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Pakistan

Winter activity and political turmoil!

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When the Supreme Court of Pakistan summoned Prime Minister Imran Khan during the hearing of the APS suo motu case, the tide of national politics began to turn.

Imran Yaqub Khan Profile Imran Yaqub Khan

The Honorable Court first reprimanded the Attorney General and then summoned the Prime Minister in person. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed and the esteemed judges of the bench Justice Ijaz-ul-Hassan and Justice Qazi Amin made strong remarks during the hearing. According to political pundits, the summons of the Prime Minister to the Supreme Court seems to be adding to the growing worries for the present government that always claims "change".

Opposition groups called for a boycott of the assembly. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto have once again stood in the same line. In today's joint sitting of the parliament, a joint strategy has been formulated to prevent the government from enacting legislation. The opposition is calling the NAB legislation and government legislation for electronic voting machines one-sided and illegal. The opposition believes that the Imran Khan government is trying to give itself NRO by changing the NAB rules. Attempts will be made to steal the next election through electronic voting machine.

On Tuesday night, PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had invited the opposition MPs for dinner. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto also attended the dinner. According to newspaper reports, 180 members of parliament attended the dinner. On this occasion, it was decided that all members of the opposition would ensure attendance in the House. The people who are in the throes of inflation will want the opposition to be their voice.

It's welcoming to see the opposition together. The people may also see a glimmer of hope in their gathering. The purpose of uniting this long-divided opposition is to prevent legislation from gaining a numerical majority. Talking to media persons after the dinner, Shahbaz Sharif said that the country could not move forward without transparent elections. Bilawal Bhutto also assured that the opposition is united under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif. Prior to the dinner, the legal team of the opposition parties also sat together and agreed that the government's efforts to bulldoze the parliament would be thwarted. This commitment of the opposition is commendable.

In the National Assembly on Tuesday, the government had to give up trying to get a vote on two bills. The government couldn't present its bill. The bill introduced by the opposition could not be stopped. This could be seen as a significant development ahead of the joint sitting of Parliament. In such a scenario, the question arises as to whether the opposition is really united and how serious it is to stop the government. Are old grievances gone? Until recently, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was on the ground in opposition to the government alone, taking the wound of separation from the PDM to heart. Young leaders are also going to be emotional, so while opposing the government, they have been opposing the opposition. Now that he is again standing by the side of Shehbaz Sharif, it is hoped that Shehbaz may have ignored Bilawal's statements.

Qamar Zaman Kaira is a seasoned politician and holds a prominent position among the central leaders of the PPP. Kaira Sahib had opened a front against PML-N on the day when the opposition parties in Islamabad were uniting and formulating a plan of action against the government. He accused the PML-N of having backdoor contacts with the Establishment and made it clear that if the statement of respecting the vote was to be respected then backdoor contacts should be terminated. The incumbant government is intact because of PML-N and these people want the government to complete five years.

There are two statements going on in his party. First unite in your party. Nawaz Sharif should clarify whether his statement is resistance or compromise. Kaira's questions must be answered. Now it remains to be seen whether Shehbaz Sharif's tolerance comes to the fore in response or whether there is shelling from PML-N as well. However, PDM spokesman Hafiz Hamdullah did respond to Kaira. In his statement, he said that the PPP had stabbed the PDM in the back for the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. By criticizing the PDM, the PPP is opposing the opposition, not the government. PPP please, it is not appropriate to make a hole in the plate in which you have eaten. If you want to return to PDM, then consult Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the leadership of PDM.

The fate of the people of Pakistan always hangs in balance because of the Opposition's tactics favouring the government. Perhaps that is why Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry has termed the opposition as Bhanmati's family. He also advised the Opposition to wait for the first two years and the next five years. Every time the winter season comes, the political tension mounts. On this, Fawad Chaudhry mockingly called PDM a winter activity and said that these people just go out in winter and then leave. Given the past performance of the Opposition, this confidence of the government is not unreasonable. Now the question is whether the Opposition will be able to surprise the government in the joint sitting of the Parliament. If you look at the number of members of both the houses, the government has a lead of two members in the number game.

There are currently 440 MPs in both houses. The PTI and its allies have 221 members in the National Assembly and Senate. Opposition parties have 219 members in the National Assembly and Senate. There are 156 members of PTI, 7 members of MQM and 5 members of BAP in the National Assembly. PML-Q has 5 members and GDA has 3 members. Awami Muslim League, JWP and Azad are one member each. If you look at the opposition, there are 83 members of PML-N, 56 members of PPP, 15 members of MMA and 4 members of BNP in the National Assembly. The ANP has one member and the opposition has the support of three independents. The government and allies have 42 seats in the Senate. PTI 27, BAP 9 and MQM 3 are members of the Senate. The government also has the support of the Functional League, the Q League and an independent candidate. The Senate has 57 opposition members. PPP has 21 members, PML-N has 9, JUI-5 and National Party has 2 members. Jamaat-e-Islami One, PK Map 2, ANP 2 and BNP also have 2 members. The opposition also has the support of six members of the Dilawar Khan group in the Senate.

