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PAKISTAN’S BRILLIANT SON – Friends heap praise on Pakistan-born doctor behind pig-to-human heart transplant

  • Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin led a US team that successfully transplanted the heart of a genetically modified pig into a gravely ill man
  • The surgery raised ethical questions – given Mohiuddin’s Islamic faith – but none of that worried his former colleagues, who remembered him as an ace student
Surgeon Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin (centre) led a US team that successfully transplanted the heart of a genetically modified pig into a man. Photo: EPA-EFE/UMSOM
Surgeon Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin (centre) led a US team that successfully transplanted the heart of a genetically modified pig into a man. Photo: EPA-EFE/UMSOM

Friends and former classmates of the Pakistan-born surgeon behind the world’s first pig-to-human heart transplant say they earmarked him for greatness from his medical school days.

Karachi-born Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin made headlines last week as the co-founder of the US university programme that successfully transplanted the heart of a genetically modified pig into a gravely ill American man.

While hailed as a medical breakthrough, the procedure also raised ethical questions – particularly among some Jews and Muslims, who consider pigs to be unclean and avoid pork products.

None of that worried Mohiuddin’s friends and former colleagues in Pakistan, who remember him as an ace student with a passion for medicine.

“He would be so interested, always there, always available and always ready to get involved in surgery,” said Muneer Amanullah, a specialist who attended Karachi’s Dow Medical College with Mohiuddin in the 1980s.

Dr Muneer Amanullah attended Karachi’s Dow Medical College with Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin in the 1980s. Photo: AFP
Dr Muneer Amanullah attended Karachi’s Dow Medical College with Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin in the 1980s. Photo: AFP

College vice-chancellor Muhammad Saeed Qureshi said pride in Mohiuddin’s achievement had flooded the campus.

“There was exhilaration that this has been done by a graduate from this college,” he said.

Mohiuddin was quick to share the limelight with a team of 50 from the University of Maryland Medical School.

“They were all experts of their respective fields,” he said by phone.

“They are the best surgeons, the best physicians, the best anaesthetists, and so on.”

In religion, no deed is as supreme as saving a human life Mohiuddin, transplant surgeon

While the prognosis for the recipient of the pig’s heart is far from certain, the surgery represents a major milestone for animal-to-human transplants.

About 110,000 Americans are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and more than 6,000 patients die each year before getting one, according to official figures.

To meet demand, doctors have long been interested in so-called xenotransplantation, or cross-species organ donation.

“We were working on this model for 18 years,” Mohiuddin said.

“Those 18 years were dotted with different phases of frustration – as well as breakthroughs – but finally we have done it.”

Karachi’s Dow Medical College where doctor Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin studied. Photo: AFP
Karachi’s Dow Medical College where doctor Muhammad Mansoor Mohiuddin studied. Photo: AFP

The surgery is not without controversy, however, especially given Mohiuddin’s Islamic faith.

Pigs are considered unclean by Muslims and Jews – and even some Christians who follow the Bible’s Old Testament literally.

“In my view, this is not permissible for a Muslim,” said Javed Ahmed Ghamdi, a prominent Islamic scholar, in a video blog where he discussed the procedure.

But another Islamic scholar in Pakistan gave the procedure a clean bill of health.

“There is no prohibition in sharia,” Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi said, calling it a “medical miracle”.

“In religion, no deed is as supreme as saving a human life,” added Mohiuddin.

In Karachi, the surgeon’s fellow alumni feel their former colleague may now be destined for even greater glory – medicine’s top prize.

“I think … the whole team is in for it, in for the Nobel Prize,” said vice-chancellor Qureshi.

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US doctors transplant gene-edited pig heart into human patient in a medical first

US doctors transplant gene-edited pig heart into human in medical first

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‘Potential miracle’: pig kidney works in human patient

‘Potential miracle’: pig kidney works in human patient

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Why India and the US Oppose the CPEC… By Sajjad Shaukat

         Why India and the US Oppose the CPEC

By Sajjad Shaukat

 

India was openly opposing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is part of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) or China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the US also joined New Delhi. In this context, on October 3, 2017, the then US Defence Secretary James Mattis told the Lawmakers, “The United States has reiterated its support for India’s opposition to China’s One Belt, One Road initiative…the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a part of which traverses Pakistan-Kashmir.”

http://cpec.gov.pk/progress-update

 

Pakistan strongly rejected the statement from the American defence chief that the multibillion-dollar road and rail network CPEC will pass through a disputed territory of Kashmir, urging the international community to focus on blatant human rights violations and ‘heinous crimes’ committed by Indian occupation forces in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), and reminded America that Washington had also participated in an OBOR summit.

 

Earlier, a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry also dismissed Mattis’ statement, saying that the OBOR plan was backed by the United Nations and that CPEC was an economic cooperation initiative.

