Change of command ceremony at GHQ Rawalpindi today by Pakistan Army.
The newly appointed Army chief General Asim Munir will get the command stick from the departing COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa in a command change ceremony, according to the Pakistan Army’s media arm. General Asim Munir will be the 17th army general to lead the Pakistani Army, which is important to note.
Separate goodbye talks with president Arif Alvi and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif were conducted earlier in the day on Monday by the departing chief of the army staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
However, The army chief congratulated the prime minister after the prime minister sent Gen. Bajwa his best wishes. Additionally, PM Shehbaz hosted a luncheon in the departing senior general’s honor.
Finally, The President praised General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s contributions to the defense industry. He recognized the contributions made by the departing Army Chief to the nation and the Pakistan Army. The President sent General Qamar Javed Bajwa his warmest wishes for success in his future efforts. Gen. Bajwa is scheduled to leave his position as commander of the Pakistan Army on November 29.
Who is Asim Muneer?
After graduating from the Mangala Officers Training School (OTS), Lt Gen Asim Munir joined the Pakistani Army and was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment.
As a brigadier, he oversaw the Northern Areas Force before being chosen as the Military Intelligence’s director-general at the beginning of the year. He was appointed as the Inter-Services Intelligence Director General (DG) in 2018. (ISI).
After that, he served for two years as Corps Commander in Gujranwala. He is currently working at the General Headquarters as the Quarter Master (GHQ).
In addition, Lt Gen Mirza was a member of the coordination team that monitored talks with Afghanistan and coordinated operations against militants in North Waziristan.
A participant in the Gilgit-Baltistan Reforms Committee was H. Mirza was named the Chief of the General Staff after rising to the rank of Lieutenant General. He is now the Corps Commander for Rawalpindi.
As requested by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, PM Shehbaz Sharif once more rejects early elections, stating that the present National Assembly’s term would end in August of next year, at which point a transitional administration will hold general elections.
As rejected early elections PM stated that the elections “would be held on schedule” in an interview with the Turkish Anadolu Agency. He also emphasized that the existing administration was elected by the people of Pakistan and that the process was constitutional.
Shehbaz Sharif said that his administration has developed a “mix of policies” to combat the economic slump while acknowledging that “we have very little time” to recoup our losses before going bankrupt and experiencing a financial meltdown.
Let me state unequivocally that the next elections will take place on schedule. The present National Assembly’s mandate will end in August 2023, after which a transitional administration would be put in place and elections will be held, he said.
In response to a query on his predecessor and Imran Khan’s call for early elections, he replied, “This government came into existence through a constitutional process and enjoys the mandate of the people of Pakistan.
According to PM as Once More Rejects Early Elections
The current coalition government “represents all political parties of the country with the exception of the PTI and is occupied with addressing the matters of significant significance.”
The prime minister claimed that because the Imran Khan government’s economic policies were not pro-growth, they caused the economy to face several difficulties.
He continued by saying that the economy was “on the edge of” collapse when he took power and was dealing with several local and international problems.
The consequences of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, excessive monetary tightening, supply-side shocks, lingering epidemic effects, declining investor confidence, rising inflation, and other factors were all affecting Pakistan’s economy, he claimed. He continued by saying that his administration had taken corrective action, some of which, he recognized, had negative impacts.
“There is no doubt that some of our policy choices, such as the elimination of untargeted subsidies, increased the cost in the near run. However, the majority of our programs are more likely to provide advantages over time, according to the prime minister.
Foreign Relations
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that inter-state relations should be “based on mutual respect”. He said that “our longstanding and broad-based relationship” with the US was “committed to deepen and widen”, while Pakistan and China “will continue to exercise vigilance to ensure that our detractors’ plans” failed.
“In recent months, engagement between both Pakistan & US countries has been quite productive and substantial. Our interactions at various levels have intensified, which manifests in that the relationship is strengthening,” he said.
QATAR: To secure the success of the FIFA World Cup 2022, hundreds of Pakistanis students and expatriates in Qatar are enjoying & working nonstop.
The Pakistanis community in Qatar is actively supporting this eagerly awaited and watched competition, in addition to the numerous students who are enjoying & contributing to the success of this significant FIFA World Cup event in engineering, IT, hospitality, and broadcasting.
Even though Pakistan’s national football team was unable to travel to a FIFA event abroad, the nation consistently made headlines for producing top-notch footballs in partnership with Adidas and Forward Sports, a local sports goods manufacturer with headquarters in Sialkot, for international teams and events.
Speaking to a news organization, a media expert named Maryam Khalid, who works as a commentary assistant for Qatar’s broadcasting division, expressed her belief that the internship she completed at the QatarFIFA event will help her reach her long-term goals.
