LOWER DIR, Pakistan: Siraj-ul-Haq, chief of a prominent Pakistani religious political party, has said that free and fair elections were the “only way forward” as the South Asian country grapples with an economic and political crisis amid a sharp rise in militant attacks.
Haq leads the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the Pakistani successor to the Jamaat-e-Islami founded in colonial India in 1941 by Abul Ala Maududi, a religious scholar best known for advocating an Islamic state in which the affairs of the government could be run under Sharia law.
While the JI has never formed a government in Pakistan itself, it was part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition governments in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2002 and 2013 respectively.
Now, as the party holds rallies in the run-up to elections, its leader said JI’s stance was that transparent polls were “the only way forward to improve the law-and-order situation, fix the economy and to end unrest.
“If the elections were made controversial or if they could not be fair, then the incoming government will also not be able to continue, will be weak, there will be fights, arguments and unrest,” Haq told Arab News in an interview this week. “For a smooth political environment, it is important to hold a fair election.”
At the moment, however, Haq said there was “political suffocation,” and demanded fair competition in elections for all parties.
“Our demand is that the judiciary, election commission and the (military) establishment have the obligation to provide an equal political environment to all,” the JI leader said.
His comments come amid allegations by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his party of a military-led crackdown that aims to keep them out of elections. The army denies it interferes in political affairs.
Pakistan is also headed to elections as it treads a tricky path to economic recovery under a caretaker setup after narrowly avoiding a default last year thanks to a last-gasp $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout package. Attacks by militants, particularly the Pakistani Taliban as well as separatists, are on the rise, while Pakistan’s ties with all its neighbors are currently strained.
Haq blamed Pakistan’s litany of problems on its political parties and its history of military rule, saying that both civilian and army-led governments had not delivered.
“The circumstances are bad because of bad governance. So when you say there is unrest, so the unrest is due to these political leaders who strengthened themselves or their families, (but) didn’t strengthen the institutions, didn’t make the courts independent, didn’t improve the accountability system, and didn’t ensure the circulation of money (distribution of wealth) either,” Haq said.
Asked about the military’s outsized role in Pakistan’s political past and present, Haq again blamed political parties.
“Actually, the reason behind the involvement of the establishment (in politics) is because political parties are not organized here, in fact there is a lack of (internal) democracy in them, they do not have merit themselves,” the JI leader said.
“There is a family monarchy and there is no democracy within the party either, then personal character and affairs are weakened. Due to this weak character, they always remain weak.”
Responding to questioning about his party’s position on the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), Haq said that the JI did not support any group attempting to control the “government through arms.”
In the past, critics have accused the JI of sympathizing with the TTP and other religiously motivated militant groups.
“The way of preaching is open and the doors of reaching to power through elections are open and if one has a good narrative, present it before the people and come to power through the vote and support of people,” Haq said. “We don’t agree with any activity which is based on force, arms and terror.”
Religious party chief: Fair elections ‘only way forward’ in Pakistani political, economic quagmire
https://arab.news/cttp4
Religious party chief: Fair elections ‘only way forward’ in Pakistani political, economic quagmire
- Siraj-ul-Haq says judiciary, polls regulator, military establishment obligated to ensure fair competition in elections
- Blames weak, internally undemocratic political parties for outsized role of military in Pakistan’s political past and present
Russia destroys 55 Ukrainian drones overnight, one person injured
- The full damage of the attack on Russia were not immediately known
- Ukraine has launched multiple air strikes on Lipetsk
“A UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) crashed in an industrial zone. One person was injured and is receiving all necessary medical assistance,” Artamonov said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Russian defense ministry said on Telegram that its units destroyed 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over five Russian regions and the Black Sea, including three over the Lipetsk region.
The full damage of the attack on Russia were not immediately known. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about the attack.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes during the war that Russia launched against Ukraine more than three years ago. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
Ukraine has launched multiple air strikes on Lipetsk, a strategically important region with an air base that is the chief training center for the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Heavy rains and flash flooding sweep across US’s Northeast
- Flash flood watches and warnings were in place in parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas
- In New York City, some subway service was suspended while other lines were running with severe delays due to flooding
NEW YORK: Heavy rain swept across parts of the US Northeast on Monday night, inundating sections of New York and New Jersey with flash flooding that stranded vehicles in roadways, closed subway lines and led to the declaration of a state of emergency.
