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  4.    <title>The Dawn News - Home</title>
  5.    <link>https://www.dawn.com/</link>
  6.    <description>Dawn News</description>
  7.    <language>en-Us</language>
  8.    <copyright>Copyright 2024</copyright>
  9.    <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 15:20:39 +0500</pubDate>
  10.    <lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 15:20:39 +0500</lastBuildDate>
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  13.      <title>Amid protests, Punjab Assembly passes defamation law</title>
  14.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834776/amid-protests-punjab-assembly-passes-defamation-law</link>
  15.      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;• Bill allows special tribunal to penalise those involved in drafting or disseminating ‘fake news’&lt;br /&gt;
  16. • Opposition lawmakers tear up copies of bill; press gallery sees walkout against hasty adoption of ‘black law’&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  17. &lt;p&gt;LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833765"&gt;passed&lt;/a&gt; the Defamation Bill, 2024, rejecting all amendments proposed by the opposition amid protests by the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council and journalists covering parliamentary proceedings.&lt;/p&gt;
  18. &lt;p&gt;The SIC members tore apart copies of the bill after the house passed it through a voice vote.&lt;/p&gt;
  19. &lt;p&gt;Vetted by the Special Committee-1 in the absence of standing committees, the bill was tabled by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman after the PML-N government refused to delay voting on the bill, even for a week, at the &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834206"&gt;request&lt;/a&gt; of journalists.&lt;/p&gt;
  20. &lt;p&gt;On the occasion, the press gallery members walked out of the assembly to boycott the proceedings. They rejected the bill as a “curb on free media”.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p&gt;The draft law proposes a special tribunal to try those involved in drafting, publishing and/or airing “fake news”. The tribunal shall decide the case within six months and may impose a fine of up to Rs3 million. However, in cases of allegations against individuals holding constitutional posts, the high court will hear the cases.&lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p&gt;Also, the bill says the government will provide legal assistance to women and transgender individuals in defamation cases through an official legal team.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p&gt;The government earlier did not agree to send the draft bill to a selected committee comprising opposition members to invite all stakeholders for consultation, saying it had already been discussed threadbare by the special committee.&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;p&gt;Opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar wondered why the treasury was “in a hurry to pass the bill before midnight”.&lt;/p&gt;
  25. &lt;p&gt;The SIC lawmakers waved placards and raised slogans against the bill, besides submitting 10 amendments to it.&lt;/p&gt;
  26. &lt;p&gt;PTI-backed SIC member Rana Shahbaz Ahmad claimed that opposition members of the special committee were not present during the vetting of the bill — one of three members was abroad, another in a court of law and the third was not heard by the treasury members.&lt;/p&gt;
  27. &lt;p&gt;He was of the opinion that the judge of the tribunal must be appointed by the chief justice, rather than the government, otherwise it would be damaging for society.&lt;/p&gt;
  28. &lt;p&gt;PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Ahmar Rashid Bhatti claimed that the law violated Articles 8, 202 and 203. He said the word ‘defamation’ that had been omitted from the Constitution through the fourth amendment was being reintroduced into the statutes.&lt;/p&gt;
  29. &lt;p&gt;PML-N lawmaker Rai Ahsan Raza wondered if someone outside Punjab levelled allegations against anyone, how the proposed law would be implemented.&lt;/p&gt;
  30. &lt;p&gt;On the other hand, PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Jam Amanullah feared the law would benefit SHOs and ‘shoe-shiners’ — a term used for those having close connection with the military establishment.&lt;/p&gt;
  31. &lt;p&gt;Also, PTI-backed SIC legislator, Junaid Afzal Sahi, believed the law was aimed at targeting his party, after the media had already been gagged.&lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;p&gt;In a rare precedent, Advocate-General Khalid Ishaq joined the house proceedings and while responding to the objections raised by the opposition, read out some important points of the bill.&lt;/p&gt;
  33. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;‘Black law’&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  34. &lt;p&gt;The journalists after boycotting house proceedings gathered outside the assembly building and protested against the ‘black law’.&lt;/p&gt;
  35. &lt;p&gt;Lahore Press Club president Arshad Ansari told the protesting journalists that the government engaged them in talks for more than two hours. He said the government did not agree to the suggestion of postponing its approval for one week to allow the stakeholders to have consensus on the matter.&lt;/p&gt;
  36. &lt;p&gt;He recalled that Maryam Nawaz Sharif had joined the journalists’ protest against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) when it was being amended by the PTI government.&lt;/p&gt;
  37. &lt;p&gt;“But now her party’s government in the federation and Punjab are implementing laws aimed at gagging the media,” Mr Ansari regretted.&lt;/p&gt;
  38. &lt;p&gt;Warning the government of protest and sit-in on the issue, the LPC president said a joint action committee comprising representatives of print and electronic media bodies would decide a future course of action within two days.&lt;/p&gt;
  39. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Speaker Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan prorogued the house for an indefinite period on the completion of the agenda for the day.&lt;/p&gt;
  40. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  41. </description>
  42.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p><strong>• Bill allows special tribunal to penalise those involved in drafting or disseminating ‘fake news’<br />
  43. • Opposition lawmakers tear up copies of bill; press gallery sees walkout against hasty adoption of ‘black law’</strong></p>
  44. <p>LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833765">passed</a> the Defamation Bill, 2024, rejecting all amendments proposed by the opposition amid protests by the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council and journalists covering parliamentary proceedings.</p>
  45. <p>The SIC members tore apart copies of the bill after the house passed it through a voice vote.</p>
  46. <p>Vetted by the Special Committee-1 in the absence of standing committees, the bill was tabled by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman after the PML-N government refused to delay voting on the bill, even for a week, at the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834206">request</a> of journalists.</p>
  47. <p>On the occasion, the press gallery members walked out of the assembly to boycott the proceedings. They rejected the bill as a “curb on free media”.</p>
  48. <p>The draft law proposes a special tribunal to try those involved in drafting, publishing and/or airing “fake news”. The tribunal shall decide the case within six months and may impose a fine of up to Rs3 million. However, in cases of allegations against individuals holding constitutional posts, the high court will hear the cases.</p>
  49. <p>Also, the bill says the government will provide legal assistance to women and transgender individuals in defamation cases through an official legal team.</p>
  50. <p>The government earlier did not agree to send the draft bill to a selected committee comprising opposition members to invite all stakeholders for consultation, saying it had already been discussed threadbare by the special committee.</p>
  51. <p>Opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar wondered why the treasury was “in a hurry to pass the bill before midnight”.</p>
  52. <p>The SIC lawmakers waved placards and raised slogans against the bill, besides submitting 10 amendments to it.</p>
  53. <p>PTI-backed SIC member Rana Shahbaz Ahmad claimed that opposition members of the special committee were not present during the vetting of the bill — one of three members was abroad, another in a court of law and the third was not heard by the treasury members.</p>
  54. <p>He was of the opinion that the judge of the tribunal must be appointed by the chief justice, rather than the government, otherwise it would be damaging for society.</p>
  55. <p>PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Ahmar Rashid Bhatti claimed that the law violated Articles 8, 202 and 203. He said the word ‘defamation’ that had been omitted from the Constitution through the fourth amendment was being reintroduced into the statutes.</p>
  56. <p>PML-N lawmaker Rai Ahsan Raza wondered if someone outside Punjab levelled allegations against anyone, how the proposed law would be implemented.</p>
  57. <p>On the other hand, PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Jam Amanullah feared the law would benefit SHOs and ‘shoe-shiners’ — a term used for those having close connection with the military establishment.</p>
  58. <p>Also, PTI-backed SIC legislator, Junaid Afzal Sahi, believed the law was aimed at targeting his party, after the media had already been gagged.</p>
  59. <p>In a rare precedent, Advocate-General Khalid Ishaq joined the house proceedings and while responding to the objections raised by the opposition, read out some important points of the bill.</p>
  60. <p><strong>‘Black law’</strong></p>
  61. <p>The journalists after boycotting house proceedings gathered outside the assembly building and protested against the ‘black law’.</p>
  62. <p>Lahore Press Club president Arshad Ansari told the protesting journalists that the government engaged them in talks for more than two hours. He said the government did not agree to the suggestion of postponing its approval for one week to allow the stakeholders to have consensus on the matter.</p>
  63. <p>He recalled that Maryam Nawaz Sharif had joined the journalists’ protest against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) when it was being amended by the PTI government.</p>
  64. <p>“But now her party’s government in the federation and Punjab are implementing laws aimed at gagging the media,” Mr Ansari regretted.</p>
  65. <p>Warning the government of protest and sit-in on the issue, the LPC president said a joint action committee comprising representatives of print and electronic media bodies would decide a future course of action within two days.</p>
  66. <p>Meanwhile, Speaker Malik Mohammad Ahmed Khan prorogued the house for an indefinite period on the completion of the agenda for the day.</p>
  67. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  68. ]]></content:encoded>
  69.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  70.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834776</guid>
  71.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 07:52:09 +0500</pubDate>
  72.      <author>none@none.com (Amjad Mahmood)</author>
  73.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/2107515988df287.png?r=075209" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  74.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/2107515988df287.png?r=075209"/>
  75.        <media:title>This image shows the treasury and opposition benches chanting slogans in the Punjab Assembly on Friday. — DawnNewsTV
  76. </media:title>
  77.      </media:content>
  78.    </item>
  79.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  80.      <title>Imran, others acquitted in ‘Azadi March’ violence cases
  81. </title>
  82.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834778/imran-others-acquitted-in-azadi-march-violence-cases</link>
  83.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: A local court on Monday acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and other Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders in the cases nearly two years after they were registered for alleged violence, riots, obstructing public service and mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage during the &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1691441"&gt;May 25 Azadi March&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  84. &lt;p&gt;Besides the ex-premier, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Qasim Suri, Zartaj Gul, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Shireen Mazari, Saifullah Niazi, Asad Umar and Awami Muslim League chairman Sheikh Rashid were acquitted.&lt;/p&gt;
  85. &lt;p&gt;Judicial magistrates Mureed Abbas and Shahzad Khan pronounced the verdicts, which had been reserved after arguments, in the cases registered at Karachi Company and Kohsar police stations in 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
  86. &lt;p&gt;The Karachi Company police had booked Imran Khan, Mr Qureshi, Ms Mazari, Mr Niazi, Mr Umar, Ms Gul, Mr Awan and Mr Javed under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code.&lt;/p&gt;
  87. &lt;p&gt;An identical FIR was registered at the Kohsar police station against Mr Khan, Mr Qureshi, Mr Rashid, Mr Awan and Mr Suri on the complaint of Sub-Inspector (SI) Asif Raza on May 26, at 1.50am.&lt;/p&gt;
  88. &lt;p&gt;During the proceedings before judicial magistrate Abbas, the counsel for the PTI, Naeem Panjotha, argued that the case could not proceed as the FIR had been filed by an “unauthorised person” as the authority to lodge the case rested only with the one who had imposed Section 144. Besides, the lawyer argued that no video evidence could be presented against the ex-premier in the case.&lt;/p&gt;
  89. &lt;p&gt;The defence counsel requested the court to acquit the PTI founder since the allegations made against him were baseless. He also informed the court that the cases instituted against Imran Khan were all politically motivated.&lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;p&gt;He insisted that the PTI protest was peaceful, claiming that trees were not torched by any protester. He was of the opinion that the trees had caught fire due to police shelling. He requested the court to honorably acquit the PTI founding chairman and other accused.&lt;/p&gt;
  91. &lt;p&gt;Imran Khan’s march for “Haqeeqi Azadi” (real freedom) on May 25, 2022 was preceded by the authorities invoking Section 144, a measure used to curb gatherings. Shipping containers were placed on major thoroughfares to block their path.&lt;/p&gt;
  92. &lt;p&gt;Undeterred by the moves, the marchers, who tried to force through the containers to make their way to Islamabad, were met with tear gas as police tried to disperse them. Police also charged at them with batons.&lt;/p&gt;
  93. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  94. </description>
  95.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: A local court on Monday acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and other Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders in the cases nearly two years after they were registered for alleged violence, riots, obstructing public service and mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage during the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1691441">May 25 Azadi March</a>.</p>
  96. <p>Besides the ex-premier, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Qasim Suri, Zartaj Gul, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Shireen Mazari, Saifullah Niazi, Asad Umar and Awami Muslim League chairman Sheikh Rashid were acquitted.</p>
  97. <p>Judicial magistrates Mureed Abbas and Shahzad Khan pronounced the verdicts, which had been reserved after arguments, in the cases registered at Karachi Company and Kohsar police stations in 2022.</p>
  98. <p>The Karachi Company police had booked Imran Khan, Mr Qureshi, Ms Mazari, Mr Niazi, Mr Umar, Ms Gul, Mr Awan and Mr Javed under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code.</p>
  99. <p>An identical FIR was registered at the Kohsar police station against Mr Khan, Mr Qureshi, Mr Rashid, Mr Awan and Mr Suri on the complaint of Sub-Inspector (SI) Asif Raza on May 26, at 1.50am.</p>
  100. <p>During the proceedings before judicial magistrate Abbas, the counsel for the PTI, Naeem Panjotha, argued that the case could not proceed as the FIR had been filed by an “unauthorised person” as the authority to lodge the case rested only with the one who had imposed Section 144. Besides, the lawyer argued that no video evidence could be presented against the ex-premier in the case.</p>
  101. <p>The defence counsel requested the court to acquit the PTI founder since the allegations made against him were baseless. He also informed the court that the cases instituted against Imran Khan were all politically motivated.</p>
  102. <p>He insisted that the PTI protest was peaceful, claiming that trees were not torched by any protester. He was of the opinion that the trees had caught fire due to police shelling. He requested the court to honorably acquit the PTI founding chairman and other accused.</p>
  103. <p>Imran Khan’s march for “Haqeeqi Azadi” (real freedom) on May 25, 2022 was preceded by the authorities invoking Section 144, a measure used to curb gatherings. Shipping containers were placed on major thoroughfares to block their path.</p>
  104. <p>Undeterred by the moves, the marchers, who tried to force through the containers to make their way to Islamabad, were met with tear gas as police tried to disperse them. Police also charged at them with batons.</p>
  105. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  106. ]]></content:encoded>
  107.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  108.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834778</guid>
  109.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 08:01:31 +0500</pubDate>
  110.      <author>none@none.com (The Newspaper's Staff Reporter)</author>
  111.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21080125cb20396.jpg?r=080132" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="174" width="290">
  112.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21080125cb20396.jpg?r=080132"/>
  113.        <media:title/>
  114.      </media:content>
  115.    </item>
  116.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  117.      <title>Funerary procession to be held for late Iran president Raisi in Tabriz</title>
  118.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834821/funerary-procession-to-be-held-for-late-iran-president-raisi-in-tabriz</link>
  119.      <description>&lt;p&gt;Iranians gathered on Tuesday to mourn at the funerary procession of president Ebrahim Raisi in the northwestern city of Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province where he died unexpectedly in a &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834463"&gt;helicopter crash&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;p&gt;The helicopter lost communication while it was on its way back to Tabriz after Raisi attended a joint inauguration of a dam with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on their common border.&lt;/p&gt;
  121. &lt;p&gt;A massive search and rescue operation started Sunday afternoon when two other helicopters in Raisi’s convoy lost contact with his aircraft amid harsh weather conditions in the mountainous region.&lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;p&gt;State TV early Monday broke the news of his &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834599"&gt;death&lt;/a&gt;, saying “the servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom”, showing pictures of him as a voice recited the Koran.&lt;/p&gt;
  123. &lt;p&gt;Killed alongside the Iranian president were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, members of the provincial authorities of East Azerbaijan and his security team.&lt;/p&gt;
  124. &lt;p&gt;Iran’s military chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri on Monday ordered a probe into the cause of the crash.&lt;/p&gt;
  125. &lt;p&gt;Following the confirmation of Raisi’s death, international condolences poured in while people in cities gathered to mourn the late president and his companions.&lt;/p&gt;
  126. &lt;p&gt;Thousands of mourners holding portraits of Raisi gathered Monday at central Valiasr Square in the capital Tehran.&lt;/p&gt;
  127. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  '&gt;
  128.        &lt;div class='media__item  '&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/211209316d7ed38.jpg?r=120942'  alt='People gather at Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 20, 2024, to mourn the death of Iran&amp;rsquo;s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash. &amp;mdash; AFP' /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  129.        &lt;figcaption class='media__caption  '&gt;People gather at Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 20, 2024, to mourn the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash. — AFP&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  130.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  131. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="national-mourning" href="#national-mourning" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;National mourning&lt;/h2&gt;
  132. &lt;p&gt;Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834631/who-is-mohammad-mokhber-the-man-set-to-become-irans-interim-president"&gt;Mohammad Mokhber&lt;/a&gt;, 68, to assume interim duties ahead of elections.&lt;/p&gt;
  133. &lt;p&gt;State media later announced the presidential election would be held on June 28.&lt;/p&gt;
  134. &lt;p&gt;Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who served as deputy to Amir-Abdollahian, was tapped to serve as the acting foreign minister.&lt;/p&gt;
  135. &lt;p&gt;After leaving Tabriz, Raisi’s body will arrive in Iran’s Shia clerical centre of Qom on Tuesday before being moved to Tehran.&lt;/p&gt;
  136. &lt;p&gt;Khamenei is due to hold prayers at a farewell ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday night, ahead of major processions due to begin on Wednesday morning.&lt;/p&gt;
  137. &lt;p&gt;Raisi will then be taken to Southern Khorasan province on Thursday morning and later to his hometown of Mashhad, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funerary rites.&lt;/p&gt;
  138. &lt;p&gt;Raisi, 63, had been in office since 2021, a time during which Iran was rocked by mass protests, an economic crisis deepened by US sanctions, and armed &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1827520"&gt;exchanges&lt;/a&gt; with arch-enemy Israel.&lt;/p&gt;
  139. &lt;p&gt;Raisi succeeded the moderate Hassan Rouhani, at a time when the economy was battered by &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1673460"&gt;US sanctions&lt;/a&gt; over Iran’s contested nuclear programme.&lt;/p&gt;
  140. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834643/esteemed-statesmen-world-mourns-loss-of-iran-president-fm-in-tragic-air-crash"&gt;Condolences&lt;/a&gt; flooded in from Palestinian militant group Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Syria, all members of the so-called “axis of resistance” against Israel and its allies, at a time of high Middle East tensions over the Gaza onslaught.&lt;/p&gt;
  141. &lt;p&gt;The offensive in the Palestinian territory sent tensions soaring and a series of escalations led to Tehran &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1827324"&gt;launching&lt;/a&gt; hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in April.&lt;/p&gt;
  142. &lt;p&gt;It came in response to an earlier &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1825192/israel-flattens-iranian-embassy-in-damascus"&gt;air strike&lt;/a&gt; widely blamed on Israel that levelled Tehran’s Damascus consulate and killed two Revolutionary Guards generals.&lt;/p&gt;
  143. &lt;p&gt;In a speech hours before his death, Raisi emphasised Iran’s support for the Palestinians, a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.&lt;/p&gt;
  144. &lt;p&gt;Palestinian flags were raised along with the Iranian flags in ceremonies for Raisi across the Islamic republic on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
  145. </description>
  146.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>Iranians gathered on Tuesday to mourn at the funerary procession of president Ebrahim Raisi in the northwestern city of Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province where he died unexpectedly in a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834463">helicopter crash</a>.</p>
  147. <p>The helicopter lost communication while it was on its way back to Tabriz after Raisi attended a joint inauguration of a dam with his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on their common border.</p>
  148. <p>A massive search and rescue operation started Sunday afternoon when two other helicopters in Raisi’s convoy lost contact with his aircraft amid harsh weather conditions in the mountainous region.</p>
  149. <p>State TV early Monday broke the news of his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834599">death</a>, saying “the servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom”, showing pictures of him as a voice recited the Koran.</p>
  150. <p>Killed alongside the Iranian president were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, members of the provincial authorities of East Azerbaijan and his security team.</p>
  151. <p>Iran’s military chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri on Monday ordered a probe into the cause of the crash.</p>
  152. <p>Following the confirmation of Raisi’s death, international condolences poured in while people in cities gathered to mourn the late president and his companions.</p>
  153. <p>Thousands of mourners holding portraits of Raisi gathered Monday at central Valiasr Square in the capital Tehran.</p>
  154. <p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  '>
  155.        <div class='media__item  '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/211209316d7ed38.jpg?r=120942'  alt='People gather at Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 20, 2024, to mourn the death of Iran&rsquo;s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash. &mdash; AFP' /></picture></div>
  156.        <figcaption class='media__caption  '>People gather at Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 20, 2024, to mourn the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash. — AFP</figcaption>
  157.    </figure></p>
  158. <h2><a id="national-mourning" href="#national-mourning" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>National mourning</h2>
  159. <p>Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834631/who-is-mohammad-mokhber-the-man-set-to-become-irans-interim-president">Mohammad Mokhber</a>, 68, to assume interim duties ahead of elections.</p>
  160. <p>State media later announced the presidential election would be held on June 28.</p>
  161. <p>Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who served as deputy to Amir-Abdollahian, was tapped to serve as the acting foreign minister.</p>
  162. <p>After leaving Tabriz, Raisi’s body will arrive in Iran’s Shia clerical centre of Qom on Tuesday before being moved to Tehran.</p>
  163. <p>Khamenei is due to hold prayers at a farewell ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday night, ahead of major processions due to begin on Wednesday morning.</p>
  164. <p>Raisi will then be taken to Southern Khorasan province on Thursday morning and later to his hometown of Mashhad, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funerary rites.</p>
  165. <p>Raisi, 63, had been in office since 2021, a time during which Iran was rocked by mass protests, an economic crisis deepened by US sanctions, and armed <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1827520">exchanges</a> with arch-enemy Israel.</p>
  166. <p>Raisi succeeded the moderate Hassan Rouhani, at a time when the economy was battered by <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1673460">US sanctions</a> over Iran’s contested nuclear programme.</p>
  167. <p><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834643/esteemed-statesmen-world-mourns-loss-of-iran-president-fm-in-tragic-air-crash">Condolences</a> flooded in from Palestinian militant group Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Syria, all members of the so-called “axis of resistance” against Israel and its allies, at a time of high Middle East tensions over the Gaza onslaught.</p>
  168. <p>The offensive in the Palestinian territory sent tensions soaring and a series of escalations led to Tehran <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1827324">launching</a> hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in April.</p>
  169. <p>It came in response to an earlier <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1825192/israel-flattens-iranian-embassy-in-damascus">air strike</a> widely blamed on Israel that levelled Tehran’s Damascus consulate and killed two Revolutionary Guards generals.</p>
  170. <p>In a speech hours before his death, Raisi emphasised Iran’s support for the Palestinians, a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.</p>
  171. <p>Palestinian flags were raised along with the Iranian flags in ceremonies for Raisi across the Islamic republic on Monday.</p>
  172. ]]></content:encoded>
  173.      <category>World</category>
  174.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834821</guid>
  175.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 12:59:03 +0500</pubDate>
  176.      <author>none@none.com (AFP)</author>
  177.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21123758da23e6b.jpg?r=123932" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  178.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21123758da23e6b.jpg?r=123932"/>
  179.        <media:title>This grab taken from handout video footage released by Iran Press on May 21, 2024 shows people gathering to mourn the Iranian President and seven members of his entourage during a funerary procession in the northwestern city of Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province. — AFP
  180. </media:title>
  181.      </media:content>
  182.    </item>
  183.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  184.      <title>India shuts schools as temperatures soar</title>
  185.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834824/india-shuts-schools-as-temperatures-soar</link>
  186.      <description>&lt;p&gt;Indian authorities in the capital have ordered schools shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures hit 47.4 degrees Celsius with Delhi gripped by a “severe heatwave”.&lt;/p&gt;
  187. &lt;p&gt;Delhi city officials asked schools to shut with “immediate effect” due to the blistering heat, according to a government order quoted by the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/weather-updates-may-21-47-4-degrees-in-delhi-imds-heatwave-alerts-for-these-states-kerala-to-receive-heavy-rain-101716249444627.html"&gt;Hindustan Times&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; on Tuesday, cutting short the term by a few days.&lt;/p&gt;
