SIALKOT, 20 March 2022, TON: Huge series of explosions were witnessed on Sunday morning at Pakistan Army Ammunition Depot in Bhalan Wala, Sialkot. It is claimed that the ammunition depot was established in the year 1852 by the British Army. As per the earlier reports, “An unidentified object struck a Pakistan Army ammunition store in Sialkot which resulted in massive fire, triggering multiple explosions. Other source did not confirm about the flying object. The eye witnesses claimed the missiles caused civilian casualty as well as loss of properties. The district administration, however, was tight lipped about the loss of life. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement post explosion, “On Sunday afternoon due to short-circuiting, an accidental fire broke out in an ammunition shed near Sialkot Garrison." The statement said, “There was no damage to property or loss of life due to effective and timely response. The damages were contained and the fire extinguished.” A Court of Inquiry has been ordered. 

According to an official of Rescue 1122, “Large fire and explosions rocked the Army depot near the cantonment area around 5:50 am. Fire brigade and Rescue 1122 reached the spot and extinguished the fire after several hours of efforts”.

Meanwhile, the personnel who made contact at ammunition storage site said, "Fire broke out due to short-circuiting and apparently an accidental fire broke out in one of the sheds near Sialkot Garrison." Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Umer Saeed Malik also said that the fire erupted early morning in the cantonment area after which several blasts happened. Although, the authorities did not discuss chances of missile attack or sabotage attempt by India but same cannot be ruled out. Satellite imageries is likely to highlight the causes of incident.

By Afshain Afzal
On the request of Turkish President Erdogany both side have agreed in principle to halt attacks and the start ceasefire negotiations but an agreement is still far away. Turkey has categorically rejected military action and is using its diplomacy to resolve the crisis. There is no doubt that Turkey has a big role to play and of course, deploying Turkish forces in conflict zone will further aggravate the situation. Earlier, Turkish Parliament passed resolution and agreed formally that Russia’s military operation against Ukraine is wrong, and that Ukraine’s territorial integrity should be ensured. Accordingly, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said, “We consider the military operation launched by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation against Ukraine unacceptable and reject it.”
While analysing the prevailing situation, it need to be comprehended that we cannot take Turkey as a NATO member alone as her status is much higher than her recognition as a NATO member. If we recall, in February 2020, during visit to Ukraine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Zelensky signed an agreement on military-financial cooperation, in which Turkey allocated about US $ 36 million for the purchase of Turkish military and multi-purpose goods. Turkey is a power and has capacity to deploy its forces to become a party to conflict to save Muslim population. In addition, under the Montreux Convention of 1936, Turkey can limit Russian naval transit of its Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits during wartime but Turkey has not decided to do that and Russian ships's movement from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea would not be much affected. It is apparently that the United States’ and Western nations' stance over Ukrainian crisis is different from Turkey and Istanbul is not going to follow any dictated approach to the crisis.
In fact, Russia as well as the United States were aggrieved over Turkish involvement that empowers Muslim population in Ukraine as well its strategic links with the Ukrainian leadership. Russia is also cautious over Washington's direct interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine and has warned Kyiv many times not to destablize neighbourhood but interference increased. Finally, this led to friction and intervention with an aim to reach a promised agreement between Ukraine and Russia.Turkish military agreement with Ukraine coupled with Western media hysterical propaganda that painted picture if United States is trying to take over the stage of Ukrainian politics; from interference through the third country to direct plans, Russia was quick enough to position its troops at three major strategic avenues where Muslims were in high concentration. Eight Russian warships and two submarine entered Black Sea to show muscles.
NATO and the European nations made tall announcements of continuous supply of arms and ammunitions to the Ukrainian forces but these attempts were either not initialized nor materialized. Any shipment through sea could trigger World War - III, which US, NATO and West could not afford. From the very outset, not much was expected from the West. Military intervention to check Russian deployment in Ukraine was out of question but leaving Ukraine at the mercy of Russian soldiers was also not accepted. It was Uzbek Muslim from the neighbouring countries which ensured the continuity of arms and other supplies to Ukrainian forces, in order to bring Russian on negotiating table. Presently neither there are fears of full-scale battles nor chances of West jumping in the war across Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the invasion of Ukraine, saying it was "going to plan". Russia made it clear that she would continue its campaign in Ukraine until it had fulfilled its goals. Earlies Moscow with the consent of Ukrainian President allowed truce to a level that set pockets for humanitarian corridors for the civilian evacuations. The term of truce was confirmed by Ukrainian Presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak.
