Day by Day Current Affairs (Feb 13, 2018)

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February 13, 2018 (Day by Day Current Affairs)

Anti-terror law amended to ban UN-listed groups, individuals
- President Mamnoon Hussain quietly promulgated an ordinance amending the AntiTerrorism Act, 1997 with regards to proscription of terrorist individuals and organisations to include entities listed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in a move that would end a longstanding ambiguity over the status of Hafiz Saeed-linked Jamaatud Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) by firmly placingthem on the list of proscribed groups.
- The promulgation of the ordinance was made public on February 12, 2018.
- The ordinance amends Sections 11-B and 11-EE of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 (XXVII of 1997). Section 11-B sets out parameters for proscription of groups, whereas 11-EE describes the grounds for listing of individuals.
- Both sections would now include SubSection `aa`, according to which organisations and individuals `listed under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1948 (XIV of 1948), or` will be included in the First Schedule (for organisations) and Fourth Schedule (for individuals), respectively, on an ex-parte basis.
PML-N wins Lodhran seat in by-poll upset
- In a surprising turn of events, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the NA-154 by-election in Lodhran with a sizeable margin on February 12, 2018
- According to the unofficial count PML-N candidate Syed Iqbal Shah had obtained 116,590 votes, while Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf`s Ali Khan Tareen had secured91,230 votes.
- The National Assembly seat (NA-154) seat fell vacant after the then secretary general of PTI Jahangir Tareen was disqualified for being `dishonest` by the Supreme Courtinits verdict in December last year.
US budget requests include military funds for Pakistan
- The US State Department on February 12, 2018 announced that its budget proposals for the fiscal year 2019, which begins in October this, include both economic and military funds for Pakistan.
- The military funds for Pakistan, however, include a condition which requires Islamabad to a decisive action against the Haqqani network and other terrorist groups to receive the assistance.
- The largest unconditional budget requests are from the Economic Support Fund and Economic Support and Development Fund of $200 million each for 2018 and 2019 and also $200m set aside for 2017 are also mentioned. These funds are not affected by a recent US ban on aid to Pakistan.
CM KPK opens 29-acre zoo in Peshawar
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on February 12, 2018 inaugurated the long-awaited Peshawar Zoo.
- Provincial government had paved the way to make Peshawar the country`s most beautiful city.
- Zoo was spread over a vast area of 29 acres of land and Rs270 million had been spent on it against the estimated cost of Rs2,100 million, while almost all species of wild animals and birds from across the country had been caged there in natural habitat
Maleeha picked as one of five ‘successful women diplomats’
- Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, has been named as one of the world’s “five successful women diplomats” by a popular Russian news website
- The report, citing the website — Gazeta.ru — was carried by RIA Novosti, a state-owned domestic Russian-language news agency.
- “Gazeta.ru”, which has a million visitors on a daily basis, honours women who have followed in the footsteps of the defunct Soviet Union’s “highly acclaimed diplomat, Alexandra Kollontai, and succeeded in the profession. Kollontai, a Russian Communist Revolutionary, served as ambassador to Norway, one of the first women from that country to hold such a post.
Deputy head of Oxfam quits over Haiti scandal
- The deputy head of Oxfam resigned on February 12, 2018 over what she said was the British charity`s failure to adequately respond to past allegations of sexual misconduct by some of its staff.
- The resignation of Penny Lawrence came after days of crisis at the charity triggered by a report in the Times newspaper alleging that some staff had paid for sex with prostitutes in Haiti in 2011, during humanitarian relief efforts after an earthquake.
Ukraine deports opposition leader to Poland
- Ukrainian opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili was deported to Poland on February 12, 2018, after he was detained in a Kiev restaurant by law enforcement agents in camouflage.
- Poland`s border service confirmed that the former Georgian president had arrived and that Warsaw had agreed to let him enter.
UN to take part in Rohingya repatriation
- Bangladesh has signed a deal to involve the United Nations in the controversial process of returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar
- Bangladesi government was involving the UN refugee agency so that it could not be accused of sending anyone from the stateless Muslim minority back against their will.
Pakistan will have to pay for attack in held Kashmir: India
- Pakistan will have to pay for militant attack on an Indian army camp in Sunjuwan in Jammu, Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman warned on February 12, 2018, a day after Islamabad urged New Delhi not to whip up war hysteria.
- Ms Sitharaman alleged that the attack in Sunjuwan was carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed militants. She added that the perpetrators were assisted by Pakistan.
Deputy Chief of TTP Sajna ‘eliminated’
- The deputy chief of the Threek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been killed in a US drone strike, as Washington continues to intensify attacks along the Afghan border region.
- Khalid Mehsud, deputy leader of the umbrella TTP, died after the pre-dawn strike in North Waziristan tribal agency on February 8
- The group’s leaders have nominated Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud to take his place, the statement said, adding that Mufti Noor has “undeterring trust” in TTP chief Maulana Fazlullah.