Flash flood watches and warnings were in place in parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas as downpours moved through the region.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall, advising people to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. A video posted to social media by CBS showed flood waters bring a major roadway in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, to a standstill, stranding buses.
Some buses and trains in New Jersey were delayed due to flooding.
In New York City, some subway service was suspended while other lines were running with severe delays due to flooding, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. New York’s emergency services agency wrote on the social platform X that parts of the city and mid-Hudson were getting hit with flash floods.
Video posted on social media appears to show water flooding down into a Manhattan subway station, submerging the platform, while passengers inside a train watch. Another photo appears to show passengers standing on a train’s seats to avoid the water beginning to soak the floor.
Parts of major thoroughfares in New York, such as the northbound lanes of the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Cross Bronx Expressway, were temporarily closed due to flooding and at least one downed tree.
Officials in New York’s Westchester County were working to rescue people whose vehicles were submerged in water, according to Carolyn Fortino, a spokesperson for the county executive.
“At this time, residents are still strongly advised to avoid all travel unless fleeing an area that is subject to flooding, or under an evacuation order,” she said in an email.
A flood warning was also issued for Staten Island, which had seen about 10.2 to 15.2 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) of rain, according to NYC’s emergency notification system.
Mount Joy, in southeastern Pennsylvania, declared a disaster emergency as more than 17.8 centimeters (7 inches) of rain fell in less than five hours Monday, according to the Fire Department Mount Joy. Some people reported over 1.5 meters (5 feet) of water in their homes and emergency responders made 16 water rescues, although no injuries were reported.
“The declaration enables us to access additional resources to support residents and accelerate recovery efforts,” Borough Emergency Management Coordinator Philip Colvin said in a statement.
By Monday evening, the rainfall had lessened and water in Mount Joy had started to recede.
In Metuchen, New Jersey, about 54.7 kilometers (34 miles) southwest of New York City, Mayor Jonathan M. Busch, wrote on Facebook that the borough was significantly flooded, but by Monday evening water levels had already receded.
“It looks like the worst of the storm is behind us and thankfully, everyone is safe,” he said.
Australia PM Albanese to discuss trade, security in meeting with China’s Xi
- Australia has pursued a China policy of ‘cooperate where we can, disagree where we must’ under Albanese
- Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore
BEIJING: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Tuesday, where he said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions would be key topics for discussion.
Albanese is due to meet Xi ahead of an annual leaders’ dialogue with Li, and later attend a meeting of business leaders from both countries at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital.
Albanese said on Monday he looked forward to a “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese leaders.
Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.
China, meanwhile, is trying to capitalize on US President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs by presenting itself as a stable and reliable partner. Chinese officials have expressed interest in expanding a decade-old free trade deal and cooperating in areas like artificial intelligence.
The state-owned China Daily published a glowing opinion piece about Albanese’s visit in Tuesday’s paper and said it showed countries with different political systems could still cooperate.
However, any cooperation is likely to be constrained by long-standing Australian concerns around China’s military build-up and the jailing of Australian writer Yang Hengjun.
Beijing has also separately criticized Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.
Australia’s exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has traveled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP, and Fortescue, who met Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, at the start of the six-day visit.
Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia’s Bluescope Steel would also be at Tuesday’s business roundtable, along with China’s electric vehicle giant BYD, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and state-run food group COFCO.
“First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,” Black told Reuters on Tuesday.
German court to rule on claim against Berlin over US strikes in Yemen
- “The German government must put an end to the use of this base — otherwise the government is making itself complicit in the deaths of innocent civilians,” said Andreas Schueller, program director for international crimes at the NGO
BERLIN: Germany’s constitutional court will rule Tuesday in a years-long legal saga over whether Berlin can be held partly responsible for US drone attacks on Yemen due to signals sent through the Ramstein air base.
The case is being brought by two Yemeni men, Ahmed and Khalid bin Ali Jaber, who lost members of their family in a US drone strike on the village of Khashamir in 2012.
The survivors say they were there for a wedding of a male family member and eating dinner when they heard the buzz of a drone and then the boom of missile attacks that claimed multiple lives.
A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could have groundbreaking implications regarding Germany’s responsibility toward third countries in international conflicts.