  188. &lt;p&gt;India’s weather bureau has warned of “severe heatwave conditions” this week, with the mercury reaching the sizzling peak of 47.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi’s Najafgarh suburb on Monday, the hottest temperature countrywide.&lt;/p&gt;
  189. &lt;p&gt;Authorities in other states — including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan — have also ordered schools close, &lt;em&gt;India Today&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/heatwave-weather-forecast-delhi-noida-mp-rajasthan-haryana-temperature-humidity-tamil-nadu-rain-2541777-2024-05-21"&gt;reported&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  190. &lt;p&gt;India is no stranger to searing summer temperatures.&lt;/p&gt;
  191. &lt;p&gt;But years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.&lt;/p&gt;
  192. &lt;p&gt;The Indian Meteorological Department warned of the impact of the heat on the health especially for infants, the elderly and those with chronic diseases.&lt;/p&gt;
  193. &lt;p&gt;In May 2022, parts of Delhi hit 49.2 degrees Celsius, Indian media reported at the time.&lt;/p&gt;
  194. &lt;p&gt;The next round of voting in India’s six-week-long &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834646"&gt;election&lt;/a&gt; takes place on Saturday, including in Delhi.&lt;/p&gt;
  195. &lt;p&gt;Turnout in voting has dipped, with analysts suggesting the hotter-than-average &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1829745"&gt;weather&lt;/a&gt; is a factor — as well as the widespread expectation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will easily win a third term.&lt;/p&gt;
  196. &lt;p&gt;India’s election commission has formed a task force to review the impact of heatwaves and humidity before each round of voting.&lt;/p&gt;
  197. &lt;p&gt;At the same time, India’s southern states including Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been lashed by heavy rains over the past few days.&lt;/p&gt;
  198. &lt;p&gt;Severe storms also hit parts of the country last week, including in the financial capital Mumbai, where strong winds flattened a giant billboard that killed 16 people and left dozens more trapped.&lt;/p&gt;
  199. </description>
  200.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>Indian authorities in the capital have ordered schools shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures hit 47.4 degrees Celsius with Delhi gripped by a “severe heatwave”.</p>
  201. <p>Delhi city officials asked schools to shut with “immediate effect” due to the blistering heat, according to a government order quoted by the <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/weather-updates-may-21-47-4-degrees-in-delhi-imds-heatwave-alerts-for-these-states-kerala-to-receive-heavy-rain-101716249444627.html">Hindustan Times</a></em> on Tuesday, cutting short the term by a few days.</p>
  202. <p>India’s weather bureau has warned of “severe heatwave conditions” this week, with the mercury reaching the sizzling peak of 47.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi’s Najafgarh suburb on Monday, the hottest temperature countrywide.</p>
  203. <p>Authorities in other states — including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan — have also ordered schools close, <em>India Today</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/heatwave-weather-forecast-delhi-noida-mp-rajasthan-haryana-temperature-humidity-tamil-nadu-rain-2541777-2024-05-21">reported</a>.</p>
  204. <p>India is no stranger to searing summer temperatures.</p>
  205. <p>But years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.</p>
  206. <p>The Indian Meteorological Department warned of the impact of the heat on the health especially for infants, the elderly and those with chronic diseases.</p>
  207. <p>In May 2022, parts of Delhi hit 49.2 degrees Celsius, Indian media reported at the time.</p>
  208. <p>The next round of voting in India’s six-week-long <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834646">election</a> takes place on Saturday, including in Delhi.</p>
  209. <p>Turnout in voting has dipped, with analysts suggesting the hotter-than-average <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1829745">weather</a> is a factor — as well as the widespread expectation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will easily win a third term.</p>
  210. <p>India’s election commission has formed a task force to review the impact of heatwaves and humidity before each round of voting.</p>
  211. <p>At the same time, India’s southern states including Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been lashed by heavy rains over the past few days.</p>
  212. <p>Severe storms also hit parts of the country last week, including in the financial capital Mumbai, where strong winds flattened a giant billboard that killed 16 people and left dozens more trapped.</p>
  213. ]]></content:encoded>
  214.      <category>World</category>
  215.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834824</guid>
  216.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 14:28:30 +0500</pubDate>
  217.      <author>none@none.com ()</author>
  218.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21130634b16b108.jpg?r=130706" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  219.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21130634b16b108.jpg?r=130706"/>
  220.        <media:title>A man ties a newly purchased air cooler on his motorcycle, near a roadside market on a hot summer afternoon in New Delhi on May 20, 2024, amid the ongoing heatwave. — AFP
  221. </media:title>
  222.      </media:content>
  223.    </item>
  224.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  225.      <title>RSS steps in as Modi’s BJP faces resistance, fatigue in election
  226. </title>
  227.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834772/rss-steps-in-as-modis-bjp-faces-resistance-fatigue-in-election</link>
  228.      <description>&lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch    media--uneven  media--stretch'&gt;
  229.        &lt;div class='media__item  '&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/664bff7286da7.jpg'  alt=' A HINDU holy man arrives to vote at a polling station in Ayodhya, on Monday.&amp;mdash;AFP ' /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  230.        &lt;figcaption class='media__caption  '&gt;A HINDU holy man arrives to vote at a polling station in Ayodhya, on Monday.—AFP&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  231.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  232. &lt;p&gt;NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces voter fatigue and some resistance from a resurgent opposition in India’s mammoth general election, foot soldiers of his party’s Hindu nationalist parent have stepped in to help regain momentum, insiders said.&lt;/p&gt;
  233. &lt;p&gt;With less than two weeks left of a &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1827980"&gt;six-week voting&lt;/a&gt; schedule, voter turnout has been lower than previous elections, raising concern within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that some of its core supporters were staying away.&lt;/p&gt;
  234. &lt;p&gt;Modi’s party, chasing a rare &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1828390"&gt;third term&lt;/a&gt; in office, has also faced stronger opposition than anticipated in a handful of states, leading election experts and Indian financial markets to adjust forecasts of a landslide win.&lt;/p&gt;
  235. &lt;p&gt;With no exit polls allowed until all the voting is completed on June 1, it’s difficult to judge how well or poorly candidates are faring. But most analysts say Modi should be able to retain a majority in the 543-seat parliament when votes are counted on June 4.&lt;/p&gt;
  236. &lt;blockquote class="blockquote-level-1"&gt;
  237. &lt;p&gt;Bread and butter issues ‘replacing religious fervour’ in many parts of India&lt;/p&gt;
  238. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  239. &lt;p&gt;“The trend is suggesting that Modi will be back in power with a reduced majority,” said Rasheed Kidwai, a visiting fellow at the Observer Research Foundation think tank. But he added: “Any shortfall of a clear mandate of 300 seats for BJP will reflect poorly on Modi.”&lt;/p&gt;
  240. &lt;p&gt;At the start of the campaign, Modi was projected to win up to three-fourths of the seats, with the opposition led by &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834646"&gt;Rahul Gandhi&lt;/a&gt;, the scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, a distant second.&lt;/p&gt;
  241. &lt;p&gt;After the first two phases of voting, though, analysts and political workers said the chances of the BJP getting above 362 seats, the two-thirds majority required to bring changes in the constitution, had been affected.&lt;/p&gt;
  242. &lt;p&gt;One reason the opposition is clawing back ground is the fading of the euphoria in India’s Hindu majority when Modi inaugurated a &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1807249"&gt;temple&lt;/a&gt; in January on a site disputed with the country’s minority Muslims.&lt;/p&gt;
  243. &lt;p&gt;Bread and butter issues seem to be replacing religious fervour in many parts of the country. Jobless youth in northern Haryana state have held street protests against the BJP during the campaign and in western Maharashtra, farmers incensed over a ban on onion exports canvassed support for an opposition candidate.&lt;/p&gt;
  244. &lt;p&gt;In the big, battleground state of Bihar, a BJP lawmaker has defected to the opposition Congress party saying the poor have been left behind in India’s world-beating economic growth. Some of the unhappiness is resulting in a swing to the opposition or in apathy, analysts have said.&lt;/p&gt;
  245. &lt;p&gt;“The decline in voting has been a cause of concern in recent weeks and we have been working to bring a shift in the numbers,” said Rajiv Tuli, an official at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu group that is the ideological parent of the BJP.&lt;/p&gt;
  246. &lt;p&gt;“Meetings, outreach campaigns and even a renewed push to remind voters about ensuring a full-majority government comes to power did become critical after the first phase of voting.”&lt;/p&gt;
  247. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Go out and vote&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;p&gt;RSS volunteers are hosting neighbourhood meetings in their homes to persuade people to go out and vote, said Ritesh Agarwal, the senior publicity official for the group in the New Delhi region.&lt;/p&gt;
  249. &lt;p&gt;Three national spokespersons of the BJP said they were aware that the RSS was working to help improve voter turnout but declined comment on how this would affect the BJP.&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;p&gt;“I don’t think there is any sense that BJP is in a weak position,” said spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, adding that a low turnout affected all parties and that voter numbers had increased after the first two phases.&lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  252. </description>
  253.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch    media--uneven  media--stretch'>
  254.        <div class='media__item  '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/664bff7286da7.jpg'  alt=' A HINDU holy man arrives to vote at a polling station in Ayodhya, on Monday.&mdash;AFP ' /></picture></div>
  255.        <figcaption class='media__caption  '>A HINDU holy man arrives to vote at a polling station in Ayodhya, on Monday.—AFP</figcaption>
  256.    </figure></p>
  257. <p>NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces voter fatigue and some resistance from a resurgent opposition in India’s mammoth general election, foot soldiers of his party’s Hindu nationalist parent have stepped in to help regain momentum, insiders said.</p>
  258. <p>With less than two weeks left of a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1827980">six-week voting</a> schedule, voter turnout has been lower than previous elections, raising concern within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that some of its core supporters were staying away.</p>
  259. <p>Modi’s party, chasing a rare <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1828390">third term</a> in office, has also faced stronger opposition than anticipated in a handful of states, leading election experts and Indian financial markets to adjust forecasts of a landslide win.</p>
  260. <p>With no exit polls allowed until all the voting is completed on June 1, it’s difficult to judge how well or poorly candidates are faring. But most analysts say Modi should be able to retain a majority in the 543-seat parliament when votes are counted on June 4.</p>
  261. <blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">
  262. <p>Bread and butter issues ‘replacing religious fervour’ in many parts of India</p>
  263. </blockquote>
  264. <p>“The trend is suggesting that Modi will be back in power with a reduced majority,” said Rasheed Kidwai, a visiting fellow at the Observer Research Foundation think tank. But he added: “Any shortfall of a clear mandate of 300 seats for BJP will reflect poorly on Modi.”</p>
  265. <p>At the start of the campaign, Modi was projected to win up to three-fourths of the seats, with the opposition led by <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834646">Rahul Gandhi</a>, the scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, a distant second.</p>
  266. <p>After the first two phases of voting, though, analysts and political workers said the chances of the BJP getting above 362 seats, the two-thirds majority required to bring changes in the constitution, had been affected.</p>
  267. <p>One reason the opposition is clawing back ground is the fading of the euphoria in India’s Hindu majority when Modi inaugurated a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1807249">temple</a> in January on a site disputed with the country’s minority Muslims.</p>
  268. <p>Bread and butter issues seem to be replacing religious fervour in many parts of the country. Jobless youth in northern Haryana state have held street protests against the BJP during the campaign and in western Maharashtra, farmers incensed over a ban on onion exports canvassed support for an opposition candidate.</p>
  269. <p>In the big, battleground state of Bihar, a BJP lawmaker has defected to the opposition Congress party saying the poor have been left behind in India’s world-beating economic growth. Some of the unhappiness is resulting in a swing to the opposition or in apathy, analysts have said.</p>
  270. <p>“The decline in voting has been a cause of concern in recent weeks and we have been working to bring a shift in the numbers,” said Rajiv Tuli, an official at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu group that is the ideological parent of the BJP.</p>
  271. <p>“Meetings, outreach campaigns and even a renewed push to remind voters about ensuring a full-majority government comes to power did become critical after the first phase of voting.”</p>
  272. <p><strong>Go out and vote</strong></p>
  273. <p>RSS volunteers are hosting neighbourhood meetings in their homes to persuade people to go out and vote, said Ritesh Agarwal, the senior publicity official for the group in the New Delhi region.</p>
  274. <p>Three national spokespersons of the BJP said they were aware that the RSS was working to help improve voter turnout but declined comment on how this would affect the BJP.</p>
  275. <p>“I don’t think there is any sense that BJP is in a weak position,” said spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, adding that a low turnout affected all parties and that voter numbers had increased after the first two phases.</p>
  276. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  277. ]]></content:encoded>
  278.      <category>World</category>
  279.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834772</guid>
  280.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 08:08:05 +0500</pubDate>
  281.      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
  282.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/210807454a9e76d.png?r=080805" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  283.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/210807454a9e76d.png?r=080805"/>
  284.        <media:title/>
  285.      </media:content>
  286.    </item>
  287.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  288.      <title>Two killed, four injured in Islamabad as car runs over protesters in their sleep</title>
  289.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834715/two-killed-four-injured-in-islamabad-as-car-runs-over-protesters-in-their-sleep</link>
  290.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: Two persons were killed and four others, including a police inspector, were injured when a speeding car ran over participants of a protest sit-in on the edge of Red Zone early on Monday, police said. &lt;/p&gt;
  291.  
  292. &lt;p&gt;At the time of the incident, the participants of the ‘Save Gaza’ protest were sleeping on a portion of Jinnah Avenue between Express Chowk and the old Parade Ground, the police said. The streetlights of the area were switched off when the incident occurred.&lt;/p&gt;
  293.  
  294. &lt;p&gt;“At around 2:45am, a speeding car appeared on the road, ran over five participants and then crashed into a police barricade and hit the inspector.” &lt;/p&gt;
  295.  
  296. &lt;p&gt;The driver then sped away the car towards Ayub Chowk via Attaturk Avenue. Police deployed on special duty in connection with the protest alerted the control room.&lt;/p&gt;
  297.  
  298. &lt;p&gt;In response, a patrolling team intercepted the car and caught the driver and shifted him to the police station. &lt;/p&gt;
  299.  
  300. &lt;p&gt;A case was later registered at the Kohsar police station under section 322, 337-G, 427 and 279 of Pakistan Penal Code against the car driver, who has been arrested. &lt;/p&gt;
  301.  
  302. &lt;p&gt;The police said Mohammad Roman Sajid and an unidentified man, aged between 40 and 45 years, died on spot while Mohammad Talha Ilyas, Hamad Hassan and Faisal Hayat along with Inspector Ijaz Ahmed were injured.&lt;/p&gt;
  303.  
  304. &lt;p&gt;When contacted, a police spokesman said the cause of the accident was speeding. However, the driver is under investigation and has not been produced in court seeking his remand, he added.&lt;/p&gt;
  305.  
  306. &lt;p&gt;The protest organised by former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and attended by members of civil society has continued for about a week, he said. &lt;/p&gt;
  307.  
  308. &lt;p&gt;“The participants remain at the site round-the-clock and also sleep on the road. Over two dozen protesters were asleep when the accident happened,” the spokesman added.&lt;/p&gt;
  309.  
  310. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  311. </description>
  312.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: Two persons were killed and four others, including a police inspector, were injured when a speeding car ran over participants of a protest sit-in on the edge of Red Zone early on Monday, police said. </p>
  313.  
  314. <p>At the time of the incident, the participants of the ‘Save Gaza’ protest were sleeping on a portion of Jinnah Avenue between Express Chowk and the old Parade Ground, the police said. The streetlights of the area were switched off when the incident occurred.</p>
  315.  
  316. <p>“At around 2:45am, a speeding car appeared on the road, ran over five participants and then crashed into a police barricade and hit the inspector.” </p>
  317.  
  318. <p>The driver then sped away the car towards Ayub Chowk via Attaturk Avenue. Police deployed on special duty in connection with the protest alerted the control room.</p>
  319.  
  320. <p>In response, a patrolling team intercepted the car and caught the driver and shifted him to the police station. </p>
  321.  
  322. <p>A case was later registered at the Kohsar police station under section 322, 337-G, 427 and 279 of Pakistan Penal Code against the car driver, who has been arrested. </p>
  323.  
  324. <p>The police said Mohammad Roman Sajid and an unidentified man, aged between 40 and 45 years, died on spot while Mohammad Talha Ilyas, Hamad Hassan and Faisal Hayat along with Inspector Ijaz Ahmed were injured.</p>
  325.  
  326. <p>When contacted, a police spokesman said the cause of the accident was speeding. However, the driver is under investigation and has not been produced in court seeking his remand, he added.</p>
  327.  
  328. <p>The protest organised by former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and attended by members of civil society has continued for about a week, he said. </p>
  329.  
  330. <p>“The participants remain at the site round-the-clock and also sleep on the road. Over two dozen protesters were asleep when the accident happened,” the spokesman added.</p>
  331.  
  332. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  333. ]]></content:encoded>
  334.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  335.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834715</guid>
  336.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 11:34:16 +0500</pubDate>
  337.      <author>none@none.com (The Newspaper's Staff Reporter)</author>
  338.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21113039c3bb824.png?r=113139" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  339.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21113039c3bb824.png?r=113139"/>
  340.        <media:title/>
  341.      </media:content>
  342.    </item>
  343.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  344.      <title>Over 500 more students repatriated from Bishkek
  345. </title>
  346.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834779/over-500-more-students-repatriated-from-bishkek</link>
  347.      <description>&lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch    media--uneven  media--stretch'&gt;
  348.        &lt;div class='media__item  '&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/664c068a9ae0d.jpg'  alt=' FEDERAL Minister Musadik Malik receives students upon their return from Kyrgyzstan at the Islamabad International Airport.&amp;mdash;AFP ' /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  349.        &lt;figcaption class='media__caption  '&gt;FEDERAL Minister Musadik Malik receives students upon their return from Kyrgyzstan at the Islamabad International Airport.—AFP&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  350.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  351. &lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: As over 500 students came back from Kyrgyzstan via special flights which landed in Lahore and Islamabad, the government assured them that it would facilitate their return to the Central Asian state once the “alarming situation” in its capital stabilises.&lt;/p&gt;
  352. &lt;p&gt;After a &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834250"&gt;mob targeted foreign students&lt;/a&gt; in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Pakistani students due to fear and panic started their departure from the country. A day earlier, the government had claimed that the situation in Bishkek was &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834565/over-300-return-as-govt-downplays-kyrgyz-unrest"&gt;under control&lt;/a&gt; and there was no need to panic.&lt;/p&gt;
  353. &lt;p&gt;As 170 students arrived in Lahore, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar received them at the Allama Iqbal Inter­national Airport and admitted that there was an “alarming situation” in Bishkek during his media talk.&lt;/p&gt;
  354. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  355.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  356.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  357.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1792449528316219645"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  358.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  359. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  360.        
  361.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  362. &lt;p&gt;He greeted the arriving students with flowers, assuring them and their families that the PML-N government would ensure the return of all the affected students and take up their education-related matters with the Kyrgyzstan government. “All possible measures will be taken to facilitate the students returning from Bishkek,” he said.&lt;/p&gt;
  363. &lt;p&gt;The minister further said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been in contact with the Pakistani ambassador in Bishkek to address their concerns. “The government is committed to ensuring the safety and education of Pakistani students. It will ensure that they return once the situation stabilises in Bishkek for completion of their degrees,” Mr Tarar said.&lt;/p&gt;
  364. &lt;p&gt;Many students on their return had expressed apprehensions that they might not be allowed to return to Bishkek to complete their degrees, fearing that their money and years of study might go to waste. They urged the government to protect their interest.&lt;/p&gt;
  365. &lt;p&gt;The Pakistani embassy in Kyrgyzstan has asked students wishing to return to &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1bM-r-m9rbrEZCXQU3kEMZzpZDpfV2_xakdyjF_CHhamSZA/viewform"&gt;share&lt;/a&gt; their contact information. In a post on X, it said that the students’ information would be verified before departure.&lt;/p&gt;
  366. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  367.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  368.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  369.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PakinKyrgyzstan/status/1792443298637877443"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  370.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  371. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  372.        
  373.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  374. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Islamabad flights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  375. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, two more &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834351/pakistani-students-flee-kyrgyzstan-after-mob-attacks"&gt;special flights&lt;/a&gt; with 323 students onboard landed at the Islamabad International Airport from Bishkek. Since Sunday, about 463 Pakistani students have arrived by three flights in Islamabad while two more, including one operated by PIA, are expected to arrive in the federal capital in the early hours of Tuesday.&lt;/p&gt;
  376. &lt;p&gt;After the first flight on Sunday, the second special plane carrying 144 students landed in Islamabad on Monday morning whereas the third flight with 179 Pakistani students onboard landed at 3:15pm.&lt;/p&gt;
  377. &lt;p&gt;A large number of relatives and parents of the students were present at the airport to receive them. At the airport, some families were happy to see their loved ones while others were seen crying out of joy. It was not confirmed how many more students would arrive via the incoming two flights.&lt;/p&gt;
  378. &lt;p&gt;On Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority also set up an immigration desk to facilitate the students.&lt;/p&gt;
  379. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  380. </description>
  381.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch    media--uneven  media--stretch'>
  382.        <div class='media__item  '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/664c068a9ae0d.jpg'  alt=' FEDERAL Minister Musadik Malik receives students upon their return from Kyrgyzstan at the Islamabad International Airport.&mdash;AFP ' /></picture></div>
  383.        <figcaption class='media__caption  '>FEDERAL Minister Musadik Malik receives students upon their return from Kyrgyzstan at the Islamabad International Airport.—AFP</figcaption>
  384.    </figure></p>
  385. <p>ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: As over 500 students came back from Kyrgyzstan via special flights which landed in Lahore and Islamabad, the government assured them that it would facilitate their return to the Central Asian state once the “alarming situation” in its capital stabilises.</p>
  386. <p>After a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834250">mob targeted foreign students</a> in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Pakistani students due to fear and panic started their departure from the country. A day earlier, the government had claimed that the situation in Bishkek was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834565/over-300-return-as-govt-downplays-kyrgyz-unrest">under control</a> and there was no need to panic.</p>
  387. <p>As 170 students arrived in Lahore, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar received them at the Allama Iqbal Inter­national Airport and admitted that there was an “alarming situation” in Bishkek during his media talk.</p>
  388. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  389.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  390.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  391.        <a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1792449528316219645"></a>
  392.    </blockquote>
  393. </span></div>
  394.        
  395.    </figure></p>
  396. <p>He greeted the arriving students with flowers, assuring them and their families that the PML-N government would ensure the return of all the affected students and take up their education-related matters with the Kyrgyzstan government. “All possible measures will be taken to facilitate the students returning from Bishkek,” he said.</p>
  397. <p>The minister further said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been in contact with the Pakistani ambassador in Bishkek to address their concerns. “The government is committed to ensuring the safety and education of Pakistani students. It will ensure that they return once the situation stabilises in Bishkek for completion of their degrees,” Mr Tarar said.</p>
  398. <p>Many students on their return had expressed apprehensions that they might not be allowed to return to Bishkek to complete their degrees, fearing that their money and years of study might go to waste. They urged the government to protect their interest.</p>
  399. <p>The Pakistani embassy in Kyrgyzstan has asked students wishing to return to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1bM-r-m9rbrEZCXQU3kEMZzpZDpfV2_xakdyjF_CHhamSZA/viewform">share</a> their contact information. In a post on X, it said that the students’ information would be verified before departure.</p>
  400. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  401.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  402.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  403.        <a href="https://twitter.com/PakinKyrgyzstan/status/1792443298637877443"></a>
  404.    </blockquote>
  405. </span></div>
  406.        
