Day by Day Current Affairs (September 12, 2018) | MCQs for CSS, PMS, NTS

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1. US to support efforts for Pak-India talks

• The United States will be `very supportive` if conditions are created for productive talks between India and Pakistan, says senior US diplomat Alice G. Wells.
• Ms Wells, who heads the bureau for South and Central Asian affairs at the State Department, also said at a news briefing on September 11, 2018 that the United States had sent a two pronged message to Pakistan: a desire to engage constructively and an emphasis on the need for Pakistan to implement its promises to fight all terrorist groups.
• Asked if Pakistan had sent a message through US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on India Pakistan dialogue and if that was raised during Mr Pompeo`s meeting with the Indian foreign minister, she did not say if such a mes-sage was received and delivered.
• Secretary Pompeo visited both Islamabad and New Delhi last week. In Islamabad, he met Prime Minister Imran Khan, other members of the new government and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
• In New Delhi, he participated in the Two-plus-Two talks between India and the United States. The US military chief, Gen Joseph Dunford, accompanied him on both the visits.

2. Former Three-Time First Lady of Pakistan Kulsoom Nawaz Passes Away

• Former three-time first lady of Pakistan and spouse of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Begum Kulsoom Nawaz breathed her last in London September 11, 2018 after protracted ailment of cancer.
• Begum Kulsoom Nawaz was 68 years of age. She will be laid to rest at her family residence, Jati Umra, Raiwind, where her father-in-law, Mian Sharif, and brother-in-law, Abbas Sharif, are also buried.
• Begum Kulsoom Nawaz who was getting treatment at Harley Street Clinic, London, had sudden deterioration in health last day following which she was put on ventilator and passed away in that state. After the clinic authorities certified her death, her body was shifted to her London residence. Her funeral prayers will be offered Thursday at Regent Park Mosque, London.

3. Pakistan intensifies contacts with China after CPEC misunderstanding

• Pakistan has intensified contacts with China after the ‘misunderstanding’ on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor telling Beijing that CPEC was a matter of ‘life and death’ for Pakistan, official sources said.
• Islamabad had contacted the Chinese foreign ministry ‘several times’ after the Financial Times ‘misquoted’ Adviser Razzak Dawood on CPEC.
• One official said: “China understands that we are committed to the CPEC which is in our own benefit. They trust us and have been positive.” He added: “We have been able to clear our position and will remain in contact with Beijing on the issue. CPEC is a matter of life and death for us.”
• Earlier, the Foreign Office said Pakistan remained committed to the successful implementation of CPEC. In a statement, the FO said, there was complete consensus on the future trajectory of CPEC and the two sides are in agreement to expand cooperation in other areas including socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, anti-corruption, agricultural cooperation and industrial development as per the needs and priorities of the government of Pakistan.
• The Financial Times reported that Pakistan was planning to review or renegotiate agreements reached under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• The projects concerned are part of the $ 62 billion CPEC plan. They include a huge expansion of the Gwadar port on Pakistan’s south coast, as well as road and rail links and $30bn worth of power plants.

4. Six federal ministers inducted into cabinet

• Six ministers were inducted into the federal cabinet on September 11, 2018, taking its strength to 27.
• Syed Haider Ali Zaidi, Ali Muhammad Khan Mahar and Umer Ayub Khan took the oath as federal ministers, while Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Muhammad Shabbir Ali and Murad Saeed took the oath as state ministers.
• President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to the new ministers at the Presidency at a ceremony attended by federal ministers, lawmakers and senior government officials. Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, did not attend the ceremony.
• Under Article 92 of the Constitution, `the total strength of the cabinet, including ministers of state, shallnotexceed11 percent of the total membership of Majlis-i-Shoora (parliament).` As the total membership of the two houses of the parliament is 446, therefore, the cabinet size cannot exceed 49, which means Mr Khan has constituted more than 50pc of his cabinet with the inclusion of four new members.

