BRUSSELS, 02 December 2020, (TON): NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at the first session of the NATO foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday, said: “We call on Taliban to reduce violence, but of course, that’s only the first step.” Stoltenberg said that NATO supports the Afghan peace process and, as part of that, the NATO adjusted its presence. 

“What we need to see is a lasting peace agreement. And part of that has to be a ceasefire. So, the reduction of violence should only be the first step,” Stoltenberg said. 

He added “The ambition is intra-Afghan peace solution. And, of course, that has to include a comprehensive ceasefire.” 

He said that NATO supports the Afghan peace process and, as part of that, NATO adjusted its presence in Afghanistan. 

“While United States has decided to further reduce its troop numbers to 2,500, NATO’s training mission continues. And over half of our forces are, now, non-US. Ministers made clear that all Allies remain committed to the mission. And to supporting Afghan security forces in the fight against terrorism. As we continue to assess the situation in Afghanistan, it is clear that we will face a turning point early next year,” he said. 

Once again, he said: “If we stay, we risk continued fighting. And an even longer-term engagement. If we leave, we risk Afghanistan once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. And the loss of the gains made with such sacrifice.” 

He also mentioned that all the NATO allies including the US are committed to continuing support for the Afghan security forces. 

NATO defense ministers are likely to make a final decision about the future of the Resolute Support Mission in February, after President-elect Joe Biden takes office. European diplomats expect the tone to change under Biden, but probably not the U.S. intention to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. 

Since the attacks of 1st September, 2001 in the US, NATO countries have been engaged militarily in Afghanistan under a mandate from the UN. 

KABUL, 02 December 2020, (TON): The World Bank in a letter to President Ghani on November 23 stated that it will stop $200 million aid to Afghanistan “till banking sector data is shared.” 

The World Bank has said that such assessment can only be undertaken if the bank is provided access to a range of basic data, including data on the banking sector. 

World bank stated in letter “Unfortunately, we have not been able to obtain banking sector data from Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) despite several written requests. This data is not sensitive and was shared with the World Bank prior to the release of funds under previous Incentive Programs.”  

The letter mentioned that the cabinet’s recent approval of the new Public Investment Management (PIM) Regulations was a policy before action under the 2020 Incentive Program. 

“A key policy intent of the new Regulations was to align PIM and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) processes, and to ensure rigorous oversight and management of any associated fiscal risks. While the PIM Regulations have been passed, we understand that there are important inconsistencies between the PIM Regulations and recent amendments to the PPP Law, which have transferred responsibility for management of PPPs from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to the Administrative Office of the President (AOP),” according to the letter. 

These amendments to the PPP Law were approved despite the written advice of the World Bank and IMF, as conveyed in a letter to the Minister of Finance dated October 13. 

“Please rest assured that issues related to the PIM Regulations will not impact planned disbursement against the remaining nine policy actions, and we would still expect to disburse US$180 million out of a total allocated US$200 million as soon as banking sector data is shared,” it added. 

The World Bank has committed $600 million in aid to Afghanistan and so far, they have provided $400 million to the country. To date, the World Bank has provided a total of over 5.1 billion for development and emergency reconstruction projects, and eight budget support operations in Afghanistan. This support comprises over $4.7 billion in grants and $436.4 million in no-interest loans. 

ISLAMABAD, 2 December 2020, (TON): The counsel for the Indian High Commission informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday that Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia was concerned about the detention of Indian national convicted of espionage, Ismail, even after the latter had served out his term.

Appearing before the IHC larger bench, the counsel for the Indian High Commission, Barrister Shahnawaz Noon, apprised the court about the latest situation.

Barrister Noon informed the IHC larger bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb that India was concerned with regard to the prolonged detention of India spy Ismail after completion of his sentence.

Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan apprised the court that the matter had already been taken up with the Interior Ministry. Since this too was related to the breach of Official Secret Act, the ministry has sought some time to respond, he explained.

