On Friday, the Pakistani army announced that 3 of its soldiers and at least 7 militants were killed during clashes in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a statement issued by the army's media wing, the security forces repelled 3 attacks in the Laki Marwat area of "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa" last night when "terrorists" stormed a military post.
He added that a suicide bomber blew himself up near a security post in Lucky Marot, followed by a violent exchange of gunfire between the forces and the gunmen.
He stressed that the security forces clashed with the terrorists and killed 4 of them.
Gunmen also carried out attacks on the security forces in the "Amir Kalam" and "Tagbe Khel" neighborhoods of the Laki Marwat district, but the army repelled the attacks and killed 3 other terrorists, according to the same statement.
The statement added that "3 army soldiers were killed during these clashes, while the forces seized weapons and ammunition from the dead militants."
According to the military, over the past year, at least 300 people were killed, including security personnel, and 521 others were injured in 436 terrorist incidents.
20% increase in drug prices, pharmaceutical companies unhappy : Pakistan
Pakistan on Friday approved a 20 percent increase in the prices of generic drugs and a 14 percent increase in the prices of essential drugs.
Drug companies have rejected the increase, calling it low.
The government has hiked the prices following a deadlock with importers and pharmaceutical companies for the past several months.
Various associations of importers and drug manufacturers were demanding a 39% increase in the price of drugs, warning that otherwise the industry could collapse.
Pakistan's annual inflation rate reached 35 percent in March following a devaluation of the currency, a return to subsidies and an increase in tariffs to secure a $1.1 billion package from the IMF.
However, the government was resisting calls to increase drug prices for several months before the election, fearing loss of public support.
The Ministry of Finance said that the prices of medicines can be re-evaluated after three months if the value of the Pakistani rupee increases.
The finance ministry added that in the next fiscal year, 'no increase will be made under this category.
The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association (PPMA) criticized the increase, saying it was far.
Pakistan : What are the reservations of the political parties on the census?
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal to remove all reservations of MQM regarding the census as soon as possible.
An official of the Pakistan Department of Statistics uses a digital device to collect information from residents during the first digital national census in Karachi March 1, 2023 (AFP)
Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif during a meeting with the delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement ( MQM ) Pakistan at the Prime Minister House assured that all reservations of the party regarding the census will be removed as soon as possible.
The MQM delegation included convener Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Syed Mustafa Kamal, Dr. Farooq Sattar, Federal Minister IT Aminul Haque and member of the Coordination Committee Javed Hanif.
According to the statement issued by the Prime Minister House, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal to remove all reservations of MQM regarding the census as soon as possible.
On which the delegation thanked the Prime Minister for removing the concerns of MQM to a sufficient extent.
Earlier, MQM-Pakistan had signaled its separation from the federal government after its concerns over the census were not resolved.
mqm-p pm meet
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal to remove all reservations of MQM regarding census as soon as possible (MQM Pakistan).
After the meeting, the spokesperson of MQM Pakistan told Independent Urdu: 'The aim of MQM is that no one is less and no one is more, but all citizens are correctly counted in the census.'
According to the spokesman of MQM: "The delegation of MQM informed the prime minister about the discussions held in the meetings with various federal ministers and related institutions in the past few days. And appreciated the identification of data gaps. '
According to the spokesman, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also reviewed the progress made so far on the reservations of MQM Pakistan. It has been agreed to work together to resolve the issues identified by the MQM in the census as soon as possible.
Several political parties have alleged that the population of Karachi has been under-represented in the census. These various political parties include MQM Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.
After meeting with the Prime Minister, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan Senior Deputy Convenor Syed Mustafa Kamal said that MQM National Assembly members have submitted their resignations to convener Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in the organizational meeting.
He said: "The right-wing members of the assembly expressed their opinion that if the statistical office does not admit its mistakes and shortcomings and the government does not remove the reservations on the census, then they will not go to the assembly."
In a statement issued after the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mustafa Kamal said: 'Today there was a scheduled meeting with the coordination committee of the right-wing members of the Pakistan MQM, which has nothing to do with the current political situation.'
According to him, in the meeting, the mistakes made by the statistical office in the census and all aspects of the data so far have been reviewed. He also appreciated the role of the Prime Minister and Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal in the meeting who listened to all concerns regarding the census and issued orders to remove them.
Syed Mustafa Kamal further said that MQM Pakistan is a part of the federal government and will stand with the government in all difficult times.
2017 census
Security personnel escort Pakistan Bureau of Statistics officials to a residential area during the census in Karachi on March 16, 2017 (AFP).
What is the position of Jamaat-e-Islami?
Jamaat-e-Islami has staged sit-ins in front of the Sindh Assembly and the Statistics Department's office for several weeks due to the non-completion of the census.
Jamaat-e-Islami has also announced a protest march on Shariah Faisal on April 30 against the undercounting of Karachi's population in the census.
Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said in a recent statement that a proper census of the people of Karachi was not conducted, even a complete house census was not conducted.
He claimed that 'the data of around 16 thousand block codes is not available and thousands of blocks have not been enumerated.'
According to Hafiz Naeem, the entire process of census has become questionable and controversial. He demanded that every house including the high-rise building should be counted for the house census in Karachi and every person living in Karachi should be included in the census in Karachi.
Apart from this, they demand that the stakeholders of Karachi should be given access to the data.