When asked a question, Maryam responded, ” FIFA staff always remains attached to us to fix any situation beyond our understanding.”
Another overseas Pakistani, Muhammad Saad, who is volunteering in the Legal Department at the FIFA World Cup 2022, said that being chosen was a wonderful joy and gave him the opportunity to be a part of such a historic event in the Gulf. He claimed that the possibility had given him the self-assurance necessary to take the lead.
A BSc computer engineering student named Abu Bakar Majeed Bin Abdul Rab claimed he was working as an intern with Host Broadcasting Services, a corporation that has organized some of the most prominent sporting events in the world, including the FIFA World Cup.
According to Pakistanis who are Enjoying FIFA
Abu Bakar says, FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, not only a source of great pride for the State of Qatar but also for the entire Muslim world. The biggest sporting event in history is currently taking place in the country, he said.
He expressed sadness that the Pakistanis Football Squad was unable to participate in the competition and expressed the hope that the team would one day qualify for the FIFA Cup since, in his opinion, “the nation has the ability to excel in any field of life.”
Soccer unites individuals from many cultures and backgrounds, according to PhD student Adnan Khan of Hamad bin Khalifa University.
We all share the duty and the common objective of making this World Cup memorable for everyone who travels to Qatar to watch this magnificent event, as expatriates living there.
In a message to the Qatar Tribune on behalf of the Pakistani community, Shaukat Chandna claimed that all nations—not just those who play football—were making contributions of one kind or another to make this the “best-ever” sporting spectacular of our lifetimes.
By using both machines and human hands to create the best footballs, Pakistan has made a very big contribution. Have fun, be friendly to everyone, and smile at them all.
It is important to note that countless interns, volunteers, and residents from Pakistan have voluntarily and unanimously offered their services to the Qatari government “to make the FIFA World Cup 2022 a tremendous success.”
Snapchat now available on Microsoft Store as a Progressive Web App.
According to Windows Central, Snapchat Progressive Web App (PWA) will be available on Windows 10 and 11 PCs via Microsoft Edge. Progressive Web Application (PWA) is a form of a web app that may function on any device as both a web page and a mobile app.
According to the source, the app is built on Snapchat’s online version, which was introduced just a few months ago, and is powered by Microsoft’s Chromium-based Microsoft Edge.
The app is only 1.4 MB in download, and it keeps Snapchat up to date and has the same functionality as the online version. Because the app runs in Microsoft Edge, Windows will continue to treat it as a native app, with an app icon in the Start Menu,
notification support, and more, according to the source. The Snapchat PWA is available for free download from the Microsoft Store.
The social networking site introduced numerous new features in October, including “Custom Story Expiration,” which allows premium customers to choose when their posts expire.
Furthermore, Snapchats+ (Snapchat Plus) users can set Snaps on their stories to expire after one hour or up to one week with the new functionality.
Lahore, provincial capital, ranked among the world most polluted city.
According to information collected by IQAir, Lahore, Pakistan, was the most pollutedcities in the world with an AQI of 245, followed by India, Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina.
Other top polluted cities were Tashkent, Uzbekistan with an AQI of 154, Warsaw, Poland with an AQI of 153, Chengdu, China with an AQI of 175, Kolkata, India with an AQI of 171, Dhaka, Bangladesh with an AQI of 165, Mumbai, India with an AQI of 165.
They projected that the majority of the nation will have generally chilly and dry weather. Leh had Sunday’s lowest temperature of -08°C, while Lahore saw a top of 25.5°C and a minimum of 9.4°C.
No masks, no test; Covid protests echo the crowd’s demand for liberty.
Hundreds of protesters and police officers clashed in Shanghai on Sunday night, as Covid protests against China’s strict Covid restrictions erupted for the third day and spread to several cities in the aftermath of a deadly apartment fire in the country’s far west.
Since President Xi Jinping came to power a decade ago, there has never been a greater wave of public disobedience in mainland China as anger over his famous zero-Covid policy mounts almost three years into the pandemic.
The second-largest economy in the world is also being significantly impacted by the Covid measures.
Shaun Xiao said in covid protest
“I’m here because I love my country, but not my government,” I wish I could go outside without restriction, but I can’t. “Our Covid-19 policy is a game that is not based on science or reality.“
On Sunday, protesters also took to the streets in Wuhan and Chengdu. Small gatherings held peaceful vigils in Beijing, while students on university campuses across China demonstrated over the weekend.
A fire at a residential high-rise building in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, sparked protests on Thursday after videos of the incident were shared on social media, prompting accusations that lockdowns were a factor in the blaze, which killed ten people.
In the early hours of Saturday, Urumqi officials abruptly held a news conference to deny that Covid measures had hampered escape and rescue efforts.