 

In this regard, again, the Indian envoy to China Vikram Mistri told Chinese state media in March, last year that a part of the CPEC shall pass through Pakistani side of Kashmir and the OBOR or BRI does not respect India’s “concerns” of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 

Addressing Indian concerns, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said on April 15, this year, “As for the Indian comments on not participating in the BRI [Conference] for various reasons, I’d like to say that the BRI is an open and inclusive economic cooperation initiative. It does not involve territorial and maritime disputes…Whether the Indian side will participate in the Belt and Road Forum, I think you need to ask the Indian side for a more specific answer. But here I’d like to re-emphasise that the BRI is proposed by China but it is already an international public good….The belt and road cooperation since it was first proposed…has been an open and inclusive initiative for all countries…interested in this…if the relevant side would like to wait and see, we do not oppose that. And as for more international organisations in the second BRI [Conference] meaning that some countries will lose opportunities, you may need to ask the countries themselves which do not participate in the BRI.”

 

It is notable that India which has consistently kept away from BRI did not participate in its second conference which was held in Beijing from April 25 to 27, 2019 and leaders of countries including heads of state and government from nearly 40 countries attended the meeting.

 

Pakistan’ s Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his speech at the opening ceremony called for greater attention to tackling poverty as Pakistan and China enter the next phase of the CPEC. He appreciated the significance of China’s BRI, elaborating, it “marks a new and distinct phase in the onward march of nations in the world along the path of globalization”.

 

However, India and the US continue opposing the CPEC. In this respect, Indian lobbies which are well-penetrated in the US administration and Europe, research centres, think tanks and so-called human rights groups utilize the media tools in defaming Pakistan internationally. Especially, Indian RAW is availing the opportunity of the US-led organized propaganda campaign against Pakistan. Now, CPEC is a special target of these hostile entities.

 

In this connection, much coverage was given by the external media to a report, released on April 13, 2017, by Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) which is in partnership with Mahatma Gandhi International AISBL. The subject report portrayed complete Indian negative propaganda themes about Pakistan’s provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Balochistan and Sindh. Based on falsehood, the report also said that the CPEC is a breach of international law and is being implemented without consultation or compensation to the people of the area.

 

Undoubtedly, GB is the gateway of CPEC into Pakistan, whereby GB’s strategic and socio-economic importance has increased manifold. Like Balochistan, the region has huge potential in trade with China, tourism, minerals, gems, precious stones, agriculture-farming and hydropower production. Therefore, GB’s people who are strengthening their association with Pakistan, pay no attention to the false propaganda.

 

While, these US-led Western entities, particularly India who also give undue coverage to the meetings and protests against the integrity of Pakistan, are especially exaggerating the statements of those Baloch separatist leaders who have taken shelter in Europe and America, and are fulfilling the agenda of their foreign masters against the CPEC.

 

The reality is that the establishment of CPEC between deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western regions-Xinjiang of China will connect Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab Pass. Beijing would also build an international airport at Gwadar, while the roads infrastructure in Gwadar would link the communication network of the rest of the country to facilitate the transportation of goods.

 

When Gwadar seaport becomes fully operational, it would connect the landlocked Central Asian states with the rest of the world. Being the commercial hub, the port is likely to increase the volume of trade, bringing multiple economic and financial benefits to Pakistan. It will enable high-volume cargo vessels to move in the major oceans. Gwadar project which is the backbone of the CPEC will uplift the impoverished people of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, including developments in other provinces by providing thousands of employment opportunities, particularly to the less developed areas by redressing their grievances. The resulting prosperity in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan would damp the separatist sentiments of the people, which the hostile elements, supported by the US, India and Israeli do not want. Therefore, these entities and their media describe the CPEC in negative terms.

 

In fact, since the occupation of Afghanistan by the US-led NATO forces, the country has become a centre of American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad which are in connivance to obtain the covert designs of their countries and some Western countries against Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran. Under the cover of fighting terrorism, these intelligence agencies which are also in collaboration with the Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS), support the militants of ISIS and Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including their linked outfits which have been conducting terror-assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the secret strategy of the US-led countries. Besides, these terrorist outfits are weakening Tibetan regions of China and Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan through subversive activities.

 

It is mentionable that Pakistan’s Armed Forces have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad. Army and top intelligence agency ISI have broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants while thwarting a number of terror attempts. Peace has been restored in various regions of Pakistan, including Karachi and Balochistan province.

 

But, in the recent past, blasts in Balochistan and other regions of the country showed that the US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel have again started acts of sabotage especially to weaken Pakistan and to damage the Pak-China project of CPEC. Foiled terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi on November 23, 2018, was part of the same scheme. Nevertheless, CIA, RAW and Mossad are assisting the separatist elements of the Balochistan to thwart the CPEC project.