Justice Minallah observed that there was no need to detain a prisoner after completion of sentence. “The court would pass an appropriate order by next date if the matter remains unresolved,” he remarked.

The IHC bench sought a report from the attorney general by the next date of hearing on 14 January 2020.

AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR, 2 December 2020, (TON): Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has said that Saudi Arabia has always supported Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir. 

Rejecting the impression of withdrawal of support by Saudi Arabia to Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue, he said in the recent meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers Council in Niamey, Niger, the kingdom had once again robustly explained its stand on the dispute and helped highlight it on the global level.

Sardar Masood, in separate interviews with the US-based Muslim Network TV and Saudi Arabia’s daily Arab News, said at the Niamey meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan, in his address to the Niamey conference, stated in unequivocal terms that peace and security of South Asia was not possible without the settlement of the Kashmir conflict, according to a press release issued here on Tuesday.

The AJK president said the statement by Prince Faisal assumed more significance because Saudi Arabia was the current chair of the OIC. The people of Pakistan, and Jammu and Kashmir had expected that the brotherly country of Saudi Arabia would adopt a strong position on the situation of Kashmir, he said, but regretted that the United Arab Emirates had adopted silence on the Kashmir issue.

ISLAMABAD, 02 December 2020, (TON): Pakistani martial artist, Irfan Mehsood, on Tuesday, has achieved his 38th Guinness World Record by achieving the latest of the most star jumps in one minute.

“I did 27 star jumps in one minute carrying a 60 lb pack. The record was attempted in Dera Ismail Khan in September this year.

I have become the only player to achieve the most push-up records,” he told while talking to media on Tuesday.

Irfan, who hails from Ladha Tehsil of South Waziristan, also holds the record of most (60) push-ups in one minute with one leg raised and carrying a 40-lb pack.

Irfan also have records of the most jumping jacks in one minute carrying an 80 lb pack, most knuckle push-ups (59) carrying 60 lb pack in one minute, most side lunges (72) in a minute, most push-ups (39) on fingertips and carrying a 60-lb pack in one minute and most push-ups (40) with one leg raised and carrying an 80-lb pack in one minute.

He also holds the record for most side lunges in one minute with 54 lunges in total.

Some of the other records he broke included most full-contact knee strikes 87 in one minute using one leg; fullest contact knee strikes 83 in one minute (alternate legs); most push-ups (one leg raised, carrying a 40-lb pack) 31 in one minute; Most push-ups (one leg raised and carrying an 80-lb pack) 21 in one minute; most knuckle push-ups 25 (with one leg raised, carrying a 40-lb pack) in one minute; most thumb push-ups 35 in one minute; Most Bo staff strikes 261 in one minute.

TEHRAN, 02 December 2020, (TON): Iranian Parliament on Tuesday approved a bill that would suspend UN inspections of its nuclear facilities and require the government to boost its uranium enrichment if European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal do not provide relief from oil and banking sanctions.

The bill has been introduced to show of defiance after the killing of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist Fakhrizadeh last month and the approval of the bill requires endorsement by the Guardian Council.  

The bill would give European countries one month to ease sanctions on Iran’s key oil and gas sector, and to restore its access to the international banking system. The U.S. imposed crippling sanctions on Iran after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement, triggering a series of escalations between the two sides.

The bill, if approved, would allow the authorities resume enriching uranium to 20%, which is below the threshold needed for nuclear weapons but higher than that required for civilian applications. It would also commission new centrifuges at nuclear facilities at Natanz and the underground Fordo site.

BEIJING, 02 December 2020, (TON): China successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon’s surface on Tuesday in a historic mission to retrieve lunar surface samples, Chinese state media reported.

China launched its Chang’e-5 probe on Nov. 24. The uncrewed mission, named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, aims to collect lunar material to help scientists learn more about the moon’s origins.

The mission will attempt to collect 2 kg (4-1/2 lbs) of samples in a previously unvisited area in a massive lava plain known as Oceanus Procellarum, or “Ocean of Storms”.

