Monitoring Desk: Jake Sullivan, the outgoing U.S. National Security Adviser warned the forthcoming US Administration to continue the “China’s watching” policy and do not reduce support for Kyiv because the Ukraine conflict really matters for the Indo-Pacific because “China’s watching.”
The Biden Administration desired that “there should be more continuity than significant change concerning our Indo-Pacific strategy” and security circles within the US believe that adding Afghanistan into “China Watching” by aligning Afghanistan with India and providing financial support to Kabul should continue because it worked well and now US’s Indo-Pacific has expended reaching as far as Central Asian borders.US Indo- Pacific policy of “China Watching” does not means to align only those countries that are on Indo-Pacific rather those also who borders China. Sullivan called Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as adversaries and advised President-elect Donald Trump not to deviate from what the US had gained in Indo-Pacific.
Photo by AP
It may be mentioned that the US recently brokered the Afghanistan-India rapprochement and a DW report titled “Why India is Boosting Diplomatic Relations with the Taliban” indicates that this is a move to counter China. It is understood that countering China is not the sole desire of India but it is an integral part of the Indo-US strategic partnership.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan: Despite the orders of the Supreme Court, a sewage treatment plant could not be installed around Rawal Dam residents of Rawalpindi are forced to drink sewage-mix water.
It may be mentioned that the sewerage lines of Samli Sanatorium, Banigala, Bhara Kahu, Bari Imam, and Diplomatic Enclave fall inside Rawal Dam which is one of the main sources of water supply to Rawalpindi.
About ten years ago, the Supreme Court Pakistan issued orders to install a sewage treatment plant in the Rawal Dam catchment area, but it has not been implemented yet, so the people of Rawalpindi are forced to drink sewage mixed water. There is no water treatment plant at Rawal Dam, but a water filtration plant has been installed. In addition, construction is underway on Rawal Dam, the sewage of which will also go into Rawal Dam.
In one year (2024), over 350,000 patients with water-borne diseases, particularly Hepatitis were reported only in Rawalpindi government hospitals but no data is available regarding such cases reported in private hospitals in the year 2024.
Mandi Bahauddin: A tragic incident took place in the Kot Phule Shah area of Mandi Bahauddin district of Punjab, where a firework explosion caused loss of life and property.
The explosion was so intense that its sound was heard far and wide and a house was completely destroyed. Six people died in the incident while seven were injured, and were immediately shifted to the hospital by rescue teams.
According to initial investigations, the blast was caused by to short-circuiting of electric cables in the same room where explosive material of fireworks was stored. The deceased include 1-month-old baby Pakeezah Fatima, 6-year-old Haram Fatima, 35-year-old Sameera Bibi, 38-year-old Iqra Bibi, 39-year-old Ramsha Bibi, and 32-year-old Farhan. The injured include Asim, Rizwan, Kamran, Musa, Hashim, and Ayesha, who were immediately shifted to the government hospital Phalia. According to doctors, the condition of some of the injured is critical and their treatment is ongoing.
Motives of the explosion and investigation
SHO of Paharyanwali police station Muhammad Akram reached the scene of the incident and collected evidence and revealed in the initial report that 12 to 15 kg of fireworks were present in the house. The police have registered a case and named 3 persons Aamir Shahzad, Arbaaz, and Farhan, and have initiated action against them under sections 322, 427, and sections 3/4 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1998.
Atmosphere of grief and mourning in the area
After the incident, an atmosphere of fear, panic, and mourning prevailed in the area. Residents have demanded that the government and administration impose a complete ban on the manufacture, storage, and illegal use of fireworks and that those responsible for this matter be severely punished.
According to eyewitnesses and people in the area, the explosion was so severe that the house and nearby houses were partially damaged and it took a long time to extract the people buried under the rubble. Rescue teams acted with professionalism and shifted the injured to the hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were also recovered from the rubble.