 

It is of particular attention that during P.M. Imran Khan’s second trip to China, on April 28, this year, Islamabad and Beijing embarked on the new phase of the CPEC by signing a memorandum of understanding-agreements on the first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and socio-economic development and a new agreement on free trade. The new phase of the CPEC would be characterised by industrialization—20 factories is being set up in Rashakai, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.  In view of trade is an important element of the CPEC, the two sides concluded the second stage of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aimed at strengthening trade ties between the two countries. Under the new FTA, China would open up 90 per cent of its market for Pakistani goods whereas Pakistan would share 65pc of its market with Chinese exports. This would also help in redressing, to a certain extent, the yawning trade imbalance between the two countries, which stood at $9.7 billion last year.

 

The two sides also signed an agreement on a technical package for upgradation of Pakistan’s main railway line-Mail Line-One (ML-1) under which a double track from Peshawar to Karachi will be built with China’s help. China who will spend $1bn on 27 projects, help Pakistan Railways in improving its capacity.

 

Nonetheless, China has clarified Indian concerns on the CPEC or OBOR. But, apart from the US, India is particularly opposing the CPEC as part of the anti-Pakistan and anti-China approach.  

 

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: the US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: the US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: [email protected]

 

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Jeopardize OBOR by Asad Khan Betini

Jeopardize OBOR

Asad Khan Betini

 

China’s one belt one road (OBOR) is changing the world order since it is leading China to influence the western European market. Chinese liberal policy in terms of trade is being viewed as a windfall while CPEC being part of it is the foundation milestone of the project. China is Pakistan’s time-tested friend and has always backed Pakistan economically and logistically despite Islamabad’s cuddling with Washington. Sino-Pak friendship is a firm knot which can’t be unlocked but yet it seems that conspiracies have amplified to imbalance Sino-Pak relations and may endanger the grant. India has recently put proposals before China to reconsider Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar (BCIM) as an alternate corridor. India has also resorted to developing Chabahar and Abbass ports to improve trade with Iran and Afghanistan. India’s participation in developing Iran’s Chabahar port with an investment of $85.21 million is being viewed as dominant role in South Asia. Dehli’s investment in Chabahar port will definitely permit India to access & control the Strait of Hormuz that will even provide Israel an access to the Strait of Hormuz for the reason that India is Israel’s time-test friend.  

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, India has raised concerns over growing militant hideouts in Pakistan, India is also proposing China to unleash Pakistan’s secret support to militants that are threatening the regional security and stability, even BRICS summit was predisposed by India to speak on Islamabad’s role on terrorism that brought China to play part for Indian bogey.

Accordingly, India has made reservations that East Turkistan Islamic Party (ECIP) is becoming threat to Chinese projects in deep state with sanctuaries in Tribal areas of Pakistan, but all these claims are yet unacceptable to China since Indo-US and Israel’s nexus is getting stronger and India has been identified as the largest recipient of U.S economic assistance.US may endanger the track of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) once India gains its access and control Chabahar port.

India aspired to play a more dominant role in South Asia and it is openly believed that India intensified its attacks through proxy militants in Pakistani resource-rich province “Balochistan” and yet engaged in destruction activities, target killings, bomb blasts in Balochistan but security apparatus in Baluchistan has failed to counter terrorism. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not a portent anymore rather a fact, Kulbhoshan Jadhav has claimed all responsibilities for the operations carried out in Pakistani mineral-rich province yet Indo-US plans are to reinvigorate Free Balochistan Movement through fundraising campaigns abroad which are deeply seen as a threat to the existence of Pakistan. It may knock Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine to save its self from foreign aggression, China strongly backs Pakistan in a bid to protect its OBOR’s objectives.

Indo-Us fulcrum is seen as a threat by China since the US is concerned with Chinese liberal influence in the Western Europe. China is softly influencing the international market, particularly developing countries are now getting loans from Chinese International Investment bank (CIIB) rather than World Bank or IMF.

The world order is slowly spinning and CPEC is becoming game changer project in the region. Pakistan needs to promote its education sector, enhance security apparatus and ensure development, friendship, and peace with the neighboring countries for the long term to make it more successful. Pakistan needs to promote Islamic coalition bloc and must arbitrate between Saudi and Iran for détente, even Chinese foreign direct investments can fulfill the needs of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, so Pakistan must step forward to integrate Muslim brotherhood.

The Writer is Balochistan Based Freelance Journalist – He can be reached at [email protected]

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FIA’s immigration head Wajid Zia (JIT’s head) has enlisted Sharif family on Exit Control List (ECL)

FIA’s immigration head Wajid Zia (JIT’s head) has enlisted Sharif family on Exit Control List (ECL)

 

Sources in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) confided in Pakistan Today that FIA’s immigration head Wajid Zia (JIT’s head), with the approval of Interior Ministry, has enlisted the name of Sharif family members on Exit Control List (ECL) on Friday.