Till now the only progress is that negotiators from both Ukraine and Russia have agreed to create “humanitarian corridors” to let citizens escape the fighting. Earlier rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia failed and an attempt this weekend is also likely not to gain much. Now Turkey has the main role to play in Ukraine and in the same regard Ukrainian leadership are schedule to hold talks in Turkey early next week. Venue has been set at Antalya, Turkey where Russian and Ukrainian ministers would hold peace negotiations. An honest opinion that it seems that all were on one side to expel many immigrants who had settled in Ukraine from other countries since decades. Although exagurated figures were reflected everywhere about the refugees but several thousands refugees from Ukraine are sufferings while the onus of this human catastrophe rest on Russia.

By Afshain Afzal
Since long Russia had been resisting Western and NATO expansion and as a rollback of previous expansion, it has very dangerous plans. It did not surprise many when Russian President Vladimir Putin took decision to launch an attack on a sovereign state Ukraine on Thursday, 24 February 2022, after recognizing two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. It was a US-India joint venture in which orchestra was played by Israel and Britain. Pope Francis said that "increasingly alarming scenarios" are emerging in Ukraine and he urged all sides to refrain from actions and make a serious examination of conscience before God about any actions they might take which could cause suffering to the people in the region. He called celebration of Easter which begins on "Ash Wednesday", 2 March 2020, as an international day of fasting and prayer for peace. It will be followed by Muslims' holy month of Ramadan a month later. World is reacting so calm as nothing as happened. There are no NATO Fighters aircrafts preparing for a dog fights or American and Western Air Defence systems and jammers in near vicinity. It seems that it a global joint venture in which there is human suffering, especially the Ukrainian Muslims are targeted.
In a televised address, Putin described Ukraine as an integral part of Russia’s history and said eastern Ukraine was ancient Russian lands and that he was confident that the Russian people would support his decision.He said that Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood and complained that post-Soviet Ukraine had wanted everything it could from Moscow without doing anything in return. Putin’s formal recognition of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic signaled an end to a seven-year-old peace deal known as the Minsk agreement. The recognition of the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk territories of eastern Ukraine has a Muslim population is about 800,000. Currently, all the migrants to foreign countries make a vast population who are eager to return, The internally displaced Muslims from the occupied territories have official IDP [internally displaced persons] status and the right to get social support in terms of special state programs.
With a hope to win global recognition as potential Permanent member of United Nations Security Council, India abstained on a United Nations Security Council resolution by the United States of America that "deplores in the strongest terms" Russia's aggression" against Ukraine. Apparently the Defence Intelligence Agencies of the US and India jointly planned some moves. As planned, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought India's political support at the UN Security Council to stop Russia's military offensive against his country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's in his tweet said, "More than 100,000 invaders are on our land. They insidiously fire on residential buildings. Urged India to give us political support in UN Security Council. Stop the aggressor together!" Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke to his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and sought India's support to a UN Security Council. Kuleba urged Jaishankar to use India's influence over Russia to force it to cease "military aggression" against Ukraine besides supporting the UN resolution.
The 15-nation Security Council voted on the draft resolution by the US and Albania and co-sponsored by a "cross-regional" group of 67 UN member states, including Australia, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom. The resolution was blocked since permanent member Russia as President of the Security Council for the month of February used its veto. The resolution received 11 votes in favour by Albania, Brazil, France, Gabon, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, the UK and the US while three nations India, China and the UAE abstained. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in line with its foreign policy of neutrality, calls on both sides of the conflict to resolve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means.” The government expressed concern over the protection of lives of Afghan students and migrants in Ukraine.
Where the United Nations Organization is a silent observer, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has plans to enhance humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. The world body has demanded US $ 1bn for aid operations in Ukraine over the next three months as a result of Russia’s attack. However, it failed to prevent the war or condemn aggression. In other developments, the Western world including USA, France, Germany and Britain have imposed new sanctions of Russia to encompass “national measures to freeze the financial assets of Russian figures”. The EU Council President Charles Michel has announced that European Union will facilitate the delivery of military aid to Ukraine. He said, “I will propose a package of emergency assistance for the Ukrainian armed forces, to support them in their heroic fight". Meanwhile, the French President France said that will send more military equipment, as well as fuel, to Ukraine to help fight off the Russian invasion. Holland has announced that the government will supply 50 Panzerfaust-3 anti-tank weapons and 400 rockets.
