New York, Sep 25,2021: India on Friday slammed Pakistan as an “arsonist disguising itself as a firefighter” and a country that nurtures terrorists in its backyard as a matter of state policy which has led the entire region and world to suffer, in reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tirade against the country at the UN General Assembly.
Sneha Dubey, First Secretary in India’s UN Mission, in a scathing attack on Pakistan, also reminded the world that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was sheltered in Pakistan.
“The world has not forgotten that the mastermind behind the dastardly event Osama bin Laden got shelter in Pakistan,” she said, and added that the Pakistani leadership continues to glorify Osama as a martyr.
“Regrettably, even today we heard the leader of Pakistan trying to justify acts of terror. Such defence of terrorism is unacceptable in the modern world,” she said, exercising India’s Right of Reply.
Referring to the state of minorities in Pakistan, she said: “Today, the minorities in Pakistan, the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, live in constant fear and state-sponsored suppression of their rights. This is a regime where anti-Semitism is normalised by its leadership and even justified. Dissenting voices are muzzled daily and enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings are well documented.”
Responding to Imran Khan’s claims about treatment of minorities in India, the young diplomat said: “Pluralism is a concept which is very difficult to understand for Pakistan which constitutionally prohibits its minorities from aspiring for high offices of the State. The least they could do is introspect before exposing themselves to ridicule on the world stage”
“Unlike Pakistan, India is a pluralistic democracy with a substantial population of minorities who have gone on to hold highest offices in the country including as President, Prime Minister, Chief Justices and Chiefs of Army staff. India is also a country with a free media and an independent judiciary that keeps a watch and protects our Constitution.”
On Imran Khan’s allegations of “war crimes” by India, she referred to the genocide perpetrated in Bangladesh in 1971 during and before the War of Independence in which more than 300,000 people were killed by Pakistan and hundreds of thousand women raped.
“This is also the country that still holds the despicable record in our region of having executed a religious and cultural genocide against the people of what is now Bangladesh.
“As we mark the 50th anniversary this year of that horrid event in history, there is not even an acknowledgement much less accountability.”
“This is not the first time the leader of Pakistan has misused platforms provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country, and seeking in vain to divert the world’s attention from the sad state of his country where terrorists enjoy free pass while the lives of ordinary people, especially those belonging to the minority communities, are turned upside down.”
“This is a country which has been globally recognized as one openly supporting, training, financing and arming terrorists as a matter of State policy. It holds the ignoble record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council,” she said.
Categorically emphasising India’s position, she said: “Let me reiterate here that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.”
On the conditions for peace, she said: “We desire normal relations with all our neighbours, including Pakistan. However, it is for Pakistan to work sincerely towards creating a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible actions to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross border terrorism against India in any manner.”
TUNISTUNIS ,Sept23,2021:Tunisian President Kais Saied declared on Wednesday he will rule by decree and ignore parts of the constitution as he prepares to change the political system, prompting immediate opposition from rivals.
Saied has held nearly total power since July 25 when he sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority, citing a national emergency in a move his foes called a coup.
His intervention has undermined the democratic gains of Tunisia’s 2011 revolution that ended autocratic rule and triggered the Arab Spring, despite Saied’s pledges to uphold the freedoms won a decade ago.
As the weeks have passed, he has come under growing pressure from Tunisian political players and Western donors to name a prime minister and explain how he intends to move past the crisis.
The new measures announced on Wednesday go far beyond the steps he took in July, writing into the official gazette rules that transform Tunisia’s political system to give the president almost unlimited power.
Rules published in the official gazette allow him to issue “legislative texts” by decree, appoint the Cabinet and set its policy direction and basic decisions without interference.
The elected parliament, which he suspended in July using a highly contentious reading of the constitution, will not only remain frozen but its members will stop being paid their salaries. They will still be stripped of immunity from prosecution.