It seems that the joint sitting of the parliament is going to be tumultuous no matter what else happens.

Imran Yaqub Khan

Imran Yaqub is senior journalist and analyst

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Sports

Mets put catcher Alvarez (thumb) on 15-day IL

The New York Mets placed starting catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 15-day injured list with a left thumb sprain on Saturday.

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LOS ANGELES -- New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has a torn ligament in his left thumb and will need surgery, manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday after a 6-4 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Alvarez was placed on the 15-day injured list before the game with a sprained left thumb suffered while running the bases the night before in a 9-4 victory against the Dodgers. An MRI was performed late Friday night.

"Hopefully we get it done the beginning of next week," Mendoza said of Alvarez's surgery. "We don't know the timetable for his recovery, but we're pretty confident we'll get him back this year."

Alvarez, 22, left Friday night's game after jamming his left thumb in the second inning when he put his hand down to try to keep his balance coming around first after a bad throw by catcher Will Smith.

"You hate to see it," Mendoza said. "We don't know how long he's going to be out for, but we know how much energy he brings and the way he was playing. But at the same time, next guy up. It's an opportunity for other guys to step up."

The manager said Alvarez was "frustrated, obviously, and still waiting to see what they find. He'll get through it. He's a strong kid. He's very positive. He will be fine."

Alvarez is batting .236 with one home run and eight RBIs.

In corresponding moves, catcher Tomás Nido's contract was selected from Triple-A Syracuse and left-hander Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.

Omar Narvaez, who started Saturday's game at catcher, said the injury to Alvarez was "sad because he's an important part of the team. He's a tough kid. But things happen and I'm ready to go."
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Sports

Bucks' Middleton (ankle) uncertain for Game 3

Bucks forward Khris Middleton's status for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Pacers is uncertain after he hurt his ankle in the last game and didn't practice Thursday.

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MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks face the possibility of continuing their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Friday without two of their top three players.

Khris Middleton has a sprained right ankle that kept him from practicing Thursday and puts his status in question for Game 3 in Indianapolis. The Bucks already played the first two games of this series without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has a left calf strain.

"It's another holding-our-breath situation," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said about Middleton's availability for Friday. "Honestly, I don't know."

The NBA's injury report Thursday afternoon listed Antetokounmpo as doubtful and Middleton as questionable for Friday's game. The Bucks and Pacers are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Middleton was limping in the first quarter of the Bucks' 125-108 Game 2 loss on Tuesday and briefly went into the locker room, but he returned after getting his right ankle re-taped and ended up playing 36 minutes. The three-time All-Star has averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists through the first two games.

Antetokounmpo hasn't played since straining his left calf in an April 9 victory over the Boston Celtics. He missed the Bucks' final three regular-season games.

"He did a lot of floor stuff today, probably the most I've seen," Rivers said. "Nothing live. He was shooting and moving today."

While speaking after the Bucks' Thursday practice in Milwaukee, Rivers didn't want to speculate on when Antetokounmpo could return.

"I saw him moving around and my mindset is he's getting close," Rivers said. "Does that mean a day, four days? I'm not sure."

The Bucks have played without key performers on numerous occasions this year. The Bucks had their top three players -- Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard -- all available for only five of their last 35 games. That 35-game stretch covers Milwaukee's last 33 regular-season contests and the first two games of this series.

"We've had games like that this season," Bucks center Brook Lopez said. "We're prepared for it. We've seen everything. Obviously we'd prefer to have them play. But if they can't, if they have to do whatever they have to do to be healthy, stay healthy, we'll be ready."

The Bucks have become accustomed to dealing with injuries during the postseason.

Antetokounmpo missed the final 1½ games of a 2020 second-round loss to Miami with a sprained ankle. He didn't play the final two games of the 2021 East finals with a hyperextended knee before returning to lead Milwaukee to the championship as the NBA Finals MVP who scored 50 points in the title-clinching victory.

Middleton missed the Bucks' final 10 playoff games in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament. Last year, a bruised lower back knocked Antetokounmpo out of Game 1 and caused him to miss the next two games in the Bucks' first-round loss to Miami.
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World

US should bluntly stop Israel from attacking Rafah: Guterres

The UN Secretary General appealed to all donor countries to resume aid to UNRWA.

Published by Noor Fatima

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Geneva: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern over any Israeli military action in Rafah, saying that the attack would have devastating humanitarian effects.

Antonio Guterres called on the US to stop Israel from attacking Rafah during an interview broadcast by the Qatari Broadcasting Agency, saying that the US should take a blunt position and stop Israel from attacking Rafah.

He also considered the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as the cornerstone of aid in Gaza and reiterated the UN's commitment to UNRWA's principles of neutrality.

The UN Secretary General appealed to all donor countries to resume aid to UNRWA.

He expressed hope that negotiations on the cease-fire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners would continue.

It is pertinent to note that more than 34,000 Palestinians have been martyred and more than 77,000 have been injured in Gaza since October 7.

It is believed that the actual number of martyrs may be much higher as many bodies may still be buried in the rubble of the destroyed buildings.

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