Since the Syrian President has lost control over the country, the oil blocks in question have been taken by the rebels.
“ONGC Videsh (OVL) consortium (under the ONGC Nile Ganga BV (ONGBV) banner), which includes FulinInvestments Sarl, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Company International (CNPCI) and Syria’s Al FuratPetroleum Co. has pulled out of the war torn northern part of Syria for the sake of the safety of its personnel and equipment. The consortium exercised its force majeure right in consultation with the government of Syria and moved its corporate offices to Dubai.”
Asim Bajwa says beware of your surroundings, not become terror facilitator unknowingly
KARACHI – Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa on Friday revealed that the law-enforcing agencies have successfully shattered the network of militants belonging to al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), private TV channel reported.
During to the press briefing in Karachi, the Pakistan army spokesman said that the security forces have achieved a major success during the ongoing Karachi operation by arresting over 97 hardcore militants, including three high value targets. “We have broken the overall network and nexus of terrorists belonging to al Qaeda subcontinent chapter and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. They were backed by the Taliban… This is a major achievement, but we have much more to do,” he said.
Bajwa said that the terrorists were involved in almost all major incidents of terrorism in Karachi, adding that all of them are in army’s custody. He said that they committed several heinous crimes, including attacks on security forces, Kamra airbase attack, Mehran airbase attack in Karachi, suicide attack on senior police officer Chaudhry Aslam, attacks on naval buses in Karachi and other incidents of terrorism.
About the three high value targets, he said that they are three hardcore terrorists – Masna, the ‘number two’ of al Qaeda subcontinent chapter, Naeem Bukhari, the head of LJ’s Sindh chapter, and Munna, a wanted terrorist of Al Qaeda. “They had head money of Rs.15 million, Rs.20 million and Rs.5 million respectively,” Bajwa said, adding that Masna was mastermind of June 2014 airport attack in Karachi.
– Terrorists presented before media after press briefing –
The three hardcore terrorists were later presented by the private TV channel. The ISPR director general said that the army foiled a plot of Hyderabad jailbreak by arresting perpetrators from the city, seizing their arms and ammunition.
“Several of those arrested – including Bokhari – were in the advanced stages of carrying out car bomb attack on Hyderabad Central Jail to free Khalid Omar Sheikh,” he said. Sheikh was convicted of killing US reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002.
– Success of operation Zarb-e-Azb –
Bajwa also briefed journalists about success of Zarb-e-Azb operation and anti-criminal Rangers operation in Karachi. About Zarb-e-Azb operation, he said that the massive army operation has significantly helped forge regional peace.
However, Bajwa warned citizens to cautious of their surroundings and not become facilitators of terrorists unknowingly. “Beware of your surroundings and don’t become a facilitator unknowingly,” he warned
– Rangers operation in Karachi major decline in crime –
About Rangers operation in Karachi, he said that it was kicked off in Karachi when the mega city was plagued by terrorism and street crime. “Rangers carried out 7000 operations in Karachi, arrested at least 12000 criminals of them 6000 were handed over to police. During this operation, Rangers have seized huge cache of ammunition and more than 9000 weapons,” he elaborated.
The army spokesman said that Rangers operation in Karachi has resulted in major decline in crimes. “As a result of this operation, the target killing has dropped by 70 per cent, extortion by 85 per cent and incidents of kidnapping for ransom by 90 per cent… but we still have much to do.”
Foreign experts to visit province to assess additional support
KARACHI/QUETTA – A delegation of the World Bank led by its president Dr Jim Yong Kim called on Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri in Karachi where MPA Mir Asim Kurd Gailo, Senator Shahbaz Durrani, Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattha and other provincial officials were also present.
Expressing satisfaction over the reforms made by the provincial government in education and health departments, and on ongoing social development process, Dr Jim Yong Kim assured the government to review the support of the World Bank in different sectors. It was decided in the meeting that the World Bank experts would visit Balochistan to assess the additional support for the province.