Many of Urumqi’s four million residents have been subjected to some of the country’s longest lockdowns, with residents prohibited from leaving their homes for up to 100 days.
On Sunday, police maintained a strong presence on Wulumuqi Road in Shanghai, which is named after Urumqi, where a candlelight vigil the day before turned into protests.
“We just want our most fundamental human rights for us.” Before we may leave, we must pass a test. The Xinjiang accident pushed people too far,” said a 26-year-old protester in Shanghai who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation.
The police are arbitrarily detaining the residents even though they are not violent. They attempted to seize me, but those nearby caught hold of my arms and dragged me back, letting me escape.
Hundreds of people had gathered in the area by Sunday evening. Some tussled with police officers who were attempting to disperse them. People protested by holding up blank sheets of paper.
According to Reuters, police escorted people onto a bus, which was later driven away through the crowd with a few dozen people on board.
On Saturday, a vigil for the apartment fire victims in Shanghai turned into a protest against Covid curbs, with the crowd chanting for lockdowns to be lifted.
According to witnesses and videos posted on social media, one large group chanted in the early hours of Sunday, “Down with the Chinese Communist Party, down with Xi Jinping,” constituted a rare instance of a public protest against the government.
Urumqi, Beijing, and Wuhan
According to unverified social media videos, after Thursday’s fire in Urumqi, crowds took to the streets on Friday evening, chanting “End the lockdown!”
According to social media videos, a large crowd gathered on Sunday in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu, where they also held up blank sheets of paper and chanted:
“We don’t want lifelong rulers. We don’t want emperors, said Xi, who has repealed presidential term limits, adding that “we don’t want lifelong rulers.”
Videos on social media showed hundreds of residents taking to the streets in Wuhan, China’s central city, where the pandemic began three years ago, smashing through metal barricades, overturning Covid demanding an end to lockdowns while testing tents.
Other cities that have seen public outrage include Lanzhou in the northwest, where residents overturned Covid staff tents and smashed testing booths on Saturday, according to social media posts. Protesters claimed they were placed under lockdown although no one tested positive.
The videos were unable to be independently verified.
According to images and videos posted on social media, dozens of people held a peaceful protest against Covid restrictions on Sunday at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University, during which they sang the national anthem.
‘We don’t want to wear masks. ‘We want liberty.’
Late on Sunday, two seemingly unplanned protests erupted in Beijing’s Chaoyang district.
At one, at least a hundred people held blank sheets of white paper aloft. At another, crowds chanted, “We don’t want masks, we want freedom.” We don’t want Covid tests; we want to be free.”
Even though much of the rest of the world has relaxed restrictions, China has maintained Xi’s zero-Covid policy.
While the number of cases in China is low by global standards, it has been at a record high for days, with nearly 40,000 new infections on Saturday, causing additional lockdowns in cities across the nation.
Beijing has defended the policy as life-saving and necessary to keep the healthcare system from becoming overburdened. Officials have vowed to keep it up.
Omicron variant
Since the city of Shanghai’s 25 million residents were placed under a two-month lockdown earlier this year, Chinese authorities have attempted to be more targeted in their Covid curbs, an effort that has been hampered by an increase in infections as the country faces its first winter with the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Strange Covid Protests
Widespread public Covid protest is uncommon in China, where dissent has been largely suppressed under Xi, forcing citizens to vent their rage on social media, where they play cat-and-mouse with censors. Frustration is high just over a month after Xi was elected to a third term as leader of China’s Communist Party.
According to Dan Mattingly
There is a fair probability that one response will be repression, and some protestors may be detained and charged. “This will put the party under intense pressure to respond,” he added.
Still, he claims, the unrest is nothing compared to what occurred in 1989, when protests culminated in a bloody crackdown in Tiananmen Square.
He went on to say that as long as Xi had China’s elite and military on his side, his hold on power would be secure.
Over the weekend, Ma Xingrui encouraged the area to step up security and curb the “illegal violent rejection of Covid-prevention measures.”
Karachi: Pakistan Railways gets 46 high-speed carriages from China.
Pakistan and China CRRC Tangshan Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company signed a deal in November 2021 to supply Pakistan Railways with 230 high-speed coaches as part of a strategy to modernize and improve long-distance passenger services in the nation.
According to a public relations representative, passenger train coaches will include 80 coaches for the economy and air-conditioned class, 30 parlor coaches, and 20 coaches for luggage and brake.
PR Stated: 200 freight coaches will be imported, while 620 such bogies will be built at the facility. The Chinese company is to manufacture 230 state-of-the-art passenger coaches under a $140 million contract (approximately Rs31 billion), of which 46 will be provided as completely built units and the remaining 184 will be manufactured in Pakistan by PR engineers and technical staff under the supervision of Chinese experts.