  407.    </figure></p>
  408. <p><strong>Islamabad flights</strong></p>
  409. <p>Meanwhile, two more <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834351/pakistani-students-flee-kyrgyzstan-after-mob-attacks">special flights</a> with 323 students onboard landed at the Islamabad International Airport from Bishkek. Since Sunday, about 463 Pakistani students have arrived by three flights in Islamabad while two more, including one operated by PIA, are expected to arrive in the federal capital in the early hours of Tuesday.</p>
  410. <p>After the first flight on Sunday, the second special plane carrying 144 students landed in Islamabad on Monday morning whereas the third flight with 179 Pakistani students onboard landed at 3:15pm.</p>
  411. <p>A large number of relatives and parents of the students were present at the airport to receive them. At the airport, some families were happy to see their loved ones while others were seen crying out of joy. It was not confirmed how many more students would arrive via the incoming two flights.</p>
  412. <p>On Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority also set up an immigration desk to facilitate the students.</p>
  413. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  414. ]]></content:encoded>
  415.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  416.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834779</guid>
  417.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 09:21:03 +0500</pubDate>
  418.      <author>none@none.com (Mohammad Asghar | Zulqernain Tahir)</author>
  419.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/2109205061337f3.png?r=102004" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  420.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/2109205061337f3.png?r=102004"/>
  421.        <media:title>FEDERAL Minister Musadik Malik receives students upon their return from Kyrgyzstan at the Islamabad International Airport.—AFP
  422. </media:title>
  423.      </media:content>
  424.    </item>
  425.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  426.      <title>Water ‘most dear’ as heatwave sets in from today
  427. </title>
  428.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834756/water-most-dear-as-heatwave-sets-in-from-today</link>
  429.      <description>&lt;p&gt;• Groundwater recharge dams in Sindh’s most arid areas have already run dry&lt;br /&gt;
  430. • Urban areas facing shortages due to prolonged loadshedding&lt;br /&gt;
  431. • Improved flows in Indus yet to reach Sindh&lt;/p&gt;
  432. &lt;p&gt;HYDERABAD: With temperatures already in the high 40s, the availability of water is bound to be the main issue facing some of Sindh’s most vulnerable areas once the &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833994"&gt;heatwave&lt;/a&gt; predicted to start from today (Tuesday) sets in.&lt;/p&gt;
  433. &lt;p&gt;Prolonged &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834174"&gt;loadshedding&lt;/a&gt; has already made life hell for those in urban areas, with frequent and unannounced power cuts leading to shortage of water in areas served by the Sukkur and Hyderabad power utilities.&lt;/p&gt;
  434. &lt;p&gt;“We have asked the divisional commissioners of Hyderabad and Sukkur to liaise with Hesco and Sepco in this regard to make sure that load- shedding is avoided”, Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah told &lt;em&gt;Dawn&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  435. &lt;p&gt;However, the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) blames the distribution companies and loadshedding for their inability to ensure potable water supplies for the residents of Hyderabad, which requires around 130 million gallons per day during peak summer.&lt;/p&gt;
  436. &lt;p&gt;“We are able to provide 70-75 million gallons per day, the rest is raw or settled water supplies”, a Wasa official told &lt;em&gt;Dawn&lt;/em&gt;, saying that Hesco was turning a deaf ear to their requests.&lt;/p&gt;
  437. &lt;p&gt;Barring cities like Karachi and Hyderabad, most other areas in the province perhaps don’t have large filtration plants that supply drinking water to people.&lt;/p&gt;
  438. &lt;p&gt;“Extreme weather conditions force civic bodies to press the panic button,” says Ghulam Murtaza Arain of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).&lt;/p&gt;
  439. &lt;p&gt;He told &lt;em&gt;Dawn&lt;/em&gt; that heatwave conditions increase the evapotranspiration of water, which provides a conducive environment for bacterial growth anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;
  440. &lt;p&gt;“Civic agencies end up supplying untreated water to meet the increased demand for potable water… but if we avoid chlorination and treatment, it will cause fecal contamination and cases of water-borne diseases could skyrocket,” he says.&lt;/p&gt;
  441. &lt;p&gt;PCRWR Chairman Ashraf Mohammad told &lt;em&gt;Dawn&lt;/em&gt; that during heatwaves, evaporation from surface water in dams and canals increases, compromising the total availability of water.&lt;/p&gt;
  442. &lt;p&gt;“Moisture in the soil starts depleting at a fast pace and crops require back-to-back cycles of irrigation, which become impossible”, he remarked.&lt;/p&gt;
  443. &lt;p&gt;This is likely to compromise the availability of irrigation water for the agricultural sector, and increase groundwater abstraction from wells in the arid regions of Nagarparkar in Tharparkar, Kachho in Dadu and Kohistan in Jamshoro, where re-charge dams have already been depleted.&lt;/p&gt;
  444. &lt;p&gt;Recharge dams have been built in large numbers to reinforce groundwater aquifers in especially arid areas, but even though around 52 such dams are currently functional, the water stored there has already been absorbed. In Kohistan and Kaccho, currently 7,323 acre feet of water is available in six dams, which have a cumulative capacity of 37,658 acre ft. In the Nagarparkar area, eight dams now have a storage of water that is sufficient for 20 days to 90 days.&lt;/p&gt;
  445. &lt;p&gt;“In Thar’s context, re-charge dams benefit human and livestock population alike”, says Ali Akbar, a development sector worker from Chhachhro. “Since the aquifer is not being recharged, severe heat increases salt concentration in groundwater wells, besides bringing shallow groundwater under severe stress”, he says.&lt;/p&gt;
  446. &lt;p&gt;The Indus River System Authority has recently predicted that the Indus will have adequate water flows downstream of Tarbela.&lt;/p&gt;
  447. &lt;p&gt;This means that water availability may improve for Sindh, but still a shortage of around 34pc was reported from Sindh’s three barrages until May 18.&lt;/p&gt;
  448. &lt;p&gt;Improved water flows bode well for the agriculture sector, provided better management is done. Currently, the Guddu barrage has the highest water shortage of 44pc, followed by Kotri’s 43pc on May 18 as the improved flows released downstream from Tarbela have yet to reach Sindh.&lt;/p&gt;
  449. &lt;p&gt;Former Pakistan Agricultural Research Council chairman Yusuf Zafar points out that the heat-wave might undermine the early-sown cotton crop in Sindh. PCRWR’s Mr Ashraf said the heat could affect the sugarcane crop as well.&lt;/p&gt;
  450. &lt;p&gt;Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) President Mahmood Nawaz Shah was of the view that dry spell would primarily affect vegetable production, especially that of onions.&lt;/p&gt;
  451. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  452. </description>
  453.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>• Groundwater recharge dams in Sindh’s most arid areas have already run dry<br />
  454. • Urban areas facing shortages due to prolonged loadshedding<br />
  455. • Improved flows in Indus yet to reach Sindh</p>
  456. <p>HYDERABAD: With temperatures already in the high 40s, the availability of water is bound to be the main issue facing some of Sindh’s most vulnerable areas once the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833994">heatwave</a> predicted to start from today (Tuesday) sets in.</p>
  457. <p>Prolonged <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834174">loadshedding</a> has already made life hell for those in urban areas, with frequent and unannounced power cuts leading to shortage of water in areas served by the Sukkur and Hyderabad power utilities.</p>
  458. <p>“We have asked the divisional commissioners of Hyderabad and Sukkur to liaise with Hesco and Sepco in this regard to make sure that load- shedding is avoided”, Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>
  459. <p>However, the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) blames the distribution companies and loadshedding for their inability to ensure potable water supplies for the residents of Hyderabad, which requires around 130 million gallons per day during peak summer.</p>
  460. <p>“We are able to provide 70-75 million gallons per day, the rest is raw or settled water supplies”, a Wasa official told <em>Dawn</em>, saying that Hesco was turning a deaf ear to their requests.</p>
  461. <p>Barring cities like Karachi and Hyderabad, most other areas in the province perhaps don’t have large filtration plants that supply drinking water to people.</p>
  462. <p>“Extreme weather conditions force civic bodies to press the panic button,” says Ghulam Murtaza Arain of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).</p>
  463. <p>He told <em>Dawn</em> that heatwave conditions increase the evapotranspiration of water, which provides a conducive environment for bacterial growth anywhere.</p>
  464. <p>“Civic agencies end up supplying untreated water to meet the increased demand for potable water… but if we avoid chlorination and treatment, it will cause fecal contamination and cases of water-borne diseases could skyrocket,” he says.</p>
  465. <p>PCRWR Chairman Ashraf Mohammad told <em>Dawn</em> that during heatwaves, evaporation from surface water in dams and canals increases, compromising the total availability of water.</p>
  466. <p>“Moisture in the soil starts depleting at a fast pace and crops require back-to-back cycles of irrigation, which become impossible”, he remarked.</p>
  467. <p>This is likely to compromise the availability of irrigation water for the agricultural sector, and increase groundwater abstraction from wells in the arid regions of Nagarparkar in Tharparkar, Kachho in Dadu and Kohistan in Jamshoro, where re-charge dams have already been depleted.</p>
  468. <p>Recharge dams have been built in large numbers to reinforce groundwater aquifers in especially arid areas, but even though around 52 such dams are currently functional, the water stored there has already been absorbed. In Kohistan and Kaccho, currently 7,323 acre feet of water is available in six dams, which have a cumulative capacity of 37,658 acre ft. In the Nagarparkar area, eight dams now have a storage of water that is sufficient for 20 days to 90 days.</p>
  469. <p>“In Thar’s context, re-charge dams benefit human and livestock population alike”, says Ali Akbar, a development sector worker from Chhachhro. “Since the aquifer is not being recharged, severe heat increases salt concentration in groundwater wells, besides bringing shallow groundwater under severe stress”, he says.</p>
  470. <p>The Indus River System Authority has recently predicted that the Indus will have adequate water flows downstream of Tarbela.</p>
  471. <p>This means that water availability may improve for Sindh, but still a shortage of around 34pc was reported from Sindh’s three barrages until May 18.</p>
  472. <p>Improved water flows bode well for the agriculture sector, provided better management is done. Currently, the Guddu barrage has the highest water shortage of 44pc, followed by Kotri’s 43pc on May 18 as the improved flows released downstream from Tarbela have yet to reach Sindh.</p>
  473. <p>Former Pakistan Agricultural Research Council chairman Yusuf Zafar points out that the heat-wave might undermine the early-sown cotton crop in Sindh. PCRWR’s Mr Ashraf said the heat could affect the sugarcane crop as well.</p>
  474. <p>Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) President Mahmood Nawaz Shah was of the view that dry spell would primarily affect vegetable production, especially that of onions.</p>
  475. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  476. ]]></content:encoded>
  477.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  478.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834756</guid>
  479.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 09:28:55 +0500</pubDate>
  480.      <author>none@none.com (Mohammad Hussain Khan)</author>
  481.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/664bd194a8026.gif" type="image/gif" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  482.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/664bd194a8026.gif"/>
  483.        <media:title>goats graze on the dry bed of Indus river downstream Kotri, on Monday.—Photo by Umair Ali
  484. </media:title>
  485.      </media:content>
  486.    </item>
  487.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  488.      <title>Govt seeks to extract Rs29bn more from electricity consumers for April
  489. </title>
  490.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834795/govt-seeks-to-extract-rs29bn-more-from-electricity-consumers-for-april</link>
  491.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: The government has sought the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) approval for an additional fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs3.5 per unit to extract over Rs29 billion from consumers for electricity they consumed in April.&lt;/p&gt;
  492.  
  493. &lt;p&gt;Surprisingly, this demand comes despite the fact that 75 per cent of the overall power supply during the month was generated from cheaper local fuels.&lt;/p&gt;
  494.  
  495. &lt;p&gt;The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) — a subsidiary of the Power Division — has filed a formal petition before the regulator for an increase of Rs3.4883 per kWh over the reference tariff of Rs5.492 per unit already charged to consumers in April.&lt;/p&gt;
  496.  
  497. &lt;p&gt;The proposed additional FCA is almost 64pc higher than the pre-fixed fuel cost of Rs5.49 per unit, which calls into question the power sector bureaucracy’s capabilities to forecast fuel costs even for 6-7 months.&lt;/p&gt;
  498.  
  499. &lt;p&gt;In recent months, the additional FCAs have ranged between 50 and 115pc higher than the pre-determined fuel costs notified at the start of the current fiscal year.&lt;/p&gt;
  500.  
  501. &lt;p&gt;This increase in FCA is on top of about a 26pc rise in the annual base tariff and another 10pc hike under the quarterly tariff adjustment currently in place and being charged to consumers at Rs2.75 per unit. As a result, consumers continue to pay excessive bills as consumption increases with rising temperatures. This was des­pite more than 75pc of electricity coming from local resources. Nepra has accepted the request for a public hearing on May 30.&lt;/p&gt;
  502.  
  503. &lt;p&gt;The higher proposed FCA is apparently due to the lower availa­bility of hydropower, hig­her domestic coal and gas prices, and greater utilisation of LNG prices.&lt;/p&gt;
  504.  
  505. &lt;p&gt;In a petition, the CPPA acting as commercial agent of the Discos demanded an additional FCA of Rs3.488 per unit in the billing month of June for electricity consumed in April. It claimed that the reference fuel cost for March was Rs5.49 per unit, but the actual fuel cost turned out to be Rs8.98 per unit. It said about 8,639-gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity was generated at an estimated fuel expenditure of Rs79.56bn (Rs9.21 per unit) in April, of which 8,375 GWh energy was delivered to Discos at Rs75.2bn (at Rs8.98 per unit) — lower than generation cost apparently because of some previous adjustments.&lt;/p&gt;
  506.  
  507. &lt;p&gt;The data showed consumption in April was almost 14pc lower than the same month (9,734Gwh) last year, mainly because of lower temperatures and changed consumption patterns due to economic slowdown and consumers shifting to alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;
  508.  
  509. &lt;p&gt;The Rs3.5 FCA for April is also 75pc higher than Rs2 per unit in the same month last year.&lt;/p&gt;
  510.  
  511. &lt;p&gt;Thus, LNG-based power generation provided the biggest share of about 25pc to the natio­nal grid in April, replacing the usual hydropower supply. The hydropower supply came in at second with 24pc share in April when compared to 28pc in March. Hydropower has no fuel cost.&lt;/p&gt;
  512.  
  513. &lt;p&gt;The third-biggest share in the national grid came from nuclear power, at about 24pc in April, down from 26pc in March. This was followed by an 11.2pc contribution from local gas, against 10pc in March. Then came local coal-based power, which contributed 10pc to the grid in April against its 11pc share in March.&lt;/p&gt;
  514.  
  515. &lt;p&gt;The cost of LNG-based power generation in April increased to Rs22.8 per unit, up from Rs22.2 per unit in March. The fuel cost of domestic gas-based generation slightly dropped to Rs13.25 per unit, down from Rs13.7 per unit in March.&lt;/p&gt;
  516.  
  517. &lt;p&gt;On the other hand, the cost of local coal-based generation dropped to Rs15.8 per unit in April, down from Rs16.8 per unit in March. The imported coal-based generation stood at Rs22.85 per unit, but its contribution was less than 0.3pc.&lt;/p&gt;
  518.  
  519. &lt;p&gt;Three renewable energy sources — wind, bagasse and solar — contributed 5.3pc share to the grid in April compared to 4.9pc in March. Wind and solar have no fuel cost, while the price of bagasse-based generation remained unchanged at about Rs6 per unit.&lt;/p&gt;
  520.  
  521. &lt;p&gt;After approval by Nepra, the increase in FCAs will be reflected in consumers’ bills in June.&lt;/p&gt;
  522.  
  523. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  524. </description>
  525.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: The government has sought the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) approval for an additional fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs3.5 per unit to extract over Rs29 billion from consumers for electricity they consumed in April.</p>
  526.  
  527. <p>Surprisingly, this demand comes despite the fact that 75 per cent of the overall power supply during the month was generated from cheaper local fuels.</p>
  528.  
  529. <p>The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) — a subsidiary of the Power Division — has filed a formal petition before the regulator for an increase of Rs3.4883 per kWh over the reference tariff of Rs5.492 per unit already charged to consumers in April.</p>
  530.  
  531. <p>The proposed additional FCA is almost 64pc higher than the pre-fixed fuel cost of Rs5.49 per unit, which calls into question the power sector bureaucracy’s capabilities to forecast fuel costs even for 6-7 months.</p>
  532.  
  533. <p>In recent months, the additional FCAs have ranged between 50 and 115pc higher than the pre-determined fuel costs notified at the start of the current fiscal year.</p>
  534.  
  535. <p>This increase in FCA is on top of about a 26pc rise in the annual base tariff and another 10pc hike under the quarterly tariff adjustment currently in place and being charged to consumers at Rs2.75 per unit. As a result, consumers continue to pay excessive bills as consumption increases with rising temperatures. This was des­pite more than 75pc of electricity coming from local resources. Nepra has accepted the request for a public hearing on May 30.</p>
  536.  
  537. <p>The higher proposed FCA is apparently due to the lower availa­bility of hydropower, hig­her domestic coal and gas prices, and greater utilisation of LNG prices.</p>
  538.  
  539. <p>In a petition, the CPPA acting as commercial agent of the Discos demanded an additional FCA of Rs3.488 per unit in the billing month of June for electricity consumed in April. It claimed that the reference fuel cost for March was Rs5.49 per unit, but the actual fuel cost turned out to be Rs8.98 per unit. It said about 8,639-gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity was generated at an estimated fuel expenditure of Rs79.56bn (Rs9.21 per unit) in April, of which 8,375 GWh energy was delivered to Discos at Rs75.2bn (at Rs8.98 per unit) — lower than generation cost apparently because of some previous adjustments.</p>
  540.  
  541. <p>The data showed consumption in April was almost 14pc lower than the same month (9,734Gwh) last year, mainly because of lower temperatures and changed consumption patterns due to economic slowdown and consumers shifting to alternatives.</p>
  542.  
  543. <p>The Rs3.5 FCA for April is also 75pc higher than Rs2 per unit in the same month last year.</p>
  544.  
  545. <p>Thus, LNG-based power generation provided the biggest share of about 25pc to the natio­nal grid in April, replacing the usual hydropower supply. The hydropower supply came in at second with 24pc share in April when compared to 28pc in March. Hydropower has no fuel cost.</p>
  546.  
  547. <p>The third-biggest share in the national grid came from nuclear power, at about 24pc in April, down from 26pc in March. This was followed by an 11.2pc contribution from local gas, against 10pc in March. Then came local coal-based power, which contributed 10pc to the grid in April against its 11pc share in March.</p>
  548.  
  549. <p>The cost of LNG-based power generation in April increased to Rs22.8 per unit, up from Rs22.2 per unit in March. The fuel cost of domestic gas-based generation slightly dropped to Rs13.25 per unit, down from Rs13.7 per unit in March.</p>
  550.  
  551. <p>On the other hand, the cost of local coal-based generation dropped to Rs15.8 per unit in April, down from Rs16.8 per unit in March. The imported coal-based generation stood at Rs22.85 per unit, but its contribution was less than 0.3pc.</p>
  552.  
  553. <p>Three renewable energy sources — wind, bagasse and solar — contributed 5.3pc share to the grid in April compared to 4.9pc in March. Wind and solar have no fuel cost, while the price of bagasse-based generation remained unchanged at about Rs6 per unit.</p>
  554.  
  555. <p>After approval by Nepra, the increase in FCAs will be reflected in consumers’ bills in June.</p>
  556.  
  557. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  558. ]]></content:encoded>
  559.      <category>Business</category>
  560.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834795</guid>
  561.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 07:59:04 +0500</pubDate>
  562.      <author>none@none.com (Khaleeq Kiani)</author>
  563.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21093253f9e9ee2.jpg?r=093317" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  564.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21093253f9e9ee2.jpg?r=093317"/>
  565.        <media:title>The Natio­nal Electric Power Regula­tory Authority (Nepra) has asked the prime minister to declare a national power emergency and take drastic steps for scaling down about Rs1.93 trillion circular debt which, according to the regulator, is significantly higher than reported by the power division. — Wikimedia Commons/File
  566. </media:title>
  567.      </media:content>
  568.    </item>
  569.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  570.      <title>Pakistan, Turkiye vow to hike trade to $5bn
  571. </title>
  572.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834751/pakistan-turkiye-vow-to-hike-trade-to-5bn</link>
  573.      <description>&lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch    media--uneven  media--stretch'&gt;
  574.        &lt;div class='media__item  '&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/664bd0bba5bf3.gif'  alt=' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, on Monday.&amp;mdash;APP/AFP ' /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  575.        &lt;figcaption class='media__caption  '&gt;Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, on Monday.—APP/AFP&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  576.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  577. &lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkiye on Monday set their sights on enhancing annual bilateral trade to $5 billion, besides intensifying their defense collaboration as the two countries prepared for their upcoming high-level bilateral summit.&lt;/p&gt;
  578. &lt;p&gt;Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, while speaking at the Foreign Office after a meeting with visiting Turkish FM Hakan Fidan, said the two sides agreed on increasing trade to $5bn in three years.&lt;/p&gt;
  579. &lt;p&gt;Mr Fidan, while emphasising the need for expanding trade, noted that the annual bilateral trade volume was currently just $1bn.&lt;/p&gt;
  580. &lt;p&gt;During their meeting, the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed specific preparations for the upcoming 7th session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.&lt;/p&gt;
  581. &lt;blockquote class="blockquote-level-1"&gt;
  582. &lt;p&gt;Visiting Turkish FM hold talks with PM, Dar and army chief&lt;/p&gt;
  583. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  584. &lt;p&gt;Mr Dar, without giving the dates for the next meeting of HLSCC, which will be hosted by Pakistan, said it would be held “very soon”. HLSCC meetings are co-chaired by the chief executives of both countries.&lt;/p&gt;
  585. &lt;p&gt;A Foreign Office statement said an understanding had been reached with Turkiye on strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, defence and security domains.&lt;/p&gt;
  586. &lt;p&gt;Mr Dar, in his media comments, recalled the rich history of defence collaboration and the support the two countries have extended to each other on core issues.&lt;/p&gt;
  587. &lt;p&gt;He appreciated Turkiye’s “firm and consistent support” for the people of held Kashmir. He also reiterated Pakistan’s support for the legitimate rights of the people of Northern Cyprus.&lt;/p&gt;
  588. &lt;p&gt;The two ministers, during their meeting, also delved into regional and global issues, particularly highlighting the genocide and severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They emphasised the necessity of an immediate and unconditional &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833589"&gt;ceasefire&lt;/a&gt; in Gaza and the critical need for prompt &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833399"&gt;humanitarian aid&lt;/a&gt; to the beleaguered Palestinian populace.&lt;/p&gt;
  589. &lt;p&gt;Furthermore, they reiterated the essential need for establishing an independent Palestinian state as a foundation for enduring peace in the Middle East.&lt;/p&gt;
  590. &lt;p&gt;Additionally, the two leaders addressed the rising issue of Islamophobia, underlining the urgency of tackling it comprehensively.&lt;/p&gt;
  591. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Turkish investment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  592. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his meeting with FM Fidan, reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm commitment to further expansion of cooperation between the two countries, in all areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, technology and defence.&lt;/p&gt;
  593. &lt;p&gt;He emphasised the need for undertaking concerted efforts to achieve the bilateral trade target of $5bn over the next three years.&lt;/p&gt;
  594. &lt;p&gt;He invited Turkish companies to expand their investment portfolio in Pakistan. Turkish companies may consider relocating their industrial units to Pakistan, he added.&lt;/p&gt;
  595. &lt;p&gt;Mr Sharif extended invitation to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to undertake an early official visit to Pakistan for co-chairing with him the 7th meeting of HLSCC.&lt;/p&gt;
  596. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Hakan Fidan also met Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, according to the military’s media affairs wing.&lt;/p&gt;
  597. &lt;p&gt;“Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the deep-rooted relations between the two countries, founded on a historic, cultural, and religious bonds,” the ISPR said, adding that Mr Fidan commended Pakistan Army’s role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.&lt;/p&gt;
  598. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  599. </description>
  600.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch    media--uneven  media--stretch'>
  601.        <div class='media__item  '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/664bd0bba5bf3.gif'  alt=' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, on Monday.&mdash;APP/AFP ' /></picture></div>
  602.        <figcaption class='media__caption  '>Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, on Monday.—APP/AFP</figcaption>
  603.    </figure></p>
  604. <p>ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkiye on Monday set their sights on enhancing annual bilateral trade to $5 billion, besides intensifying their defense collaboration as the two countries prepared for their upcoming high-level bilateral summit.</p>
  605. <p>Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, while speaking at the Foreign Office after a meeting with visiting Turkish FM Hakan Fidan, said the two sides agreed on increasing trade to $5bn in three years.</p>
  606. <p>Mr Fidan, while emphasising the need for expanding trade, noted that the annual bilateral trade volume was currently just $1bn.</p>
  607. <p>During their meeting, the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed specific preparations for the upcoming 7th session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.</p>
  608. <blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">
  609. <p>Visiting Turkish FM hold talks with PM, Dar and army chief</p>
  610. </blockquote>
  611. <p>Mr Dar, without giving the dates for the next meeting of HLSCC, which will be hosted by Pakistan, said it would be held “very soon”. HLSCC meetings are co-chaired by the chief executives of both countries.</p>
  612. <p>A Foreign Office statement said an understanding had been reached with Turkiye on strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, defence and security domains.</p>
  613. <p>Mr Dar, in his media comments, recalled the rich history of defence collaboration and the support the two countries have extended to each other on core issues.</p>
  614. <p>He appreciated Turkiye’s “firm and consistent support” for the people of held Kashmir. He also reiterated Pakistan’s support for the legitimate rights of the people of Northern Cyprus.</p>
  615. <p>The two ministers, during their meeting, also delved into regional and global issues, particularly highlighting the genocide and severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They emphasised the necessity of an immediate and unconditional <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833589">ceasefire</a> in Gaza and the critical need for prompt <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833399">humanitarian aid</a> to the beleaguered Palestinian populace.</p>
  616. <p>Furthermore, they reiterated the essential need for establishing an independent Palestinian state as a foundation for enduring peace in the Middle East.</p>
  617. <p>Additionally, the two leaders addressed the rising issue of Islamophobia, underlining the urgency of tackling it comprehensively.</p>
  618. <p><strong>Turkish investment</strong></p>
  619. <p>Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his meeting with FM Fidan, reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm commitment to further expansion of cooperation between the two countries, in all areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, technology and defence.</p>
  620. <p>He emphasised the need for undertaking concerted efforts to achieve the bilateral trade target of $5bn over the next three years.</p>
  621. <p>He invited Turkish companies to expand their investment portfolio in Pakistan. Turkish companies may consider relocating their industrial units to Pakistan, he added.</p>
  622. <p>Mr Sharif extended invitation to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to undertake an early official visit to Pakistan for co-chairing with him the 7th meeting of HLSCC.</p>
  623. <p>Meanwhile, Hakan Fidan also met Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, according to the military’s media affairs wing.</p>
  624. <p>“Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the deep-rooted relations between the two countries, founded on a historic, cultural, and religious bonds,” the ISPR said, adding that Mr Fidan commended Pakistan Army’s role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.</p>
  625. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  626. ]]></content:encoded>
  627.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  628.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834751</guid>
  629.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 09:33:53 +0500</pubDate>
  630.      <author>none@none.com (Baqir Sajjad Syed)</author>
  631.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/210932117cc5c6e.jpg?r=093353" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  632.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/210932117cc5c6e.jpg?r=093353"/>
  633.        <media:title>This handout photograph taken and released by the Pakistan Foreign Office on May 20, 2024 shows Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (R) speaking with his Turkey’s counterpart Hakan Fidan during a meeting in Islamabad. (Photo by Pakistan Foreign Office / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / Pakistan Foreign Office” - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
  634. </media:title>
  635.      </media:content>
  636.    </item>
  637.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  638.      <title>Attempt to impose martial law will be resisted, says Mehmood Khan Achakzai</title>
  639.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834752/attempt-to-impose-martial-law-will-be-resisted-says-mehmood-khan-achakzai</link>
  640.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: Any attempt to impose martial law in the country will be resisted, the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief vowed at a seminar on Monday. &lt;/p&gt;
  641.  
  642. &lt;p&gt;“So far we have faced three martial laws. I want to make it clear that if the Constitution is derailed again, we will take to the streets to protect it,” Mehmood Khan Achakzai said in a speech at a seminar organised by Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Aain-i-Pakistan at the National Press Club. &lt;/p&gt;
  643.  
  644. &lt;p&gt;He said it was unfortunate that, despite having “all the blessings of God”, Pakistan was lagging behind other countries and people were suffering simply because the Constitution was not being implemented. &lt;/p&gt;
  645.  
  646. &lt;p&gt;Mr Achakzai said all institutions should stick to their domain, as defined by the Constitution. “Otherwise, it will become difficult to keep the country united.”  &lt;/p&gt;
  647.  
  648. &lt;p&gt;The PkMAP leader said no institution should feel threatened if politicians call for adherence to the Constitution. &lt;/p&gt;
  649.  
  650. &lt;p&gt;“Whenever we talk about the Constitution, some institutions feel we are talking against them. In the past Nawaz Sharif used to say that respect should be given to vote. Now we are demanding the same,” Mr Achakzai said.  &lt;/p&gt;
  651.  
  652. &lt;p&gt;“It is strange that Rs 700 million is spent to buy one vote.”  &lt;/p&gt;
  653.  
  654. &lt;p&gt;Mr Achakzai said the judiciary was under “immense pressure” to give decisions in favour of influential people. &lt;/p&gt;
  655.  
  656. &lt;p&gt;Hamid Raza, the head of Sunni Ittehad Council, also spoke on the occasion. &lt;/p&gt;
  657.  
  658. &lt;p&gt;Defamation law &lt;/p&gt;
  659.  
  660. &lt;p&gt;The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) came down hard on the Punjab government for “trying to rob citizens” of their constitutional right of freedom of expression under the guise of a new defamation law, vowing to resist any such move at every level. &lt;/p&gt;
  661.  
  662. &lt;p&gt;“Political puppets lacking public support are providing a shield to unconstitutional state elements to implement their unconstitutional agenda,” a PTI spokesperson said.  &lt;/p&gt;
  663.  
  664. &lt;p&gt;“The mainstream media, social media and journalists are facing the worst state repression and unconstitutional restrictions,” the spokesperson added. &lt;/p&gt;
  665.  
  666. &lt;p&gt;The party termed the result of the by-election held in Multan’s NA-148 constituency on Sunday, a “continuation of the theft of public mandate” and another “black spot on the face” of the Election Commission of Pakistan.  &lt;/p&gt;
  667.  
  668. &lt;p&gt;The PTI would not give up its struggle for reclaiming its “stolen” mandate and for supremacy of the Constitution,  the spokesperson said.  &lt;/p&gt;
  669.  
  670. &lt;p&gt;He thanked voters for “coming out in large numbers” to vote for the PTI-backed candidate. &lt;/p&gt;
  671.  
  672. &lt;p&gt;“Those celebrating victory after flouting laws, using state machinery and committing rigging should hang their heads in shame.”  &lt;/p&gt;
  673.  
  674. &lt;p&gt;Syed Ali Qasim Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, won the by-election by defeating Taimur Altaf Mahay of the Sunni Ittehad Council. Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was elected MNA in the Feb 8 election, vacated the seat after he became the Senate chairman.&lt;/p&gt;
  675.  
  676. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  677. </description>
  678.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: Any attempt to impose martial law in the country will be resisted, the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief vowed at a seminar on Monday. </p>
  679.  
  680. <p>“So far we have faced three martial laws. I want to make it clear that if the Constitution is derailed again, we will take to the streets to protect it,” Mehmood Khan Achakzai said in a speech at a seminar organised by Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Aain-i-Pakistan at the National Press Club. </p>
  681.  
  682. <p>He said it was unfortunate that, despite having “all the blessings of God”, Pakistan was lagging behind other countries and people were suffering simply because the Constitution was not being implemented. </p>
  683.  
  684. <p>Mr Achakzai said all institutions should stick to their domain, as defined by the Constitution. “Otherwise, it will become difficult to keep the country united.”  </p>
  685.  