Where the international players expect that a bulk of Ukrainian population should move in different refugees' camps around the world, Western world started media campaign much ahead of event that call Kyiv to work with international partners and INGOs to ensure that Russian-origin Muslims and other immigrants are fairly vetted in the asylum system and protected against deportation or extradition based on false claims and handed over to foreign governments. It is propagated that they may subject them to abuses and human right violations. There is no doubt, that the Indian origin Patel conspiracy that emerged from Haifa, Israel spread all over the Muslim world as well as handful of Indian agents and fifth columnists in Pakistan and Middle East played a dirty role in dragging the peaceful population of Central Asian countries to this level. Pumping in deadly weapons by the Western and Indians players from Poland and Bulgaria into Belarus and Ukraine and aggression itself, it is high time to reform UNO on the basis of equality and justice as it has lost its capacity to deal with open deviations by States to act as civilized humans.

By Afshain Afzal
The Ambassador of the United States of America to Sri Lanka has just taken over the charge to arm the Indian Ocean Island nations tooth and nail. It is Ms Julie J. Chung, who took over as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Sri Lanka, to be based in Colombo. Earlier, on 25 February 2022, she presented credentials to H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka. Julie Chung served as Director for Japan in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs from where in November 2018, she was posted as the Acting Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. The State Department has tasked her to focus of Sri Lanka’s programmes regarding demining, narcotics-trafficking, human rights and labour issues. She has also been assigned to coordinate wither various agencies to execute Emergency Assistance Coordination Team in response to suicide bombings and demining operations. She is likely to persuade Colombo to a framework for US- Sri Lanka partnership on which foreign agencies and nations would operate inside Sri Lanka.
It is been calculated that attack of Sri Lanka top leadership is going to take place on the pattern of 7 July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. It is alleged that already information regarding some of the Sri Lanka leaderships’ ties with groups involved in organized crime has been shared and over some time more details including lists will be shared with US law enforcement officials. This will be followed by rise in violence and kidnapping of Christian missionaries.
As per the understanding, Sri Lanka will enhance its relations with the US and India in Indo-pacific. In this context, The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has offered Sri Lanka free of cost two Beechcraft 360 ERs aircrafts. Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) chief Air has agreed to these two modern maritime surveillance aircraft. However, there are reports that Sri Lanka has to pay for it in the long term as Pentagon has made it public that it awarded Textron Aviation an $11.4 million contract for new Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft as part of a Foreign Military Sale to Sri Lanka. The United States has delivered more than $2 billion in development assistance to Sri Lanka since its independence in 1948. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States seeks to broaden and accelerate economic growth, develop democratic institutions, and promote the reconciliation of multi-ethnic and religious communities in Sri Lanka. If we recall, US government issued a travel ban on the Sri Lankan Army Chief, on the grounds that there was “credible information of his involvement” in human rights violations during the final phase of the war. Likewise certain other officers have also been booked.
Sri Lanka, placed in a vital geostrategic location in the Indian Ocean, faces its own geopolitical challenges. The island is a part of the conceptual map of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the United States’ (US) Indo-Pacific Strategy.In the recent past, an important tri-lateral agreement along with India and Japan on the Colombo East Port Terminal (ECT) was cancelled and Western Container Terminal was adopted. However, the United States and India are engaging Sri Lanka to sign military pacts to station troops on Sri Lankan maritime boundaries to resist Chinese moves. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka armed forces are on the way to modernization. As per the Sri Lankan Appropriation Bill of 2022, the Army would get the lion’s share – LKR 188.1 billion, an increase of 11%, Navy would get LKR 63.9 billion, with an increase of 4%, and the Air Force gets LKR 56 billion, an increase of 8.5%. As for capital expenditure, army would get LKR 7.4 billion, navy would get LKR 9.2 and the Air Force would receive LKR 15 billion. All these move may create a suspicion, which would ultimately lead to disturb relations with China. India and Sri Lanka are discussing a number of defence-related pact but so far Colombo has agreed to one. New Delhi is discussing supply of two Dornier aircraft for the Sri Lankan military but the conditions of Indian personnel and technicians have been rejected by Sri Lanka. India is also seeking permission to keep Indian troops in Sri Lanka as peacekeeping and anti-piracy forces.