The two men, supported by the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), argue that Germany is partly responsible for the attack because the strike was aided by signals relayed from the Ramstein base in the west of the country.
“Without the data that flows through Ramstein, the US cannot fly its combat drones in Yemen,” according to the ECCHR.
“The German government must put an end to the use of this base — otherwise the government is making itself complicit in the deaths of innocent civilians,” said Andreas Schueller, program director for international crimes at the NGO.
The plaintiffs first took their case to court in 2014, arguing that Germany had a responsibility to ensure the US military was respecting international law in using the Ramstein base.
The case was initially thrown out, before the higher administrative court in Muenster ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in 2019.
However, the government appealed and a higher court overturned the decision in 2020, arguing that German diplomatic efforts were enough to ensure Washington was adhering to international law.
In a hearing scheduled for 0800 GMT, the constitutional court must now decide what conditions are necessary for those affected abroad to sue the German state for the protection of their right to life, according to the ECCHR.
This includes whether data transmission alone is enough of a connection to German territory for Germany to be held responsible.
Ahead of the latest proceedings, which opened in December 2024, the German defense ministry said Berlin was “in an ongoing and trusting dialogue” with the United States about its activities at Ramstein.
The government has repeatedly obtained assurances that drones are not launched, controlled or commanded from Germany and that US forces are acting lawfully, the ministry said.
Japan warns of China’s military moves as biggest strategic challenge
- China’s increasing dispatch of aircraft carriers in the Pacific underscores the country’s attempt to advance its sea power in distant waters, the report said
TOKYO: Japan raised strong caution against China’s rapid acceleration of military activity in extensive areas from around its southwestern coasts to the Pacific, describing the moves as the biggest strategic challenge.
China’s growing joint operations with Russia also pose serious security concerns to Japan, along with increasing tension around Taiwan and threats coming from North Korea, the Defense Ministry said in an annual military report submitted to Cabinet on Tuesday.
“The international society is in a new crisis era as it faces the biggest challenges since the end of World War II,” the report said, citing significant changes to the global power balance while raising concern about an escalation of the China-US rivalry.
The security threats are concentrated in the Indo-Pacific, where Japan is located, and could get worse in the future, report says.
Japan has accelerated its military buildup on southwestern islands in recent years, preparing to deploy long-distance cruise missiles, as it worries about a conflict in Taiwan, which China claims as its territory to be annexed by force if necessary. Taiwan launched 10-day annual live-fire military exercises last week intended to guard against Chinese threats to invade. Japan tested a short-range, surface-to-ship missile at home earlier last month.
Chinese warships’ advance into the Pacific has steadily increased, with the frequency of their passage off southwestern Japan tripling in the past three years, including in waters between Taiwan and its neighboring Japanese island of Yonaguni, the 534-page report said.
The report comes days after Japan demanded China stop flying its fighter jets abnormally close to Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft, which it said was happening repeatedly and could cause a collision. Beijing, in return, accused Japan of flying near Chinese airspace for spying purposes.
Two earlier close encounters in June occurred over the Pacific Ocean, where Japan spotted two Chinese aircraft carriers operating together for the first time.
China’s increasing dispatch of aircraft carriers in the Pacific underscores the country’s attempt to advance its sea power in distant waters, the report said. It said China’s frequent dispatch of bombers for long distance flights in the Pacific by more sophisticated flight routes and fleet organization is seen as Beijing’s attempt to show off its presence around Japan and to further advance its operational capability.
The Defense Ministry noted two cases last year — a Chinese warplane’s brief violation of Japanese airspace over waters off islands near Nagasaki and an aircraft carrier’s entry into a zone just outside of Japan’s territorial waters further southwest in the Nansei island chain.
With US President Donald Trump focusing on the strengthening of the US economy and security, Japan and other US allies face expectations to play a greater role for peace and stability in the region, the report said.
North Korea poses “an increasingly serious and imminent threat” for Japan’s security, the report said, noting the North’s development of missiles carrying nuclear warheads into the Japanese territory and solid-fuel ICBM that can reach the US mainland.
Russia maintains active military operations around Japan and violated the country’s airspace in September, the report added, saying its increasing strategic cooperation with China has posed “strong concern” for Japan’s security.