  686. <p>The PkMAP leader said no institution should feel threatened if politicians call for adherence to the Constitution. </p>
  687.  
  688. <p>“Whenever we talk about the Constitution, some institutions feel we are talking against them. In the past Nawaz Sharif used to say that respect should be given to vote. Now we are demanding the same,” Mr Achakzai said.  </p>
  689.  
  690. <p>“It is strange that Rs 700 million is spent to buy one vote.”  </p>
  691.  
  692. <p>Mr Achakzai said the judiciary was under “immense pressure” to give decisions in favour of influential people. </p>
  693.  
  694. <p>Hamid Raza, the head of Sunni Ittehad Council, also spoke on the occasion. </p>
  695.  
  696. <p>Defamation law </p>
  697.  
  698. <p>The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) came down hard on the Punjab government for “trying to rob citizens” of their constitutional right of freedom of expression under the guise of a new defamation law, vowing to resist any such move at every level. </p>
  699.  
  700. <p>“Political puppets lacking public support are providing a shield to unconstitutional state elements to implement their unconstitutional agenda,” a PTI spokesperson said.  </p>
  701.  
  702. <p>“The mainstream media, social media and journalists are facing the worst state repression and unconstitutional restrictions,” the spokesperson added. </p>
  703.  
  704. <p>The party termed the result of the by-election held in Multan’s NA-148 constituency on Sunday, a “continuation of the theft of public mandate” and another “black spot on the face” of the Election Commission of Pakistan.  </p>
  705.  
  706. <p>The PTI would not give up its struggle for reclaiming its “stolen” mandate and for supremacy of the Constitution,  the spokesperson said.  </p>
  707.  
  708. <p>He thanked voters for “coming out in large numbers” to vote for the PTI-backed candidate. </p>
  709.  
  710. <p>“Those celebrating victory after flouting laws, using state machinery and committing rigging should hang their heads in shame.”  </p>
  711.  
  712. <p>Syed Ali Qasim Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, won the by-election by defeating Taimur Altaf Mahay of the Sunni Ittehad Council. Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was elected MNA in the Feb 8 election, vacated the seat after he became the Senate chairman.</p>
  713.  
  714. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  715. ]]></content:encoded>
  716.      <category>Newspaper</category>
  717.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834752</guid>
  718.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 10:01:40 +0500</pubDate>
  719.      <author>none@none.com (Ikram Junaidi)</author>
  720.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/2110004436c58ee.png?r=100141" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  721.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/2110004436c58ee.png?r=100141"/>
  722.        <media:title>Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami party, arrives before the start of the voting process by newly-elected lawmakers to appoint Pakistan’s new prime minister at the Parliament House in Islamabad on March 3, 2024.  — AFP
  723. </media:title>
  724.      </media:content>
  725.    </item>
  726.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  727.      <title>Trial and punishment: What do arrest warrants at the ICC mean for Israel, Hamas</title>
  728.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834815/trial-and-punishment-what-do-arrest-warrants-at-the-icc-mean-for-israel-hamas</link>
  729.      <description>&lt;p&gt;In his &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.roberthjackson.org/speech-and-writing/opening-statement-before-the-international-military-tribunal/"&gt;opening speech at the Nuremberg tribunal&lt;/a&gt; after the Second World War, the American judge, Robert Jackson, famously promised: “The ultimate step in avoiding periodic wars, which are inevitable in a system of international lawlessness, is to make statesmen responsible to law. And let me make clear that while this is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose, it must condemn aggression by other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment.”&lt;/p&gt;
  730. &lt;p&gt;After 79 years, that promise has been realised. For the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/kevinjonheller/status/1792508177063247942"&gt;first time&lt;/a&gt;, an international criminal tribunal is likely to charge a head of state supported by the West.&lt;/p&gt;
  731. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="what-are-the-charges" href="#what-are-the-charges" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;What are the charges?&lt;/h2&gt;
  732. &lt;p&gt;On May 20, 2024, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced he had &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state"&gt;applied for arrest warrants&lt;/a&gt; for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif.&lt;/p&gt;
  733. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-1/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  734.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--newskitlink  '&gt;    &lt;iframe
  735.        class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"
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  738.        sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  739.        
  740.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  741. &lt;p&gt;The charges against Hamas leaders include hostage-taking, rape and sexual violence against hostages in captivity, torture, cruel treatment, and extermination. The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include starving civilians as a method of warfare, deliberate targeting of civilians, persecution, cruel treatment, and extermination.&lt;/p&gt;
  742. &lt;p&gt;While arrest warrants were expected, they weren’t expected for such a huge range of offences on both sides. When the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and"&gt;arrest warrant&lt;/a&gt; for President Vladimir Putin was issued after &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1676939"&gt;Russia’s invasion of Ukraine&lt;/a&gt;, the only charge was that of the unlawful deportation of children out of Ukraine — a crime to which he had &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://lieber.westpoint.edu/what-happens-icc-issues-warrants-senior-hamas-israeli-leaders/"&gt;effectively confessed&lt;/a&gt; in an interview on state television. It may be that in adopting a broader range of charges, the prosecutor is hoping that more will stick when it comes to confirming these charges or potentially at trial.&lt;/p&gt;
  743. &lt;p&gt;In the current case, the charges are for war crimes and crimes against humanity but notably not for genocide. This may have a knock-on effect on South Africa’s pursuit of state responsibility for Israel at the International Court of Justice. When the ICJ &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icj-cij.org/case/91/judgments"&gt;found&lt;/a&gt; that a genocide had been committed in Srebrenica, it had relied on the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icty.org/x/cases/krstic/tjug/en/krs-tj010802e.pdf"&gt;findings&lt;/a&gt; of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia which had found individuals accountable for the crime of genocide. As of yet, the ICJ will have no similar recourse when deciding its case.&lt;/p&gt;
  744. &lt;p&gt;The ICC prosecutor seems to have evaded the genocide charge by including that of ‘extermination’ — mass killings in the course of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population resulting from a state or organisational policy. This is perhaps the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1909&amp;amp;context=facpub"&gt;popular understanding&lt;/a&gt; of what genocide is, without the need to meet the high threshold of the actual crime of genocide — that of proving intent to destroy Palestinians as a group.&lt;/p&gt;
  745. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="what-will-happen-now" href="#what-will-happen-now" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;What will happen now?&lt;/h2&gt;
  746. &lt;p&gt;The prosecutor will now submit his application to a pre-trial chamber, which will decide whether to confirm the charges and then the charges will proceed to a trial if the accused is submitted to the Court. Trials cannot be conducted at the ICC without the accused present. While the permanent five members of the Security Council (including America) can defer a case before the Court for a year at a time, a deferral would need nine affirmative votes and no veto which might be unlikely.&lt;/p&gt;
  747. &lt;p&gt;While Hamas leaders can be handed over to the Court, especially Haniye who is &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1831549"&gt;based&lt;/a&gt; in Qatar, an important issue when it comes to Netanyahu (as a sitting head of state) would be whether he has immunity. This question also arose when the former president of Sudan Omar Al-Bashir and Putin had arrest warrants by the ICC issued against them.&lt;/p&gt;
  748. &lt;p&gt;Because the ICC does not have its own police force, it relies on national jurisdictions to enforce its arrest warrants. The Court has &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/5bdd7f/pdf"&gt;held&lt;/a&gt; in the past that all 124 member states to its statute — this doesn’t include Pakistan which does not accept the Court’s jurisdiction — are legally obligated to enforce the Court’s warrants and arrest whoever has a warrant issued against them who travels to their countries.&lt;/p&gt;
  749. &lt;p&gt;Most states have ignored such requests. Famously, Al-Bashir &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://rsilpak.org/2023/putins-arrest-warrant-immunity-and-the-international-criminal-court/#_ftn23"&gt;traveled to over 22 states&lt;/a&gt;, and was not arrested by any of them. Currently, 17 individuals subject to arrest warrants &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.justsecurity.org/95865/international-criminal-court-arrest-warrants-gaza/"&gt;remain at large&lt;/a&gt;. I believed that both Bashir and Putin had immunity to criminal jurisdiction and I also believe the same for Netanyahu. He is immune to prosecution owing to his position as a sitting head of state and he should not be arrested.&lt;/p&gt;
  750. &lt;p&gt;However, my consistent position may not be met by quite such a consistent one in Western states. US President Joe Biden had said that the arrest warrant against Putin was ‘&lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/18/us-biden-says-war-crime-charges-against-russias-putin-justified"&gt;justified&lt;/a&gt;’ but his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has denounced the one against Netanyahu as ‘&lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/live/gaza-invasion#1834670"&gt;shameful&lt;/a&gt;’. The European Union meanwhile &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE77741C/#:~:text=The%20ICC%20issued%20an%20arrest,crimes%20and%20crimes%20against%20humanity."&gt;chastised&lt;/a&gt; African states for not arresting Bashir.&lt;/p&gt;
  751. &lt;p&gt;It will be interesting to see how these states react to arrest warrants against Netanyahu now, especially Germany, which had said the arrest warrant against Putin &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL8N35Q07K/"&gt;showed&lt;/a&gt; that “nobody is above the law” and had &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-reaction-warrant-bashirs-arrest"&gt;supported&lt;/a&gt; the arrest warrant against Bashir, urging Sudan to react to it in a “sober way”. A summer holiday in Munich should be off the table then for Netanyahu.&lt;/p&gt;
  752. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="does-criminal-justice-work" href="#does-criminal-justice-work" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Does criminal justice work?&lt;/h2&gt;
  753. &lt;p&gt;After World War II, when trying to decide what to do with the defeated Nazis, Stalin suggested they should all be killed. Churchill agreed and said they should all be shot. It was Roosevelt, however, who disagreed and persuaded them that trials should be conducted by an international court. Justice Robert Jackson &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.roberthjackson.org/article/justice-jackson-delivers-opening-statement-at-nuremberg-november-21-1945/"&gt;remarked&lt;/a&gt; (quite beautifully) “that four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury, stayed the hand of vengeance, and voluntarily submitted their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that power has ever paid to reason”.&lt;/p&gt;
  754. &lt;p&gt;International criminal law, as we now know it, was born with the Nuremberg trials.&lt;/p&gt;
  755. &lt;p&gt;But one of the key reasons that led Nuremberg to be considered a success was the notion that the trials had ‘&lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Scharf_CLP.html"&gt;discredited&lt;/a&gt; Nazi leaders and helped the German people quickly transition into a Western bulwark’. But we now know that they did no such thing. Opinion polls taken in Germany every year between 1946-1958 asked the Germans two questions: Do you think Hermann Göring and the other Nazis were guilty? Do you think Hermann Göring and the other Nazis got a fair trial? Every year for 10 years, 85-90 per cent of Germans answered no to both questions.&lt;/p&gt;
  756. &lt;p&gt;These polls were classified as secret for 50 years, as they showed that the tribunal had not succeeded in its function of educating people as to what had actually happened during the war. Hermann Göring essentially got the better of Chief Prosecutor Robert Jackson; he used the proceedings and the fact that they were broadcast on radio as a way to &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Scharf_CLP.html"&gt;repropagandise the Nazi story&lt;/a&gt; to the Germans. The President of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, was to later copy Göring and used the criminal proceedings against him at an &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icty.org/en/case/slobodan_milosevic"&gt;international court&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Scharf_CLP.html"&gt;rehabilitate himself&lt;/a&gt;, eventually running for and &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2003-12-29-10-ultra-nationalists-67592742/289230.html"&gt;winning elections&lt;/a&gt; from the courtroom. He didn’t even have to campaign.&lt;/p&gt;
  757. &lt;p&gt;I am a bit skeptical about whether criminal justice can achieve the &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hliYAWnp8x4&amp;amp;list=PLqf6ZP49vgYBtcTpvSMpQhuEw-0rS3XwY&amp;amp;index=3"&gt;lofty aims&lt;/a&gt; we put on it; that it will deter and incapacitate criminals, that it should deliver lasting peace, and that it should serve as a moral denunciation for what we find unacceptable. Some argue that indicted leaders are more &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://lieber.westpoint.edu/what-happens-icc-issues-warrants-senior-hamas-israeli-leaders/"&gt;inclined to cling on to power&lt;/a&gt; if they face trial at The Hague and that even the most unpopular ones can turn around their torpedoing ratings because the threat of international censure creates a rally around the flag effect.&lt;/p&gt;
  758. &lt;p&gt;But perhaps the real point of this pursuit of justice is not in what we achieve, but as something for the historical record, for future generations to look back on. That we met power with reason. That when atrocities were being committed, we tried to do something.&lt;/p&gt;
  759. </description>
  760.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>In his <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.roberthjackson.org/speech-and-writing/opening-statement-before-the-international-military-tribunal/">opening speech at the Nuremberg tribunal</a> after the Second World War, the American judge, Robert Jackson, famously promised: “The ultimate step in avoiding periodic wars, which are inevitable in a system of international lawlessness, is to make statesmen responsible to law. And let me make clear that while this is first applied against German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to serve a useful purpose, it must condemn aggression by other nations, including those which sit here now in judgment.”</p>
  761. <p>After 79 years, that promise has been realised. For the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/kevinjonheller/status/1792508177063247942">first time</a>, an international criminal tribunal is likely to charge a head of state supported by the West.</p>
  762. <h2><a id="what-are-the-charges" href="#what-are-the-charges" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>What are the charges?</h2>
  763. <p>On May 20, 2024, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced he had <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state">applied for arrest warrants</a> for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif.</p>
  764. <p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-1/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  765.        <div class='media__item  media__item--newskitlink  '>    <iframe
  766.        class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"
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  769.        sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>
  770.        
  771.    </figure></p>
  772. <p>The charges against Hamas leaders include hostage-taking, rape and sexual violence against hostages in captivity, torture, cruel treatment, and extermination. The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include starving civilians as a method of warfare, deliberate targeting of civilians, persecution, cruel treatment, and extermination.</p>
  773. <p>While arrest warrants were expected, they weren’t expected for such a huge range of offences on both sides. When the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and">arrest warrant</a> for President Vladimir Putin was issued after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1676939">Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>, the only charge was that of the unlawful deportation of children out of Ukraine — a crime to which he had <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://lieber.westpoint.edu/what-happens-icc-issues-warrants-senior-hamas-israeli-leaders/">effectively confessed</a> in an interview on state television. It may be that in adopting a broader range of charges, the prosecutor is hoping that more will stick when it comes to confirming these charges or potentially at trial.</p>
  774. <p>In the current case, the charges are for war crimes and crimes against humanity but notably not for genocide. This may have a knock-on effect on South Africa’s pursuit of state responsibility for Israel at the International Court of Justice. When the ICJ <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icj-cij.org/case/91/judgments">found</a> that a genocide had been committed in Srebrenica, it had relied on the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icty.org/x/cases/krstic/tjug/en/krs-tj010802e.pdf">findings</a> of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia which had found individuals accountable for the crime of genocide. As of yet, the ICJ will have no similar recourse when deciding its case.</p>
  775. <p>The ICC prosecutor seems to have evaded the genocide charge by including that of ‘extermination’ — mass killings in the course of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population resulting from a state or organisational policy. This is perhaps the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1909&amp;context=facpub">popular understanding</a> of what genocide is, without the need to meet the high threshold of the actual crime of genocide — that of proving intent to destroy Palestinians as a group.</p>
  776. <h2><a id="what-will-happen-now" href="#what-will-happen-now" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>What will happen now?</h2>
  777. <p>The prosecutor will now submit his application to a pre-trial chamber, which will decide whether to confirm the charges and then the charges will proceed to a trial if the accused is submitted to the Court. Trials cannot be conducted at the ICC without the accused present. While the permanent five members of the Security Council (including America) can defer a case before the Court for a year at a time, a deferral would need nine affirmative votes and no veto which might be unlikely.</p>
  778. <p>While Hamas leaders can be handed over to the Court, especially Haniye who is <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1831549">based</a> in Qatar, an important issue when it comes to Netanyahu (as a sitting head of state) would be whether he has immunity. This question also arose when the former president of Sudan Omar Al-Bashir and Putin had arrest warrants by the ICC issued against them.</p>
  779. <p>Because the ICC does not have its own police force, it relies on national jurisdictions to enforce its arrest warrants. The Court has <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/5bdd7f/pdf">held</a> in the past that all 124 member states to its statute — this doesn’t include Pakistan which does not accept the Court’s jurisdiction — are legally obligated to enforce the Court’s warrants and arrest whoever has a warrant issued against them who travels to their countries.</p>
  780. <p>Most states have ignored such requests. Famously, Al-Bashir <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://rsilpak.org/2023/putins-arrest-warrant-immunity-and-the-international-criminal-court/#_ftn23">traveled to over 22 states</a>, and was not arrested by any of them. Currently, 17 individuals subject to arrest warrants <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.justsecurity.org/95865/international-criminal-court-arrest-warrants-gaza/">remain at large</a>. I believed that both Bashir and Putin had immunity to criminal jurisdiction and I also believe the same for Netanyahu. He is immune to prosecution owing to his position as a sitting head of state and he should not be arrested.</p>
  781. <p>However, my consistent position may not be met by quite such a consistent one in Western states. US President Joe Biden had said that the arrest warrant against Putin was ‘<a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/18/us-biden-says-war-crime-charges-against-russias-putin-justified">justified</a>’ but his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has denounced the one against Netanyahu as ‘<a href="https://www.dawn.com/live/gaza-invasion#1834670">shameful</a>’. The European Union meanwhile <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE77741C/#:~:text=The%20ICC%20issued%20an%20arrest,crimes%20and%20crimes%20against%20humanity.">chastised</a> African states for not arresting Bashir.</p>
  782. <p>It will be interesting to see how these states react to arrest warrants against Netanyahu now, especially Germany, which had said the arrest warrant against Putin <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL8N35Q07K/">showed</a> that “nobody is above the law” and had <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-reaction-warrant-bashirs-arrest">supported</a> the arrest warrant against Bashir, urging Sudan to react to it in a “sober way”. A summer holiday in Munich should be off the table then for Netanyahu.</p>
  783. <h2><a id="does-criminal-justice-work" href="#does-criminal-justice-work" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Does criminal justice work?</h2>
  784. <p>After World War II, when trying to decide what to do with the defeated Nazis, Stalin suggested they should all be killed. Churchill agreed and said they should all be shot. It was Roosevelt, however, who disagreed and persuaded them that trials should be conducted by an international court. Justice Robert Jackson <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.roberthjackson.org/article/justice-jackson-delivers-opening-statement-at-nuremberg-november-21-1945/">remarked</a> (quite beautifully) “that four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury, stayed the hand of vengeance, and voluntarily submitted their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that power has ever paid to reason”.</p>
  785. <p>International criminal law, as we now know it, was born with the Nuremberg trials.</p>
  786. <p>But one of the key reasons that led Nuremberg to be considered a success was the notion that the trials had ‘<a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Scharf_CLP.html">discredited</a> Nazi leaders and helped the German people quickly transition into a Western bulwark’. But we now know that they did no such thing. Opinion polls taken in Germany every year between 1946-1958 asked the Germans two questions: Do you think Hermann Göring and the other Nazis were guilty? Do you think Hermann Göring and the other Nazis got a fair trial? Every year for 10 years, 85-90 per cent of Germans answered no to both questions.</p>
  787. <p>These polls were classified as secret for 50 years, as they showed that the tribunal had not succeeded in its function of educating people as to what had actually happened during the war. Hermann Göring essentially got the better of Chief Prosecutor Robert Jackson; he used the proceedings and the fact that they were broadcast on radio as a way to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Scharf_CLP.html">repropagandise the Nazi story</a> to the Germans. The President of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, was to later copy Göring and used the criminal proceedings against him at an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icty.org/en/case/slobodan_milosevic">international court</a> to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://legal.un.org/avl/ls/Scharf_CLP.html">rehabilitate himself</a>, eventually running for and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2003-12-29-10-ultra-nationalists-67592742/289230.html">winning elections</a> from the courtroom. He didn’t even have to campaign.</p>
  788. <p>I am a bit skeptical about whether criminal justice can achieve the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hliYAWnp8x4&amp;list=PLqf6ZP49vgYBtcTpvSMpQhuEw-0rS3XwY&amp;index=3">lofty aims</a> we put on it; that it will deter and incapacitate criminals, that it should deliver lasting peace, and that it should serve as a moral denunciation for what we find unacceptable. Some argue that indicted leaders are more <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://lieber.westpoint.edu/what-happens-icc-issues-warrants-senior-hamas-israeli-leaders/">inclined to cling on to power</a> if they face trial at The Hague and that even the most unpopular ones can turn around their torpedoing ratings because the threat of international censure creates a rally around the flag effect.</p>
  789. <p>But perhaps the real point of this pursuit of justice is not in what we achieve, but as something for the historical record, for future generations to look back on. That we met power with reason. That when atrocities were being committed, we tried to do something.</p>
  790. ]]></content:encoded>
  791.      <category>World</category>
  792.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834815</guid>
  793.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 11:42:59 +0500</pubDate>
  794.      <author>none@none.com (Ayesha Malik)</author>
  795.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21110517bf21286.png?r=110659" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  796.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21110517bf21286.png?r=110659"/>
  797.        <media:title/>
  798.      </media:content>
  799.    </item>
  800.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  801.      <title>Independent directors for Discos approved
  802. </title>
  803.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834791/independent-directors-for-discos-approved</link>
  804.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: The Cab­inet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCo­SOEs) made a significant decision on Monday, appro­ving the Power Divis­ion’s proposal for the nomination of independent directors for specific electricity distribution companies.&lt;/p&gt;
  805.  
  806. &lt;p&gt;This decision, which is now set for onward submission to the cabinet, is very important for the future of these companies.&lt;/p&gt;
  807.  
  808. &lt;p&gt;The committee meeting, chaired by Finance Min­ister Muhammad Aura­ngzeb, didn’t approve the Ministry of Railways’ proposal to categorise four railway companies as strategic and essential and directed it to submit a transformation plan.&lt;/p&gt;
  809.  
  810. &lt;p&gt;The Ministry of Science and Technology proposal was deferred with the direction to submit a business plan regarding the reforms planned for STEDEC.&lt;/p&gt;
  811.  
  812. &lt;p&gt;While approving the proposal of Ministry of Info­rmation and Broadcasting, the CCoSOEs recognised the strategic nature of Paki­stan Television Corporation and Pakistan Broa­d­casting Corporation and directed the Ministry of Information and Broad­casting to present a viable business plan to the committee for efficient ma­n­­agement of these enterprises.&lt;/p&gt;
  813.  
  814. &lt;p&gt;The meeting was atten­ded by Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister for Maritime Aff­airs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Che­ema, SECP chairman, federal secre­taries and other senior officers of the relevant ministries.&lt;/p&gt;
  815.  
  816. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  817. </description>
  818.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: The Cab­inet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCo­SOEs) made a significant decision on Monday, appro­ving the Power Divis­ion’s proposal for the nomination of independent directors for specific electricity distribution companies.</p>
  819.  
  820. <p>This decision, which is now set for onward submission to the cabinet, is very important for the future of these companies.</p>
  821.  
  822. <p>The committee meeting, chaired by Finance Min­ister Muhammad Aura­ngzeb, didn’t approve the Ministry of Railways’ proposal to categorise four railway companies as strategic and essential and directed it to submit a transformation plan.</p>
  823.  
  824. <p>The Ministry of Science and Technology proposal was deferred with the direction to submit a business plan regarding the reforms planned for STEDEC.</p>
  825.  
  826. <p>While approving the proposal of Ministry of Info­rmation and Broadcasting, the CCoSOEs recognised the strategic nature of Paki­stan Television Corporation and Pakistan Broa­d­casting Corporation and directed the Ministry of Information and Broad­casting to present a viable business plan to the committee for efficient ma­n­­agement of these enterprises.</p>
  827.  
  828. <p>The meeting was atten­ded by Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister for Maritime Aff­airs Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Che­ema, SECP chairman, federal secre­taries and other senior officers of the relevant ministries.</p>
  829.  