MQM, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have also filed an application in the court against the controversial census.
What are the objections of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf?
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf is also continuously protesting against the census.
On Thursday, PTI Karachi General Secretary Arslan Taj issued a statement saying that PTI rejects the wrong count of Karachi and announces protest.
According to the statement, protests will be held at 29 places in Karachi on Saturday against the undercounting of Karachi's population in the census by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
On the other hand, according to the statement issued by the spokesperson of Sindh Chief Minister Abdul Rasheed Chana on Thursday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he was 'greatly surprised' by the protest of PTI.
He said: 'When the population of Karachi was counted as 1.6 million and the population of the entire Sindh was shown as 4.7 million, which I strongly protested, then the entire PTI was against me. . It is surprising that now they are protesting while at that time Jamaat-e-Islami did not show any special protest and MQM accepted the census of that time after conducting the census soon.'
According to the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah: 'When this census started, from the first day I expressed all my concerns about its procedure and these concerns have not been completely removed yet. The federal government has worked to some extent, but still we are not satisfied.
Murad Ali Shah said that even now the people of Sindh have been counted in the whole of Pakistan even on the basis of one family. Why is it not given?'
He said that his objections still stand and he will take up the matter in the cabinet and the cabinet will never accept or support this 'false census'.
We are committed to the rights of Afghan women: Afghan Taliban
The Afghan Taliban, after the United Nations' declaration of "immediate withdrawal" of all restrictions on women in the country and the adoption of a resolution, said that they consider it an internal social problem of Afghanistan that has no influence on foreign countries. .
The Afghan Taliban said on Friday that they consider it an internal social problem of Afghanistan, which has no bearing on foreign countries, after the United Nations passed a resolution and statement to "immediately withdraw" all restrictions on women in the country. No effect.
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday passed a resolution specifically condemning the ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations, urging Taliban officials to end all restrictive measures against women. Take it back immediately.'
According to the French news agency AFP, the resolution, unanimously approved by all 15 members of the Security Council, said that the ban announced in early April "undermines human rights and humanitarian principles."
The international body called on the Taliban government to "immediately change policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls."
The Afghan Taliban issued a statement in response to the resolution, according to which, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2681, which affirms the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national security of Afghanistan." There has been talk of renewing the Security Council's strong commitment to solidarity.'
The statement said that the problem of Afghanistan is unnatural and due to the economic sanctions imposed on it.
'Afghanistan has been in the grip of wars for decades, many of which were imposed by foreign powers.
"There is a need for the reconstruction of the country after the end of the war, the unconditional removal of sanctions and economic restrictions and the provision of humanitarian and development assistance to the country."
The Afghan Taliban further said that the ongoing crisis can only be resolved by lifting the sanctions imposed on the country and addressing its climate change, economy, infrastructure and development needs.
According to the statement: "With the United Nations condemning the decision to ban Afghan women from working in Afghanistan, we once again emphasize that in accordance with international law and by the Member States this firm According to the determination that Afghanistan's permanent priorities will be respected, it is considered to be an internal social problem of Afghanistan which has no influence on foreign countries.
"We are committed to the rights of Afghan women and demonstrate that differences should be respected rather than politicized."
The UN resolution refers to access to education, employment, freedom of movement and 'women's full, equal and meaningful participation in public life.'
The Security Council urged 'all States and organizations to use their influence to promote the immediate change of these policies and practices.'
The UN Security Council stressed the 'serious economic and humanitarian situation' and the 'critical need for continued presence' of the UN mission and other UN agencies in Afghanistan.
The United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United Nations, Lana Zaki Nusiba, said, "The world will not sit idly by because women in Afghanistan have been erased from society."
But despite his country's vote in favor of the resolution, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the text as not sufficiently accurate and blamed the West.
"We deeply regret and are disappointed that initiatives and a more inclusive approach and text have been blocked by Western colleagues," he said.
"If you are so sincere, return the stolen assets from the country," he said, referring to the seven billion dollar assets of the Afghan central bank frozen by the United States after the Taliban took over the country in 2021. Why not do it and that too without any prior conditions.'
The United Nations announced on April 4 that after Taliban officials banned women from working for domestic and foreign non-governmental organizations in December, Afghan women across the country were banned from working for UN offices. Banned.
According to aid agencies, several NGOs suspended all operations in protest, adding to the suffering of Afghanistan's 38 million citizens, half of whom are already facing starvation.
India urges China to contain the Himalayan border dispute
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart, General Li Changfu, that the military deployment on their disputed Himalayan border was undermining relations between the two countries.
India urges China to contain the Himalayan border disputeIndia accuses China of violating border agreements over the dispute over the Ladakh region
Rajnath Singh called for a disengagement to preserve "peace and tranquility", as relations between the two Asian powers have been strained since a clash in the region that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least 4 Chinese soldiers in June 2020, while the two neighbors have since mobilized tens of thousands of people. Troops along the border, military deployments continued despite 18 rounds of talks between the two countries' top military officials.
Singh spoke with his Chinese counterpart, General Li Shangfu, on Thursday, ahead of the meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which India chairs this year.
India's defense minister "categorically" affirmed New Delhi's position, according to a statement issued by his ministry on Thursday evening.
For its part, China claims the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh, considering it part of Tibet, and the two sides fought a border war in 1962.
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