Following the Panama Leaks case verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan, names of ex PM Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz, and Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar were put on ECL. Until the accountability court decides their fate within the given six months, no one can leave the country.


The source also said that, in all the high profile cases, NAB puts accused people in ECL regularly, adding it is a matter of routine.


‘The movement of an accused wanted under National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 can be restricted by the investigation agency; following this, Ministry of Interior (MoI) is under obligation to put names of Sharifs in ECL,” he said.


It is noted that on Friday, Supreme Court removed Nawaz Sharif from office in a unanimous verdict over corruption allegations.


The verdict, delivered by a five-member supreme court caps year of political controversy, unleashed by the Panama Papers leak, which documented the involvement of Sharif’s children in the purchase of high-end London property through offshore companies.

 




The SC bench also referred all material gathered in the investigation to the court of the national accountability bureau and recommended opening cases against the prime minister and his three children—Maryam, Hassan, Hussain—as well as Capt Safdar.


“He is no more eligible to be an honest member of the Parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister,” the judge Ejaz Afzal Khan said in court.


The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been asked to de-notify the prime minister from his National Assembly seat to fulfil the technicalities of implementing the order. The Supreme Court said the ECP should de-seat the PM for not disclosing his role in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his nomination papers, saying that this meant he was not ‘honest’ and ‘truthful’.


Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who had headed the apex court’s implementation bench following its April 20 order on the Panama Papers case, announced that the larger bench had unanimously deemed PM Sharif unfit for holding office and would also order an accountability court to open references against him and his family.


The judges ruled that he had been dishonest to the Parliament and courts, and could not be deemed fit for his office.


It may be mentioned here that Hussain and Hassan are currently abroad.


However, when contacted FIA’s immigration head, he neither confirmed nor denied the information.


Former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Barrister Ali Zafar said that those members of Sharif family who have been mentioned in the Supreme Court verdict to be trialled by NAB accountability court would have to seek a bail from high court forthwith. He added that if any of those accused want to leave the country, they would have to seek permission from the court – the way General Musharaf had done.
Reference

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Russian-led China-Pakistan Alliance, Facing the US-led Terrorism By Sajjad Shaukat

Russian-led China-Pakistan Alliance, Facing the US-led Terrorism

By

Sajjad Shaukat

 

After the end of the Cold War, the most important trend in the world was the development of regional blocs for economic progress of the nations through interaction in various fields.

 

In the drastic aftermath of 9/11, even Western think-tanks had recognised inter-relationship among global security, economics, politics and terrorism. 

 

Undoubtedly, Russian-led coalition of Iran, Iraq, the Syrian army the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has achieved successes in Syria and Iraq by retaking several regions from the occupation of the CIA-Mossad led rebel groups, mercenaries and the militant outfits such as ISIS (Also known as Daesh, ISIL), and its linked militant groups like Al-Qaeda’s Al-Nusra Front. China also supports the Russian-led coalition in case of Syrian civil war. 

 

While giving much importance to the Syria’s war and terror-related attacks in Europe, the US and the Middle East, Western leaders, their audience and media give slight importance to South Asia where Russian-led China-Pakistan alliance is also facing the US-led terrorism.

 

In this regard, the armed forces of Pakistan have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists by the successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad which have also been extended to other parts of the country, including the Balochistan province. And Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI has broken the network of these terrorist groups by capturing several militants, while thwarting a number of terror attempts.

 

Besides, since the government of the Balochistan province announced general pardon and protection to the Baloch militants as part of the reconciliation process, many insurgents and their leaders have surrendered their arms and decided to work for the development of Pakistan and the province. Peace has been restored especially in Balochistan.

 

But, a new wave of terrorism in Pakistan killed several innocent people, while various terrorist outfits such as the ISIS and its affiliated faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ur-Ahrar (TTP-JA also known as JuA) claimed responsibility for these brutal acts. TTP based in Afghanistan has its connections with ISIL and other terrorist organisations and affiliated terror groups, including Baloch separatist elements, and all these groups are promoting the covert agenda of the US-led entities. As part of the double game, American CIA, Indian RAW, Israeli Mossad and Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS) which are in collaboration, are using these terror outfits in desterilizing Pakistan  and particularly Balochistan, including Afghanistan through various acts of terrorism in order to fulfill the secret strategic aims of their countries against Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran. The attack on Tehran’s parliament complex by the ISIL on June 8, 2017, was also part of the same scheme.

 

 

 

 

Notably, on June 23, this year, a suicide car bomber killed 14 people, including seven policemen in Pakistan’s city of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, and with two blasts later claiming at least 67 lives in the northwestern town of Parachinar. On the same day, a separate gun attack on police in Karachi killed four officers.