  830. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  831. ]]></content:encoded>
  832.      <category>Business</category>
  833.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834791</guid>
  834.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 07:53:03 +0500</pubDate>
  835.      <author>none@none.com (APP)</author>
  836.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21094753334d1cf.jpg?r=094808" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  837.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21094753334d1cf.jpg?r=094808"/>
  838.        <media:title>APP56-200524
  839. ISLAMABAD: May 20 - Federal Minister for Finance &amp;amp; Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs). APP/IQJ/FHA
  840. </media:title>
  841.      </media:content>
  842.    </item>
  843.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  844.      <title>Senate Chairman Gilani takes charge as acting president</title>
  845.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834755/senate-chairman-gilani-takes-charge-as-acting-president</link>
  846.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1826671"&gt;Yousuf Raza Gilani&lt;/a&gt; on Monday assum­­ed the charge as acting president after President Asif Ali Zardrai left the country for United Arab Emirates on a private visit.&lt;/p&gt;
  847. &lt;p&gt;According to the Presi­dency, a notification was issued which said the president has made Mr Gilani the acting president. Simi­larly, Deputy Senate Chair­m­­an Syedaal Khan will serve as acting cha­­irman of the upper house of parliament.&lt;/p&gt;
  848. &lt;p&gt;A source told &lt;em&gt;Dawn&lt;/em&gt; that President Zardari has left for Dubai on a private visit and he will return to the country in four to five days.&lt;/p&gt;
  849. &lt;p&gt;After assuming the charge of the acting president, Mr Gilani called for further consolidating bila­teral relations with Mala­ysia for the mutual interest of the two brotherly countries.&lt;/p&gt;
  850. &lt;p&gt;“Pakistan and Malaysia enjoy cordial cooperation at all international fora, which need to be further strengthened for the benefit of the two sides,” the acting president said while talking to the Chief of the Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman bin Ayob, who along with his delegation, called on him, at Aiwan-i-Sadr.&lt;/p&gt;
  851. &lt;p&gt;Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, also attended the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
  852. &lt;p&gt;During the meeting, the acting president stressed the need for further exploring avenues of cooperation in maritime sectors for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries. He expressed the hope that training and ex­­change programmes bet­ween the two navies would further cement naval cooperation between Pakistan and Malaysia.&lt;/p&gt;
  853. &lt;p&gt;Mr Gilani expressed satisfaction over the regular conduct of bilateral naval exercises and training collaboration between Pakistan and Malaysia.&lt;/p&gt;
  854. &lt;p&gt;He praised the Malaysian Navy for re­­g­­ular participation in AMAN exercises and emp­hasised the need for continuity of the same in future.&lt;/p&gt;
  855. &lt;p&gt;“Pakistan is looking forward to the continued support of Malaysia for Pakistan’s bid to become the Full Dialogue Partner of Asean,” he added.&lt;/p&gt;
  856. &lt;p&gt;Earlier, the acting president conferred the award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Milit­ary) upon the Chief of the Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman bin Ayob, during a special investiture ceremony, at the Presidency.&lt;/p&gt;
  857. &lt;p&gt;The award was conferred upon him in recognition of his professional achievements and endeavours for strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the Malay­sian Navy and the Pakistan Navy.&lt;/p&gt;
  858. &lt;p&gt;The acting president congratulated the Malay­sian naval chief on receiving the award and appreciated his contributions towards increasing naval cooperation between the two countries.&lt;/p&gt;
  859. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  860. </description>
  861.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1826671">Yousuf Raza Gilani</a> on Monday assum­­ed the charge as acting president after President Asif Ali Zardrai left the country for United Arab Emirates on a private visit.</p>
  862. <p>According to the Presi­dency, a notification was issued which said the president has made Mr Gilani the acting president. Simi­larly, Deputy Senate Chair­m­­an Syedaal Khan will serve as acting cha­­irman of the upper house of parliament.</p>
  863. <p>A source told <em>Dawn</em> that President Zardari has left for Dubai on a private visit and he will return to the country in four to five days.</p>
  864. <p>After assuming the charge of the acting president, Mr Gilani called for further consolidating bila­teral relations with Mala­ysia for the mutual interest of the two brotherly countries.</p>
  865. <p>“Pakistan and Malaysia enjoy cordial cooperation at all international fora, which need to be further strengthened for the benefit of the two sides,” the acting president said while talking to the Chief of the Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman bin Ayob, who along with his delegation, called on him, at Aiwan-i-Sadr.</p>
  866. <p>Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, also attended the meeting.</p>
  867. <p>During the meeting, the acting president stressed the need for further exploring avenues of cooperation in maritime sectors for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries. He expressed the hope that training and ex­­change programmes bet­ween the two navies would further cement naval cooperation between Pakistan and Malaysia.</p>
  868. <p>Mr Gilani expressed satisfaction over the regular conduct of bilateral naval exercises and training collaboration between Pakistan and Malaysia.</p>
  869. <p>He praised the Malaysian Navy for re­­g­­ular participation in AMAN exercises and emp­hasised the need for continuity of the same in future.</p>
  870. <p>“Pakistan is looking forward to the continued support of Malaysia for Pakistan’s bid to become the Full Dialogue Partner of Asean,” he added.</p>
  871. <p>Earlier, the acting president conferred the award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Milit­ary) upon the Chief of the Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman bin Ayob, during a special investiture ceremony, at the Presidency.</p>
  872. <p>The award was conferred upon him in recognition of his professional achievements and endeavours for strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the Malay­sian Navy and the Pakistan Navy.</p>
  873. <p>The acting president congratulated the Malay­sian naval chief on receiving the award and appreciated his contributions towards increasing naval cooperation between the two countries.</p>
  874. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  875. ]]></content:encoded>
  876.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  877.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834755</guid>
  878.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 09:53:41 +0500</pubDate>
  879.      <author>none@none.com (Syed Irfan Raza)</author>
  880.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21093606e33adfa.png?r=094015" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  881.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21093606e33adfa.png?r=094015"/>
  882.        <media:title>Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rehman bin Ayob, called on acting president Yousuf Raza Gilani at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on May 20. — PID
  883. </media:title>
  884.      </media:content>
  885.    </item>
  886.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  887.      <title>Cohen acknowledges stealing from Trump at hush money trial
  888. </title>
  889.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834769/cohen-acknowledges-stealing-from-trump-at-hush-money-trial</link>
  890.      <description>&lt;p&gt;NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen testified on Monday that he stole money from Trump’s company, an admission that could chip away at his credibility as a star witness at the former US president’s hush money trial.&lt;/p&gt;
  891. &lt;p&gt;Questioned by Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche, Cohen acknowledged stealing from the Trump Organisation by including a reimbursement to a technology company in his bonus package and pocketing most of the money.&lt;/p&gt;
  892. &lt;p&gt;“So you stole from the Trump Organisation, right?” Blanche asked.&lt;/p&gt;
  893. &lt;p&gt;“Yes sir,” Cohen, 57, testified.&lt;/p&gt;
  894. &lt;p&gt;Cohen said he paid roughly $20,000 of the $50,000 that Trump’s company owed to the tech company in cash, handing it off in a brown paper bag at his office. He said he kept the rest. He was reimbursed $100,000 total by the Trump Organisation for that payment.&lt;/p&gt;
  895. &lt;p&gt;Cohen is the final and most important witness for New York prosecutors as they seek to convince a jury that Trump broke the law by covering up a $130,000 payment that bought the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.&lt;/p&gt;
  896. &lt;p&gt;But as a convicted felon and &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834013"&gt;admitted liar&lt;/a&gt;, Cohen is a problematic witness. Prosecutors have buttressed his testimony with documentary evidence, while Trump’s lawyers have sought to undermine Cohen’s credibility through his cross-examination.&lt;/p&gt;
  897. &lt;p&gt;After his testimony concludes, Trump’s lawyers will have a chance to present evidence and witnesses of their own.&lt;/p&gt;
  898. &lt;p&gt;It was unclear whether Trump would take the witness stand. Defence lawyers often opt not to call witnesses or present their own evidence when they believe prosecutors have failed to make their case.&lt;/p&gt;
  899. &lt;p&gt;Though Trump said before the trial began that he planned to testify, Blanche told the judge last week that it was no longer certain. Outside the courtroom on Monday, Trump did not tell reporters whether he would testify or not.&lt;/p&gt;
  900. &lt;p&gt;At the outset of Monday’s session, Justice Juan Merchan said he expected the prosecution and the defence to wrap up their presentations this week and make their closing arguments next week. The first former president to face a criminal trial has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payment to Daniels, who had threatened to go public with her account of an alleged 2006 sexual encounter — a liaison Trump denies.&lt;/p&gt;
  901. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  902. </description>
  903.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen testified on Monday that he stole money from Trump’s company, an admission that could chip away at his credibility as a star witness at the former US president’s hush money trial.</p>
  904. <p>Questioned by Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche, Cohen acknowledged stealing from the Trump Organisation by including a reimbursement to a technology company in his bonus package and pocketing most of the money.</p>
  905. <p>“So you stole from the Trump Organisation, right?” Blanche asked.</p>
  906. <p>“Yes sir,” Cohen, 57, testified.</p>
  907. <p>Cohen said he paid roughly $20,000 of the $50,000 that Trump’s company owed to the tech company in cash, handing it off in a brown paper bag at his office. He said he kept the rest. He was reimbursed $100,000 total by the Trump Organisation for that payment.</p>
  908. <p>Cohen is the final and most important witness for New York prosecutors as they seek to convince a jury that Trump broke the law by covering up a $130,000 payment that bought the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.</p>
  909. <p>But as a convicted felon and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834013">admitted liar</a>, Cohen is a problematic witness. Prosecutors have buttressed his testimony with documentary evidence, while Trump’s lawyers have sought to undermine Cohen’s credibility through his cross-examination.</p>
  910. <p>After his testimony concludes, Trump’s lawyers will have a chance to present evidence and witnesses of their own.</p>
  911. <p>It was unclear whether Trump would take the witness stand. Defence lawyers often opt not to call witnesses or present their own evidence when they believe prosecutors have failed to make their case.</p>
  912. <p>Though Trump said before the trial began that he planned to testify, Blanche told the judge last week that it was no longer certain. Outside the courtroom on Monday, Trump did not tell reporters whether he would testify or not.</p>
  913. <p>At the outset of Monday’s session, Justice Juan Merchan said he expected the prosecution and the defence to wrap up their presentations this week and make their closing arguments next week. The first former president to face a criminal trial has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payment to Daniels, who had threatened to go public with her account of an alleged 2006 sexual encounter — a liaison Trump denies.</p>
  914. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  915. ]]></content:encoded>
  916.      <category>World</category>
  917.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834769</guid>
  918.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 08:28:38 +0500</pubDate>
  919.      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
  920.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/210828094ad78ed.jpg?r=082838" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  921.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/210828094ad78ed.jpg?r=082838"/>
  922.        <media:title>Michael Cohen, former lawyer for Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump, departs his home in Manhattan to testify in Trump’s criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in New York City, US, May 20, 2024. — Reuters
  923. </media:title>
  924.      </media:content>
  925.    </item>
  926.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  927.      <title>Key seats locked in Indian polls
  928. </title>
  929.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834773/key-seats-locked-in-indian-polls</link>
  930.      <description>&lt;p&gt;NEW DELHI: The fifth phase of Indian elections on Monday saw the seats of &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1831226"&gt;Rahul Gandhi&lt;/a&gt; and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh locked in, with analysts viewing it as an uphill moment for the BJP.&lt;/p&gt;
  931. &lt;p&gt;The fifth phase of voting in the seven-phase polls concluded in 49 seats across eight states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Ladakh, and held Jammu and Kashmir.&lt;/p&gt;
  932. &lt;p&gt;According to political analyst Yogendra Yadav, the buzz in the latest phase is not just because it contains a few of the most prestigious contests, but also that the BJP can suffer serious &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1834213"&gt;reverses&lt;/a&gt; in a few of the eight states where voting was held.&lt;/p&gt;
  933. &lt;p&gt;This phase includes politically prestigious and important constituencies such as Rae Bareli, Amethi, and Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh; Saran (formerly Chhapra) and Hajipur in Bihar; and all six seats of India’s financial capital, Mumbai.&lt;/p&gt;
  934. &lt;p&gt;Just like Phase 3, in this round too, the Modi alliance stands to lose ground due to the sheer number of seats it had won the last time — 39 of the 49 seats, of which the BJP alone had won 32.&lt;/p&gt;
  935. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  936. </description>
  937.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>NEW DELHI: The fifth phase of Indian elections on Monday saw the seats of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1831226">Rahul Gandhi</a> and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh locked in, with analysts viewing it as an uphill moment for the BJP.</p>
  938. <p>The fifth phase of voting in the seven-phase polls concluded in 49 seats across eight states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Ladakh, and held Jammu and Kashmir.</p>
  939. <p>According to political analyst Yogendra Yadav, the buzz in the latest phase is not just because it contains a few of the most prestigious contests, but also that the BJP can suffer serious <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1834213">reverses</a> in a few of the eight states where voting was held.</p>
  940. <p>This phase includes politically prestigious and important constituencies such as Rae Bareli, Amethi, and Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh; Saran (formerly Chhapra) and Hajipur in Bihar; and all six seats of India’s financial capital, Mumbai.</p>
  941. <p>Just like Phase 3, in this round too, the Modi alliance stands to lose ground due to the sheer number of seats it had won the last time — 39 of the 49 seats, of which the BJP alone had won 32.</p>
  942. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  943. ]]></content:encoded>
  944.      <category>World</category>
  945.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834773</guid>
  946.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 08:34:08 +0500</pubDate>
  947.      <author>none@none.com (A Correspondent)</author>
  948.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/2108335101730fc.jpg?r=083408" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  949.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/2108335101730fc.jpg?r=083408"/>
  950.        <media:title>Voters queue up to cast their ballots at a polling station during the fifth phase of voting in India’s general election, in Ayodhya on May 20, 2024. India’s election is conducted in seven phases over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging the democratic exercise in the world’s most populous country. — AFP
  951. </media:title>
  952.      </media:content>
  953.    </item>
  954.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  955.      <title>PSB vows to fix Jinnah Stadium floodlights for Pakistan’s World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia
  956. </title>
  957.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834722/psb-vows-to-fix-jinnah-stadium-floodlights-for-pakistans-world-cup-qualifier-against-saudi-arabia</link>
  958.      <description>&lt;p&gt;ISLAMABAD: Following objections raised by the Pakistan Football Federation Norma­lisation Committee over the lighting at the Jinnah Stadium for Pakistan’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia next month, the Pakistan Sports Board has insisted that everything will be fixed for the match to go on as scheduled.&lt;/p&gt;
  959. &lt;p&gt;Pakistan are due to host the Saudis on June 6 but the PFF NC wrote to the PSB stating that it will be forced to shift the match to a different venue if the floodlights aren’t according to FIFA standards.&lt;/p&gt;
  960. &lt;p&gt;A senior PSB official, however, told &lt;em&gt;Dawn&lt;/em&gt; on Monday that a solution has been found.&lt;/p&gt;
  961. &lt;p&gt;“The idea is to install four floodlights on both sides of the two goal posts in the next few days,” the official stated, adding that the arrangements will be in accordance with the FIFA standards.&lt;/p&gt;
  962. &lt;p&gt;A team of officials from the PFF NC visited the Jinnah Stadium earlier this month alongside a delegation from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and its inspection found that the floodlights weren’t up to international standard. It urged the PSB to propose remedial measures and complete lighting arrangements as per standards so that it could share the details with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation accordingly.&lt;/p&gt;
  963. &lt;p&gt;“Shifting the match away from Pakistan would be highly shameful for us,” the PSB official said. “It will be a disgrace for the country and if that happens, strict action will be taken against the responsible officials of the PSB.&lt;/p&gt;
  964. &lt;p&gt;“I think there is adequate time to sort this out and&lt;/p&gt;
  965. &lt;p&gt;therefore there should be no discussion at this point about shifting the match away from Pakistan. We will make sure we make the arrangements in time and then the PFF NC can also carry a special inspection from experts from a third party to determine the quality of the lighting.“&lt;/p&gt;
  966. &lt;p&gt;The PFF had earlier threatened to shift another qualifier against Jordan away from the country before it decided to hold it in the day time during the month of Ramazan.&lt;/p&gt;
  967. &lt;p&gt;Pakistan created history by advancing to the second round of World Cup qualifying but they are yet to find their feet, losing all their four matches so far and are out of contention for the third qualifying round.&lt;/p&gt;
  968. &lt;p&gt;The national team, under head coach Stephen Constantine, began their training camp on Monday for their final Group ‘G’ matches against Saudi Arabia, on June 6, and Tajikistan, on June 11.&lt;/p&gt;
  969. &lt;p&gt;For now only the local-based players have joined the camp with the foreign-based players to link up with the team later on.&lt;/p&gt;
  970. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  971. </description>
  972.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>ISLAMABAD: Following objections raised by the Pakistan Football Federation Norma­lisation Committee over the lighting at the Jinnah Stadium for Pakistan’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia next month, the Pakistan Sports Board has insisted that everything will be fixed for the match to go on as scheduled.</p>
  973. <p>Pakistan are due to host the Saudis on June 6 but the PFF NC wrote to the PSB stating that it will be forced to shift the match to a different venue if the floodlights aren’t according to FIFA standards.</p>
  974. <p>A senior PSB official, however, told <em>Dawn</em> on Monday that a solution has been found.</p>
  975. <p>“The idea is to install four floodlights on both sides of the two goal posts in the next few days,” the official stated, adding that the arrangements will be in accordance with the FIFA standards.</p>
  976. <p>A team of officials from the PFF NC visited the Jinnah Stadium earlier this month alongside a delegation from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and its inspection found that the floodlights weren’t up to international standard. It urged the PSB to propose remedial measures and complete lighting arrangements as per standards so that it could share the details with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation accordingly.</p>
  977. <p>“Shifting the match away from Pakistan would be highly shameful for us,” the PSB official said. “It will be a disgrace for the country and if that happens, strict action will be taken against the responsible officials of the PSB.</p>
  978. <p>“I think there is adequate time to sort this out and</p>
  979. <p>therefore there should be no discussion at this point about shifting the match away from Pakistan. We will make sure we make the arrangements in time and then the PFF NC can also carry a special inspection from experts from a third party to determine the quality of the lighting.“</p>
  980. <p>The PFF had earlier threatened to shift another qualifier against Jordan away from the country before it decided to hold it in the day time during the month of Ramazan.</p>
  981. <p>Pakistan created history by advancing to the second round of World Cup qualifying but they are yet to find their feet, losing all their four matches so far and are out of contention for the third qualifying round.</p>
  982. <p>The national team, under head coach Stephen Constantine, began their training camp on Monday for their final Group ‘G’ matches against Saudi Arabia, on June 6, and Tajikistan, on June 11.</p>
  983. <p>For now only the local-based players have joined the camp with the foreign-based players to link up with the team later on.</p>
  984. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  985. ]]></content:encoded>
  986.      <category>Sport</category>
  987.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834722</guid>
  988.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 11:11:50 +0500</pubDate>
  989.      <author>none@none.com (Kashif Abbasi)</author>
  990.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21115204d4ec6a7.png?r=115218" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  991.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21115204d4ec6a7.png?r=115218"/>
  992.        <media:title/>
  993.      </media:content>
  994.    </item>
  995.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  996.      <title>Israeli strikes kill six pro-Iran  fighters in Syria
  997. </title>
  998.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834758/israeli-strikes-kill-six-pro-iran-fighters-in-syria</link>
  999.      <description>&lt;p&gt;BEIRUT: A war monitoring body has said that at least six pro-Iran fighters were killed on Monday. Israel conducted strikes in Syria (near the Lebanese border), in an area where Lebanon’s powerful Hezbol­lah group, holds sway.&lt;/p&gt;
  1000.  
  1001. &lt;p&gt;The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “Israeli strikes targeted two positions of pro-Iran groups in the Homs region” including “a Hezbollah site in the Qusayr area” (near the border), where “six Iran-backed fighters were killed”. The Observatory did not specify their nationalities.&lt;/p&gt;
  1002.  
  1003. &lt;p&gt;A source from Hezbollah told journalists’ that ‘at least one fighter’ from the group was killed in the Israeli strikes, within the Qusayr area.&lt;/p&gt;
  1004.  
  1005. &lt;p&gt;Israel rarely comments on individual strikes conducted in Syria but has ‘repeatedly’ said it will ‘not allow’ its arch-enemy Iran, to expand its presence in the region.&lt;/p&gt;
  1006.  
  1007. &lt;p&gt;On Saturday, the Observatory said an Israeli drone strike near the Lebanese border targeted a vehicle carrying “a Hez­bollah commander and his companion” (without reporting casualties). &lt;/p&gt;
  1008.  
  1009. &lt;p&gt;Hez­bol­lah did not announce any deaths among its ranks, on Saturday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1010.  
  1011. &lt;p&gt;On the 9 of May, Israeli strikes on Syria targeted facilities belonging to Iraq’s ‘Al-Nujaba’ armed movement, the Observatory and the pro-Iran group said. In addition to this, Damascus said an unidentified building was attacked.&lt;/p&gt;
  1012.  
  1013. &lt;p&gt;The Israeli military has carried out ‘hundreds of strikes’ in Syria, since the outbreak of civil war in 2011. They have mainly targeted army positions and Iran-backed fighters (including from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group).&lt;/p&gt;
  1014.  
  1015. &lt;p&gt;However, the frequency of the strikes has increased ever since Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip began, on the 7 of October.&lt;/p&gt;
  1016.  
  1017. &lt;p&gt;The war in Syria has killed more than half a million &lt;/p&gt;
  1018.  
  1019. &lt;p&gt;individuals and displaced millions, since it erupted in 2011 after Damascus cracked down on anti-government protests.&lt;/p&gt;
  1020.  
  1021. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1022. </description>
  1023.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>BEIRUT: A war monitoring body has said that at least six pro-Iran fighters were killed on Monday. Israel conducted strikes in Syria (near the Lebanese border), in an area where Lebanon’s powerful Hezbol­lah group, holds sway.</p>
  1024.  
  1025. <p>The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “Israeli strikes targeted two positions of pro-Iran groups in the Homs region” including “a Hezbollah site in the Qusayr area” (near the border), where “six Iran-backed fighters were killed”. The Observatory did not specify their nationalities.</p>
  1026.  
  1027. <p>A source from Hezbollah told journalists’ that ‘at least one fighter’ from the group was killed in the Israeli strikes, within the Qusayr area.</p>
  1028.  
  1029. <p>Israel rarely comments on individual strikes conducted in Syria but has ‘repeatedly’ said it will ‘not allow’ its arch-enemy Iran, to expand its presence in the region.</p>
  1030.  
  1031. <p>On Saturday, the Observatory said an Israeli drone strike near the Lebanese border targeted a vehicle carrying “a Hez­bollah commander and his companion” (without reporting casualties). </p>
  1032.  
  1033. <p>Hez­bol­lah did not announce any deaths among its ranks, on Saturday.</p>
  1034.  
  1035. <p>On the 9 of May, Israeli strikes on Syria targeted facilities belonging to Iraq’s ‘Al-Nujaba’ armed movement, the Observatory and the pro-Iran group said. In addition to this, Damascus said an unidentified building was attacked.</p>
  1036.  
  1037. <p>The Israeli military has carried out ‘hundreds of strikes’ in Syria, since the outbreak of civil war in 2011. They have mainly targeted army positions and Iran-backed fighters (including from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group).</p>
  1038.  
  1039. <p>However, the frequency of the strikes has increased ever since Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip began, on the 7 of October.</p>
  1040.  
  1041. <p>The war in Syria has killed more than half a million </p>
  1042.  
  1043. <p>individuals and displaced millions, since it erupted in 2011 after Damascus cracked down on anti-government protests.</p>
  1044.  
  1045. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1046. ]]></content:encoded>
  1047.      <category>World</category>
  1048.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834758</guid>
  1049.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 06:59:24 +0500</pubDate>
  1050.      <author>none@none.com (AFP)</author>
  1051.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21103141e6633a2.jpg?r=103235" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1052.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21103141e6633a2.jpg?r=103235"/>
  1053.        <media:title>U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks with U.S. forces in Syria during an unannounced visit at a U.S. military base in Northeast Syria, March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Stewart/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
  1054. </media:title>
  1055.      </media:content>
  1056.    </item>
  1057.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1058.      <title>US, Saudis close  to strategic agreement
  1059. </title>
  1060.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834761/us-saudis-close-to-strategic-agreement</link>
  1061.      <description>&lt;p&gt;WASHINGTON: The United States and Saudi Arabia are close to a deal on a bilateral agreement after the US national security adviser made significant progress in talks with Saudis over the weekend, the White House said on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1062.  
  1063. &lt;p&gt;White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the two sides are “closer than we’ve ever been” on an agreement that is now “near final”. &lt;/p&gt;
  1064.  
  1065. &lt;p&gt;US and Saudi negotiators are seeking to complete work on a bilateral accord that would likely call for formal US guarantees to defend the kingdom as well as Saudi access to more advanced US weaponry, in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting Beijing’s investment in the country.&lt;/p&gt;
  1066.  
  1067. &lt;p&gt;White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials over the weekend where progress was made, Kirby said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1068.  
  1069. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1070.  &lt;p&gt;Washington plans to present the deal to Israeli premier before he decides to normalise ties with Riyadh&lt;/p&gt;
  1071. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1072.  
  1073. &lt;p&gt;The US-Saudi security accord is also expected to involve sharing emerging technologies with Riyadh, including artificial intelligence.&lt;/p&gt;
  1074.  
  1075. &lt;p&gt;Once the deal is completed, it would be part of a broad deal presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to decide whether to make concessions to secure a deal for normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia.&lt;/p&gt;
  1076.  
  1077. &lt;p&gt;Kirby said the timing of a US-Saudi deal was unclear. He said an ultimate objective for Biden is a Palestinian state, but amid the Gaza crisis, no deal on a state is likely any time soon.&lt;/p&gt;
  1078.  
  1079. &lt;p&gt;“Of course, the (US) president remains committed to a two-state solution. He recognises that you know, that’s not something we’re going to see any anytime in the future,” he said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1080.  
  1081. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1082. </description>
  1083.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON: The United States and Saudi Arabia are close to a deal on a bilateral agreement after the US national security adviser made significant progress in talks with Saudis over the weekend, the White House said on Monday.</p>
  1084.  
  1085. <p>White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the two sides are “closer than we’ve ever been” on an agreement that is now “near final”. </p>
  1086.  
  1087. <p>US and Saudi negotiators are seeking to complete work on a bilateral accord that would likely call for formal US guarantees to defend the kingdom as well as Saudi access to more advanced US weaponry, in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting Beijing’s investment in the country.</p>
  1088.  
  1089. <p>White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials over the weekend where progress was made, Kirby said.</p>
  1090.  
  1091. <blockquote>
  1092.  <p>Washington plans to present the deal to Israeli premier before he decides to normalise ties with Riyadh</p>
  1093. </blockquote>
  1094.  
  1095. <p>The US-Saudi security accord is also expected to involve sharing emerging technologies with Riyadh, including artificial intelligence.</p>
  1096.  
  1097. <p>Once the deal is completed, it would be part of a broad deal presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to decide whether to make concessions to secure a deal for normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia.</p>
  1098.  
  1099. <p>Kirby said the timing of a US-Saudi deal was unclear. He said an ultimate objective for Biden is a Palestinian state, but amid the Gaza crisis, no deal on a state is likely any time soon.</p>
  1100.  
  1101. <p>“Of course, the (US) president remains committed to a two-state solution. He recognises that you know, that’s not something we’re going to see any anytime in the future,” he said.</p>
  1102.  
  1103. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1104. ]]></content:encoded>
  1105.      <category>World</category>
  1106.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834761</guid>
  1107.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 06:59:24 +0500</pubDate>
  1108.      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
  1109.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21102653c9abcbc.jpg?r=102759" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1110.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21102653c9abcbc.jpg?r=102759"/>
  1111.        <media:title>White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the two sides are “closer than we’ve ever been” on an agreement that is now “near final”.
  1112. </media:title>
  1113.      </media:content>
  1114.    </item>
  1115.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1116.      <title>New device helps paraplegics regain partial use of hands
  1117. </title>
  1118.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834762/new-device-helps-paraplegics-regain-partial-use-of-hands</link>
  1119.      <description>&lt;p&gt;PARIS: Around 40 individuals who were ‘paralysed’ from the neck down, have regained ‘partial control’ of their arms and hands, thanks to a relatively ‘simple to use device’, a large study said on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1120.  
  1121. &lt;p&gt;The trial has raised hopes that the ‘non-invasive’ device may help people with spinal injuries, ‘get back’ the use of their hands.&lt;/p&gt;
  1122.  
  1123. &lt;p&gt;The device which was developed by Swiss medical technology firm ‘Onward’, delivers an electrical current through electrodes placed on the skin of paralysed patients, near where their spinal cord was damaged.&lt;/p&gt;
  1124.  
  1125. &lt;p&gt;After two months of therapy, 43 of the 60 people participating in the trial ‘regained strength’ and the ‘ability to use their arms and hands’, according to the study which was published in the journal, Nature Medi­cine.&lt;/p&gt;
  1126.  
  1127. &lt;p&gt;“I think it could be life-changing for the majority of people with spinal cord injury” the lead author of the study, US neuroscientist Chet Moritz, told a press conference. The field has witnessed a number of ‘leaps forward’ in recent years, with electrical stimulation of the spinal cord ‘enabling’ several patients to regain the ability to walk.&lt;/p&gt;
  1128.  
