WASHINGTON, 4 April 2020, TON: The United States of America has agreed in principle to relax sanctions imposed on Iran to allow the country fight COVID-19 related import, said a Pentagon official on the condition of anonymity. It may come as surprise but independent reports speaks that Washington has already provided aid and material to Iran to fight Corona virus.

The senior official having remained deployed in Baghdad, Iraq said Pentagon feels that it is time to engage Tehran if it agrees to new terms and conditions.

US sanctions has disallowed world’s companies and individuals from carrying out even lawful trade with Iranian companies. Reportedly, China and Moscow are supplying medicine to Iran.

In the past, President Donald Trump administration’s refused to halt its economic war on Iran saying it is against US’s national interests.

SRINAGAR, 3 April 2020, TON: National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana today demanded immediate withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir domicile law to pave the way for widespread consultations with all the stakeholders to evolve a robust safeguard mechanism in the larger interests of the bona-fide locals. He said, the law is unjust and betrayal with educated unemployed youth, saying this should be withdrawn forthwith

Devender Singh Rana said, “All political parties should rise above politics and commit themselves to the just cause of our youth and speak against the law in one voice” He said, “Our youth are second to none and have proven their worth in various national level competitive exams but when it comes to jobs, it should be understood that those coming from far-off areas or belonging to weaker sections, scheduled castes and tribes, the level play field is not the same as elsewhere in the country due to poor infrastructure and education system”.

Asking if a special provision could be envisaged in various states like Himachal Pradesh and North East with regard to exclusive rights of local youth over all category of jobs why the same is being denied to J&K youth. The avoidable deprivation could lead to alienation of youth, irrespective of region, religion or caste,

He cautioned, saying the bonafide residents are feeling terribly let down and betrayed beyond imagination.  Rana also referred to the timing of announcement of the new law and said the people, grappling with the pandemic of corona virus like other parts of the country and the world, are shell shocked and dumb struck over the “insensitive, illogical and irresponsible move, which has bellied all their hopes”, especially in the backdrop of assurances held out and promises made by central leaders from time to time in recent months.

Rana said, “What could be more irony than that those looking for special dispensation to overcome the burgeoning unemployment problem in Jammu and Kashmir are finding themselves pushed to the wall and nowhere to go, he said and urged the Centre to revisit the law in deference of the overwhelming wishes of the people.” He questioned the rationale behind opening the jobs for outsiders when the local youth were struggling for sustenance in the wake of meager job avenues available here in the absence of organised corporate sector and big business houses.

KARACHI, 3 April 2020, TON: US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells said, “We welcome Pakistan’s decision to appeal the verdict,” after the Home Department of Pakistan’s Sindh Province issued an order against Sindh High Court’s decision that Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh will remain at least for another 90 days on the grounds of “public safety.” Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was acquitted from the charges of murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.

The ruling came on 3 April 2020, a day after the High Court of Sindh Province overturned conviction of death sentence on the grounds of Daniel Pearl ‘s murder due to lack of evidence. Criticizing the High Court’s decision, Alice Wells on 2 April said, "The overturning of the convictions for Daniel Pearl's murder is an affront to victims of terrorism everywhere." 

The order said, “The government of Sindh has sufficient reason that Ahmed Omar Sheikh and Fahad Nasim Ahmed, Syed Salman Saqib, Sheikh Muhammad Adil be arrested and detained for a period of three months from the date of arrest (April 2, 2020).” It is important to mention here that the latest High Court decision awarded the accused 7 years imprisonment, however, all the accused, especially Ahmed Omar Sheikh is in prison since 20022 and has already spent 18 years in prison.

Defense lawyer Khawja Naveed said that decision of the Court in converting death sentence for murder to seven years in prison for kidnapping has been viewed by international media-freedom watchdogs as a "denial of justice."

The provincial Prosecutor-General, Faiz Shah said that he intended to appeal the ruling, however, under Article 185 of Constitution of Pakistan, Sindh Government has no right to file an appeal exercising Appellate Jurisdiction of Supreme Court unless leave to appeal is filed as the decision of Sindh High Court has neither reversed an order of acquittal of  accused persons and sentenced him to death or to transportation for life or imprisonment for life nor the revision has enhanced a sentence.