New Delhi [India], September 23,2021: India has attracted a total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow of USD 27.37 billion during the first four months of the current financial year (FY) 2021-22 which is 62 per cent higher as compared to the corresponding period of FY 2020-21 (USD 16.92 billion), Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday.
According to the ministry, FDI equity inflow grew by 112 per cent in the first four months of FY 2021-22 (USD 20.42 billion) compared to the year-ago period (USD 9.61 billion).
‘Automobile Industry’ has emerged as the top sector during the first four months of FY 2021-22 with a 23 per cent share of the total FDI Equity inflow followed by computer software and hardware (18 per cent) and services sector (10 per cent) respectively.
Under the sector ‘Automobile Industry’, the majority of FDI Equity inflow (87 per cent) was reported in the state of Karnataka during the first four months of the current FY 2021-22.
Karnataka is the top recipient state during the FY 2021-22 (up to July 2021) with a 45 per cent share of the total FDI equity inflows followed by Maharashtra (23 per cent) and Delhi (12 per cent).
The ministry said easures taken by the Central Government concerning FDI policy reforms, investment facilitation and ease of doing business have resulted in increased FDI inflows into the country.
New York [US], September 22,2021: The waving of sanctions on the Taliban is not on the UN Security Council agenda but the issue should be given careful consideration, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“The topic of lifting the sanctions imposed on the Taliban via the Security Council is not on the agenda right now. Of course, this is an important issue, and sooner or later it will still have to be solved,” Nebenzia said.
However, this issue should not be rushed as the situation must be carefully considered, according to the Russian official
“I [can] say that practically all members of the Council, and not just the five members of its permanent members, have repeatedly, during their speeches on the topic of Afghanistan, talked about the cautious approach toward the new Afghan authorities,” he added.
New Delhi, Sep 22,2021: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) on Wednesday said that its board has given in-principle approval for the merger between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and ZEEL.
As per the deal, Sony Pictures Networks will hold a majority stake in the merged entity and infuse US$ 1.75 billion.
“The shareholders of SPNI, will hold a majority stake in the merged entity. The shareholders of SPNI will also infuse growth capital into SPNI as part of the merger such that SPNI has approximately USD1.575 billion at closing, for use in pursuing other growth opportunities,” Zee Entertainment said in BSE filing.
Post merger, Zee Entertainment stakeholders would hold 47.07 per cent equity stake in the merged entity while Sony Pictures Networks will hold the balance 52.93 per cent in the merged entity.
As per the term sheet of the merger, Punit Goenka will continue to be the Managing Director and CEO of the merged entity. Further, certain non-compete arrangements will be agreed upon between the promoters of ZEEL and the promoters of SPNI.
Set 20,2021: While the Registrar General of India has not yet issued a notification on Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) to make it a legal document, a Foreigners’ Tribunal has gone ahead and recorded it as the “final NRC” while declaring a man to be Indian.
Hearing a case against one Bikram Singha of Jamirala village whose name figured in the NRC list, member of FT-II in Karimganj town Sishir Dey said, “…there is no doubt that this NRC Assam published in 2019 is nothing but Final NRC..”
The FT-II’s ‘order cum opinion’ comes just days after Assam’s Political (B) Department had on September 4 asked the FTs not to pass “consequential orders/directions” and stick to giving an “opinion” as mandated by the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964. The letter to the FTs followed an assessment by the State’s Judicial Department of the “opinions” given by the members in the case of people suspected to be foreigners or doubtful voters.
The Assam police’s Border wing had, in May 2008, filed a case against Mr. Singha, of Jamirala village under the Patherkandi Assembly constituency of southern Assam’s Karimganj district. The man, marked a D or ‘doubtful voter’, remained untraced until June 28 and appeared before the Foreigners’ Tribunal-II (FT-II) in Karimganj town two months later, seeking time to return from Bengaluru where he was working.
Mr. Singha produced before the FT-II several documents to prove his Indian citizenship.