  1129. &lt;p&gt;However, these devices do require invasive surgery, to implant devices near the spinal cord.&lt;/p&gt;
  1130.  
  1131. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1132. </description>
  1133.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>PARIS: Around 40 individuals who were ‘paralysed’ from the neck down, have regained ‘partial control’ of their arms and hands, thanks to a relatively ‘simple to use device’, a large study said on Monday.</p>
  1134.  
  1135. <p>The trial has raised hopes that the ‘non-invasive’ device may help people with spinal injuries, ‘get back’ the use of their hands.</p>
  1136.  
  1137. <p>The device which was developed by Swiss medical technology firm ‘Onward’, delivers an electrical current through electrodes placed on the skin of paralysed patients, near where their spinal cord was damaged.</p>
  1138.  
  1139. <p>After two months of therapy, 43 of the 60 people participating in the trial ‘regained strength’ and the ‘ability to use their arms and hands’, according to the study which was published in the journal, Nature Medi­cine.</p>
  1140.  
  1141. <p>“I think it could be life-changing for the majority of people with spinal cord injury” the lead author of the study, US neuroscientist Chet Moritz, told a press conference. The field has witnessed a number of ‘leaps forward’ in recent years, with electrical stimulation of the spinal cord ‘enabling’ several patients to regain the ability to walk.</p>
  1142.  
  1143. <p>However, these devices do require invasive surgery, to implant devices near the spinal cord.</p>
  1144.  
  1145. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1146. ]]></content:encoded>
  1147.      <category>World</category>
  1148.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834762</guid>
  1149.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 06:59:24 +0500</pubDate>
  1150.      <author>none@none.com (AFP)</author>
  1151.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/2110214520daee9.jpg?r=102243" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1152.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/2110214520daee9.jpg?r=102243"/>
  1153.        <media:title>[2/6]A member of a research team who, as they say, have developed an implant of genetically engineered cells into the injured spinal cord of paralysed mice, that has helped them walk again, works at a laboratory February 6, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Purchase Licensing Rights
  1154. </media:title>
  1155.      </media:content>
  1156.    </item>
  1157.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1158.      <title>Britain’s infected blood scandal could have been avoided, inquiry finds
  1159. </title>
  1160.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834763/britains-infected-blood-scandal-could-have-been-avoided-inquiry-finds</link>
  1161.      <description>&lt;p&gt;LONDON: An infected blood scandal in Britain was no accident but the fault of doctors and a succession of governments that led to 3,000 deaths and thousands more contracting hepatitis or HIV, a public inquiry found on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1162.  
  1163. &lt;p&gt;Inquiry chair Brian Langstaff said more than 30,000 people received infected blood and blood products in the 1970s and 1980s from Britain’s state-funded National Health Service, destroying lives, dreams and families.&lt;/p&gt;
  1164.  
  1165. &lt;p&gt;The government hid the truth to  “save face and to save expense”, he said, adding that the cover-up was  “more subtle, more pervasive and more chilling in its implications” than any orchestrated conspiracy plot.&lt;/p&gt;
  1166.  
  1167. &lt;p&gt;Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to apologise on behalf of the state when he addresses the House of Commons. Langstaff, a former High Court judge, received a standing ovation by campaigners as he delivered his findings.&lt;/p&gt;
  1168.  
  1169. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1170.  &lt;p&gt;100 people became infected with HIV by transfusion and about 26,800 were infected with Hepatitis C&lt;/p&gt;
  1171. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1172.  
  1173. &lt;p&gt;The families of victims and survivors had sought justice for years and Langstaff, who led a near 6-year inquiry, said the scale of what happened was both horrifying and astonishing.&lt;/p&gt;
  1174.  
  1175. &lt;p&gt;In some cases, blood products made from donations from US prisoners or other high-risk groups were used on children, infecting them with HIV or hepatitis C, long after the risks were known.&lt;/p&gt;
  1176.  
  1177. &lt;p&gt;Other victims were used in medical trials without their knowledge or consent. Those who contracted HIV were often shunned by their communities afterwards. “This disaster was not an accident,” Langstaff said.  “The infections happened because those in authority — doctors, the blood services and successive governments — did not put patient safety first.”  He said proper compensation must now be paid.&lt;/p&gt;
  1178.  
  1179. &lt;p&gt;The use of infected blood has resulted in thousands of victims in the United States, France, Canada and other countries.&lt;/p&gt;
  1180.  
  1181. &lt;p&gt;The British government, which in 2015 said it was  “something that never should have happened”, agreed in 2022 to make an interim payment of 100,000 pounds ($126,990) to those affected.&lt;/p&gt;
  1182.  
  1183. &lt;p&gt;Clive Smith, chair of the Haemophilia Society, said the scandal had rocked trust in the medical establishment.  “(It) really challenges the trust that we put in people to look after us, to do their best and to protect us,” he told reporters.&lt;/p&gt;
  1184.  
  1185. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;High risk supplies&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1186.  
  1187. &lt;p&gt;The infected blood and blood products, some of which were imported from the United States, were used for transfusions, which were not always clinically needed, and as treatments for bleeding disorders like haemophilia.&lt;/p&gt;
  1188.  
  1189. &lt;p&gt;Haemophiliacs received Factor 8 concentrates which carried a paticularly high risk of infection. Some of the concentrates were infected with HIV in the 1980s, the inquiry said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1190.  
  1191. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1192. </description>
  1193.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>LONDON: An infected blood scandal in Britain was no accident but the fault of doctors and a succession of governments that led to 3,000 deaths and thousands more contracting hepatitis or HIV, a public inquiry found on Monday.</p>
  1194.  
  1195. <p>Inquiry chair Brian Langstaff said more than 30,000 people received infected blood and blood products in the 1970s and 1980s from Britain’s state-funded National Health Service, destroying lives, dreams and families.</p>
  1196.  
  1197. <p>The government hid the truth to  “save face and to save expense”, he said, adding that the cover-up was  “more subtle, more pervasive and more chilling in its implications” than any orchestrated conspiracy plot.</p>
  1198.  
  1199. <p>Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to apologise on behalf of the state when he addresses the House of Commons. Langstaff, a former High Court judge, received a standing ovation by campaigners as he delivered his findings.</p>
  1200.  
  1201. <blockquote>
  1202.  <p>100 people became infected with HIV by transfusion and about 26,800 were infected with Hepatitis C</p>
  1203. </blockquote>
  1204.  
  1205. <p>The families of victims and survivors had sought justice for years and Langstaff, who led a near 6-year inquiry, said the scale of what happened was both horrifying and astonishing.</p>
  1206.  
  1207. <p>In some cases, blood products made from donations from US prisoners or other high-risk groups were used on children, infecting them with HIV or hepatitis C, long after the risks were known.</p>
  1208.  
  1209. <p>Other victims were used in medical trials without their knowledge or consent. Those who contracted HIV were often shunned by their communities afterwards. “This disaster was not an accident,” Langstaff said.  “The infections happened because those in authority — doctors, the blood services and successive governments — did not put patient safety first.”  He said proper compensation must now be paid.</p>
  1210.  
  1211. <p>The use of infected blood has resulted in thousands of victims in the United States, France, Canada and other countries.</p>
  1212.  
  1213. <p>The British government, which in 2015 said it was  “something that never should have happened”, agreed in 2022 to make an interim payment of 100,000 pounds ($126,990) to those affected.</p>
  1214.  
  1215. <p>Clive Smith, chair of the Haemophilia Society, said the scandal had rocked trust in the medical establishment.  “(It) really challenges the trust that we put in people to look after us, to do their best and to protect us,” he told reporters.</p>
  1216.  
  1217. <p><strong>High risk supplies</strong></p>
  1218.  
  1219. <p>The infected blood and blood products, some of which were imported from the United States, were used for transfusions, which were not always clinically needed, and as treatments for bleeding disorders like haemophilia.</p>
  1220.  
  1221. <p>Haemophiliacs received Factor 8 concentrates which carried a paticularly high risk of infection. Some of the concentrates were infected with HIV in the 1980s, the inquiry said.</p>
  1222.  
  1223. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1224. ]]></content:encoded>
  1225.      <category>World</category>
  1226.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834763</guid>
  1227.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 06:59:24 +0500</pubDate>
  1228.      <author>none@none.com (Reuters)</author>
  1229.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21101449ba7eecd.jpg?r=101507" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1230.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21101449ba7eecd.jpg?r=101507"/>
  1231.        <media:title>[1/5] A woman looks at images of victims of the contaminated blood scandal at a gathering to remember those that lost their lives, ahead of the release of final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry on Monday, in London, Britain, May 19, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Purchase Licensing Rights
  1232. </media:title>
  1233.      </media:content>
  1234.    </item>
  1235.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1236.      <title>Lai Ching-te: from coal miner’s son to Taiwan president
  1237. </title>
  1238.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834766/lai-ching-te-from-coal-miners-son-to-taiwan-president</link>
  1239.      <description>&lt;p&gt;TAIPEI: President Lai Ching-te’s roots can be traced to a humble coal-mining town, in Taiwan. On Monday, he assumed Taiwan’s highest office (the presidency). The president now faces the challenge of navigating ‘widening rifts’ (with an increasingly &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1716278/xi-steers-china-towards-assertive-foreign-policy"&gt;assertive&lt;/a&gt; China) and grappling with a ‘fractious parliament’ at home.&lt;/p&gt;
  1240. &lt;p&gt;The Harvard graduate ascended to the presidency after the January elections.  The 64-year-old pledged to ‘defend Taiwan’s democracy’ and ‘resist Beijing’s claims on the island’.&lt;/p&gt;
  1241. &lt;p&gt;In his inaugural speech, Lai called upon Taiwanese citizens to “come together to safeguard our nation”, against China’s threats to bring the island under its control.&lt;/p&gt;
  1242. &lt;p&gt;“We must demonstrate our resolution to defend our nation” he stated, whilst simu­ltaneously ‘warning’ that Taiwan “must not harbour any delusions” about Beijing’s goal.&lt;/p&gt;
  1243. &lt;p&gt;Lai vowed to continue the policies of his predecessor (Tsai Ing-wen). Tsai Ing-wen had a pivotal role in building up Taiwan’s military capabilities, to act as a deterrent against a ‘potential invasion from China’.&lt;/p&gt;
  1244. &lt;p&gt;Lai’s characteristic of being ‘outspoken’ (which he has moderated in recent years), has drawn Beijing’s ire. China regards him as a “stubborn worker” for Taiwan’s independence and a “saboteur of peace”. Beijing ‘warns’ that the veteran politician would be the cause of “war and decline” for the island.&lt;/p&gt;
  1245. &lt;p&gt;Whilst Lai has made repeated overtures to resuming dialogue with China (severed since 2016), he is likely to be ‘rebuffed’. Beijing “will not respond positively to him any more than it did to Tsai” stated Steve Tsang, who is the director of the ‘SOAS China Institute’, in London.&lt;/p&gt;
  1246. &lt;p&gt;“The real issue is how Lai will adjust his approach, once the open arm he is likely to extend to Beijing is met with a cold, or worse response.” Unlike the rest of Taiwan’s political elite, Lai rose through the ranks of civic life in the country. He is originally from an ‘extremely humble background’.&lt;/p&gt;
  1247. &lt;p&gt;Born in the year 1959, Lai was raised by his mother, along with five other siblings. He spent the early years of his life in a ‘rural hamlet’, in New Taipei City. His father (who was a coal miner), died when he was just a toddler.&lt;/p&gt;
  1248. &lt;p&gt;After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in public health, he worked in a hospital in southern Taiwan. In 1996, Lai turned his attention towards politics.&lt;/p&gt;
  1249. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1250. </description>
  1251.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>TAIPEI: President Lai Ching-te’s roots can be traced to a humble coal-mining town, in Taiwan. On Monday, he assumed Taiwan’s highest office (the presidency). The president now faces the challenge of navigating ‘widening rifts’ (with an increasingly <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1716278/xi-steers-china-towards-assertive-foreign-policy">assertive</a> China) and grappling with a ‘fractious parliament’ at home.</p>
  1252. <p>The Harvard graduate ascended to the presidency after the January elections.  The 64-year-old pledged to ‘defend Taiwan’s democracy’ and ‘resist Beijing’s claims on the island’.</p>
  1253. <p>In his inaugural speech, Lai called upon Taiwanese citizens to “come together to safeguard our nation”, against China’s threats to bring the island under its control.</p>
  1254. <p>“We must demonstrate our resolution to defend our nation” he stated, whilst simu­ltaneously ‘warning’ that Taiwan “must not harbour any delusions” about Beijing’s goal.</p>
  1255. <p>Lai vowed to continue the policies of his predecessor (Tsai Ing-wen). Tsai Ing-wen had a pivotal role in building up Taiwan’s military capabilities, to act as a deterrent against a ‘potential invasion from China’.</p>
  1256. <p>Lai’s characteristic of being ‘outspoken’ (which he has moderated in recent years), has drawn Beijing’s ire. China regards him as a “stubborn worker” for Taiwan’s independence and a “saboteur of peace”. Beijing ‘warns’ that the veteran politician would be the cause of “war and decline” for the island.</p>
  1257. <p>Whilst Lai has made repeated overtures to resuming dialogue with China (severed since 2016), he is likely to be ‘rebuffed’. Beijing “will not respond positively to him any more than it did to Tsai” stated Steve Tsang, who is the director of the ‘SOAS China Institute’, in London.</p>
  1258. <p>“The real issue is how Lai will adjust his approach, once the open arm he is likely to extend to Beijing is met with a cold, or worse response.” Unlike the rest of Taiwan’s political elite, Lai rose through the ranks of civic life in the country. He is originally from an ‘extremely humble background’.</p>
  1259. <p>Born in the year 1959, Lai was raised by his mother, along with five other siblings. He spent the early years of his life in a ‘rural hamlet’, in New Taipei City. His father (who was a coal miner), died when he was just a toddler.</p>
  1260. <p>After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in public health, he worked in a hospital in southern Taiwan. In 1996, Lai turned his attention towards politics.</p>
  1261. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1262. ]]></content:encoded>
  1263.      <category>World</category>
  1264.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834766</guid>
  1265.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 10:07:28 +0500</pubDate>
  1266.      <author>none@none.com (AFP)</author>
  1267.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/664bd35d97343.gif" type="image/gif" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1268.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/664bd35d97343.gif"/>
  1269.        <media:title>President Lai Ching-te waves as he delivers his inaugural speech after being sworn into office, on Monday.—AFP
  1270. </media:title>
  1271.      </media:content>
  1272.    </item>
  1273.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1274.      <title>South Africa’s top court strikes Zuma from ballot
  1275. </title>
  1276.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834767/south-africas-top-court-strikes-zuma-from-ballot</link>
  1277.      <description>&lt;p&gt;JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s top court on Monday barred former president Jacob Zuma from running in general elections next week, but his upstart opposition party vowed to fight on to return the graft-tainted politician to office.&lt;/p&gt;
  1278.  
  1279. &lt;p&gt;The ruling has stoked fears of violent unrest in the run-up to the poll, already the most competitive since the advent of democracy in 1994. But Zuma’s party, uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), urged supporters to remain calm and go out and vote on May 29.&lt;/p&gt;
  1280.  
  1281. &lt;p&gt;“This heavily flawed and conflicted judgement is not the end but rather a pivotal moment affirming that the MK Party is the right choice for the black poor and downtrodden,” it said. The top court backed an electoral commission decision that Zuma’s previous conviction for contempt of court prevents him from becoming an MP, ruling that the constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in jail.&lt;/p&gt;
  1282.  
  1283. &lt;p&gt;Zuma, who left office in 2018 dogged by corruption allegations, was convicted of contempt in 2021 and sentenced to 15 months. Rioting after his imprisonment left more than 350 people dead.&lt;/p&gt;
  1284.  
  1285. &lt;p&gt;He eventually served less than three months in jail, but the court ruled that this was irrelevant as the constitution refers to the sentence imposed, not served. &lt;/p&gt;
  1286.  
  1287. &lt;p&gt;“Mr Zuma... is accordingly not eligible to be a member of and not qualified to stand for election to the national assembly,” Justice Leona Theron said, reading the judgement.&lt;/p&gt;
  1288.  
  1289. &lt;p&gt;In a South African general election, the president is chosen by MPs from among their own ranks. If Zuma is not allowed to enter parliament he cannot become president, even if his newly formed party is able to muster enough seats to propose him.&lt;/p&gt;
  1290.  
  1291. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1292. </description>
  1293.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s top court on Monday barred former president Jacob Zuma from running in general elections next week, but his upstart opposition party vowed to fight on to return the graft-tainted politician to office.</p>
  1294.  
  1295. <p>The ruling has stoked fears of violent unrest in the run-up to the poll, already the most competitive since the advent of democracy in 1994. But Zuma’s party, uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), urged supporters to remain calm and go out and vote on May 29.</p>
  1296.  
  1297. <p>“This heavily flawed and conflicted judgement is not the end but rather a pivotal moment affirming that the MK Party is the right choice for the black poor and downtrodden,” it said. The top court backed an electoral commission decision that Zuma’s previous conviction for contempt of court prevents him from becoming an MP, ruling that the constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in jail.</p>
  1298.  
  1299. <p>Zuma, who left office in 2018 dogged by corruption allegations, was convicted of contempt in 2021 and sentenced to 15 months. Rioting after his imprisonment left more than 350 people dead.</p>
  1300.  
  1301. <p>He eventually served less than three months in jail, but the court ruled that this was irrelevant as the constitution refers to the sentence imposed, not served. </p>
  1302.  
  1303. <p>“Mr Zuma... is accordingly not eligible to be a member of and not qualified to stand for election to the national assembly,” Justice Leona Theron said, reading the judgement.</p>
  1304.  
  1305. <p>In a South African general election, the president is chosen by MPs from among their own ranks. If Zuma is not allowed to enter parliament he cannot become president, even if his newly formed party is able to muster enough seats to propose him.</p>
  1306.  
  1307. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1308. ]]></content:encoded>
  1309.      <category>World</category>
  1310.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834767</guid>
  1311.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 06:59:24 +0500</pubDate>
  1312.      <author>none@none.com (AFP)</author>
  1313.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/664bd34b469f0.gif" type="image/gif" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1314.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/664bd34b469f0.gif"/>
  1315.        <media:title>SUPPORTERS of a newly formed political party march outside South Africa’s constitutional court following the ruling that declared former president Jacob Zuma ineligible to contest elections.—AFP
  1316. </media:title>
  1317.      </media:content>
  1318.    </item>
  1319.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1320.      <title>PM Shehbaz announces day of mourning on Tuesday for Iranian helicopter crash victims</title>
  1321.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834599/pm-shehbaz-announces-day-of-mourning-on-tuesday-for-iranian-helicopter-crash-victims</link>
  1322.      <description>&lt;p&gt;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday declared a day of national mourning in the country for May 21 to pay respects to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other dignitaries who passed away in a helicopter crash.&lt;/p&gt;
  1323. &lt;p&gt;Raisi, a hardliner long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834463/iran-presidential-helicopter-in-accident-unknown-if-raisi-on-board-state-media"&gt;helicopter crash&lt;/a&gt; in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said earlier today.&lt;/p&gt;
  1324. &lt;p&gt;The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.&lt;/p&gt;
  1325. &lt;hr /&gt;
  1326. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What we know so far:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1327. &lt;ul&gt;
  1328. &lt;li&gt;Nine people were on board; no official word on cause of crash&lt;/li&gt;
  1329. &lt;li&gt;Convoy’s two other copters reached safely, Iranian media says&lt;/li&gt;
  1330. &lt;li&gt;Pakistan to observe day of mourning, flag to fly at half-mast&lt;/li&gt;
  1331. &lt;li&gt;Rescue teams fought blizzards, difficult terrain during night-long efforts aided by other countries&lt;/li&gt;
  1332. &lt;li&gt;First Vice President Mokhber to take over as interim president&lt;/li&gt;
  1333. &lt;/ul&gt;
  1334. &lt;hr /&gt;
  1335. &lt;p&gt;A notification from the Cabinet Division issued today said: “In an expression of fraternal solidarity on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan with the government and people of Iran on the sad demise of the President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi and other dignitaries, the prime minister has declared Tuesday, May 21, as a day of national mourning in Pakistan.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1336. &lt;p&gt;The national flag will fly at half-mast throughout the country on Tuesday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1337. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1338.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1339.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1340.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GovtofPakistan/status/1792616874745725140"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1341.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1342. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1343.        
  1344.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1345. &lt;p&gt;Iran’s military chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri ordered a probe into the cause of the helicopter crash.&lt;/p&gt;
  1346. &lt;p&gt;Bagheri ordered “a high-ranking committee to launch an investigation into the cause of the president’s helicopter crash”, the &lt;em&gt;ISNA&lt;/em&gt; news agency reported.&lt;/p&gt;
  1347. &lt;p&gt;Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, said First Vice President &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834631/who-is-mohammad-mokhber-the-man-set-to-become-irans-interim-president"&gt;Mohammad Mokhber&lt;/a&gt; would take over as interim president, the official &lt;em&gt;IRNA&lt;/em&gt; news agency reported.&lt;/p&gt;
  1348. &lt;p&gt;“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” Khamenei said in a statement. Mokhber, like Raisi, is seen as close to Khamenei.&lt;/p&gt;
  1349. &lt;p&gt;Under Iran’s constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days.&lt;/p&gt;
  1350. &lt;p&gt;Footage from Iranian state television showed wreckage scattered on a foggy hillside, while separate images from &lt;em&gt;IRNA&lt;/em&gt; showed Red Crescent workers carrying a covered body on a stretcher. All those aboard the helicopter were killed, a senior Iranian official had earlier told &lt;em&gt;Reuters&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1351. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
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justify-content: center;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding: 19% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"&gt;&lt;svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"&gt;&lt;g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"&gt;&lt;g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"&gt;&lt;g&gt;&lt;path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"&gt;&lt;/path&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding-top: 8px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"&gt; View this post on Instagram&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="margin-left: 8px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="margin-left: auto;"&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7Lb_NLIhnP/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1353.        
  1354.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1355. &lt;p&gt;Killed alongside Raisi were FM Amirabdollahian, known for his fierce anti-Israel sentiment and scepticism of the West, and seven others, including the governor of East Azerbaijan Province and a senior imam from Tabriz city.&lt;/p&gt;
  1356. &lt;p&gt;Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani was appointed as acting foreign minister following the death of Amirabdollahian, &lt;em&gt;IRNA&lt;/em&gt; said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1357. &lt;p&gt;A total of nine people were on board the aircraft, according to &lt;em&gt;Tasnim&lt;/em&gt; news agency. Raisi’s convoy had included three helicopters, and the other two had “reached their destination safely”, said the news agency.&lt;/p&gt;
  1358. &lt;p&gt;An Israeli official told &lt;em&gt;Reuters&lt;/em&gt; it was not involved in the crash. “It wasn’t us,” said the official, who requested anonymity.&lt;/p&gt;
  1359. &lt;p&gt;Iranian authorities first raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon when they lost contact with Raisi’s helicopter as it flew through a fog-shrouded mountain area of the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province.&lt;/p&gt;
  1360. &lt;p&gt;The helicopter went down in the Varzeqan region north of Tabriz, &lt;em&gt;IRNA&lt;/em&gt; reported, as Raisi returned from an official visit to the border with Azerbaijan.&lt;/p&gt;
  1361. &lt;p&gt;Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a “friendly farewell” to Raisi earlier in the day, also offered assistance in the rescue.&lt;/p&gt;
  1362. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1363.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--instagram  media__item--relative'&gt;&lt;blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7LkDJXo6h8/?igsh=MTRzbWFva3JuZnBlYw==" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"&gt;&lt;div style="padding:16px;"&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7LkDJXo6h8/?igsh=MTRzbWFva3JuZnBlYw==" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"&gt; &lt;div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding: 19% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"&gt;&lt;svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"&gt;&lt;g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"&gt;&lt;g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"&gt;&lt;g&gt;&lt;path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"&gt;&lt;/path&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding-top: 8px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"&gt; View this post on Instagram&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="margin-left: 8px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="margin-left: auto;"&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7LkDJXo6h8/?igsh=MTRzbWFva3JuZnBlYw==" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1364.        
  1365.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1366. &lt;p&gt;State media reported that images from the site showed the US-made &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-crashed-helicopter-carrying-irans-president-2024-05-20/"&gt;Bell 212 helicopter&lt;/a&gt; slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash. An Iranian official earlier told &lt;em&gt;Reuters&lt;/em&gt; that the helicopter was completely burned in the crash.&lt;/p&gt;
  1367. &lt;p&gt;Rescue teams fought blizzards and difficult terrain through the night to reach the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province in the early hours of Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1368. &lt;p&gt;“Upon finding the helicopter, there was no sign of the helicopter passengers being alive as of yet,” state TV reported about 15 hours after the aircraft went missing.&lt;/p&gt;
  1369. &lt;p&gt;The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Iran’s clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and its deepening military ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine.&lt;/p&gt;
  1370. &lt;p&gt;Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, provoking &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/live/gaza-invasion"&gt;Israel’s assault on Gaza&lt;/a&gt; that has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, conflagrations involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East.&lt;/p&gt;
  1371. &lt;p&gt;A long “shadow war” between Iran and Israel broke into the open last month with &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1828325/tehran-signals-no-retaliation-against-israel-after-drones-attack-iran"&gt;tit-for-tat exchanges&lt;/a&gt; of drone and missile fire.&lt;/p&gt;
  1372. &lt;p&gt;Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1832474"&gt;nuclear talks&lt;/a&gt; with world powers.&lt;/p&gt;
  1373. &lt;p&gt;Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, sought to reassure Iranians, saying there would be no disruption to state affairs.&lt;/p&gt;
  1374. &lt;p&gt;The Iranian government will continue to operate “without the slightest disruption” following Raisi’s death, said a cabinet statement on Monday.&lt;/p&gt;
  1375. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="pakistan-mourns-loss-of-great-friend" href="#pakistan-mourns-loss-of-great-friend" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;‘Pakistan mourns loss of great friend’&lt;/h2&gt;
  1376. &lt;p&gt;President Asif Ali Zardari “expressed profound shock and sorrow over the tragic death” of his Iranian counterpart.&lt;/p&gt;
  1377. &lt;p&gt;In a &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/PresOfPakistan/status/1792453821320609820"&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt; issued by the president’s office, Zardari “emphasised that the Islamic World has lost a remarkable leader who always supported [the] Muslim cause and deeply felt the sufferings of the Muslims globally, particularly the Palestinian and Kashmiri people”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1378. &lt;p&gt;“Today, Pakistan mourns the loss of a great friend. Just last month, we had the honour of hosting him in Pakistan. During our discussions, I found him very keen on strengthening our bilateral relations,” President Zardari said, recalling Raisi’s &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1829157"&gt;visit to Pakistan&lt;/a&gt; last month.&lt;/p&gt;
  1379. &lt;p&gt;Highlighting that the Iranian president “always had a special place for Pakistan and its people”, Zardari said Raisi will be “dearly missed and fondly remembered in Iran, Pakistan, and the Islamic World for his efforts to enhance relations with regional and Islamic countries”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1380. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1381.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1382.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1383.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PresOfPakistan/status/1792453821320609820"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1384.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1385. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1386.        