It is important to recall, in January 2011, a report released by the Pearl Project at Georgetown University following an investigation into his death claimed that the wrong men were convicted for Pearl's murder.

DUBAI, 3 April 2020, TON: Commerce ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held an extraordinary virtual meeting to discuss the economic impact of the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), citing the role of their ministries to guarantee the provision and flow of basic and necessary commodities to citizens and residents in their countries, assist the private sector to enable it fulfill its role in the economy amid the current extraordinary circumstances and assess the developments as well as the precautionary measures being implemented by the GCC countries to curb the epidemic.

The meeting was headed by the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansouri in the attendance of his GCC counterparts in addition to the GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf.

During the meeting, the ministers of commerce reviewed the recommendations submitted by the undersecretaries of their ministries of commerce, focusing on the importance of cooperation to guarantee the flow of basic goods and commodities to citizens and residents in the GCC countries, got informed of the precautionary measures being taken by their countries to prevent the spread of the disease and reviewed the urgent initiatives taken by the GCC countries to provide support for the private sector, particularly the small and medium enterprises as well as the economic activities affected by the epidemic.

The ministers underscored the importance of goods smooth flow among the GCC countries so that no contradiction could take place between measures allowing goods to move and precautionary measures barring humans from moving as both measures constitute a common goal to curb the epidemic. They also asserted the importance of keeping their airports, sea ports and land exits open to transport commodities among the GCC countries.
The ministers formed a task team from their ministries to coordinate with each other in an endeavor to follow up and eradicate any obstacle that might face the flow of goods among the GCC countries.

SRINAGAR, 2 April 2020: Kashmiris have launched a strong protest against the Indian occupying forces and the puppet administration at Jammu and Kashmir for ugly attempt to change the rules.

The Kashmiris voiced against Indian plans to illegally settle thousands of Indian in disputed Jammu and Kashmir State. They said that New Delhi is constructing hundreds of blocks of flats at Jammu and elsewhere for the non-Kashmiris so that they can be settled in the disputed State while for original inhabitant of Jammu and Kashmir identification parades, humiliation and only class fourth jobs have been reserved..

Top Kashmiri Pakistani leader under house arrest by the Indian forces said that he clause of extending domicile to everyone and anyone who has lived in Jammu and Kashmir for the past 15 years” is an attempt to bring demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir. “Even those who have been posted as central government employees, labourers or migrants in Jammu and Kashmir can now enjoy their share of jobs getting a domicile.  The Kashmiris rejected Indian conspiracy and warned adverse consequences.

Meanwhile, new wave of labourers from different Indian States have been asked to settle in Jammu and Kashmir on permanent domiciles. This week, 200 plus new labourer arrived in Jammu and Kashmir. They are in addition to 58,500 non-local labourers who have been exposed in  Jammu after the coronavirus outbreak. However, they are being prevented to go to their home stations.

PRETORIA, 2 April 2020, TON: The countries opposition leaders from Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi and Botswana claim that the donor countries are allowing food supplies to only on ethnic and religious grounds while other countries are being forced to have only masks and sprays to fight coronavirus COVID-19. Without naming any ethnic group or religion they claimed that for us only military operations have earmarked to carryout out ethnic and religious cleansing.

Meanwhile the United Nations food agency has negotiated a humanitarian corridor to keep food aid flowing in southern Africa after most countries shut their borders to stop the spread of coronavirus. The food agency has planned ship food supplies to South Africa from where it will move to countries including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Botswana which face food shortages.

Media quoting Lola Castro, World Food Programme director for southern Africa saying, South Africa had agreed to let vessels carrying food aid land on its shores and move it to countries like Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and Namibia, which face food shortages.Castro told reporters South Africa has agreed to "a sort of a humanitarian corridor" that would help the agency continue its work.