 

Both the ISIS-linked militant group JuA, and a splinter a splinter group of the TTP claimed responsibility for the explosions in Quetta and Parachinar.

 

Taking note of Afghanistan’s cross-border terrorism, Pakistan’s army had decided to build a fence along the porous border and to control the border crossings. In this context, the strategic project of the 1,100-kilometre-long trench with the cost of Rs14 billion which was initiated along Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan by Frontier Corps in 2013 has been completed. In the next phase, the project will be extended to the entire long border with Afghanistan which had opposed this plan.

 

Meanwhile, during his visit to the Pak-Afghan border regions in Mohmand and Orakzai agencies, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa who was given a detailed briefing on security arrangements, cross-border terrorist threat and recent terrorist attacks from across on the Pakistani posts (From Afghanistan) stated on March 25, 2017 that fencing on the Pak-Afghan border has commenced and the border areas of other tribal areas across the Pak-Afghan border will be given first priority, as they are high-threat zones. He further stated that Pakistan Army would employ all resources required for the defence of the country. In his recent statement, he reiterated his statement. Without naming Washington, as Pakistan depends upon the US-controlled international financial institutes for loans, he pointed out that foreign powers were involved in acts of terrorism in the country—and Parachinar.

  

However, in the recent past, the capture of secret agents of RAW and NDS by Pakistani intelligence agencies show that these external secret agencies are particularly assisting the TTP which is hiding in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan. Reportedly, Mullah Fazlullah led TTP is behind several terror activities inside Pakistan, as the latter has also become the center of the Great Game due to the ideal location of Balochistan.

 

Indian role in Pakistan became naked after the arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav on March 3, 2016, in Balochistan. In a video statement, Kulbhushan openly admitted that he was the serving agent of Indian RAW in Balochistan province, and during his stay, he contacted various Baloch separatist leaders and insurgents, including Dr Allah Nazar Baloch to execute the task to damage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC). Yadav confessed that he spied for India and was “assigned with the task to create unrest in Karachi and Balolchitan…to destabilise Pakistan…he was captured while heading Iran.” He also revealed that he was funding Baloch separatists along with other terrorists.

 

While addressing a joint press conference with the then Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheed, the then Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa said on March 29, 2016, “Kulbushan Yadav’s arrest is a rare case that does not happen very often.” He disclosed that Yadav was an active officer of the Indian Navy prior to his joining RAW. He also served as a scrap dealer and had a jewellery business in Chahbahar, Iran, after he joined RAW in 2013.

 

On June 22, 2017, ISPR released the new video of the convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan, which is the second confessional video of him.

 

Pakistan’s online sources indicate that America is pressurising the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) to favour New Delhi, which has already granted stay regarding the execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav on the appeal of India.

 

Nevertheless, with the tactical assistance of CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad are trying to damage the CPEC through the terrorist outfits.

 

It is notable that India did not participate in China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) Summit which took place on May 14, 2017, in Beijing. This step was taken to show displeasure towards the Pak-China project of the CPEC which has been strongly opposed by New Delhi. The OBOR summit was attended by the heads of 29 state and governments, which included Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremasinghe, delegations from South Asian countries, leaders and officials from Russia, US, Japan, UK, Germany and France. The OBOR plan will create a network of trade routes, rail lines, ports and highways, linking countries on four continents. China is calling it the “plan of the century.”

 

China has elevated the plan to a national strategy. It is also President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy. In his opening speech, Xi has described the Silk Road which connected Europe and Asia some two millennia ago.

 

Nearly 70 countries have signed agreements with Beijing to participate in the initiative of the OBOR or the Belt Road Initiative (BRI). Many of China’s Asian neighbours are sorely in need of infrastructure investment and development aid.

 

Russia has strongly favoured the OBOR and CPEC projects, leading the Russia-China strategic partnership which comprises everything from energy to infrastructure development, including future Trans-Siberian high-speed rail. Pakistan is the key member of this partnership, while Turkey also joined the Russian-led China-Pakistan alliance.

 

It is mentionable that on June 9, this year, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. 

 

President Putin said that Pakistan is an important partner for Russia in South Asia and congratulated Prime Minister Sharif on Pakistan’s full membership to the SCO. Putin elaborated, “Russian-Pakistani relations have been constructive and mutually beneficial…our relations are developing in many areas, and our trade has increased.”

 

In a major development, Russia has offered its support for Pakistan’s entry into a free trade agreement with Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), of which Russia is a leading member.

 

Prime Minister Sharif who thanked the Russian Federation for supporting Pakistan’s full membership in the SCO, said, “The SCO gives us a powerful platform for partnerships to promote peace, build trust and spur economic development for shared prosperity…it helps us all combat terrorism…expansion of the SCO has taken place at an opportune time, as China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative has transformed the global economic landscape…in Pakistan, we are diligently implementing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a flag of the OBOR.”

