Latest News, Today’s Paper and Daily ePaper – The Nation

L’État islamique décapite deux femmes accusées de sorcellerie : Islamic State beheads female civilians in Syria
▻http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Jun-2015/islamic-state-beheads-female-civilians-in-syria

The hardline Islamic State group has beheaded two women in Syria, the first time it has decapitated female civilians, the founder of a group monitoring the war said today.

The beheadings took place in the eastern Deir al-Zor province this week said Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the conflict using sources on the ground.

One of the women was beheaded along with her husband in Deir al-Zor city. In al-Mayadeen city to the south east, the group beheaded another woman and her husband. All of them were accused of sorcery, the monitor said.

(La sorcellerie est également passible de la peine de mort en Arabie séoudite.)

With hope, Chinese-run #Gwadar Port set to operate - The Express Tribune
▻http://tribune.com.pk/story/868338/officially-functioning-with-hope-chinese-run-gwadar-port-set-to-operate

The Chinese-run Gwadar deep-sea port will commence operation formally from this month, starting with fish exports to Gulf countries, said Gwadar Port Managing Director (MD) Dostain Khan Jamaldini.

“The first commercial ship will dock at the port and a new ship lane will be in operation thereafter,” said the MD. “Our target is to make the port fully operational this year.”

The port authorities acquired possession of 2,231 acres of land at the beginning of the year from Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Coast Guard for establishing free-trade zones.

On couple ça avec ceci…

Gwadar–Kashgar trade corridor dilemma
▻http://nation.com.pk/business/13-Apr-2015/gwadar-kashgar-trade-corridor-dilemma

1. The vibrant Chinese economy, manifest and multifaceted, is outreaching to venture into geographical locations still somewhat remote and outlying.
One such option would be the Sea-Silk Road, announced by the Chinese President in a recent visit to the Maldives.
Another option awaiting completion would be the repose of vast potential called the Gwader – Kashgar Trade Corridor.
China is spending billions of dollars on development of her western part of the country i.e.
Kashgar / Xinjiang province which is far from her ports in the east.
China is planning to connect it with Gwadar Port being the shortest access to the sea.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Approved_Pak_china_economic_corridor_map.jpg

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
▻http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Pakistan_Economic_Corridor

TheChina-Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC) is an under-construction development megaproject to connect Gwadar Port in southern Pakistan to China’s northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang via highways, railways and pipelines to transport oil and gas. The project is considered central to the China–Pakistan relations. The economic corridor will run about 3,000 km from Gwadar, a port city in southwest Pakistan, to the northwestern Chinese city of Kashgar. Overall construction costs are estimated at $45 billion, with the project expected to be completed in 2030, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
(…)
Strategic Importance
When the corridor is constructed it will serve as a primary gateway for trade between China and the Middle East and Africa. In particular oil from the Middle East could be offloaded at Gwadar, which is located just outside the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and transported to China through the Baluchistan province in Pakistan. Such a link would vastly cut the 12,000-kilometre route that Mideast oil supplies must now take to reach Chinese ports.

By asking for ‘Sunni soldiers’ Saudi Arabia is trying to divide Pakistan Army
▻http://nation.com.pk/blogs/05-Apr-2015/by-asking-for-sunni-soldiers-saudi-arabia-is-trying-to-divide-pakistan-ar

If I were to tell you that Saudi Arabia wants the Pakistan Army, but only the Sunni soldiers and officers, what would your reaction be?

If I were to tell you that the training contingent that is in Saudi right now is only Sunni soldiers and officers, would you still believe that the Yemen war is justified?

[…]

But the game here is much larger and we need to understand the context.

In the past few months, the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force and SSG Commandos have made great advances against the TTP and their affiliated organizations around the country. The GOP has been pushed to take action against the extremist madrasahs that are funded illegally by foreign countries, many of which are these same countries asking for our assistance now. When we are nearing the day where we can honestly say that the terrorist threat in Pakistan has been broken permanently, the Saudis have launched a campaign against the Houthis even though this conflict has been building for over 6 months.

The army and the population of Pakistan are united for the first time in many years to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and extremism, the Saudi are now trying to not only divide the population, but divide our army as well. When a soldier puts on a uniform, he fights for the country that he calls home, not the religious beliefs that they carry individually. For a request/order to be made that the only acceptable soldiers for the Yemen conflict are Sunni and no Shia needs to be sent, it is clear that this is an attempt to divide our armed forces along religious grounds.

The Pakistan Army is roughly 70% Sunni and to deny deployment to the other 30% smacks of discrimination and favoritism. Do they believe that a professional military like Pakistan’s can’t see beyond their individual religious beliefs to fight for a unified, justified cause? If that is the case, then why ask Pakistan to send its armed forces?

Unless of course your objective is to cause division within our military command and fighting soldiers.