5. Punjab cabinet gets four advisers, five special assistants

• The Punjab cabinet swelled to 43 as four advisers and five special assistants were inducted into it. The advisers included Prime Minister Imran Khan`s private secretary Awn Chaudhry.
• 11 new ministers had been added to the cabinet in the second phase a couple of days ago.
• MPAs Abdul Haye Dasti, Faisal Hayat and Muhammad Hanif appointed as advisers to the chief minister, and they will look after agriculture, livestock and health departments, respectively.
• The MPAs who have been appointed as special assistants to the CM were Muhammad Salman (Transport), Rafaqat Gilani (Augaf and Religious Affairs), Umer Farooq (Youth and Sports), Ameer Muhammad Khan (Forest) and Khurram Khan Leghari (Food).
• The S&GAD has also issued a notification assigning departments to the newly appointed 11 ministers. The new ministers included Pir Saeedul Hassan Shah (Augaf and Religious Affairs), Mehar Aslam (Cooperatives), Hussain Jahania Gardezi (Management and Professional Development), Muhammad Ajmal (Social Welfare and Baltul Mal), Muhammad Ikhlag (Special Education), Ashifa Riaz (Women`s Development), Shaukat Laleka (Zakat and Ushr), Zawar Hussain Warraich (Prisons), Mian Khalid (Disaster Management), Jahanzeb Khan Khichhi (Transport) and Ijaz Masih (Human Rights and Minority Affairs).

6. Three senior bureaucrats transferred; 10 relieved

• The Punjab government on September 11, 2018 changed three most senior bureaucrats and relieved 10 others to allow them to join their duties in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and report to the federal government.
• Additional Chief Secretary Tariq Najeeb Najmi was transferred and posted as senior member/member (revenue)/chief land commissioner/chief commissioner vice retired Capt Saeed Ahmad Nawaz, who was directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.
• Those who were relieved from duties in Punjab, included Punjab Healthcare Commission Chief Operating Officer Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Board of Revenue (Member Taxes) Asad Islam Mahni, Urban Sector Planning and Management Chief Executive Officer Dr Nasir Javed, officers on special duty Khaqan Babar and Dr Nasir Iqbal Malik, Forest Secretary Asadullah Khan, Chief Economist Nabeel Javed, Transport Secretary Haroonur Rafique, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Bahadur Qazi and Higher Education Secretary Khalid Saleem.

7. Ethiopia-Eritrea land borders reopen after 20 years

• Two land border crossings between Ethiopia and Eritrea were reopened on September 11, 2018 for the first time in 20 years, crowning a rapid reconciliation between the former bitter enemies.
• Ethiopia`s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea`s President Isaias Afwerki attended ceremonies at the eastern and western ends of the border.
• The eastern border post between Bure in Ethiopia and Debay Sima in Eritrea, and the western border post between Zalambessa and Serha, were among those closed in 1998 as the neighbouring Horn of Africa nations cut diplomatic ties at the outbreak of a short but bloody twoyear frontier fight.

8. Russia launches biggest-ever war games

• Russia launched September 11, 2018 what it called its largest ever military drills, with hundreds of thousands of troops taking part along with Chinese soldiers in a show of force NATO condemned as a rehearsal for “large-scale conflict.”
• The week-long war games dubbed “Vostok-2018”(East-2018) “have kicked off” in far eastern Russia, the defence ministry said. Taking part in the drills are around 300,000 soldiers, 36,000 military vehicles, 80 ships and 1,000 aircraft, helicopters and drones. Some 3,500 Chinese troops will take part in the games.
• Russia’s previous military exercise in the region, Vostok-2014, was almost half the size, with 155,000 soldiers participating.
• The country’s war games in Eastern Europe last year, Zapad-2017, saw 12,700 troops take part, according to Moscow. Ukraine and the Baltic states said the true number was far bigger.

9. Number of hungry people has risen to 820m, says UN report

• There is new evidence signaling that the number of hungry people in the world is growing and rose around 820 million in 2017, according to the United Nation`s `State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 report` released on September 11, 2018.
• The report also highlighted that there was limited progress in addressing the multiple forms of malnutrition, ranging from child stunting to adult obesity, putting the health of hundreds of millions of people at risk.
• With hunger on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago, the report warned that more must be done and urgently if UN`S Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of hunger eradication is to be achieved by 2030.
• The annual UN report found that climate variability affecting rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, and climate extremes such as droughts and floods are among the key drivers behind the rise in hunger, together with conflict and economic slowdowns.

10. Palestinians renew ICC push against Israel despite US pressure

• The Palestinians announced a fresh push against Israel at the International Criminal Court on September 11, 2018, a day after the United States said it was closing their Washington mission partly over the campaign.
• Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said it had submitted a new complaint over an Israeli “war crime” against a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, expected to be demolished by the Israeli army in the coming days.