While SP Investigation Rana Muhammad Aslam visited the scene and directed strict action against the responsible persons. According to Rescue 1122 DEO Imran Khan, the explosion was caused by the illegal production of fireworks, which is a result of serious negligence. People living in the neighborhood claimed that local police knew that illegal production of fireworks had been going on in this house cum factory but no action was ever taken because local police were allegedly bribed by the factory owners.
This sad incident highlights the serious dangers of illegal manufacture and storage of fireworks, and this incident is a warning to the authorities to take strict measures in this regard.
Monitoring Desk: The Wednesday meeting of Indian Secretary of External Affairs Vikram Misri with the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Dubai, testified that Afghanistan’s friends who brokered this meeting are satisfied with the results as both the countries decided to engage in sharing information for security updates, will get involved in development works, resume regular Kabul-Delhi flights and ensure presences of Indian workers in Kabul.
For a year, sane elements in Pakistan have been claiming that Washington, Delhi, and Kabul are on the same page over certain regional issues and constant financial help of the United States to Kabul was not without any reason. This meeting was held in the backdrop of news that Washington is constantly funding the Taliban and up to $87 million per week in cash, $10 million per month for the Taliban’s Doha office in Qatar, $446 million out of Operation Enduring Sentinel (OES). It was also claimed by a US-based Think Tank that $3.5 billion was taken from Afghanistan’s legitimate government reserves and channeled for use by the Taliban. Is this situation not alarming for China and Pakistan which are facing attacks of TTP on their citizens while TTP is being hosted by Afghan Taliban?
An article published in Express Tribune titled “Brewing US-Taliban proximity and Pakistan” claimed that the US might facilitate the re-emergence of Indian intelligence within Kabul as part of a larger deal with the Afghan Taliban – something that is sandwiching Pakistan between East and West borders where Indian interests are sitting on both sides. The meeting between the Indian Secretary of External Affairs Vikram Misri and with acting foreign minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi ended with a statement released by the Taliban’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirming that India and Afghanistan will collaborate in security-related fields. New Delhi will get involved in development projects and provide humanitarian assistance to Kabul while Afghanistan will also use the Indian-run Chabahar port in Iran for its trade activities.
“The meeting marked the highest level of dialogue between India and the Taliban since the latter seized Kabul in August 2021” Indian media reported.
A DW report titled “Why India is Boosting Diplomatic Relations with the Taliban” indicates that this is a move to counter China. It is understood that countering China is not the sole desire of India but it is an integral part of the Indo-US strategic partnership. Intelligence circles believe that in June 2022, India sent a “technical team” to Kabul to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to see how New Delhi could support the Afghan people, and members of this “technical team” were surely undercover Indian intelligence officers who with an understanding with Taliban landed in Kabul to operate for ‘joint interests in the region’. Out of this deal, India allowed Taliban representative, Ikramuddin Kamil, to work at the Afghan consulate in Mumbai.
It may be mentioned that in November, senior foreign ministry official JP Singh held multiple meetings with Taliban representatives, including a notable meeting with acting Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob to plan for an Indo-Afghan strategic partnership in the Defence field.
Monitoring Desk: India is the top country in South Asia in terms of US deportation, as 1,529 Indians were deported in 2024, compared to 370 who were removed (deported) in 2023.
The surge in deportation is mostly linked with sexual abuse and financial fraud. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) removes noncitizens deemed a threat to the safety of the United States or who violate immigration laws.
Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan is fighting back against cross-border terrorism, and on January 10, 2025, five TTP terrorists (officially known as khwarij) were sent to hell by forces in the general area Maddi, Dera Ismail Khan District on reported presence of khwarij.
According to available information, terrorists came from Afghanistan, and security forces had information about their hideouts. During the conduct of the operation, Pakistan Army troops effectively engaged Khwarij’s location, resultantly, five khwarij including Kharji ring leader Shafiullah alias Shafi, were sent to hell.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed khwarij, who remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians.
A sanitization operation is being carried out to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.
Monitoring Desk: Interesting discussions are underway in London’s South Asian communities after tweets by Elon Musk accusing UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being “deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes” and he also called Home Office Minister Jess Phillips as a “rape genocide apologist”.
