Asia / World Sunday, June 9, 2019 05 spends big on security Pakistan PM Khan makes fresh offer as PM Modi visits of dialogue to India tribune.com.pk Modi , Solih inaugurate coastal radar system & military training centre worth $26 million ISLAMABAD Islamabad has made a fresh offer to New Delhi to resolve issues through dialogue, with both Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shah Me- hmood Qureshi writing let- ters to their Indian counter- parts stressing the need for peace in the region. Diplomatic sources on Friday said that the prime minister in his letter to In- dian Prime Minister Nar- endra Modi again congrat- ulated him on his second Peace and prosperity in term in office, and called the region could only be for finding a solution to the achieved through peace Kashmir dispute and other and stability and it was issues through talks. necessary to work PM Imran wrote that peace and prosperity in together for this purpose the region could only be Prime Minister Imran Khan achieved through peace and stability and it was necessary to work together for this pur- gratulated the Indian pre- pose. He added that mutual mier in a telephonic con- respect was imperative for versation last month and regional development and reiterated his vision for peace negotiations were the only and prosperity in South Asia. way to overcome poverty “The PM [Imran] ex- Indian Prime Minister (left) stands next to Maldives’ President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during a welcome ceremony at Republic square in Maldive’s capital and other challenges faced pressed his desire for both Male on Saturday. (AFP) by both countries. countries to work together Also, Foreign Minister for the betterment of their AFP route. India, the country’s New Delhi $26 million. The two-day visit is also Shah Mehmood Qureshi peoples,” foreign office Malé, Maldives traditional ally, had watched A Strategic A joint statement said Modi’s first foreign visit wrote a letter to his Indian spokesperson Dr Muham- former strongman leader Ab- the two sides discussed the since taking the oath of of- counterpart Subrahman- mad Faisal tweeted. Earlier, Indian leader Narendra dulla Yameen’s growing po- partnership need to maintain peace and fice for his second term after yam Jaishankar and con- PM Imran took to Twitter to Modi on Saturday inaugu- litical and financial reliance The leaders pledged to security in the Indian Ocean an emphatic election win in gratulated him on assuming congratulate Modi over his rated a coastal radar system on Beijing with unease. region. May. charge as the new external election victory on May 23 and military training centre But Yameen’s election combat piracy, terrorism, The leaders pledged to Under Modi’s leader- affairs minister. even before the final results in the Maldives on Saturday, loss last September has seen organised crime and traf- combat piracy, terrorism, or- ship, India earlier this year According to the sourc- were announced. as New Delhi seeks to fend off the new administration under ficking through “coordi- ganised crime and trafficking granted a $800 million line of es, Qureshi told Jaishankar Modi thanked him and Chinese influence in the stra- President Ibrahim Mohamed nated patrolling and aerial through “coordinated patrol- credit to the Maldives, which in the letter that Islamabad insisted that he always gave tegically-placed nation. Solih gravitate back to the na- surveillance, exchange of ling and aerial surveillance, remains heavily indebted to wanted talks with New Del- primacy to peace in the re- The Maldives, a low-lying tion’s traditional benefactors information, and capacity exchange of information, and Beijing. hi on all important matters gion. The exchange of pleas- archipelago of more than a in New Delhi. building,” the statement capacity building,” the state- The Indian premier next and remained committed antries between the two thousand tiny coral islands Modi and Solih inaugu- said. Modi is making his ment said. travels to neighbouring Sri to efforts for establishing leaders was seen as sign of south of the Indian subcon- rated the training facility on second trip to the Maldives Modi is making his sec- Lanka, where he will hold peace in the region. easing of tensions between tinent, straddles the world’s Saturday, officials said, add- in less than seven months ond trip to the Maldives in talks with political leaders PM Imran had also con- the two neighbours. busiest east-west maritime ing that both projects cost less than seven months. during a brief stopover.

Philippines slams ‘unpardonable intrusions’ by UN rights experts Four Pakistani soldiers killed in Reuters states begin a three-week ses- porteurs’ act of peddling a the more than 5,000 suspect- have been “overwhelmingly MANILA sion on June 24, to launch an biased and absolutely false re- ed drug dealers killed by police rejected” by Filipinos. He was roadside blast independent inquiry into what cital of facts, adulterated with in anti-narcotics operations all referring in particular to the The Philippine government they said was a sharp deterio- malicious imputations against put up a fight. Philippine opposition, which Reuters attacked United Nations hu- ration in human rights across the constituted authorities, Panelo described the UN did not win a single Senate seat PESHAWAR man rights experts on Saturday the country. smacks of unpardonable in- experts as “foreign propagan- in midterm elections in May. for “unpardonable intrusions”, The 11 experts said they trusions on our sovereignty,” dists masquerading as human “These special rappor- Four soldiers were killed and after a call for an internation- “have recorded a staggering presidential spokesman Salva- rights protectors”, and said teurs should by this time re- another four were wounded al investigation into killings number of unlawful deaths dor Panelo said. their comments were “an out- alise that they, who believed by a roadside bomb blast in a linked to President Rodrigo and police killings in the con- The UN experts presented rageous interference on Phil- in the untruthful advocacies tribal area of northwestern Pa- Duterte’s war on drugs. text of the so-called war on “general allegations culled ippine sovereignty”. He said of the electorally vanquished kistan on Friday, in the latest The experts on Friday drugs, as well as killings of hu- from false information,” he those who have spoken against pretenders, have likewise attack in recent weeks in the urged the UN Human Rights man rights defenders”. said in a statement. The Du- Duterte’s anti-narcotics cam- been demolished, beyond