 

It is noteworthy that in response to the Pak-China project of CPEC, America broadly favoured India and Afghanistan, signing a deal with Iran for a transport corridor, opening up a new route to Afghanistan via the Iranian port of Chabahar. In this context, during his visit to Tehran, on May 23, 2016, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal to develop Iran’s Chabahar port. India will spend $500 million on the project. Chabahar—located about 1,800 kilometres south of Tehran—is more than just a port with an adjoining free trade zone. But, CPEC is much bigger and viable project then Chahbahar.

 

In this respect, on June 13, 2016, a Chinese newspaper, Global Times has blamed India for damaging the prospects of Gwadar by investing in Chahbahar to isolate Pakistan; however, it will not succeed in its designs. The paper explained, “Pakistan’s Sindh Province saw a bomb attack against Chinese engineers…Meanwhile, the Pakistani government claimed that anti-CPEC activities by foreign forces have been busted in Baluch Province. At the Beijing Forum held in Islamabad in late May, countries including the US and Japan have shown concerns over CPEC construction and even bluntly criticised the China-Pakistan friendship. CPEC is a significant part of the Belt and Road initiative, which is not only a domestic strategy of China to open up its central and western regions, but also Pakistan’s domestic development plan as well as regional integration.”

 

Nonetheless, the establishment of CPEC between deep Gwadar seaport of Balochistan and the historic Silk Road city in western regions-Xinjiang of China will connect Pakistan’s regions of Gilgit-Baltistan through Khunjerab Pass. Beijing would also build an international airport at Gwadar, while the roads infrastructure in Gwadar would link the communication network of rest of the country to facilitate transportation of goods.

 

When Gwadar seaport becomes fully operational, it would connect the landlocked Central Asian states with rest of the world. Being the commercial hub, the port is likely to increase the volume of trade, bringing multiple economic and financial benefits to Pakistan. It will enable high-volume cargo vessels to move in the major oceans, giving China’s short and easy access to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

 

The India-Iran-Afghanistan agreement to develop a trade route from Chabahar to Central Asia has been portrayed by Indian commentators as having changed the historical Great Game for control of the connection between South and Central Asia through Afghanistan. But, the project will remain a dream, as with the collapse of the intra-Afghan negotiations, Afghanistan is witnessing a further escalation of conflict and chaos and continued wave of bomb blasts by the Taliban who are fighting against the occupying forces.

 

It is also due to unrest in Afghanistan that the US-backed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline did not start. In 2009, Pakistan and Tehran had signed the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project without New Delhi, as the latter was reluctant in this context owing to its pro-US tilt. Since then, it has been named as the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project. The US had previously threatened Pakistan with sanctions if it went ahead with the project.

 

America and Israel are seeing the Chabahar project with suspicion. To bolster its strategic contest with China and Russia, the US is moving towards a military alliance with India. America which is backing Indian hegemony in Asia, especially to counterbalance China is supplying New Delhi latest weapons, arms and aircraft. During ex-President Barack Obama’s second visit to India, the Washington and New Delhi announced a breakthrough on a pact which would allow American companies to supply India with civilian nuclear technology, as agreed upon in 2008. During Indian Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to America, President Obama had strongly assured him to favour India’s membership in the coming meeting of the Nuclear Supplier Group. Earlier, Washington also pressurised the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) to sign an accord of specific safeguards with India. America had already contacted the NSG to grant a waiver to India for starting civil nuclear trade on a larger scale.

 

And, American President Donald Trump who is well-known for his anti-Muslim rhetoric is following the pro-Israeli and pro-Indian policies at the cost of Pakistan and other Islamic countries. Trump who is himself fundamentalist is silence over Hindu extremism led by Modi whose government has been implementing anti-Muslim, anti-Christian and anti-Pakistan agenda. Various developments like unprecedented rise of Hindu extremism, persecution of minorities, assaults on Christians and Muslims, including their places of worship, forced conversions of other religious minorities into Hindus, inclusion of Hindu religious books in curriculum, creation of war-like situation with Pakistan; continued violations at the Line of Control (LoC) across Kashmir, perennial state terrorism by the Indian security forces on the Kashmiri people in the Indian-Held Kashmir like Israeli atrocities on the Palestinians etc. might be cited as example.

 

During his trip to the USA, Prime Minister Modi’s first meeting with President Trump held on June 27, 2017. Both the leaders pledged to work together to boost their respective economies and other fields. Hours before Modi’s arrival, the State Department imposed sanctions on Syed Salahuddin, the leader of Hizbul Mujahideen—the main group that fights against Indian-controlled Kashmir. India’s foreign ministry hailed the move.

