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Al-Qaeda's Zawahiri pledges allegiance to Mullah Mansoor
DUBAI: Al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri on Thursday pledged his group's allegiance to the new Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor who is facing a bitter struggle over his leadership.
“As emir of Al-Qaeda, I pledge to you our allegiance, following the path of Sheikh (Osama) bin Laden and his martyred brothers in their allegiance to Mullah Omar,” Zawahiri said in a recording, referring to the former Al-Qaeda leader and to the longtime Taliban chief, whose death was confirmed last month.
Mansoor, a longtime trusted deputy of Omar, is taking charge as the movement faces growing internal divisions and is threatened by the rise of the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group, which is making inroads in Afghanistan.
Zawahiri's pledge comes as Al-Qaeda also faces a growing rivalry for preeminence in the global jihadist movement with IS, which has seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq.
The recording was featured in a video that opens with images of bin Laden -- who was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011 -- pledging allegiance to Omar.
The recording then plays over a picture of Zawahiri, who is believed to be in hiding in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.
He says that the “Islamic emirate” established by the Taliban in Afghanistan was the “first legitimate emirate after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and there is no legitimate emirate in the world apart from it."
He pledged to Mansoor to “implement sharia law” and to continue “jihad until every part of occupied Muslim land is free."
Mansoor was announced as the new Taliban chief on July 31, after the movement confirmed the death of Omar, who led the Islamist insurgency for some 20 years.
'True to Islamic tradition'
But splits have emerged in the Taliban following the appointment, with some top leaders, including Omar's son and brother, refusing to pledge allegiance to Mansoor.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged the news of Zawahiri's pledge of allegiance, but said that, “We will react about it later. We don't want to comment on it now.“
Pakistani analyst Imtiaz Gul, an expert on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, added that Zawahiri's announcement is logical and true to the Islamic tradition of governance and succession, which is to say that whoever commands the majority of the Taliban should rightfully be the successor.
“This is in keeping with their political ideology. These organisations contest the idea of hereditary succession,” he added.
Just two days after the succession announcement, the late leader's son, Mullah Yakoub, and his brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, refused to pledge allegiance to Mansoor, calling on religious scholars to settle the rift.
Yakoub and several other members of the Taliban's ruling council walked out of the meeting at which Mansoor was declared leader, refusing to pledge loyalty to him, a Taliban source said.
But official Taliban statements in the name of Omar, who had not been seen in public since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001, were released as recently as July.
Mullah Mansoor is one of the founders of the Taliban movement and is seen as a moderate, pro-peace, pro-talks leader.
However, he has faced powerful rivals within the Taliban who are strongly opposed to peace talks with the Afghan government, with some insurgents also unhappy at the thought he may have deceived them for more than a year about Omar's death.
New Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah a scholar, not a soldier
KABUL: Religious scholar Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, named Wednesday as the Afghan Taliban's new leader, was a senior judge during the insurgent group's five-year rule over Afghanistan and issued many of its verdicts.
Believed to be aged in his fifties, he hails from Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar like both his former boss -- Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was killed in a US drone strike on Saturday -- and Taliban founder Mullah Omar, who died in 2013.
Akhundzada went on to become the group's “chief justice” after a US-led invasion toppled the Taliban government in 2001. He was a close ally of Mansour and was one of his two deputies.
Akhundzada is not known for his prowess on the battlefield, having preferred a life of religious and legal study. He is said to have issued many of the group's rulings on how Muslims should comply with the Taliban's interpretation of Islam.
According to Rahimullah Yousafzai, considered the region's foremost expert on the Taliban, Akhundzada was away in Pakistan during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan -- unlike Omar and Mansour, who earned reputations as fighters as part of the US-backed mujahideen.
"Though the new chief is not an experienced soldier, he has been very close to Mullah Mansour, and he is expected to continue the policies of Mullah Mansour," said Yousafzai.
It is unclear whether he will follow Mansour in shunning peace negotiations with the Afghan government.
Analysts believe he will be more heavily reliant on his shura (council) than Omar and Mansour and will need to rule by consensus.
In terms of age and seniority, he was second only to Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, whom many sources had believed was in contention for the leadership despite his reported detention by Pakistani authorities.
“Akhundzada was chosen to avoid further conflict and consultation,” said Islamabad-based analyst Amir Rana.
Yousafzai, however, projected a rocky road ahead for the new leader.
