June. He was suspended for sticky-stuff use in June. He has been bad, and he has been great. He has been uneven recently amid heavy usage, blowing a lead in Game 2 against the Phillies and walking two batters to begin the ninth inning in Game 4 before getting back on track. The Mets need Díaz to dominate every time he's on the mound. That means being efficient and throwing strikes. If he's vintage Díaz, the Mets have a weapon to shrink games.

Schoenfield: Pete Alonso has to keep it going. He didn't have his best season, and the strikeouts really piled up in August and September when he fanned 74 times in 54 games. After he hit just four opposite-field home runs in the regular season, however, all three of his playoff home runs have gone to right field as he has hit .273/.433/.727 -- and you have to love the seven walks against a manageable eight strikeouts in seven games. If he stays in that kind of zone, it gives the Mets the power bat they need in the middle of the lineup behind Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo.



What's the most impressive thing about the Dodgers this postseason?

Gonzalez: Their bullpen. Given the multitude of injuries suffered by their starting pitchers, the Dodgers knew they'd be heavily relying on their relievers in October. And so far, they've answered, most notably by shutting out the Padres to save their season in Game 4. The Dodgers are navigating this postseason with what amounts to a three-man rotation, and all three of their starters -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler -- have had their share of struggles. But the Dodgers also have as many as seven high-leverage relievers to deploy in relief of them.

Schoenfield: The Dodgers showing ... resilience? That hasn't exactly been their forte in recent postseasons. Even though the Dodgers won the NL West, most picked the Padres to win the series, especially after San Diego went up two games to one. But Dave Roberts and the relievers executed the bullpen game to perfection in Game 4 to get to Game 5. They didn't let the Padres' antics get to them. They won despite a hobbled Freddie Freeman. They showed they can win games in which Ohtani doesn't have to be Superman. Maybe this will be the year -- in a postseason when few expected the Dodgers to win.

Why will it (or won't it) work against the Mets in the NLCS?

Gonzalez: Just look at how the Mets got here: With Francisco Lindor's sixth-inning grand slam off Carlos Estevez, who had mostly excelled as the Phillies' closer since coming over before the trade deadline. The Mets seem to have something special going on, and a lot of their magic has manifested late. The Mets have won six of nine games dating back to the Sept. 30 doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves that served as their regular-season finale. Five of those wins saw them come from behind, three of them after the seventh inning.

Schoenfield: OK, resiliency is nice, but at some point they're going to need some better results from the starting pitching. Winning a five-game series with two off days while relying extensively on the bullpen is one thing, but it's much harder to do that in a seven-game series (with the same two days off). The Mets have shown their own resiliency as well, with the dramatic comebacks to beat the Braves to clinch a playoff spot, beating the Brewers to advance, and then knocking off the Phillies -- and doing so against three of the closers in the game.

Who is the one player who must deliver for the Dodgers to win the NL pennant?

Gonzalez: I'm going to throw out a name you probably didn't expect: Enrique Hernandez. The Dodgers got him specifically for these moments and he showed why with a huge home run in Friday's Game 5 win. They believe he has an ability to rise to the occasion in October, and he should get quite a bit of playing time in this NLCS. His production at the bottom of the order will be critical to giving Ohtani opportunities with runners on base -- a situation Ohtani has famously excelled in lately.

Schoenfield: Mookie Betts. We saw him break out of his postseason slump with the home runs against the Padres, and he has to keep it going, especially given the left-handed starters the Mets will be able to roll out (and especially if Freeman's availability and production is going to be a concern).
Continue Reading

Trending