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January 18, 2022: National Current Affairs MCQs
1. Pakistan joins bloc urging Israel to lift Palestine `sanctions
• Ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the Palestine issue on January 17, 2023 (today), a group of around 90 countries including Pakistan called on Israel to lift the sanctions it imposed on the Palestinian Authority earlier this month over its push to get the UN top court to issue an advisory opinion on the Israeli occupation.
• Separately, Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man on Tuesday after he allegedly fired at troops in the occupied West Bank.
• On Dec 30, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution requesting an opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
• In retaliation, Israel on Jan 6 announced a series of sanctions, including financial ones, against the Palestinian Authority to make it `pay the price` for pushing for the resolution
2. `35 wickets` fall in bid to derail PTI`s return to NA
• In an apparent bid to scuttle PTI`s purported plan to bring a confidence motion against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Ashraf on January 17, 2023 accepted the resignations of 34 PTI lawmakers alongside AML chief Sheikh Rashid, resulting in their de-notification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
• The ECP communiqué regarding the de-notification of the members, mostly the top brass of the PTI and former members of Imran Khan`s cabinet, came as a surprise for the PTI as well as political experts as only two weeks back, the speaker had refused to accept the resignations. He had declared that the resignations would only be accepted following the personal appearance of these lawmakers before him for verification.
• PPP secretary general Farhatullah Babar admitted that the move had come from the ruling alliance in response to the threat given by Mr Khan that he might return to parliament only to get the office of the opposition leader and to bring a confidence vote against the prime minister
3. PM says he asked UAE to facilitate dialogue with India
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had during his recent trip to the United Arab Emirates asked Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to facilitate dialogue with India and vowed sincere talk with the arch rivals, if a channel were to open.
• Mr Sharif, in an interview to Al-Arabiya news channel, confirmed that he had sought Al-Nahyan`s help for the dialogue, while noting that Pakistan had `learnt its lesson` and `was ready for peace`.
• `I have requested Mohammed bin Zayed that he`s a brother of Pakistan and the UAE is a brotherly country. He also has good relations with India, he can play a very important role to bring the two countries on the talking table and I give my word of honour that we will be talking to Indians with sincerity of purpose, he said
4. After Punjab, KP CM seeks assembly dissolution
• The much-anticipated summary for the dissolution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was sent by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to the governor on January 17, 2023 night.
• `I, Mahmood Khan, Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in pursuance of provisions of Article 112(1) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, do hereby forward my advice for dissolution of Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 17th January, 2023 at 2100 hours,` reads the CM`s summary.
• Under the said provision of the Constitution, the assembly will automatically stand dissolved if the governor doesn`t give his assent to the chief minister`s advice. PTI chief Imran Khan had on multiple occasions linked the KP Assembly`s dissolution with that of the Punjab legislature
5. NA passes bills sans quorum
• The National Assembly on January 17, 2023 passed two bills and saw the introduction of five others, despite clearly lacking quorum as Ghous Bux Mahar of the opposition Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) protested over the absence of ministers from the house.
• Speaking on a point of order on a private member`s day, Mr Mahar also lashed out at the Centre as well as the Sindh government for, what he called, ignoring the flood victims and not providing them the compensation amount despite repeated announcements by ministers.
• `Look, what is the situation in this house,` said the GDA member, while asking Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani to take notice of the absence of ministers from the house proceedings. He said even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not been seen in the house for a long time