  1387.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1388. &lt;p&gt;PM Shehbaz, extending his deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation, said Pakistan would observe a day of mourning and the flag would fly at half-mast.&lt;/p&gt;
  1389. &lt;p&gt;“Had been anxiously following developments regarding the reported crash landing of President Raisi’s helicopter. Was hoping for good news. Alas, this was not to be,” the premier said in a &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1792425511488217443"&gt;post on X&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1390. &lt;p&gt;“The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage,” he added.&lt;/p&gt;
  1391. &lt;p&gt;In another &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1792426525868114009"&gt;post&lt;/a&gt;, PM Shehbaz recalled Raisi’s and the foreign minister’s &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1829283"&gt;“historic visit”&lt;/a&gt; to the country: “They were good friends of Pakistan.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1392. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1393.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--instagram  media__item--relative'&gt;&lt;blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7LiXxvoLyE/?igsh=MXIxZzB4ZHJpNWs5bA==" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"&gt;&lt;div style="padding:16px;"&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7LiXxvoLyE/?igsh=MXIxZzB4ZHJpNWs5bA==" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"&gt; &lt;div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding: 19% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"&gt;&lt;svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"&gt;&lt;g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"&gt;&lt;g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"&gt;&lt;g&gt;&lt;path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"&gt;&lt;/path&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="padding-top: 8px;"&gt; 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  1394.        
  1395.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1396. &lt;p&gt;PM Shehbaz later visited the Iranian embassy to offer his condolences to Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam.&lt;/p&gt;
  1397. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1398.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1399.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1400.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WorldPTV/status/1792549640656826851"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1401.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1402. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1403.        
  1404.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1405. &lt;p&gt;“President Dr Syed Ebrahim Raisi was a brilliant scholar and visionary leader. Today, Pakistan has lost a friend like Dr Raisi, a sincere and high quality brother. His services to his own nation as well as to the strengthening of Pakistan-Iran relations and regional cooperation will always be remembered,” PM Shehbaz said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1406. &lt;p&gt;Ambassador Moghaddam said Raise had also considered Shehbaz as the “best person and friend of Iran”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1407. &lt;p&gt;“The late President Ebrahim Raisi’s vision of strengthening and promoting Pakistan-Iran relations will be continued,” he said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1408. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1409.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1410.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1411.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1792543821336825893"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1412.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1413. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1414.        
  1415.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1416. &lt;p&gt;He appreciated the premier’s visit in a separate post on X as well.&lt;/p&gt;
  1417. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1418.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1419.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1420.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/IranAmbPak/status/1792531452891943323?t=xlBg-jrTNC3BIotLQKt_PA&amp;amp;s=19"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1421.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1422. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1423.        
  1424.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1425. &lt;p&gt;Deputy PM Ishaq Dar — also the foreign minister — said he was “truly aggrieved” about Raisi’s death and “deeply saddened to know about the martyrdom of my friend and brother” FM Amirabdollahian.&lt;/p&gt;
  1426. &lt;p&gt;“In President Raisi’s recent visit to Pakistan, he played [an] instrumental role in solidifying Pakistan-Iran ties,” the foreign minister &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792446848096968904"&gt;said&lt;/a&gt; about his Iranian counterpart.&lt;/p&gt;
  1427. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1428.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1429.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1430.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792446848096968904"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1431.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1432. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1433.        
  1434.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1435. &lt;p&gt;Remembering Raisi, Dar &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792447053886292013"&gt;said&lt;/a&gt;: “Today Ummah has lost a great statesman. Pakistan has lost a true friend.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1436. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1437.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1438.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1439.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792447053886292013"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1440.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1441. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1442.        
  1443.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1444. &lt;p&gt;The Foreign Office (FO) said the government and the Pakistani people were “deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of the martyrdom” of Raisi and FM Amirabdollahian.&lt;/p&gt;
  1445. &lt;p&gt;“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the martyrs and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We stand in solidarity with them in this time of National tragedy,” it said in a &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1792445725898354826"&gt;statement&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1446. &lt;p&gt;Stating that the two were “esteemed leaders and statesmen”, the FO highlighted that their contributions to reinforcing Pak-Iran ties and regional cooperation would always be remembered.&lt;/p&gt;
  1447. &lt;p&gt;“Pakistan reiterates its commitment to furthering the bonds of friendship and cooperation with Iran, as envisioned by the late leaders. May the departed souls rest in eternal peace in Jannah,” the statement added.&lt;/p&gt;
  1448. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1449.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1450.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1451.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1792445725898354826"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1452.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1453. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1454.        
  1455.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1456. &lt;p&gt;Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/MOIofficialGoP/status/1792431560081223963"&gt;expressed&lt;/a&gt; his condolences, adding that his recent meeting with the Iranian president was a memorable one.&lt;/p&gt;
  1457. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1458.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1459.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1460.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MOIofficialGoP/status/1792431560081223963"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1461.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1462. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1463.        
  1464.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1465. &lt;p&gt;Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the brotherly people of Iran, especially the families of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, following the tragic incident.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1466. &lt;p&gt;Praying for both leaders, the PPP chairman said Pakistan’s thoughts and prayers were with their families and all Iranian brothers and sisters during this profound time of sorrow.&lt;/p&gt;
  1467. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1468.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1469.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1470.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BBhuttoZardari/status/1792443778696908871"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1471.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1472. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1473.        
  1474.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1475. &lt;p&gt;Former president Arif Alvi &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/ArifAlvi/status/1792454663402668093"&gt;said&lt;/a&gt; he expressed “deep grief, sorrow and regret over the loss of precious lives” in the crash, calling Raisi his “close friend and companion”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1476. &lt;p&gt;“I found respected Raisi &lt;em&gt;sahib&lt;/em&gt; to be very hardworking, principled and empathiser of the Islamic world. The deceased had a very knowledgeable, good-natured and interesting personality,” he added.&lt;/p&gt;
  1477. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1478.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1479.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1480.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ArifAlvi/status/1792454663402668093"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1481.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1482. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1483.        
  1484.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1485. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="prayers-searches" href="#prayers-searches" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Prayers, searches&lt;/h2&gt;
  1486. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  '&gt;
  1487.        &lt;div class='media__item  '&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/20101624b32e07f.png'  alt=' Rescuers participate in what the Iranian Red Crescent Society says is a search and rescue operation following the crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, at an unidentified location in this still image taken from video released on May 20. &amp;mdash; Iranian Red Crescent Society via Reuters ' /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1488.        &lt;figcaption class='media__caption  '&gt;Rescuers participate in what the Iranian Red Crescent Society says is a search and rescue operation following the crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, at an unidentified location in this still image taken from video released on May 20. — Iranian Red Crescent Society via Reuters&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  1489.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1490. &lt;p&gt;Expressions of concern and offers of help came from abroad, including Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia, China and Turkiye, as well as from the European Union which activated its rapid response mapping service to aid in the search effort.&lt;/p&gt;
  1491. &lt;p&gt;Iran’s cabinet held an emergency meeting led by Vice President Mohammad Mokhber after the incident, the &lt;em&gt;IRNA&lt;/em&gt; news agency reported.&lt;/p&gt;
  1492. &lt;p&gt;Army, Revolutionary Guard and police officers were involved in the search, authorities said, as TV stations showed pictures of Red Crescent teams walking up a hill in the mist, while rows of emergency response vehicles waited.&lt;/p&gt;
  1493. &lt;p&gt;A Turkish drone identified a source of heat suspected to be the helicopter’s wreckage and had shared the coordinates of the possible crash site with Iranian authorities, &lt;em&gt;Anadolu&lt;/em&gt; news agency said earlier on X.&lt;/p&gt;
  1494. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'&gt;
  1495.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '&gt;&lt;span&gt;
  1496.    &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"&gt;
  1497.        &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/1792348729858768951"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1498.    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1499. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1500.        
  1501.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1502. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;IRNA&lt;/em&gt; said Raisi was flying in a US-made &lt;a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-crashed-helicopter-carrying-irans-president-2024-05-20/"&gt;Bell 212 helicopter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1503. &lt;p&gt;Earlier, the national broadcaster had stopped all regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country.&lt;/p&gt;
  1504. &lt;p&gt;In the early hours of Monday, it showed a rescue team, wearing bright jackets and head torches, huddled around a GPS device as they searched a pitch-black mountainside on foot in a blizzard.&lt;/p&gt;
  1505. &lt;p&gt;“We are thoroughly searching every inch of the general area of the crash,” state media quoted a regional army commander as saying. “The area has very cold, rainy, and foggy weather conditions. The rain is gradually turning into snow.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1506. &lt;p&gt;A US State Department spokesman said: “We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister”, adding that “we have no further comment at this time”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1507. &lt;p&gt;US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the crash, an American official said on condition of anonymity.&lt;/p&gt;
  1508. &lt;p&gt;China said it was deeply concerned. The European Union offered emergency satellite mapping technology.&lt;/p&gt;
  1509. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="hardliner-possible-successor-to-khamenei" href="#hardliner-possible-successor-to-khamenei" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Hardliner, possible successor to Khamenei&lt;/h2&gt;
  1510. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  '&gt;
  1511.        &lt;div class='media__item  '&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/201020092585e47.jpg'  alt=' Rescue vehicles are seen following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran&amp;rsquo;s President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran on May 19, 2024. &amp;mdash; Wana via Reuters ' /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1512.        &lt;figcaption class='media__caption  '&gt;Rescue vehicles are seen following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran on May 19, 2024. — Wana via Reuters&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  1513.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1514. &lt;p&gt;The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Iran’s clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and its deepening military ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine.&lt;/p&gt;
  1515. &lt;p&gt;Since Iran’s ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, provoking Israel’s assault on Gaza, conflagrations involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East.&lt;/p&gt;
  1516. &lt;p&gt;In Iran’s dual political system, split between the clerical establishment and the government, it is Raisi’s 85-year-old mentor Khamenei, supreme leader since 1989, who holds decision-making power on all major policies.&lt;/p&gt;
  1517. &lt;p&gt;For years many have seen Raisi as a strong contender to &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834472"&gt;succeed&lt;/a&gt; Khamenei, who has endorsed Raisi’s main policies. Raisi’s victory in a closely managed election in 2021 brought all branches of power under the control of hardliners, after eight years when the presidency had been held by pragmatist Hassan Rouhani and a nuclear deal negotiated with powers including Washington.&lt;/p&gt;
  1518. &lt;p&gt;However, Raisi’s standing may have been dented by widespread protests against clerical rule and a failure to turn around Iran’s economy, hamstrung by Western sanctions.&lt;/p&gt;
  1519. </description>
  1520.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday declared a day of national mourning in the country for May 21 to pay respects to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other dignitaries who passed away in a helicopter crash.</p>
  1521. <p>Raisi, a hardliner long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834463/iran-presidential-helicopter-in-accident-unknown-if-raisi-on-board-state-media">helicopter crash</a> in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said earlier today.</p>
  1522. <p>The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.</p>
  1523. <hr />
  1524. <p><strong>What we know so far:</strong></p>
  1525. <ul>
  1526. <li>Nine people were on board; no official word on cause of crash</li>
  1527. <li>Convoy’s two other copters reached safely, Iranian media says</li>
  1528. <li>Pakistan to observe day of mourning, flag to fly at half-mast</li>
  1529. <li>Rescue teams fought blizzards, difficult terrain during night-long efforts aided by other countries</li>
  1530. <li>First Vice President Mokhber to take over as interim president</li>
  1531. </ul>
  1532. <hr />
  1533. <p>A notification from the Cabinet Division issued today said: “In an expression of fraternal solidarity on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan with the government and people of Iran on the sad demise of the President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi and other dignitaries, the prime minister has declared Tuesday, May 21, as a day of national mourning in Pakistan.”</p>
  1534. <p>The national flag will fly at half-mast throughout the country on Tuesday.</p>
  1535. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1536.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1537.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1538.        <a href="https://twitter.com/GovtofPakistan/status/1792616874745725140"></a>
  1539.    </blockquote>
  1540. </span></div>
  1541.        
  1542.    </figure></p>
  1543. <p>Iran’s military chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri ordered a probe into the cause of the helicopter crash.</p>
  1544. <p>Bagheri ordered “a high-ranking committee to launch an investigation into the cause of the president’s helicopter crash”, the <em>ISNA</em> news agency reported.</p>
  1545. <p>Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, said First Vice President <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834631/who-is-mohammad-mokhber-the-man-set-to-become-irans-interim-president">Mohammad Mokhber</a> would take over as interim president, the official <em>IRNA</em> news agency reported.</p>
  1546. <p>“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” Khamenei said in a statement. Mokhber, like Raisi, is seen as close to Khamenei.</p>
  1547. <p>Under Iran’s constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days.</p>
  1548. <p>Footage from Iranian state television showed wreckage scattered on a foggy hillside, while separate images from <em>IRNA</em> showed Red Crescent workers carrying a covered body on a stretcher. All those aboard the helicopter were killed, a senior Iranian official had earlier told <em>Reuters</em>.</p>
  1549. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1550.        <div class='media__item  media__item--instagram  media__item--relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7Lb_NLIhnP/" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7Lb_NLIhnP/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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  1551.        
  1552.    </figure></p>
  1553. <p>Killed alongside Raisi were FM Amirabdollahian, known for his fierce anti-Israel sentiment and scepticism of the West, and seven others, including the governor of East Azerbaijan Province and a senior imam from Tabriz city.</p>
  1554. <p>Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani was appointed as acting foreign minister following the death of Amirabdollahian, <em>IRNA</em> said.</p>
  1555. <p>A total of nine people were on board the aircraft, according to <em>Tasnim</em> news agency. Raisi’s convoy had included three helicopters, and the other two had “reached their destination safely”, said the news agency.</p>
  1556. <p>An Israeli official told <em>Reuters</em> it was not involved in the crash. “It wasn’t us,” said the official, who requested anonymity.</p>
  1557. <p>Iranian authorities first raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon when they lost contact with Raisi’s helicopter as it flew through a fog-shrouded mountain area of the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province.</p>
  1558. <p>The helicopter went down in the Varzeqan region north of Tabriz, <em>IRNA</em> reported, as Raisi returned from an official visit to the border with Azerbaijan.</p>
  1559. <p>Raisi had been at the Azerbaijani border to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam, a joint project. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who said he had bid a “friendly farewell” to Raisi earlier in the day, also offered assistance in the rescue.</p>
  1560. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1561.        <div class='media__item  media__item--instagram  media__item--relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7LkDJXo6h8/?igsh=MTRzbWFva3JuZnBlYw==" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7LkDJXo6h8/?igsh=MTRzbWFva3JuZnBlYw==" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7LkDJXo6h8/?igsh=MTRzbWFva3JuZnBlYw==" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
  1562.        
  1563.    </figure></p>
  1564. <p>State media reported that images from the site showed the US-made <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-crashed-helicopter-carrying-irans-president-2024-05-20/">Bell 212 helicopter</a> slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash. An Iranian official earlier told <em>Reuters</em> that the helicopter was completely burned in the crash.</p>
  1565. <p>Rescue teams fought blizzards and difficult terrain through the night to reach the wreckage in East Azerbaijan province in the early hours of Monday.</p>
  1566. <p>“Upon finding the helicopter, there was no sign of the helicopter passengers being alive as of yet,” state TV reported about 15 hours after the aircraft went missing.</p>
  1567. <p>The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Iran’s clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and its deepening military ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine.</p>
  1568. <p>Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, provoking <a href="https://www.dawn.com/live/gaza-invasion">Israel’s assault on Gaza</a> that has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, conflagrations involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East.</p>
  1569. <p>A long “shadow war” between Iran and Israel broke into the open last month with <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1828325/tehran-signals-no-retaliation-against-israel-after-drones-attack-iran">tit-for-tat exchanges</a> of drone and missile fire.</p>
  1570. <p>Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1832474">nuclear talks</a> with world powers.</p>
  1571. <p>Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, sought to reassure Iranians, saying there would be no disruption to state affairs.</p>
  1572. <p>The Iranian government will continue to operate “without the slightest disruption” following Raisi’s death, said a cabinet statement on Monday.</p>
  1573. <h2><a id="pakistan-mourns-loss-of-great-friend" href="#pakistan-mourns-loss-of-great-friend" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Pakistan mourns loss of great friend’</h2>
  1574. <p>President Asif Ali Zardari “expressed profound shock and sorrow over the tragic death” of his Iranian counterpart.</p>
  1575. <p>In a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/PresOfPakistan/status/1792453821320609820">statement</a> issued by the president’s office, Zardari “emphasised that the Islamic World has lost a remarkable leader who always supported [the] Muslim cause and deeply felt the sufferings of the Muslims globally, particularly the Palestinian and Kashmiri people”.</p>
  1576. <p>“Today, Pakistan mourns the loss of a great friend. Just last month, we had the honour of hosting him in Pakistan. During our discussions, I found him very keen on strengthening our bilateral relations,” President Zardari said, recalling Raisi’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1829157">visit to Pakistan</a> last month.</p>
  1577. <p>Highlighting that the Iranian president “always had a special place for Pakistan and its people”, Zardari said Raisi will be “dearly missed and fondly remembered in Iran, Pakistan, and the Islamic World for his efforts to enhance relations with regional and Islamic countries”.</p>
  1578. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1579.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1580.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1581.        <a href="https://twitter.com/PresOfPakistan/status/1792453821320609820"></a>
  1582.    </blockquote>
  1583. </span></div>
  1584.        
  1585.    </figure></p>
  1586. <p>PM Shehbaz, extending his deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation, said Pakistan would observe a day of mourning and the flag would fly at half-mast.</p>
  1587. <p>“Had been anxiously following developments regarding the reported crash landing of President Raisi’s helicopter. Was hoping for good news. Alas, this was not to be,” the premier said in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1792425511488217443">post on X</a>.</p>
  1588. <p>“The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage,” he added.</p>
  1589. <p>In another <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1792426525868114009">post</a>, PM Shehbaz recalled Raisi’s and the foreign minister’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1829283">“historic visit”</a> to the country: “They were good friends of Pakistan.”</p>
  1590. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1591.        <div class='media__item  media__item--instagram  media__item--relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7LiXxvoLyE/?igsh=MXIxZzB4ZHJpNWs5bA==" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7LiXxvoLyE/?igsh=MXIxZzB4ZHJpNWs5bA==" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7LiXxvoLyE/?igsh=MXIxZzB4ZHJpNWs5bA==" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
  1592.        
  1593.    </figure></p>
  1594. <p>PM Shehbaz later visited the Iranian embassy to offer his condolences to Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam.</p>
  1595. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1596.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1597.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1598.        <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldPTV/status/1792549640656826851"></a>
  1599.    </blockquote>
  1600. </span></div>
  1601.        
  1602.    </figure></p>
  1603. <p>“President Dr Syed Ebrahim Raisi was a brilliant scholar and visionary leader. Today, Pakistan has lost a friend like Dr Raisi, a sincere and high quality brother. His services to his own nation as well as to the strengthening of Pakistan-Iran relations and regional cooperation will always be remembered,” PM Shehbaz said.</p>
  1604. <p>Ambassador Moghaddam said Raise had also considered Shehbaz as the “best person and friend of Iran”.</p>
  1605. <p>“The late President Ebrahim Raisi’s vision of strengthening and promoting Pakistan-Iran relations will be continued,” he said.</p>
  1606. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1607.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1608.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1609.        <a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1792543821336825893"></a>
  1610.    </blockquote>
  1611. </span></div>
  1612.        
  1613.    </figure></p>
  1614. <p>He appreciated the premier’s visit in a separate post on X as well.</p>
  1615. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1616.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1617.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1618.        <a href="https://twitter.com/IranAmbPak/status/1792531452891943323?t=xlBg-jrTNC3BIotLQKt_PA&amp;s=19"></a>
  1619.    </blockquote>
  1620. </span></div>
  1621.        
  1622.    </figure></p>
  1623. <p>Deputy PM Ishaq Dar — also the foreign minister — said he was “truly aggrieved” about Raisi’s death and “deeply saddened to know about the martyrdom of my friend and brother” FM Amirabdollahian.</p>
  1624. <p>“In President Raisi’s recent visit to Pakistan, he played [an] instrumental role in solidifying Pakistan-Iran ties,” the foreign minister <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792446848096968904">said</a> about his Iranian counterpart.</p>
  1625. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1626.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1627.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1628.        <a href="https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792446848096968904"></a>
  1629.    </blockquote>
  1630. </span></div>
  1631.        
  1632.    </figure></p>
  1633. <p>Remembering Raisi, Dar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792447053886292013">said</a>: “Today Ummah has lost a great statesman. Pakistan has lost a true friend.”</p>
  1634. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1635.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1636.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1637.        <a href="https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1792447053886292013"></a>
  1638.    </blockquote>
  1639. </span></div>
  1640.        
  1641.    </figure></p>
  1642. <p>The Foreign Office (FO) said the government and the Pakistani people were “deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of the martyrdom” of Raisi and FM Amirabdollahian.</p>
  1643. <p>“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the martyrs and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We stand in solidarity with them in this time of National tragedy,” it said in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1792445725898354826">statement</a>.</p>
  1644. <p>Stating that the two were “esteemed leaders and statesmen”, the FO highlighted that their contributions to reinforcing Pak-Iran ties and regional cooperation would always be remembered.</p>
  1645. <p>“Pakistan reiterates its commitment to furthering the bonds of friendship and cooperation with Iran, as envisioned by the late leaders. May the departed souls rest in eternal peace in Jannah,” the statement added.</p>
  1646. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1647.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1648.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1649.        <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1792445725898354826"></a>
  1650.    </blockquote>
  1651. </span></div>
  1652.        
  1653.    </figure></p>
  1654. <p>Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/MOIofficialGoP/status/1792431560081223963">expressed</a> his condolences, adding that his recent meeting with the Iranian president was a memorable one.</p>
  1655. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1656.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1657.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1658.        <a href="https://twitter.com/MOIofficialGoP/status/1792431560081223963"></a>
  1659.    </blockquote>
  1660. </span></div>
  1661.        
  1662.    </figure></p>
  1663. <p>Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the brotherly people of Iran, especially the families of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, following the tragic incident.”</p>
  1664. <p>Praying for both leaders, the PPP chairman said Pakistan’s thoughts and prayers were with their families and all Iranian brothers and sisters during this profound time of sorrow.</p>
  1665. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1666.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1667.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1668.        <a href="https://twitter.com/BBhuttoZardari/status/1792443778696908871"></a>
  1669.    </blockquote>
  1670. </span></div>
  1671.        
  1672.    </figure></p>
  1673. <p>Former president Arif Alvi <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://x.com/ArifAlvi/status/1792454663402668093">said</a> he expressed “deep grief, sorrow and regret over the loss of precious lives” in the crash, calling Raisi his “close friend and companion”.</p>
  1674. <p>“I found respected Raisi <em>sahib</em> to be very hardworking, principled and empathiser of the Islamic world. The deceased had a very knowledgeable, good-natured and interesting personality,” he added.</p>
  1675. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1676.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1677.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1678.        <a href="https://twitter.com/ArifAlvi/status/1792454663402668093"></a>
  1679.    </blockquote>
  1680. </span></div>
  1681.        
  1682.    </figure></p>
  1683. <h2><a id="prayers-searches" href="#prayers-searches" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Prayers, searches</h2>
  1684. <p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  '>
  1685.        <div class='media__item  '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/20101624b32e07f.png'  alt=' Rescuers participate in what the Iranian Red Crescent Society says is a search and rescue operation following the crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, at an unidentified location in this still image taken from video released on May 20. &mdash; Iranian Red Crescent Society via Reuters ' /></picture></div>
  1686.        <figcaption class='media__caption  '>Rescuers participate in what the Iranian Red Crescent Society says is a search and rescue operation following the crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, at an unidentified location in this still image taken from video released on May 20. — Iranian Red Crescent Society via Reuters</figcaption>
  1687.    </figure></p>
  1688. <p>Expressions of concern and offers of help came from abroad, including Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia, China and Turkiye, as well as from the European Union which activated its rapid response mapping service to aid in the search effort.</p>
  1689. <p>Iran’s cabinet held an emergency meeting led by Vice President Mohammad Mokhber after the incident, the <em>IRNA</em> news agency reported.</p>
  1690. <p>Army, Revolutionary Guard and police officers were involved in the search, authorities said, as TV stations showed pictures of Red Crescent teams walking up a hill in the mist, while rows of emergency response vehicles waited.</p>
  1691. <p>A Turkish drone identified a source of heat suspected to be the helicopter’s wreckage and had shared the coordinates of the possible crash site with Iranian authorities, <em>Anadolu</em> news agency said earlier on X.</p>
  1692. <p>    <figure class='media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven'>
  1693.        <div class='media__item  media__item--twitter  '><span>
  1694.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
  1695.        <a href="https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/1792348729858768951"></a>
  1696.    </blockquote>
  1697. </span></div>
  1698.        