UAE restrict entry for tourists with single name on passport, warning.
The UAE’s immigration authorities allegedly implemented a new requirement for travelers. Passengers having a single name on their passports won’t be allowed clearance at UAE airports under the new condition.
It has been ruled that passport holders must include their father’s or husband’s name along with their first and sir names. The airlines must now offer tickets to passengers with complete names, per a directive from the UAE government.
The UAE government has amended the name requirements for admittance into the Emirates, according to a private airline called SereneAir.
According to the updated guidelines, any passport bearer with a single name either their given name or their surname would not be recognized by UAE Immigration and will be regarded as an ineligible traveler.
The updated policy will take effect on November 28, 2022.
Additionally, another private airline, air blue, stated, “Guests traveling on visit visas must have valid return tickets, following the most recent UAE NAIC notification. Visitors with return tickets from any other airline and visitors with visit visas will need clearance from NAIC in advance at the time of check-in.
“All visitors with return tickets from other airlines are requested to report for check-in 4 hours prior to departure to prevent disruption since API clearance takes time.
However, guests with an air blue return ticket on one PNR may be granted early permission. API authorization is required for any travel, the airline said.
Turkish president prais ties, expand trilateral cooperation Pakistan.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan had a joint press conference in Istanbul where they both said that they had “exchanged views on major regional and international problems on our common agenda” in addition to their bilateral collaboration.
He said that Pakistan and Turkey have numerous successful cooperative cooperation initiatives aimed at promoting peace and stability in South Asia.
He noted that the amount of commerce between the two nations has surpassed $1 billion and is still growing. We have the political will and tenacity necessary to hit our $5 billion trade volume goal.
The Turkish president also addressed the Afghan issue, stating that, “beyond our humanitarian obligation for our Afghan brothers, building peace and stability in Afghanistan is crucial in terms of mutual challenges and hazards.”
To “remove the impacts of the humanitarian situation faced by the Afghan people,” he added, they would keep cooperating.
Erdogan also emphasized Pakistan and Turkey’s friendship and collaboration, and he reaffirmed Ankara’s support for Islamabad’s anti-terrorist initiatives.
He remarked, “We have always considered Pakistan’s suffering as our suffering, its happiness as our happiness, and its success as our success.
Pakistan asks Turkey to participate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Sharif suggested expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Friday, asking Turkey to participate in the multibillion-dollar project.
“China and Pakistan are great allies, and we are witnessing and reaping the advantages of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of (Chinese) President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative” (Jinping).
“I would urge that this be a collaboration between China, Pakistan, and Turkey,” Sharif said during the news conference, describing it as a “great collaborative partnership.”
Sharif further stated that such collaboration among the three countries “would bring wealth and growth to the whole region.” “This will aid in reducing unemployment and poverty. The Pakistani prime minister added, “This would encourage education and this is how we can genuinely face the difficulties of today.
Speaking with his “Chinese pals,” Sharif declared, will make him “extremely pleased.” He continued, “I believe this would be a tremendous chance to really capitalize if we can proceed in this route.
The second-largest economy in the world can now access the warm waters of the Arabian Sea through the Gwadar Port in the southwestern Balochistan province thanks to China’s approximately $28 billion investment in various energy and infrastructure projects in the South Asian nation under the CPEC since 2014.
Sharif sent his condolences to Turkey for the deadly terrorist attack that occurred in Istanbul on November 13. In reference to the terror incident on Istiklal Avenue, which left six people dead and 81 injured, Sharif added, “Our heart goes out” to the victims.
Storm hit’s western Saudi Arabia, disrupts flights, closes schools.
The Mecca regional government issued a call for everyone to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary after two fatalities from saudi storm been reported so far.
The Mecca region contains Mecca city, the holiest place in Islam, where millions of people undertake the hajj and umrah pilgrimage sites each year, as well as Jeddah, the second-largest city in the kingdom with a population of about four million.
As soon as this happened to rain on Thursday, the two-way road that many travelers use to get to Mecca was shut down, as according official media. However, authorities said it was later reopened.
The state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya network broadcasted footage of worshippers circling the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building that serves as the center of Islam, at the Grand Mosque in Mecca as it was raining heavily outside.
Images shared via social media from Jeddah showed traffic stalled by standing water and some vehicles half immersed.
The departure of several aircraft has been delayed, according to city’s King Abdul-Aziz Airport, which asked travelers to call companies for the most recent schedules.
Before daybreak, the government Saudi Press Agency announced that city schools would be temporarily closed due to the expected persistence of the rain.
In order to “preserve the safety of male and female students,” schools in the nearby towns of Rabigh and Khulais were also closed.
