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August 22, 2019: National Current Affairs
1. Another hurdle crossed as FATF meetings loom
• The Asia-Pacific Group a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-has adopted Pakistan`s third Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) on strengthening of anti-money laundering and countering financing terrorism (AML/ CFT) safeguards and is expected to make public its assessment shortly.
• The Ministry of Finance on August 21, 2019 said the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), being held in Canberra, Australia, adopted the third MER that covered the period between February and October 2018. A senior level delegation from Pakistan led by State Bank Governor Dr Reza Baqir attended the meeting.
• The ministry said the third MER adopted by the APG meeting identified a number of areas where further actions were required to strengthen the AML/CFT framework.
• The report does not cover the areas in which Pakistan has made substantial progress since October 2018.
2. China welcomes Bajwa`s appointment for another term
• Pakistan Army under the leadership of Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will continue to make contributions to upholding Pakistan`s sovereignty and security interests as well as peace and stability in the region, the Chinese foreign ministry said on August 21, 2019.
• `We believe [that] under the leadership of Gen Bajwa, Pakistan Army will continue to make contributions to upholding Pakistan`s sovereignty and security interests and regionalpeace and stability,` foreign ministry`s spokesperson Geng Shuang said during his regular briefing while commenting on the appointment of Gen Bajwa as chief of the army staff for another term of three years.
• `We have noticed this decision by the Pakistani government.
• General Bajwa is an extraordinary leader of Pakistan Army,` he added.
• Mr Geng said Gen Bajwa was a sincere and old friend of the Chinese government and the army and he had made positive contributions to relations between China and Pakistan.
• Meanwhile, Gen Bajwa inaugurated Urea Formaldehyde Moulding Compound (UFMC) Plant at Wah Nobel Chemicals Factory, adds our correspondent in Taxila.
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3. NA panel clears changes to civil procedure code
• The National Assembly`s standing committee on law and justice on August 21, 2019 cleared the civil procedure code (CPC) amendment bill to substantially reduce time for disposal of civil cases.
• The NA committee considered `The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Government Bill)` and after detailed deliberations recommended that the bill be passed by the assembly.
• Briefing the committee members on the bill, the law minister said the average time frame for a civil suit was between 30 and 40 years at present. He expressed the hope that the amendment would limit this time to less than a couple of years.
• While explaining the proposed amendments, he said the ministry had suggested abolition of a second round of litigation by treating the SC`s order in the first round as the final decree.
4. Punjab PA passes Kashmir solidarity resolution
• The Punjab Assembly on August 21, 2019 unanimously adopted a resolution expressing solidarity with the Kashmiris suffering at the hands of occupying Indian security forces and condemning abolition of special status of the held valley by New Delhi.
• The resolution rejected the Indian government`s step of abrogating its constitution`s Article 370 and sub-section 35-A to abolish special status of the occupied state, and said the measure threatened regional peace, while a continuous curfew and violations of human rights there have become tragic.
• It demanded the international community take notice of the state oppression and torture in the India-held Kashmir and the federal government appeal to the UN to send a team of the International Human Rights Commission to the valley. It also demanded the international media be allowed to go into held Kashmir so that the real face of India could be exposed.
5. Naval chief inaugurates special training centre
• Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi visited the coastal and creeks area and inaugurated a Special Service Operational Training Centre on August 21, 2019.
• The newly-inaugurated training center will provide training to officers and sailors of Pakistan Navy, personnel of sister services, law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) and friendly countries in different professional domains, including counterterrorism.
August 22, 2019: International Current Affairs
6. Trump scraps Denmark visit over Greenland snub
• Denmark was left stunned on August 21, 2019 by Donald Trump`s decision to postpone a state visit after the government told the US president its autonomous territory Greenland was not for sale.
• The Danish Royal House expressed `surprise` at Trump`s cancellation while commentators accused Trump of acting like a `colonial overlord` `Based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen`s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,` Trump tweeted on Tuesday.
• `The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct.
7. S. Arabia eases travel curbs on women
• Saudi Arabia has begun implementing a landmark reform allowing women over the age of 21 to receive passports and travel abroad without permission from a male `guardian`, authorities said late on August 20, 2019 night.
• The reform, announced earlier this month, weakens the restrictive guardianship system that has long been a symbol of restrictions against women.
• `The passport department has started receiving applications for women aged 21 and above to issue or renew passports and to travel outside the kingdom without permission,` the department said on Twitter.
• Saudi women have long required permission from their male `guardians` husband, father and other male relatives for these tasks, a restriction that drew international censure.
8. Nigeria hails `historic milestone` after third polio-free year
• Nigeria on August 21, 2019 announced that three years had elapsed since it last recorded a case of polio, a key step towards eradicating the notorious disease in Africa.
• `Three years without a case of wild polio virus is a historic milestone for Nigeria and the global community,` said Faisal Shuaib, director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
• Nigeria, Africa`s most populous nation, was the last country on the continent to suffer from outbreaks of the wild polio virus, but has recorded none since August 2016.
• The West African giant will submit data on its polio cases to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in March 2020, a move that could pave the way for the whole of the continent to be declared free of the virus.
9. Sudan swears in civilian-majority ruling council
• Sudan took further steps in its transition towards civilian rule on August 21, 2019 with the swearing in of a new sovereign council, to be followed by the appointment of a prime minister.
• The body replaces the Transitional Military Council (TMC) that took charge after months of deadly street protests brought down longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in April.
• As a result of Wednesday`s move, it was the first time that Sudan was not under full military rule since Bashir`s coup d`etat in 1989.
• The first steps of the transition after the mass celebrations that marked the August 17 adoption of a transitional constitution proved difficult however.
10. US lawmakers urge India to end occupation of Kashmir
• The voice of the Kashmiri people, who have been living under siege since Aug 5 when India forcibly merged their land with the union, is now resonating in the US Congress where key lawmakers are urging New Delhi to end the occupation and allow its residents to speak.
• Congressman Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called India`s US ambassador on August 20, 2019 and told him that he was `continuing to monitor the situation regarding the government of India`s decision to revoke the special status` of Jammu and Kashmir.
• `There are legitimate concerns about the ongoing communications blackouts, increased militarisation of the region, and enforcement of curfews,` he told the Indian envoy.
• Mr Smith, a Democrat from Washington state, said some of his constituents were from Jammu and Kashmir and had also visited the area after Aug 5.