In the meeting, reforms in education and health, minerals, water sector, environment, provision of technical education to the youth and other social development issues were thoroughly discussed. Health authorities informed the delegation about the proposed projects, including that of mother and child health project, capacity building of teachers, Quetta-Pishin development and review of impact of climate change and prevention programme, comprehensive development project of Quetta and coastal areas and development of agriculture and livestock sectors.
The chief minister said that the provincial government was utilising all available resources to improve health and education as both sectors were among the top priority of the government. “The educational budget has been increased to 24 per cent while the budget of health was raised to 12 per cent,” he said. He said that shortage of water was the biggest problem of the province which has badly affected agriculture and livestock sectors.
“Mounting pressure in education and health sectors and unemployment are also serious issues faced by Balochistan,” he said and sought World Bank support and assistance in this connection. The World Bank president said that the agenda presented by provincial authorities about its requirements was comprehensive and the experts of the bank would take detailed review of these agendas and after that the support of the bank to the province would be increased further.
World Bank Vice President Annette Dixon said that he had visited Balochistan and the authorities of the World Bank would soon visit the province where the proposals would be evaluated in detail. The World Bank country director said that documents prepared by the World Bank in 2011 regarding development of Balochistan would be reviewed and would be modified in accordance with requirements.
It may be mentioned here that the assistance of the World Bank for various sectors of the province is about Rs 60 billion, in which some projects have been completed while work on some projects are underway and some projects would be started.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, rear right, greets members at the table along with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, rear left, during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. NATO defense ministers convene a two-day meeting to discuss current defense issues and whether the Alliance should take a more direct role in dealing with its gravest migrant crisis since WWII. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, Pool)
Virginia Mayo
Copyright Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO’s European commander on Thursday ordered three warships to move immediately to the Aegean Sea to help end the deadly smuggling of migrants between Turkey and Greece.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general, said the warships, now under German command, will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance to help end Europe’s gravest migrant crisis since World War II.
Ships from NATO Standing Maritime Group 2 “will start to move now” on orders from U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, NATO’s supreme commander in Europe, Stoltenberg said.
“This is about helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union with stemming the flow of migrants and refugees and coping with a very demanding situation,” Stoltenberg said, calling the situation a “human tragedy.”
Earlier this week, the International Organization for Migration said 409 people have died so far this year trying to cross the sea to Europe, and that nearly 10 times as many migrants crossed in the first six weeks of 2016 as in the same period last year. Most come from Turkey to Greece and then try to head north through Europe to more prosperous countries like Germany and Sweden.
The three NATO warships will provide “important information” to the Greek and Turkish coast guards and other authorities, Stoltenberg said. According to NATO’s website, the flotilla is composed of a German navy flagship, the Bonn, and two other vessels, the Barbaros from Turkey and the Fredericton from Canada.
“This is not about stopping or pushing back refugee boats,” Stoltenberg stressed. “NATO will contribute critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks.”
NATO will also step up intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities on the Turkish-Syrian border, Stoltenberg said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said earlier Thursday that NATO military authorities also will draw up plans for how the alliance could further act to help shut down illegal migration and smuggling of people across the Aegean Sea.
NATO was responding to a request by Turkey, Germany and Greece for alliance participation in an international effort targeting the smugglers.
The International Organization for Migration said 76,000 people — nearly 2,000 per day — have reached Europe by sea since Jan. 1.
“There is now a criminal syndicate which is exploiting these poor people,” Carter said. “Targeting that is the greatest way an effect could be had.”
During a visit to The Hague on Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said he and his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, agreed to work together with NATO and Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, “against the human traffickers who exploit the Syrian refugees and pave the way for their deaths at sea.”Ahmet Davutoglu said he and his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, agreed to work together with NATO and Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, “against the human traffickers who exploit the Syrian refugees and pave the way for their deaths at sea.”
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