  1699.    </figure></p>
  1700. <p><em>IRNA</em> said Raisi was flying in a US-made <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-crashed-helicopter-carrying-irans-president-2024-05-20/">Bell 212 helicopter</a>.</p>
  1701. <p>Earlier, the national broadcaster had stopped all regular programming to show prayers being held for Raisi across the country.</p>
  1702. <p>In the early hours of Monday, it showed a rescue team, wearing bright jackets and head torches, huddled around a GPS device as they searched a pitch-black mountainside on foot in a blizzard.</p>
  1703. <p>“We are thoroughly searching every inch of the general area of the crash,” state media quoted a regional army commander as saying. “The area has very cold, rainy, and foggy weather conditions. The rain is gradually turning into snow.”</p>
  1704. <p>A US State Department spokesman said: “We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister”, adding that “we have no further comment at this time”.</p>
  1705. <p>US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the crash, an American official said on condition of anonymity.</p>
  1706. <p>China said it was deeply concerned. The European Union offered emergency satellite mapping technology.</p>
  1707. <h2><a id="hardliner-possible-successor-to-khamenei" href="#hardliner-possible-successor-to-khamenei" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Hardliner, possible successor to Khamenei</h2>
  1708. <p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  '>
  1709.        <div class='media__item  '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2024/05/201020092585e47.jpg'  alt=' Rescue vehicles are seen following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran&rsquo;s President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran on May 19, 2024. &mdash; Wana via Reuters ' /></picture></div>
  1710.        <figcaption class='media__caption  '>Rescue vehicles are seen following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran on May 19, 2024. — Wana via Reuters</figcaption>
  1711.    </figure></p>
  1712. <p>The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises. Iran’s clerical rulers face international pressure over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme and its deepening military ties with Russia during the war in Ukraine.</p>
  1713. <p>Since Iran’s ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, provoking Israel’s assault on Gaza, conflagrations involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East.</p>
  1714. <p>In Iran’s dual political system, split between the clerical establishment and the government, it is Raisi’s 85-year-old mentor Khamenei, supreme leader since 1989, who holds decision-making power on all major policies.</p>
  1715. <p>For years many have seen Raisi as a strong contender to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1834472">succeed</a> Khamenei, who has endorsed Raisi’s main policies. Raisi’s victory in a closely managed election in 2021 brought all branches of power under the control of hardliners, after eight years when the presidency had been held by pragmatist Hassan Rouhani and a nuclear deal negotiated with powers including Washington.</p>
  1716. <p>However, Raisi’s standing may have been dented by widespread protests against clerical rule and a failure to turn around Iran’s economy, hamstrung by Western sanctions.</p>
  1717. ]]></content:encoded>
  1718.      <category>World</category>
  1719.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834599</guid>
  1720.      <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2024 23:39:21 +0500</pubDate>
  1721.      <author>none@none.com (Reuters | AFP | APP)</author>
  1722.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/20105722cef16ed.png?r=105732" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1723.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/20105722cef16ed.png?r=105732"/>
  1724.        <media:title/>
  1725.      </media:content>
  1726.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/201009545dddf0d.jpg?r=105732" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="1080" width="1800">
  1727.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/201009545dddf0d.jpg?r=105732"/>
  1728.        <media:title>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi gestures during a meeting with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela on June 12, 2023. — Reuters
  1729. </media:title>
  1730.      </media:content>
  1731.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/2010254875272b3.jpg?r=105732" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="1080" width="1800">
  1732.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/2010254875272b3.jpg?r=105732"/>
  1733.        <media:title>Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at UN headquarters in New York City on April 18, 2024. — AFP/File
  1734. </media:title>
  1735.      </media:content>
  1736.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/20101219a1ac6fc.png?r=105732" type="image/png" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1737.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/20101219a1ac6fc.png?r=105732"/>
  1738.        <media:title>This frame grab from video released by the Iranian Red Crescent on May 20 shows a screen display showing a video showing the crash site of the missing helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi in East Azerbaijan province. — AFP
  1739. </media:title>
  1740.      </media:content>
  1741.    </item>
  1742.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1743.      <title>Samba Bank’s due diligence
  1744. </title>
  1745.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834789/samba-banks-due-diligence</link>
  1746.      <description>&lt;p&gt;KARACHI: Bank Alfa­lah Ltd (BAFL) on Monday announced that it had been given the go-ahead by the State Bank of Pakistan to conduct due diligence on Samba Bank.&lt;/p&gt;
  1747.  
  1748. &lt;p&gt;In a stock filing, the bank referred to its April 9 anno­uncement for acquisition of 84.51 per cent shares of Samba Bank held by Saudi National Bank.&lt;/p&gt;
  1749.  
  1750. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1751. </description>
  1752.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>KARACHI: Bank Alfa­lah Ltd (BAFL) on Monday announced that it had been given the go-ahead by the State Bank of Pakistan to conduct due diligence on Samba Bank.</p>
  1753.  
  1754. <p>In a stock filing, the bank referred to its April 9 anno­uncement for acquisition of 84.51 per cent shares of Samba Bank held by Saudi National Bank.</p>
  1755.  
  1756. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1757. ]]></content:encoded>
  1758.      <category>Business</category>
  1759.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834789</guid>
  1760.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 07:50:40 +0500</pubDate>
  1761.      <author>none@none.com (The Newspaper's Staff Reporter)</author>
  1762.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/210957515af08d1.jpg?r=095802" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1763.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/210957515af08d1.jpg?r=095802"/>
  1764.        <media:title/>
  1765.      </media:content>
  1766.    </item>
  1767.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1768.      <title>Kashmiri poet case: IHC’s Justice Kayani calls on intelligence agencies to shed label of culpability in abductions</title>
  1769.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834662/kashmiri-poet-case-ihcs-justice-kayani-calls-on-intelligence-agencies-to-shed-label-of-culpability-in-abductions</link>
  1770.      <description>&lt;p&gt;Islamabad High Court (IHC) senior puisne judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Monday said that the intelligence agencies should shed the perception of their involvement in forced abductions.&lt;/p&gt;
  1771. &lt;p&gt;The IHC judge was hearing a petition &lt;a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833847"&gt;seeking the recovery&lt;/a&gt; of Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad Shah. Hours later, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar criticised the remarks and observations in today’s hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
  1772. &lt;p&gt;Shah was allegedly abducted from his home last week. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had called on the authorities for his immediate release.&lt;/p&gt;
  1773. &lt;p&gt;A petition was filed by Shah’s wife in the IHC last Wednesday, requesting that he be found and produced before the court and to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for his disappearance.&lt;/p&gt;
  1774. &lt;p&gt;Justice Kayani had conducted the first hearing on the matter and ordered Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jameel Zafar to retrieve Shah at any cost, warning that he would otherwise summon the defence secretary. The judge had issued a notice to the defence secretary in the next hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
  1775. &lt;p&gt;Two orders, both of which are available with &lt;em&gt;Dawn.com&lt;/em&gt;, were issued for today’s hearings, one in the morning and the other after 3pm.&lt;/p&gt;
  1776. &lt;p&gt;The order for the earlier hearing said that the counsels for the petitioner informed the court that a separate plea was filed on Saturday to withdraw the main petition after contact was established with Shah.&lt;/p&gt;
  1777. &lt;p&gt;“The counsel for the petitioner
  1778. contends that this application for withdrawal of the
  1779. writ petition was filed with the assurance given by
  1780. the Inter-Services Intelligence through telephone and
  1781. SMS messaging to the petitioner Syed Urooj
  1782. Zainab and during this communication, the officials
  1783. of Inter-Services Intelligence have ensured that the
  1784. detenu will be released on Saturday night, therefore,
  1785. copy of application for withdrawal of the writ petition
  1786. was also conveyed through the same channel to the
  1787. concerned officials, but despite that detenu was not released, rather the matter was kept pending till
  1788. Monday i.e. today. In these peculiar circumstances,
  1789. the allegations have prima facie been leveled to InterServices Intelligence,” the order reads.&lt;/p&gt;
  1790. &lt;p&gt;It added: “This Court is not satisfied
  1791. with the working of the Secretary Ministry of Defence
  1792. as well as officials of ISI as of now there is direct
  1793. allegation against the agency, therefore, in these
  1794. peculiar circumstances, Secretary, Ministry of
  1795. Defence is directed to submit concise report with
  1796. clear explanation till 3pm today.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1797. &lt;p&gt;SSP Zafar was also ordered to “investigate the allegations with
  1798. reference to the officials of Inter-Services Intelligence
  1799. by recording the statement of officials and submit
  1800. progress report today.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1801. &lt;p&gt;The second part of the order for the post-3pm hearing said the defence ministry official informed the court that Shah was not in the ISI’s custody.&lt;/p&gt;
  1802. &lt;p&gt;Thus, the order said it was necessary to defence and interior secretaries in person at 3pm on Tuesday to “to explain their position
  1803. and give their point of view as to how and under
  1804. what circumstances the law enforcement agencies
  1805. are not able to detect a single person who has allegedly been abducted by the law enforcement
  1806. agencies in Islamabad”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1807. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="todays-hearing" href="#todays-hearing" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Today’s hearing&lt;/h2&gt;
  1808. &lt;p&gt;Advocates Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were present in court today to represent Shah’s wife.&lt;/p&gt;
  1809. &lt;p&gt;Mazari said that Shah had been missing since last week.&lt;/p&gt;
  1810. &lt;p&gt;She said that they had received a WhatsApp call from Shah’s number on May 17 asking them to withdraw their request.&lt;/p&gt;
  1811. &lt;p&gt;“Three drafts were shared between us and these people […] They told us to tell you that he had gone to the court himself,” Mazari said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1812. &lt;p&gt;“Ahmed Farhad did not come back so we are not withdrawing the application,” she added.&lt;/p&gt;
  1813. &lt;p&gt;Justice Kayani questioned whether the abductee was a terrorist or involved in kidnapping for ransom.&lt;/p&gt;
  1814. &lt;p&gt;He directed SSP Zafar to produce Shah in court.&lt;/p&gt;
  1815. &lt;p&gt;“Everyone has to bear the punishment for what the institutions are doing. I want the man (Shah) from the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). You should inform the DG (director general) ISI [Nadeem Anjum] that the man should be produced at any cost. Remove the label from yourself that you abduct [people],” he said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1816. &lt;p&gt;Additional Attorney General (AAG) Barrister Munawar Iqbal Duggal said the entire institution could not be held responsible, adding that he had given a complete briefing to the defence secretary.&lt;/p&gt;
  1817. &lt;p&gt;Justice Kayani said that the federal government needed to change people’s perception concerning institutions, adding that only the abducted would truly know what they went through.&lt;/p&gt;
  1818. &lt;p&gt;“Don’t take [issues] to the point where it becomes impossible for institutions to survive,” Justice Kayani said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1819. &lt;p&gt;An official from the Ministry of Defence requested for two days to recover the poet.&lt;/p&gt;
  1820. &lt;p&gt;Justice Kayani asked the official to contact the higher authorities and submit a reply to the courts by 3pm, warning that he would otherwise issue the order.&lt;/p&gt;
  1821. &lt;p&gt;“The face of the state is not unidentified persons, it is the police,” Justice Kayani said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1822. &lt;p&gt;Resuming the hearing, the judge told the investigating police officer to record statements from the ISI sector commander for Islamabad and DG ISI under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).&lt;/p&gt;
  1823. &lt;p&gt;“The sector commander is not living on the moon, what is his status?”&lt;/p&gt;
  1824. &lt;p&gt;Justice Kayani said that what the institutions were doing was an abuse of authority.&lt;/p&gt;
  1825. &lt;p&gt;“Have you ever been abducted? Beware of the time when everyone is abducted,” Justice Kayani said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1826. &lt;p&gt;He asked the defence ministry official whether any of his relatives were ever abducted to which he said no, to which the judge said: “That’s why you don’t understand. Ask the feelings of those whose [relatives] are abducted.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1827. &lt;p&gt;After the hearing resumed, AAG Duggal requested the courts to give an extension till tomorrow to produce the abductee. “ISI has said that they do not have him,” Duggal said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1828. &lt;p&gt;At this, the judge said: “You submit the response in writing. I will call the defence minister,” Justice Kayani replied, adding that the defence secretary and his officers were answerable to the court.&lt;/p&gt;
  1829. &lt;p&gt;“We have submitted an FIR,” Duggal said to which Justice Kayani responded: “Have you done us a favour by filing an FIR?”&lt;/p&gt;
  1830. &lt;p&gt;Justice Kayani said the matter would go beyond the abduction case once he gave the order.&lt;/p&gt;
  1831. &lt;p&gt;“This is not a simple matter that you abduct anyone whenever you want,” he said, adding that this practice should be stopped.&lt;/p&gt;
  1832. &lt;p&gt;“They send messages on one hand and now they are saying we don’t have him,” he added.&lt;/p&gt;
  1833. &lt;p&gt;The court summoned the secretary of defence and the secretary of interior tomorrow at 3pm.&lt;/p&gt;
  1834. &lt;p&gt;“The country will either be run as per the law or the way of agencies,” Justice Kayani said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1835. &lt;p&gt;“Do not contact the abductee’s wife in between,” the judge told the AAG.&lt;/p&gt;
  1836. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;a id="law-minister-criticises-inappropriate-remarks" href="#law-minister-criticises-inappropriate-remarks" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Law minister criticises ‘inappropriate’ remarks&lt;/h2&gt;
  1837. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Tarar said he was “pained” by the remarks reported from today’s hearing.&lt;/p&gt;
  1838. &lt;p&gt;He said the federal government was ready to provide any kind of assistance to the police in the case.&lt;/p&gt;
  1839. &lt;p&gt;    &lt;figure class='media  sm:w-1/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  '&gt;
  1840.        &lt;div class='media__item  media__item--youtube  '&gt;&lt;iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FbFq5O88NCo?enablejsapi=1&amp;controls=1&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1841.        
  1842.    &lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1843. &lt;p&gt;“But to say despite that this problem won’t be solved this way and all secretaries should come and if they don’t satisfy then senior army officials should come and stand — something about which the Constitution has a very different interpretation — and if they don’t satisfy then the prime minister and the cabinet will be summoned.&lt;/p&gt;
  1844. &lt;p&gt;“With all due respect, this is not the mandate of the courts. The court has to dispense justice in accordance with the law and the Constitution. This is a sub-judice matter, it would be good if whatever the decision is, is passed through a court order instead of such sensationalised news coming out which spreads more unrest.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1845. &lt;p&gt;Tarar said the above was “inappropriate”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1846. &lt;p&gt;The law minister said Articles 199 and 248 of the Constitution were “very clear” about the army and government officials appearing before courts, protecting them from legal proceedings.&lt;/p&gt;
  1847. &lt;p&gt;“Things like saying ‘the cabinet session will be held here’ are I think equal to undermining the constitutional role of Parliament and the cabinet arising out of it.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1848. &lt;p&gt;The minister further said: “To preemptively say such strict things in one breath is I think not in accordance with judicial propriety, is painful and displays a situation as if there is a clash between institutions as if the executive is not ready to listen to the judiciary and vice versa.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1849. &lt;p&gt;The minister was apparently referring to remarks by Justice Kayani in Thursday’s hearing where he had warned of summoning the prime minister and federal ministers if the recovery was not ensured.&lt;/p&gt;
  1850. &lt;p&gt;In response to a question, Tarar said remarks like summoning the premier and ministers were “inappropriate” and contrary to a judge’s office.&lt;/p&gt;
  1851. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on &lt;em&gt;Geo News&lt;/em&gt; programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ that reviewing the judge’s remark “makes it very clear that it is not the respected judge’s or the judiciary’s job to give such remarks or speech but to make a decision”.&lt;/p&gt;
  1852. &lt;p&gt;Sanaullah said if the judge had evidence then he should issue the verdict against whoever he thought responsible.&lt;/p&gt;
  1853. </description>
  1854.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>Islamabad High Court (IHC) senior puisne judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Monday said that the intelligence agencies should shed the perception of their involvement in forced abductions.</p>
  1855. <p>The IHC judge was hearing a petition <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1833847">seeking the recovery</a> of Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad Shah. Hours later, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar criticised the remarks and observations in today’s hearing.</p>
  1856. <p>Shah was allegedly abducted from his home last week. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had called on the authorities for his immediate release.</p>
  1857. <p>A petition was filed by Shah’s wife in the IHC last Wednesday, requesting that he be found and produced before the court and to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for his disappearance.</p>
  1858. <p>Justice Kayani had conducted the first hearing on the matter and ordered Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jameel Zafar to retrieve Shah at any cost, warning that he would otherwise summon the defence secretary. The judge had issued a notice to the defence secretary in the next hearing.</p>
  1859. <p>Two orders, both of which are available with <em>Dawn.com</em>, were issued for today’s hearings, one in the morning and the other after 3pm.</p>
  1860. <p>The order for the earlier hearing said that the counsels for the petitioner informed the court that a separate plea was filed on Saturday to withdraw the main petition after contact was established with Shah.</p>
  1861. <p>“The counsel for the petitioner
  1862. contends that this application for withdrawal of the
  1863. writ petition was filed with the assurance given by
  1864. the Inter-Services Intelligence through telephone and
  1865. SMS messaging to the petitioner Syed Urooj
  1866. Zainab and during this communication, the officials
  1867. of Inter-Services Intelligence have ensured that the
  1868. detenu will be released on Saturday night, therefore,
  1869. copy of application for withdrawal of the writ petition
  1870. was also conveyed through the same channel to the
  1871. concerned officials, but despite that detenu was not released, rather the matter was kept pending till
  1872. Monday i.e. today. In these peculiar circumstances,
  1873. the allegations have prima facie been leveled to InterServices Intelligence,” the order reads.</p>
  1874. <p>It added: “This Court is not satisfied
  1875. with the working of the Secretary Ministry of Defence
  1876. as well as officials of ISI as of now there is direct
  1877. allegation against the agency, therefore, in these
  1878. peculiar circumstances, Secretary, Ministry of
  1879. Defence is directed to submit concise report with
  1880. clear explanation till 3pm today.”</p>
  1881. <p>SSP Zafar was also ordered to “investigate the allegations with
  1882. reference to the officials of Inter-Services Intelligence
  1883. by recording the statement of officials and submit
  1884. progress report today.”</p>
  1885. <p>The second part of the order for the post-3pm hearing said the defence ministry official informed the court that Shah was not in the ISI’s custody.</p>
  1886. <p>Thus, the order said it was necessary to defence and interior secretaries in person at 3pm on Tuesday to “to explain their position
  1887. and give their point of view as to how and under
  1888. what circumstances the law enforcement agencies
  1889. are not able to detect a single person who has allegedly been abducted by the law enforcement
  1890. agencies in Islamabad”.</p>
  1891. <h2><a id="todays-hearing" href="#todays-hearing" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Today’s hearing</h2>
  1892. <p>Advocates Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were present in court today to represent Shah’s wife.</p>
  1893. <p>Mazari said that Shah had been missing since last week.</p>
  1894. <p>She said that they had received a WhatsApp call from Shah’s number on May 17 asking them to withdraw their request.</p>
  1895. <p>“Three drafts were shared between us and these people […] They told us to tell you that he had gone to the court himself,” Mazari said.</p>
  1896. <p>“Ahmed Farhad did not come back so we are not withdrawing the application,” she added.</p>
  1897. <p>Justice Kayani questioned whether the abductee was a terrorist or involved in kidnapping for ransom.</p>
  1898. <p>He directed SSP Zafar to produce Shah in court.</p>
  1899. <p>“Everyone has to bear the punishment for what the institutions are doing. I want the man (Shah) from the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). You should inform the DG (director general) ISI [Nadeem Anjum] that the man should be produced at any cost. Remove the label from yourself that you abduct [people],” he said.</p>
  1900. <p>Additional Attorney General (AAG) Barrister Munawar Iqbal Duggal said the entire institution could not be held responsible, adding that he had given a complete briefing to the defence secretary.</p>
  1901. <p>Justice Kayani said that the federal government needed to change people’s perception concerning institutions, adding that only the abducted would truly know what they went through.</p>
  1902. <p>“Don’t take [issues] to the point where it becomes impossible for institutions to survive,” Justice Kayani said.</p>
  1903. <p>An official from the Ministry of Defence requested for two days to recover the poet.</p>
  1904. <p>Justice Kayani asked the official to contact the higher authorities and submit a reply to the courts by 3pm, warning that he would otherwise issue the order.</p>
  1905. <p>“The face of the state is not unidentified persons, it is the police,” Justice Kayani said.</p>
  1906. <p>Resuming the hearing, the judge told the investigating police officer to record statements from the ISI sector commander for Islamabad and DG ISI under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).</p>
  1907. <p>“The sector commander is not living on the moon, what is his status?”</p>
  1908. <p>Justice Kayani said that what the institutions were doing was an abuse of authority.</p>
  1909. <p>“Have you ever been abducted? Beware of the time when everyone is abducted,” Justice Kayani said.</p>
  1910. <p>He asked the defence ministry official whether any of his relatives were ever abducted to which he said no, to which the judge said: “That’s why you don’t understand. Ask the feelings of those whose [relatives] are abducted.”</p>
  1911. <p>After the hearing resumed, AAG Duggal requested the courts to give an extension till tomorrow to produce the abductee. “ISI has said that they do not have him,” Duggal said.</p>
  1912. <p>At this, the judge said: “You submit the response in writing. I will call the defence minister,” Justice Kayani replied, adding that the defence secretary and his officers were answerable to the court.</p>
  1913. <p>“We have submitted an FIR,” Duggal said to which Justice Kayani responded: “Have you done us a favour by filing an FIR?”</p>
  1914. <p>Justice Kayani said the matter would go beyond the abduction case once he gave the order.</p>
  1915. <p>“This is not a simple matter that you abduct anyone whenever you want,” he said, adding that this practice should be stopped.</p>
  1916. <p>“They send messages on one hand and now they are saying we don’t have him,” he added.</p>
  1917. <p>The court summoned the secretary of defence and the secretary of interior tomorrow at 3pm.</p>
  1918. <p>“The country will either be run as per the law or the way of agencies,” Justice Kayani said.</p>
  1919. <p>“Do not contact the abductee’s wife in between,” the judge told the AAG.</p>
  1920. <h2><a id="law-minister-criticises-inappropriate-remarks" href="#law-minister-criticises-inappropriate-remarks" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Law minister criticises ‘inappropriate’ remarks</h2>
  1921. <p>Meanwhile, Tarar said he was “pained” by the remarks reported from today’s hearing.</p>
  1922. <p>He said the federal government was ready to provide any kind of assistance to the police in the case.</p>
  1923. <p>    <figure class='media  sm:w-1/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  '>
  1924.        <div class='media__item  media__item--youtube  '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FbFq5O88NCo?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>
  1925.        
  1926.    </figure></p>
  1927. <p>“But to say despite that this problem won’t be solved this way and all secretaries should come and if they don’t satisfy then senior army officials should come and stand — something about which the Constitution has a very different interpretation — and if they don’t satisfy then the prime minister and the cabinet will be summoned.</p>
  1928. <p>“With all due respect, this is not the mandate of the courts. The court has to dispense justice in accordance with the law and the Constitution. This is a sub-judice matter, it would be good if whatever the decision is, is passed through a court order instead of such sensationalised news coming out which spreads more unrest.”</p>
  1929. <p>Tarar said the above was “inappropriate”.</p>
  1930. <p>The law minister said Articles 199 and 248 of the Constitution were “very clear” about the army and government officials appearing before courts, protecting them from legal proceedings.</p>
  1931. <p>“Things like saying ‘the cabinet session will be held here’ are I think equal to undermining the constitutional role of Parliament and the cabinet arising out of it.”</p>
  1932. <p>The minister further said: “To preemptively say such strict things in one breath is I think not in accordance with judicial propriety, is painful and displays a situation as if there is a clash between institutions as if the executive is not ready to listen to the judiciary and vice versa.”</p>
  1933. <p>The minister was apparently referring to remarks by Justice Kayani in Thursday’s hearing where he had warned of summoning the prime minister and federal ministers if the recovery was not ensured.</p>
  1934. <p>In response to a question, Tarar said remarks like summoning the premier and ministers were “inappropriate” and contrary to a judge’s office.</p>
  1935. <p>Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on <em>Geo News</em> programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ that reviewing the judge’s remark “makes it very clear that it is not the respected judge’s or the judiciary’s job to give such remarks or speech but to make a decision”.</p>
  1936. <p>Sanaullah said if the judge had evidence then he should issue the verdict against whoever he thought responsible.</p>
  1937. ]]></content:encoded>
  1938.      <category>Pakistan</category>
  1939.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834662</guid>
  1940.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 14:37:13 +0500</pubDate>
  1941.      <author>none@none.com (Umer Burney)</author>
  1942.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/20175139590eba0.jpg?r=175302" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="480" width="800">
  1943.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/20175139590eba0.jpg?r=175302"/>
  1944.        <media:title/>
  1945.      </media:content>
  1946.    </item>
  1947.    <item xmlns:default="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  1948.      <title>Saudia Group to buy 105 Airbus planes
  1949. </title>
  1950.      <link>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834790/saudia-group-to-buy-105-airbus-planes</link>
  1951.      <description>&lt;p&gt;RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Saudia Group will buy 105 Airbus planes, the company said on Monday, hailing it as the biggest aircraft deal in the country’s history.&lt;/p&gt;
  1952.  
  1953. &lt;p&gt;Saudia airline will receive 54 A321neo aircraft, while budget offshoot flyadeal will acquire 12 A320neo and 39 A321neo planes, it said in a statement.&lt;/p&gt;
  1954.  
  1955. &lt;p&gt;The deal is valued at $19 billion, according to a separate statement from the Future Aviation Forum, the conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh where the deal was announced. “This landmark agreement encompasses 105 confirmed aircraft and marks a significant moment not only for the Saudi aviation industry but also for the wider MENA region,” the Saudia statement said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1956.  
  1957. &lt;p&gt;The purchase, described as “the largest aircraft deal in Saudi aviation history”, marks a further investment by Saudi airlines more than a year after new carrier Riyadh Air was unveiled.&lt;/p&gt;
  1958.  
  1959. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1960. </description>
  1961.      <content:encoded xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><![CDATA[<p>RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Saudia Group will buy 105 Airbus planes, the company said on Monday, hailing it as the biggest aircraft deal in the country’s history.</p>
  1962.  
  1963. <p>Saudia airline will receive 54 A321neo aircraft, while budget offshoot flyadeal will acquire 12 A320neo and 39 A321neo planes, it said in a statement.</p>
  1964.  
  1965. <p>The deal is valued at $19 billion, according to a separate statement from the Future Aviation Forum, the conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh where the deal was announced. “This landmark agreement encompasses 105 confirmed aircraft and marks a significant moment not only for the Saudi aviation industry but also for the wider MENA region,” the Saudia statement said.</p>
  1966.  
  1967. <p>The purchase, described as “the largest aircraft deal in Saudi aviation history”, marks a further investment by Saudi airlines more than a year after new carrier Riyadh Air was unveiled.</p>
  1968.  
  1969. <p><em>Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024</em></p>
  1970. ]]></content:encoded>
  1971.      <category>Business</category>
  1972.      <guid>https://www.dawn.com/news/1834790</guid>
  1973.      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 07:51:37 +0500</pubDate>
  1974.      <author>none@none.com (AFP)</author>
  1975.      <media:content url="https://i.dawn.com/large/2024/05/21100952b87cea4.jpg?r=101004" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" height="429" width="715">
  1976.        <media:thumbnail url="https://i.dawn.com/thumbnail/2024/05/21100952b87cea4.jpg?r=101004"/>
  1977.        <media:title/>
  1978.      </media:content>
  1979.    </item>
  1980.  </channel>
  1981. </rss>
  1982.  

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