If the mission is completed as planned, it would make China the third nation to have retrieved lunar samples after the United States and the Soviet Union.

The lander vehicle that touched down on the moon’s surface was one of several spacecrafts deployed by the Chang’e-5 probe.

OTTAWA, 02 December 2020, (TON): Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau while addressing the Indian community in Canada during an online event on Monday to mark the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev said he would be remiss if he did not recognise the “news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning, and we are all very worried about family and friends and I know that is a reality for many of you.” Trudeau is the first world leader to comment on the farmers’ protests.

“We believe in the importance of dialogue and that’s why, we’ve reached out to multiple means, directly to the India authorities to highlight our concerns. This is a moment for all of us to pull together,” the Canadian leader in a video posted by the World Sikh Organisation.

Making this assertion here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country.”

In a message, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said, “It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes.”

KHARTOUM, 1 December 2020, (TON): Chairman of Sudan's Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday discussed arrangements about removing Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism in the coming weeks.

During a phone call from Pompeo, they also discussed the developments in Ethiopia and the need for a peaceful settlement to the conflict in a manner that achieves regional peace and enhances security in the region, said the sovereign council in a statement.

On 23 October US President Donald Trump decided to remove Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism if Sudan pays 335 million US dollars to American victims. Later, President Trump tweeted, the “new government of Sudan has agreed to pay 335 million dollars to terror victims and families.” Once the payment is deposited, the tweet said, Trump will lift Sudan from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism List.

Due to the designation, Sudan faces a series of restrictions including a ban on defence exports and sales and restrictions on US foreign assistance. The decision was set to be effective on 11 December 2020.

I we recall, in April this year Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has been ousted and arrested by the military and the  Sudanese Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf announced that the army would oversee a two-year transitional period followed by elections. The whole coup was organized by Western nations in which Pentagon played a major role.

Analysts are of the view that Sudanese regime has no legitimacy to accept false allegation of country’s involvement in terrorism as only elected government has a mandate to strike any peace deal with foreign nations. Sudanese Leadership warns regime not to accept false allegations of Sudanese involvement in terrorism.

DHAKA, 1 December 2020, (TON): On November 29, 2020, PM Sheikh Hasina has virtuallyannounced the base stone of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge from Ganobhaban. The railway bridge is designed above one of the well-known rivers, Jamuna of Bangladesh. The purpose of the construction is to accelerate the rail-based transportation between Dhaka and the western part of Bangladesh.

The Bangabandhu bridge will be the lengthiest rail bridge in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Railway and some consultant groups like Chodai Company Limited of Japan, Oriental Consultants Global Company Limited, Development Design Consultants Limited of Bangladesh,and ACE Consultants Limited of Bangladesh have completed the bridge’s design.

It is a 4.8 km double-line dual-gauge bridge which will consist of about 300 meters upstream and a single rail line. The entire construction process of the bridge will be finished in two packages. Two sides of the river, eastern and western will be they are covered according to the Japanese companies’ agreements ( Obayashi-TOA-JFE and IHI-SMCC JV ). The eastern and western part of the Jamuna River will be established respectively at the cost of USD 80 crore (BDT 6,801 crore) and USD 72.51 crore (BDT 6,148 crore). In July 2020, the decided land have been handed over to the assigned companies.

On the broad gauge track, trains will run at 120 kmph and 100 kmph on the metergauge track.Daily, 88 trains can be able to move through the way.

The construction scheme of the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge was approved in 2016. USD 114.80 crore (BDT 9,734 crore) was decided as the budget for the project. Now the fund has stood on about USD 200.50 crore ( BDT 17,000 crore).

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge, in association withJICA, is the major investment works under Bangladesh Railway. Bangladesh Railway has facilitated the opportunities, geographical location, large population, huge demand, connectivity to a regional network and emerging as regional transport HUB.