 

While ignoring ground realities that the US-led Mossad and RAW are sponsoring terrorism in Asia and Western countries, in the joint statement, Trump hailed pledges of closer military cooperation between India and the United States, especially in the fight against the ISIL. The leaders called on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries.

 

President Trump and Prime Minister Modi pledged to deepen defence and security cooperation, building on the US’s recognition of India as a major defence partner. The president also thanked India for seeking a $2 billion arms deal with the United States for 22 naval surveillance drones.

 

Trump said, “The relationship between the United States and India is very, very strong and very, very powerful.”

By setting aside the fact that RAW and Mossad are assisting the ISIS to further create lawlessness in Afghanistan so as to shift the blame game towards Pakistan and Russia, and to prolong the stay of the US/NATO forces there, Trump welcomed India’s contributions to promote Afghanistan’s democracy, stability, prosperity and security.

 

Trump has so far focused on outreach to China, India’s strategic rival, as he supposedly looks to Beijing to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. However, the joint statement indicates that Washington and New Delhi share concerns about North Korea’s missile programme and China’s rise as a military power.

 

Unlike the past this time, the joint statement uses the term “Indo-Pacific” for the first time, which is a more contemporary term than “Asia-Pacific”. It uses terms like “democratic stalwarts” and “responsible stewards” which are aimed at China, takes a common position against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and expresses reservations about the Belt and Road Initiative.

 

Trump remained silence over the solution of Kashmir dispute, while outside the White House, Kashmiri protesters waved flags and chanted slogans, calling on the US to pressure Modi to let the Kashmiris determine their own fate and stop the use of brutal force against civilians in Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

 

As regards Afghanistan, there are several groups of the Taliban and a majority of them are fighting for the liberation of their country. But, so as to pacify their people and justify the unending war, Afghanistan, India and the US has accused Pakistan and Russia of assisting the Taliban. 

 

In order to divert attention from NATO’s defeatism in Afghanistan, at a news conference in Kabul, on April 24, 2017, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Gen. John Nicholson, the American commander in Afghanistan supposedly stated that Russia was providing weapons to the Taliban. But, Moscow denied these false allegations.

 

On May 31, this year, a massive truck bombing of the Afghan capital’s diplomatic section killed more than 150 people and injured hundreds of others, including foreigners.

 

Taliban denied responsibility for the terror attack. But, Afghanistan’s intelligence service and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused the Haqqani network by saying that a Taliban-affiliated group in Pakistan, carried out the attack.

 

Notably, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, the US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis acknowledged that “We are not winning in Afghanistan,” and he admitted that the Taliban were surging at the moment.

 

It is worth mentioning that the US and India do not want to see peace and prosperity in the region. Sadly, Pakistan’s dominant role in Afghanistan’s peace process under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) has, deliberately, been sabotaged by the killing of the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur in a CIA-operated drone attack in Balochistan. After the incident, Afghan Taliban leaders refused to participate in the US-sponsored talks with the Afghan government. While, in the recent past, with the help of Pakistan, a series of meetings were held in Islamabad and Kabul among the representatives of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US to develop an understanding for the earliest possible resumption of stalled talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban with view to ending nearly 16 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan.

 

During the sixth Heart of Asia Conference which was held in the Indian city of Amritsar on December 3 and 4, 2016 proved fruitless in achieving its goals due to the secret diplomacy of the US, India and Afghanistan owing to the blame game, especially of New Delhi and Kabul against Islamabad.

 

In his opening remarks, following American secret diplomacy in Asia, in his frenzy and ferocious speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Pakistan on terrorism as the central subject of the moot.

 

Speaking in the Indian tone, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan of providing sanctuary to terrorists and cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan.

 

Pakistan’s Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz who also participated in the conference slammed baseless accusations of Modi and Ghani on Islamabad and called for evolving a joint and purposeful strategy for lasting peace in Afghanistan and to combat terrorism in the region.

 

The adviser said that peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban had not produced positive results, adding that Pakistan was making a serious effort to facilitate peace talks through the QCG. He urged all QCG members to continue their efforts for talks between the Afghan government and Taliban.

 

Addressing the conference, Russian envoy Zamir Kabulov rejected the Indian and Afghan allegations against Pakistan. He stated that Afghanistan is the pivot of the conference and the agenda of the conference should not be hijacked. He added that being friends and supporters, we should avoid the blame game and work together. He also said that Sartaj Aziz’s speech at the conference was friendly and constructive.

 

Earlier, due to the double game of the US and failure of the QCG, China, Russia and Pakistan held secretary-level trilateral talks in Moscow on December 27, 2016, and discussed regional stability, including the restoration of peace in Afghanistan. The meeting also discussed anti-terrorism cooperation amid growing influence of the ISIL in the region and a peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban. 