The motion, proposed by Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, was defeated by Labour MPs by following UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s three-line whip to block the inquiry. The scandal, one of the darkest chapters in recent British history, involved the systematic abuse of vulnerable girls, primarily by British-Pakistani grooming gangs.
The thread of discussions links with Pakistan and its former prime minister, therefore, giving opportunities to South Asian groups to taunt and equate Jess Phillips and Labour Party with Imran Khan because some of the accused of Pakistani and Indian descent from UK Grooming (raping) Gangs claim that they were inspired by Imran Khan’s statement that “if women are wearing few clothes, men cannot control and are justified to rape them” and his overall lifestyle that evolves around fancy cars, young white girls, alcohol and drugs, party sexy and death threats. There was also an unmistakable pattern in how the gangs operated and thrived since the 90s.
It may be mentioned that Elon Musk recently indicated that the UK government is trying to put a serious issue of gang rapes under the carpet and he described Home Office minister Jess Phillips as a “rape genocide apologist”. Human minds trigger with already available data so many South Asian groups immediately link Jess Phillips and the act of ruling the Labour Party with Imran Khan who is infamous for his comments that fell under ‘rape apologist’. In an interview, Imran Khan categorically said: “If women are wearing few clothes, men cannot control her and are justified to rape them”.
According to available information at least three accused of “UK Grooming Rape Gangs” indicated that their (Pakistani) prime minister Imran Khan inspired the whole of their lives who (Imran Khan) enjoy a lifestyle that evolved around fancy cars, young white girls, alcohol, and drugs and sex parties. They (the accused) almost uttered the same statement that Imran Khan gave in his interview stating that if women are wearing few clothes, men cannot control them and are justified to rape them.
The book written by the ex-wife of Imran Khan titled “Reham Khan —Memoir” (ISBN 978-191641-52-01. Printed and bound in Great Britain and published by SK Publishing Ltd 2018) explains Imran Khan’s kinky lifestyle that includes young white girls, alcohol and drugs, homosexuality and sex parties.
Islamabad, Pakistan: The war on corruption launched by Managing Director APP Asim Khachi is causing him death threats while DIG Islamabad has taken notice of the situation.
Asim Khachi, a career bureaucrat unearthed corruption of over Rs. 1.5 billion in state-run News Agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) after taking charge of the organization and he took swift action against culprits who are mostly employees of the APP but they also collaborated with outsiders for mega corruption. Having the political linkages and deep-rooted networking within the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the accused were considered ‘beyond the reach of anybody’ and were confident that nobody would dare to put a hand on them. However, Asim Kitchi not only gathered documented proof of their corruption rather moved ahead with the registration of cases against them. Now the matter is in court and the culprits want MD APP not to pursue the cases. In an attempt to harass Kitchi, they threatened him that he would be killed if he did not stop to pursue the cases in court.
The cases are related to 20 fake recruitments and 1.5 billion rupees in corruption against alleged ringleader Arshad Majeed whose son Chavez Arshad started making threats and public attacks with goons against witnesses. A month ago, a complaint was filed against the accused in Aabpara police station, the SHO did not take any action due to pressure from the mafia or because his fist was hot. DIG Islamabad Syed Ali Raza has now assured immediate action against the accused Chavez Arshad, who threatened to kill Muhammad Asim Khachi and bomb his family.
A delegation of APP journalists led by APP Employees Union President Malik Khizr, General Secretary Nadeem Iqbal, and Director Crime and Courts Malik Rashid attended the Khuli Kachari (Open Court) in Aabpara police station, Islamabad and informed DIG Islamabad Syed Ali Raza that MD APP Muhammad Asim Khachi had investigated a case of corruption and fake recruitment worth Rs 1.5 billion in the institution and handed over the case to the FIA. In the fake recruitment case, mafia leader Arshad Majeed and other accused were convicted and remained in jail, while the inquiry into other cases of corruption is ongoing. Due to this, Chavez Arshad, the son of Arshad Majeed, threatened to kill MD Muhammad Asim Khachi and blow up his family with a bomb and asked to close the inquiry immediately. In court, Chavez Arshad tried to attack the APP legal team along with the gangsters several times. MD APP Muhammad Asim Khachi applied for action at Aabpara police station on December 12, 2024, and after that, he also made repeated reminders but the SHO of Aabpara police station showed extreme negligence and carelessness and did not pay any attention. The accused got a free pass, after which the accused started surrounding MD APP and other employees of the institution. Unknown persons were seen roaming outside the APP. The vehicles were chased and on January 8, 2025, the accused Chavez tried to attack the President and General Secretary of the APP Union. The APP MD, legal team, and other employees are facing serious threats from the corrupt mafia.