Sri Lanka was always a peaceful Kingdom comprising of Buddhists and Muslims, However, Europeans invaded the country and Portuguese were in the 16th century. The island was partitioned into seven conflicting kingdoms and to divide and rule and make the local population enemy of each other. After gaining the control, Portuguese forced the Buddhist and Muslim majority to convert to Christianity which gave birth to hatred against various religions. The Portuguese and later Dutch in order to further make the situation volatile and complex, immigrated Hindus from Indian states to create a balance in religion, especially Muslims, and Buddhists. The British eventually took control of the coastal areas in 1796 and named it Ceylon. By 1815, the British brought the entire island under their rule and made the majority population into an amalgam of diversified religions. In fact, Islam was there is Sri Lanka and adjoining States since the time of prophet Muhammad Alhe Salam (Sal Allah Ho Alhe Wasalam). The Sri Lankan gained independence from British invasion on 4th February1948, and Christian ruler Don Stephen Senanayake became its first Prime Minister. On 22 May 1972 Ceylon was renamed as Sri Lanka. There is no doubt that Sri Lankan are a peace-loving nation but apparently, the territories of Sri Lanka is going to be used for aggressive hostile purposes. It is high time that Sri Lanka must not fall in the trap of international conspiracies by becoming part of international military alliances.

By Afshain Afzal
Sunday, the 30th of January 2022, proved to be a new journey of Israel, putting official step at the Arab land under "Abraham Accords". Tel Aviv choose United Arab Emirates to enter the hearts and minds of Muslims through a two days official visit. Tomorrow, Israeli President is scheduled to meet UAE's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. This means that Abu Dhabi has buried decades-old Israeli war with the Palestinians and has angered not only the Palestinians but also the Muslims of the world.
In the latest development 21-gun salute was given to Israeli President Isaac Herzog who was received by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. During the ceremony, the national anthems of both countries were played.This opened a new avenue for official recognition of Israel by other Muslim States.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog read out carefully crafted statement, "We are two successful nations who started with very little in our hands, developed our lands into a successful paradise and in many ways set an example to the world of how to lead and develop a nation with a vision of the future... We are sending a message to entire region that there is an alternative of peace and living together, and that the sons and daughters of Abraham can reside and dwell together in peaceful coexistence for the benefit of humanity.”
If we recall, US-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords as western strategists had successfully installed leaders of loose characters on the top positions and these blackmailed leaders could not muster-up courage to counter the principle stance on Palestine and other disputed states anymore. US President Joseph Biden's administration hammered the final nail on Arab unified identity and off it goes the Islamic identity and Islamic law. The US and Israel have taken opposition leadership in Tehran and splinter groups within Houthi rebels in Yemen's civil war into confidence to install government in UAE and Yemen having friendly ties with Iran and the Shiites. In Afghanistan too, the so called Taliban are the ones who surrendered before the American forces are are friendly towards Iranian leadership.
In other parts of the world, US and Israel as well as UK, Greece and Italy have planned operations in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Syria, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon etc where in the name of western and Indian funded ISIS, locals and orthodox Muslims would be eliminated. On the other hand, Israeli businesses have started setting up business in may Muslim countries. Alone in during 2021 around 150,000 Jews visited UAE and 45 Israeli businesses have been set up there including Israeli Swvl. Other services which Tel Aviv has planned to take over and have completed much of its homework are communication, banking and financial services.
Countries like Saudi Arabia has condemned Herzog's visit to UAE. If we recall, in November 2020, Western agents made black propaganda that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret trip to Saudi Arabia, which proved totally baseless. Traitor or in Pakistan like Mohammad Ali Siddiqi, who is based in Karachi and migrated from India made a lot of propaganda that Riyadh putting pressure on Islamabad to normalize relations with Tel Aviv. Saudi Arabia has always condemned move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and declared that Palestinians have the right to have its own land and vowed Tel Aviv to withdraws to the 1967 boundary. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia has announced that it will be the last Muslim country to recognize Israel in violation of Palestinians' rights.
As series of changes are planned under "Abraham Accords", UAE and other Muslim countries are quickly changing their Islamic personal laws, allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate, loosening alcohol restrictions and allowing transgenders and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) to involve in un-Islamic activities. Western exaggerated figures claim that there are around 400,000-550,000 LGBT people in the United Arab Emirates for who many laws have been changed. No Muslim is against the Jews but the Jew-Christian strategy to force way for anti-Abraham laws (Hazrat Abraham Alhe Salam) in Islamic world is unacceptable. It is time to challenge the un-Islamic laws in the name of peace and interfaith harmony. One wonders do the Abraham of Jews and Christians teaches sins and violation of Divine Laws; Old Testament and New Testament.