KARACHI, 2 April 2020, TON: Pakistani Court has passed judgment in Daniel Pearl’s murder case that the murder charges were not proven and has converted death sentence to life imprisonment.

A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court reduced Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh's sentence to seven years in prison for kidnapping Daniel Pearl. Ahmed Omar Saeed has been in prison since 2002, and was expected to be released after the court verdict, but the prison authority says the court had yet to issue such an order.

Ahmed Omar Saeed was a former student at the London School of Economics and arrested in 2002.  An anti-terrorism court sentenced to death, while three other defendants in the same case were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal's South Asia Bureau Chief was abducted and beheaded in Karachi in 2002. A video showing Pearl's decapitation was delivered to the US Consulate in Pakistan’s provincial capital Karachi nearly a month later of the kidnapping. Another version of the story says that the murder of Daniel Pearl was filmed and the video posted online by Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, who is presently in US custody. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was arrested from Pakistan in 2003, denied all charges and claimed before the American court that he was systematically tortured by the US authorities including waterboarded to get his confession. 

RIYADH, 1 April 2020, TON: Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Muhammad Saleh bin Taher Banten  asked the countries of the world to be patient in concluding Hajj contracts for current 2020 (1441 AH), until the status about the epidemic is clear. He impressed upon the Muslims about Saudi Arabia’s responsibility towards the public health of the world.
He said that the Kingdom, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense are concerned about the safety of all pilgrims.

He ensured those Muslims who obtained Umrah visas and couldn't perform Umrah due to the precautionary will be refunded their amount.

RIYADH, 30 March 2020, TON, WHO: In response to an urgent appeal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has signed an agreement for USD 10 million in financial support to WHO for urgent action needed to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by supporting countries with vulnerable health infrastructures. The agreement was signed between KSrelief’s Assistant Supervisor General of Operations and Programs, Engineer Ahmed Al Baiz, and the WHO Country Representative for Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ibrahim El Ziq.

Dr. El Ziq, in a press statement following the signing of the agreement, said that “the ten million dollars provided by Saudi Arabia to the World Health Organization will contribute to the implementation of the COVID-19 National Health Plan. With this contribution, we will purchase preventive equipment for health workers, and laboratory equipment needed for investigations on the virus. The grant will also assist in carrying out scientific research towards developing a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, and will fund the purchase of medications to treat cases of the virus.” He ended his remarks by expressing his appreciation for the Kingdom’s generous ongoing support to crisis-affected countries around the world.

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of KSrelief, stated that this royal directive reflected the Kingdom’s commitment to applying its significant resources to help alleviate the suffering of all in need. KSrelief, he added, continues to work in cooperation with United Nations agencies and other leading humanitarian organizations to safeguard public health and address a wide range of global humanitarian issues. Dr. Al Rabeeah added his appreciation for this generous gesture from the Kingdom’s leadership, which demonstrates its willingness to act quickly to support for the world community in times of urgent crisis.

Dr. Al Rabeeah also mentioned the extraordinary virtual G20 Summit meeting recently headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; during this summit, the Kingdom also confirmed its commitment towards helping countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This leadership, he stated, demonstrated how seriously the Kingdom takes its responsibility to join with the rest of the world in fighting and overcoming the dangerous health and economic effects of COVID-19.

TRIPOLI, 30 March 2020, TON: Forces loyal to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) repulsed an attack on south of Tripoli, launched by the rebels under General Khalifa Haftar.

A spokesman for GNA, Mustafa Al-Majei said “The air force carried out three strikes against concentrations of Haftar militia fighters in the vicinity of Sirte. A number of individuals and other locations were also targeted.”

On Saturday, the GNA forces announced that their air strikes killed the operations commander of Sirte, Salem Driaq, his aide, Gaddafi Al-Sadai, and eight of their soldiers. Artillery also targeted buildings in Qasr Bin Ghashir, south of Tripoli, where Russian, American and African mercenaries were sheltering. If we recall, on Thursday, UN recognized GNA, launched Operation Peace Strom and took over airfield and arrested a number of mercenary.