VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: 18th September, 2018

PAKISTAN

Buzdar could quit if he’s unable to run Punjab affairs: CJP: Dawn

September 18, 2018

The Supreme Court on Monday appointed Khaliq Dad Lak, national coordinator for the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta), to probe why and on whose instruction a senior police officer was transferred in the dead of night without following legal procedure against the backdrop of the Pakpattan incident. A three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, also rejected an earlier inquiry report submitted by former police chief of Punjab Kaleem Imam who had been directed two weeks ago to investigate how Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Gujranwala chapter president Ahsan Iqbal Jamil Gujjar — in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar — interfered in the administrative matter of police concerning Pakpattan District Police Officer Rizwan Gondal.Click here to read.... [2]

PM Imran Khan leaves for Saudi Arabia on official two-day tour: Dawn

September 18, 2018

Prime Minister Imran Khan has left Islamabad for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) — his first foreign tour as prime minister. The premier is accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Information Minister Fawad Hussain and the prime minister's adviser on commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood. During his visit on the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, PM Khan will hold meetings with the king and the crown prince. The Saudi king will host a state banquet for the prime minister at the Royal Court.Click here to read.... [3]

AFGHANISTAN

UN Chief Submits Report To Security Council On Afghanistan: Tolo News

September 18, 2018

N Secretary General António Guterres has submitted the quarterly report on Afghanistan to the UN Security Council and highlighted Afghanistan’s ongoing political developments, security, regional cooperation, human rights, the coordination of development assistance, humanitarian assistance and returnees, ceasefire, drug trafficking and election process. According to the report, Afghanistan’s mainstream political parties and political movements have intensified their efforts ahead of October parliamentary elections with politicians insisting on reforms in the election system. “Political mobilization intensified as opposition groups formed coalitions ahead of parliamentary elections, scheduled for 20 October. A diverse group of political parties continued to demand electoral reforms, with some threatening an electoral boycott if their demands were not met,” read the report.Click here to read.... [4]

NEPAL

Nepal’s decision on BIMSTEC drill does not signal pro-China stance: official source: The Hindu

September 18, 2018

Nepalese officials acknowledge that the Chinese side proposed the “two-plus one” mechanism during their Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s visit to Beijing in June. Nepal’s decision not to participate in the India-proposed military exercise of the Bay of Bengal group of countries, instead of a snub to New Delhi, signals that a new set of rules need to be evolved that will meld the collective interests of India, Nepal and China, official sources say.’Click here to read.... [5]

CHINA

Nation aims to boost AI to benefit world: China Daily

September 18, 2018

China is willing to promote development, maintain security and share results with other countries in the field of artificial intelligence, President Xi Jinping said on Monday in a congratulatory letter at the start of a gathering in Shanghai that has drawn some of the world's top AI luminaries.Click here to read.... [6]

Donald Trump hits China with new tariffs on US$200 billion of imports, escalating trade war again: South China Morning Post

September 18, 2018

US President Donald Trump announced a new batch of tariffs on imports of Chinese products to the US on Monday, significantly widening the scope of a trade war that American companies are fighting to contain and Beijing has vowed to continue retaliating against.Click here to read.... [7]

China Focus: WEF founder optimistic about China's growth: Xinhuanet

September 17, 2018

Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said Monday that he's optimistic about China's economic growth. Over the past 40 years, there have been many critics and pessimists who always forecasted that China's economic growth would come to an end, but they turned to be wrong, Schwab told Xinhua in Tianjin ahead of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2018, also known as Summer Davos.Click here to read.... [8]