“I think some other sections were not consulted, there is no unification of the movement yet, and I don't see how it can unify under Haibatullah (Akhundzada),” he said.
Al Qaeda leader pledges allegiance to new Afghan Taliban chief
CAIRO: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, in an online audio message, pledged allegiance to the new head of the Afghan Taliban, who was appointed last month after his predecessor was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan.
Zawahiri became Al Qaeda's leader after US Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011, and he is thought to be hiding in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, having been based there since the late 1990s.
"As leader of the Al Qaeda organisation for jihad, I extend my pledge of allegiance once again, the approach of Osama to invite the Muslim nation to support the Islamic Emirate," Zawahiri said in a 14 minute recording.
During their years in power, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and it has been fighting an insurgency since to regain control of the country.
The authenticity of the recording could not be immediately verified.
Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who was one of former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour's deputies, was appointed a few days after Mansour was killed by a US drone attack in a remote border area just inside Pakistan.
Since Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor-turned-militant, succeeded bin Laden, Al Qaeda has lost ground to the militant Islamic State group.
Some Afghan insurgent commanders have broken away from the Taliban to pledge support for IS, though it operates largely in Iraq and Syria, and is active in parts of North Africa.
Al Qaeda was set up by Arab guerrillas who flocked to Afghanistan to fight Soviet occupation forces in the 1980s.
It had thrived under the Taliban's rule before both groups were driven underground following the US invasion that followed Al Qaeda's Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
Mazari protests verbal abuse by JUI-F Senator Hamdullah in TV talk show
ISLAMABAD: Criticisms of Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Hafiz Hamdullah's use of abusive language against female analyst and rights activist Marvi Sirmed during a TV show echoed here in the National Assembly on Saturday.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief's whip Shireen Mazari, against whom Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently used unparliamentary language, raised the issue on a point of order.
"I want to register my protest over what the JUI-F senator did with Marvi Sarmad," Mazari said.
Hamdullah misbehaved with Sirmed on a live television talk show, the PTI lawmaker said, adding that incidents of violence and hatred against women were rapidly increasing in society.
Mazari was of the view that lawmaking bodies should take notice of the such incidents and should take steps to stop them from happening in the future.
Raised @marvisirmed issue & condemned JUIF Senator in NA this morning! But PMLN women MNAs shamefully continuing to belittle abuse of women
The show aired on private television channel NewsOne was debating recent 'honour' killings in Pakistan when JUI-F Senator Hafiz Hamdullah got angry over Sirmed. He objected to what he called her support for the comments of Barrister Masroor, another panelist on the programme, on a lack of reaction from the Council Of Islamic Ideology on recent 'honour' killings in the country.
Hamdullah was of the view that Barrister Masroor should not have used the words 'pee ke soey hue hain' (sleeping after getting intoxicated) for the CII chairman and his fellow JUI-F member Maulana Sherani.
The argument between Hamdullah and Sirmed resulted in an exchange of hot words between the rights activist and the lawmaker. Sirmed said the JUI-F lawmaker also attempted to physically attack her.
Extending her support to Sirmed, Mazari said girls were being killed in the name of 'honour' across the country.
PPP lawmaker Nafeesa Shah also expressed sorrow over three recent incidents in which as many girls were burnt alive in the name of honour within a month's time.
"Why is this house quiet on the situation? I demand that this house should adopt a resolution to curb such crimes," Shah said.
She said the Parliament should make necessary legislation to stem the rise of so-called honour crimes.
"Unfortunately, there is a law of jungle in the country. But the House should not let the deaths of these three girls go in vain."
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also expressed disappointment over the criminal acts against women, adding that women were very important members of the country and enjoyed great honour in society.
He agreed to the suggestion that the House should play an active and diligent role in order to fight crimes against women.
Sindh Assembly unveils budget with outlay of Rs869bn
KARACHI: Sindh’s budget for the 2016-2017 financial year with an outlay of approximately Rs869 billion was presented in the provincial assembly on Saturday. The new budget translates into a rise of around 15 per cent compared to fiscal year 2015-16.
The budget was presented in the assembly by Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah after it was approved by the provincial cabinet members. The session was chaired by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.
“All our focus is on economic development and stability, and better human lives and facilities," Shah said in his budget speech, amidst shouts and sloganeering from the opposition.
The new fiscal year's deficit is estimated to be Rs15bn, he said.
The combined budget for Sindh Home Department and the police has been suggested to be Rs70bn.