DIG Islamabad Syed Ali Raza, after hearing the complaints of APP journalists, issued instructions to start immediate action in this regard and said that the protection of all employees and journalists is the primary responsibility of the police. He assured that the elements threatening to kill a senior government official will be brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the Association of Private News Agencies of Pakistan (APNAP) has demanded immediate security of AAP employees including the MD of the organization. Agha Iqrar Haroon has demanded the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar take notice and demand action within the Ministry or outside who protect the culprits.
Monitoring Desk: Father is a father and he was born with a heart to forgive and forget the crimes of his children columnist Hafizullah Niazi is not an exception when he feels pain for his jailed son. However, hiding his son’s deeds and saying everywhere that his son Hassan Niazi was wrongly sentenced for just holding a pair of pants – is completely wrong.
This video is proof of how Hassan Niazi, who has gone after his “uncles” instead of his father, who (Imran Khan) has always been promoting terrorism and corruption. It is not just a matter of waving “military pants” for a day, but your eyes have a long history, see with your own eyes. Must watch a video in which Hassan Niazi is addressing miscreants outside Corp Commander House Lahore.
Monitoring Desk: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is reportedly mending its relations with the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) Province, a regional branch of the jihadist group and a franchisee of Jihadis who recently took over Syria. Islamic State (IS) is mostly based in South-Central Asia, primarily in Afghanistan.
According to reports IEA and ISK are negotiating to cool down tension between them and persuading ISK to only operate in areas bordering Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, vacating southern Afghanistan for the time being. Available information suggests that the Taliban and ISIS follow the same religious school of thought having the same targets of global jihad. The power struggle between them can be settled down by demarking areas of operations. It is believed that the Taliban are already in contact with Ahmad al-Sharaa, known until last month by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
ISIS–-K seeks to replace current governments within the historic Khorasan region to establish a caliphate across South and Central Asia, governed under a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law as of IEA. International groups having an eye on Jihadism and extremism believe that the religious-political philosophy of almost all Jihadis is to replace democracies in modern states with the purist rule of life and ISIS, ISK, Afghan Taliban, Boku Haram, TTP, and other groups are just brand names of the same factory and they intermingled, intertwine, support and operation together wherever it is needed.
In August 2017, ISIS–K and the Taliban jointly attacked several villages inhabited by the Shia Hazara minority in northern Afghanistan, resulting in the mass murder of Hazara men, women, and children within Sar-e Pol Province
It may be remembered that in August 2017, ISIS–K and the Taliban jointly attacked several villages inhabited by the Shia Hazara minority in northern Afghanistan, resulting in the mass murder of Hazara men, women, and children within Sar-e Pol Province. Some of its most notable attacks include the 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 American military personnel and at least 169 Afghans in Kabul during the U.S. withdrawal from the country, twin suicide bombings in July 2018 that killed at least 131 at election rallies in Pakistan, twin bombings in July 2016 that killed 97 Shia Hazara protestors in downtown Kabul, and a suicide bombing in July 2023 that killed 63 in Khar Pakistan.
Monitoring Desk: The Wednesday meeting of Indian Secretary of External Affairs Vikram Misri with the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi, in...
Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan is fighting back against cross-border terrorism, and on January 10, 2025, five TTP terrorists (officially known as khwarij) were sent to...
Monitoring Desk: Interesting discussions are underway in London’s South Asian communities after tweets by Elon Musk accusing UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of...