re- restive North Waziristan re- Council, whose 47 member “The 11 UN Special Rap- terte government has insisted President Rodrigo Duterte. paign and human rights record demption,” Panelo said. gion, officials said. Security of- ficials said the device was plant- ed on a road in Khar Qamar, an area where security forces had Nigerian court overturns ban on recently conducted a search Sri Lanka president sacks spy chief over Easter attacks probe operation following a previous opposition TV and radio stations roadside bomb attack. AFP averted. He also said the presi- heated cabinet meeting ended Lagos: A Nigerian radio and television station owned by an The Pakistani Taliban, Colombo dent had failed to hold regular “inconclusively” without taking opposition politician resumed broadcasting Saturday after a which is separate from the security meetings to assess the a decision on whether to sus- court order temporarily overturned a ban imposed for al- Afghan Taliban, claimed re- Sri Lanka’s president has threat from Islamic radicals who pend the parliament probe. leged “inflammatory” content and unpaid licence fees. The sponsibility for the attack, sacked the national intelligence carried out the bombings on Sirisena’s office did not Federal High Court in the capital Abuja on Friday said African according to Mohammad chief and will not cooperate three hotels and three churchs. comment on the meeting, but Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower FM radio should Khurasani, a spokesman for with a parliamentary investiga- Sirisena’s office did not give said the president had told be allowed to operate until a ruling on their legal challenge to the movement, many of whose tion into security lapses before a reason for the sacking. Half- senior police officers on Friday the ban. members are based across the the Easter suicide bombings, way through the testimony, the that he will not allow any serv- The next court hearing is due on Thursday. The National border in Afghanistan. officials said Saturday. live telecast of the proceedings ing officer to testify. Sirisena’s Broadcasting Commission said it had suspended the licence Maithripala Sirisena sum- President Maithripala Sirisena. was stopped on the president’s defence secretary and police of the Daar Communications Plc, the owners of the two out- moned an emergency cabinet orders, official sources said. A chief have suggested that the fits, for breaching broadcast rules, not paying licence fees meeting on Friday night to op- and wounded nearly 500. Chief ministerial source said Sirisena president, who is also defence and “inflammatory, divisive, inciting broadcasts and media pose a parliamentary select of National Intelligence Sisira has refused to allow any police, minister, did not follow proper propaganda against the government.” Daar Communications Taliban kill 14 committee probe into the April Mendis was sacked after testi- military or intelligence person- protocols in dealing with in- is owned by business tycoon Raymond Dokpesi, a prominent 21 attacks that killed 258 peo- fying to the inquiry last week nel to testify before the commit- telligence warnings about the member of the Peoples Democratic Party. (AFP) armed locals ple, including 45 foreigners, that the attacks could have been tee. The source added that the Easter Sunday bombings. in western Afghanistan

After a week’s delay, monsoon hits Kerala coast, says IMD dpa PESHAWAR AGENCIES the second driest pre-monsoon ent on a good monsoon season. layedby two-three days from its THIRUVANANTHAPURAM season in 65 years. A meteor- Around 75 per cent of the rain- usual onset on June 29. Taliban militants have killed ologist at Skymet told news fall is from the fourth month The rains in June are likely at least 14 armed locals in Af- Monsoon hit the Kerala coast agency ANI that the recorded monsoon season; a good sea- to be impacted due to El-Nino, ghanistan’s western province of today after being delayed by pre-monsoon showers this son has a direct impact on the although a weak one. El-Nino, Ghor, officials said on Saturday. a week commencing the four- time is just 99mm against a economy as agriculture re- associated with the heating Another three were wounded month rainfall season in the normal of 131.5mm. The IMD mains a major contributor to of Pacific waters, has an im- in the clashes between the mili- country. has however maintained mon- the country’s GDP. pact on monsoon in India. It tants and the residents of Daw- “Monsoon has made an soon will be “normal” for 2019. North Indian plains, cen- dampens the conditions that lat Yar district, provincial coun- onset over Kerala today,” India The three-month pre- tral India and parts of south In- are needed for moist monsoon cillors Fazul Haq Ehsan and Meteorological Department’s monsoon season - March, April dia have been reeling under in- winds. It is often associated Abdul Basir Qaderi said. Director General-designate and May - ended with a rainfall tense heat for the past month. with lower-than-normal rain- The clashes erupted after MrutyunjayMohapatra told deficiency of 25 per cent. A wa- In Rajasthan, temperatures fall for India. an tribal leader in the district news agency PTI. ter crisis has persisted in the have soared up to as high as 50 The India Meteorological refused to join the Taliban, Several parts of Kerala country leading to agricultural degrees with Churu recording Men get drenched in a large wave during high tide at a sea front in Department (IMD) declares according to Ehsan. While have started receiving a good distress with a dip in water 50.3 degrees Celsius early this Kochi, India, on Saturday. (REUTERS) the arrival of monsoon rains the government controls all amount of rainfall, reported level in reservoirs in west and week. only after parameters meas- the territory of Ghor prov- news agency PTI. south India. Delhi has been roasting in national capital and its adjoin- to hit Delhi in the last week of uring consistency of rainfall ince, the majority of the dis- Private weather forecaster Due to a lack of adequate the heatwave with the mercury ing areas has been delayed by June. However the IMD said over a defined geography, in- tricts are severely threatened Skymet has predicted a weak alternative source of irrigation, touching 45 degrees. There is another 15 days, Skymet pre- Thursday the arrival of mon- tensity, cloudiness and wind by Taliban militants, accord- monsoon this time- it has been rural India is heavily depend- no respite as monsoon in the dicted. It was earlier supposed soon in Delhi is likely to be de- speed are satisfied. ing to the officials.