VIF Information Alerts - 02 December 2019

7 Pak Generals teamed up with SC chief justice to block Qamar Javed Bajwa's extension
Published: The Economic Times

02 Dec 2019

Seven Generals of the Pakistan Army joined hands with Supreme Court chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa to block the Imran Khan government’s move to grant three-year extension to Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
ET has learnt that the seven Generals, including one who had served as a defence attache in Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, were opposed to granting a three-year extension to Bajwa as this would spoil their chances for the coveted post. The list of disgruntled generals includes Corps Commander Multan Lt Gen Sarfraz Sattar who was on top of the seniority list for appointment as the Chief of Army Staff; Lt Gen Nadeem Raza, Lt Gen Humayun Aziz, Lt Gen Naeem Ashraf, Lt Gen Sher Afghan and Lt Gen Qazi Ikraam.Click here to read... [2]

ASIO takes lead as spy agencies are put on war footing
Published: The Australian

02 Dec 2019

An elite intelligence taskforce led by ASIO, the Australian Signals Directorate and Defence intelligence will be created to put the country on a virtual war footing to combat national security threats from an unprecedented level of foreign interference and espionage.
The move will see the role of ASIO expand for the first time to share classified intelligence with Australian Federal Police on foreign interference. The pooling of intelligence — through security investigations conducted by ASIO and criminal investigations under the AFP — will help determine whether charges are laid against foreign targets or whether they are quietly thrown out of the country.Click here to read... [3]

‘Evil plan exposed’: Amarinder Singh on Pak minister’s Kartarpur remarks
Published: Hindustan Times

01 Dec 2019

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said Pakistan Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid’s disclosure that the Kartarpur Corridor was the brainchild of their Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had exposed Islamabad’s nefarious intent behind the initiative.
Even as he expressed serious concern over this admission by the Pakistani minister, the Chief Minister said that in validating his (Captain Amarinder’s stand) on the issue, Rashid had completely bared the wicked design of Pakistan behind the corridor, which India had hoped would emerge as a bridge of peace between the countries.Click here to read... [4]

Hafiz Saeed to be indicted on December 7
Published: The Express Tribune

01 Dec 2019

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has fixed December 7 for framing charges of alleged terror financing against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and others. According to Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Rauf Watoo, the ATC Judge Malik Arshad Bhutta was provided copies of nearly two dozen cases registered against the JuD leaders.Click here to read... [5]

Barter system for skirting sanctions on Iran gets six more European members
Published: The Japan Times

01 Dec 2019

Paris, London and Berlin on Saturday welcomed six new European countries to the INSTEX barter mechanism, which is designed to circumvent U.S. sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding use of the dollar.
“As founding shareholders of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, France, Germany and the United Kingdom warmly welcome the decision taken by the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, to join INSTEX as shareholders,” the three said in a joint statement.Click here to read... [6]