The provincial government has claimed that its fourth budget is aimed at poverty alleviation and would be appreciated by the people of Sindh. This money bill comes a week after the federal government proposed an agri-focused budget to meet its growth target and manage the sector’s dismal performance during the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Examine: Budgets to nowhere
Developmental expenditure
The Sindh finance minister in his budget speech said that the development budget for the next financial year has been increased by 39pc.
Besides the Annual Development Programme (ADP) ofRs225bn, a total of Rs25bn have been allocated for districts while Rs42bn for local bodies.
In last year's budget, Rs503bn had been allocated for non-development expenditure and Rs214bn for development expenditure.
Sindh government's utilisation of development funds allocated in the previous fiscal year remained disappointingly low as only Rs86bn were spent out of a total of Rs162bn from ADP, while several development projects could not be completed.
Special package for Karachi
A special package of Rs10bn has been set designed for Karachi in next year's budgetary proposal.
Included in the provisions of the package is the extension of Sharea Faisal and the construction of underpasses at Star Gate and Punjab Chowrangi, while the scheme of new pumping station at Dhabeji has been added in the new budget once again.
Meanwhile, funds for the Sewerage Plan S-III and the K4 Water Supply Project have also been allocated.
Education
For the next fiscal year's budget, the biggest amount of Rs160.7bn has been allocated for education whereas Rs144.7bn were set aside for the education sector in the previous budget.
The new allocation is an increase of 11pc compared to education's share last year, the finance minister said.
He said the in the education budget Rs4.68bn have been allocated for schools and Rs5.4bn for repairs of schools and colleges.
Health
A total of Rs55bn has been set aside for the health sector in the budget proposal. In comparison, healthcare was allocated around Rs57.5bn in last year's budget.
The Sindh finance minister said in his budget speech Rs401 million has been proposed for repairs of hospitals.
Home dept and police
The combined recommended budget for the provincial home department and the police is Rs70bn, whereas in the preceding year the police department’s budget was allocated at Rs61bn.
A total of 20,000 new positions have been created in the police department and 10,000 positions in other departments.
Boost in pensions, salaries
In the 2016-17 budget, an increase of 10pc was announced in salaries and just as much in the pensions of citizens over the age of 85 years.
Tax collection
Sindh Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that the provincial government aims to lower the rate of consumption of sales tax in order to increase revenue. For this reason, sales tax in the Sindh budget has been lowered by 1pc and allocated at 13pc.
He said the total tax collection for the next fiscal year will amount to Rs124bn.
He further stated that Sindh Revenue Board has been assigned a target of Rs61bn for the current year. Target revenue collection target for the previous year was Rs154 bn; which for the upcoming fiscal year has been raised by 24pc.
He revealed that general sales tax (GST) on services has been reduced from 14 to 13pc.
He said no new taxes have been added to the proposed budget which can be a burden on the common man.
PUBLISHED ABOUT AN HOUR AGO Pakistanis consider Bollywood as the ultimate: Naseeruddin Shah
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who has worked in a handful of Hollywood films, explains why actors frolicking across borders will "come back very soon."
"Hindi actors have always been dying to go to Hollywood,"Hindustan Times quoted Shah as having said. "They would give their arms to go to there."
He then compared the excitement to that of our local actors. "It’s like Pakistani actors are dying to come to India. Pakistani people consider Bollywood to be the ultimate! I go there and they say ‘waah kya films banai hai’," he said jokingly.
But he believes that all those who are currently making their way to Hollywood, will soon return to Bollywood.
"These people who are tom-tomming their entry into Hollywood, are all going to come back very soon, because Hollywood has no place for an Asian to play a lead. It’s a one-off thing," he said.
Shah feels the only thing Bollywood takes from Hollywood is the extravagance it paints, rather than backing films which carry a strong social message.
"We have always been aping Hollywood but only in the superficial manner. The glitz and the glamour! The fact is that mainstream Hollywood will still back a film likeWhiplash, Nightcrawler, King’s Speech, Spotlight. Which of our films would back a daring film like Spotlight? Not one. That’s the difference between us and Hollywood," he said.
Across border, Naseeruddin Shah has appeared in action-adventure film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen(2003), Monsoon Wedding (2001), The Great New Wonderful (2005).
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افغانستان دوست اور ہمسایہ ملک ہے اس کا احترام کرتے ہیں، وزیر داخلہ فوٹو: فائل طور خم: وزیر داخلہ چوہدری نثار کا کہنا ہے کہ پاکست...