 

It is worth mentioning that in accordance with the extremist agenda of Israel, Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Iran on February 3, 2017. Earlier, the hardliner President Trump had stated that he would abandon the Iran nuclear deal. 

 

In his address at a regional summit in Riyadh on May 22, 2017, President Donald Trump called for “Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism. Brushing aside the Israeli-led US state terrorism and CIA-backed terror in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen and other vulnerable Islamic countries, Trump singled out Iran, accusing Tehran of contributing to instability in the region. He supposedly said, “From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region.” Keeping Israeli hidden agenda in his mind, Trump also stated that all the Muslim nations should boycott Iran.

 

President Trump also encouraged NATO-like alliance of Saudi Arabia, which includes the Sunni countries against Shia states, especially Iran and Yemen. It was formed on the instructions of Washington. As after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq, airstrikes on Libya and promotion of war in Syria have been clearly exposed, therefore, America revived the old phoney global war on terror to secure the illegitimate interests of Tel Aviv, whose major aim was to deceive the Muslims.

 US-Israeli secret strategy

It is of particular attention that acting upon the US-Israeli secret strategy, on June 5, this year, six Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Egypt and Libya’s eastern-based government, including the Maldives severed diplomatic ties with Qatar for allegedly supporting terrorism. Trump also raised similar false allegations in connection with Qatar. On June 22, 2017, Riyadh-led Arab countries sent a list of demands to Doha as conditions, including closing down the Turkey military installation to restore relations with the latter. Qatar has dismissed the demands, submitted by four Arab countries as “neither reasonable or actionable”.

 

The UK, France and the UNO called upon the Gulf states to find a way of deescalating the situation and lifting the current embargo and restrictions which are having an impact on the everyday lives of people in the region.

 

Turkey rejected a call from Arab states on June 23, 207 to shut down its military base in Qatar, saying the base was a guarantor of security in the Gulf and demands for its closure represented interference in its ties with Doha.

 

While the Saudi Arabian king who wants to save the kingdom of the country has been creating division and divide between the Muslim countries on the basis of Shia and Sunni. In pursuance of American-Israeli clandestine designs, it seems that Riyadh has decided to promote sectarian violence in the vulnerable Islamic countries. In fact, CIA and Mossad are diverting the attention of the international community from their own state terrorism and terrorism-related attacks in the world. 

 

It is also of particular attention that despite the revival of the fake global war on terror, owing to the faulty policies of President Trump, differences are increasing between America and its Western allies. Besides differences between the Britain and the US about Manchester terror attack—probe of Trump that the US intelligence agencies already knew it, Trump’s criticism of Germany regarding trade, travel ban on the refugees and nationals from six Muslim-majority countries to visit the USA, Trumps decision to abandon the Paris climate accord might be cited as instance.

 

Slamming Germany’s trade surplus and defence spending, President Trump said on May 30, 2016, “The relationship between Germany and the U.S is very bad.”

 

Taking note of Trump’s emotional statements and fanatic moves, French new President Emmanuel Macron who was blamed as the pro-Israeli candidate during the campaigning for the general election has changed his stand.

 

In this context, Jones E. Alexis wrote on the Veterans Today on June 22, 2017, “Macron seems to betray the Neoconservatives. He shows that he has some political backbones, for we all know that it takes courage to stand against the New World Order ideology in Syria and warmongers in the United States…French president Emmanuel Macron has recently ruined their ideological worldview by saying that the West must stand with Russia in Syria in order to eradicate terrorist Cells and organisations in Syria.”

 

Moreover, various other developments such as Russia-Turkey alliance to fight the ISIS, and US decision to dispatch more troops in Afghanistan where America and its NATO allies have entangled in the prolonged war of history, which has, rapidly, increased the cost of war, bringing about multiple internal crises, affecting the ordinary Americans and Western citizens, particularly those of Europe are equally notable. Especially, the endless war in Afghanistan will create a widening rift between American and its other NATO member-countries. NATO could be shattered like the Warsaw Pact. Even, American Western countries, particularly Europe is likely to make their own alliance, instead of depending on the US. 

 

Furthermore, conduction of missile test by North Korea, failure of Thump’s war-like diplomacy against the latter and waning of Russia and China to America in this connection have depressed the Americans.

 

In these circumstances, taking cognizance of the unsuccessful US-Indian partnership which is based on extremism, Iran will abandon the American-backed Chabahar project and will prefer to align with Russian-led China-Pakistan alliance.

 

As a matter of fact, Russian President Putin is making alliances and Trump is breaking America’s alliances in wake of the new Cold War which has been accelerated between Washington and Moscow.

 

Russian-led China-Pakistan alliance which is facing the US-led terrorism will succeed in future due to the faulty strategy of America which is likely to culminate into America’s downfall or disintegration.

 

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: [email protected]

Courtesy Veterans Today

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Courtesy Veterans Today

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