China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran undermined the cease-fire negotiation process in Gaza.

“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the assassination, believing that such practices seriously violate the basic norms of international relations, seriously infringe upon Iran’s sovereignty, security and dignity, directly undermine the ceasefire negotiation process in Gaza, and impact regional peace and stability,” Yi said in a telephone call with Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

Yi said that China has always supported all parties in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, especially supporting Palestine in restoring its legitimate national rights.

“It is imperative that the international community should form a joint force to urge all parties to the conflict to earnestly implement relevant Security Council resolutions and create conditions for achieving a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible,” the statement quoted Yi as saying.

China supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, security and national dignity in accordance with the law, he went on to say.

Beijing, he added, also supports Tehran’s efforts to maintain regional peace and stability, and is willing to maintain close communication with Iran.

Bagheri, for his part, explained Iran’s position on Haniyeh’s assassination, emphasizing that Tehran will “resolutely defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and at the same time be committed to maintaining regional security and stability.”

Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on July 31 after attending the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian a day earlier.

Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied responsibility.

Iran vowed “harsh punishment” for Israel for Haniyeh’s killing on Iranian soil.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Russia’s capital on Monday and is expected to meet with his counterpart Vladimir Putin, the country’s ambassador to Moscow said on Sunday.

“The president is arriving on the evening of August 12. A meeting with President Putin is expected on Tuesday, and before that, Mahmoud Abbas will lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow,” Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told state news agency TASS.

Nofal further said that Abbas’ three-day visit to the country will end with his departure on Aug. 14, expressing that the Palestinian president will also hold a meeting with Arab ambassadors in the country during his stay.

He also said that the main topic of discussion between Abbas and Putin will be the current situation in the Gaza Strip.

“They will talk about Russia’s role, and what can be done. We are in a very difficult situation, and Russia is a country close to us. We need to consult,” Nofal added.

Initially planned for Nov. 15, 2023, the visit was postponed at the request of the Palestinian side due to the situation in Gaza.

The Israeli onslaught against Gaza has killed nearly 39,800 victims since October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

LAHORE:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has issued a stern warning to the government, vowing that his party will ensure the full implementation of the agreement reached with the authorities in Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

Speaking at a rally on Mall Road, Lahore, against the recent hike in electricity prices and contracts with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Hafiz Naeem threatened a nationwide “wheel-jam” strike if the government attempts to deviate from the agreed terms.

The rally, titled “Haq Do Awam Ko,” saw a large turnout, including a significant number of women. Naeem declared that the JI has become a beacon of hope for the oppressed, and the party will not allow the government to backtrack on its promises.

“We will enforce every single clause of the agreement,” Naeem asserted, referring to the 45-day deal struck with the government after a 14-day sit-in in Islamabad. He warned that any attempt by the government to retract from the agreement would be met with a strong response, including nationwide protests and a complete shutdown of the country.

Naeem also criticised the Punjab government for its actions during the Islamabad sit-in, particularly the arrests of party members and the halting of women’s convoys. He hinted at the instability in the Punjab leadership, stating that “the fate of the Punjab Chief Minister’s seat is uncertain.”

Read also: JI plans Lahore sit-in against power tariff

Addressing broader national issues, Naeem commented on the situation in Balochistan, expressing concern over enemy attempts to destabilise the region. He also reiterated JI’s stance on the role of the United States in Pakistan’s challenges, labelling the US as the country’s “biggest enemy.” He called for a unified approach to solving the nation’s problems and urged dialogue with the Afghan government regarding cross-border terrorism.

On the topic of IPPs, Hafiz Naeem criticised the government for burdening the public with excessive electricity costs. “If the IPPs continue to drain the public’s resources, who will respect them?” he questioned. He reminded the crowd that the Islamabad sit-in had successfully raised awareness about the predatory practices of the IPPs.

The rally also featured speeches from other JI leaders, including Liaqat Baloch and Ameerul Azeem, who echoed the call for government accountability and public welfare. Despite earlier plans to hold a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House, the location was changed to a public rally on Mall Road between Faisal Chowk and Masjid-e-Shuhada.

JI’s leadership made it clear that they are counting the days until the 45-day agreement expires, and they are prepared to take decisive action if the government fails to honour its commitments.

For locals living in densely populated areas of the rain-prone city, the initiation of a reconstruction project for expanding the local drainage network would surely be a welcome move however, when the resulting repair work requires them to suffocate on dust and bear with incessant traffic jams for more than three long years, many would hope the project was never announced in the first place.

During the financial year 2021-22, the PTI government had initiated a million-rupee project to construct a new sewage drain from Sabzazar Scheme Mor to Kharak Nala since the old drain between Main Boulevard and Sabzazar had become inadequate for catering to the disposal needs of the growing population. Even though work on the Rs337 million initiative started soon after, within a few months a dispute between the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) over the disbursement of funds caused the project to come to a standstill, leaving the local population of more than 2.5 million residents in a tormenting state.

With one side of the main boulevard road closed since the past four months due to the reinstallation of pipes, thousands of vehicles have been forced to ply both ways on a single side of the road. To add to the load of traffic on the road, dozens of roadside food shops and stalls have turned into mini food streets, with shoppers parking their cars and bikes on the roadside, resulting in regular accidents and quarrels. Furthermore, several feet of rainwater have accumulated on the road while the dust from the broken road has been making the residents of the area sick for several months.

“The delays in the construction work have instigated frequent traffic jams. Moreover, the air in our area has become so dusty that it is difficult to breathe. It seems that the present government is not interested in completing this project since it was initiated by the previous regime. Surprisingly, even the caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, known for his ‘Mohsin Speed’, did not pay attention to the problem facing millions of people,” resented Nabila Shahid and Anbrin Malik, locals from the area.

Similarly, Asim Khawaja, a shop owner at Liaquat Chowk, revealed that the long-running project had significantly diminished the sales of hundreds of traders like him. “Since one side of the road is in an unusable condition, customers have little or no access to our shops,” said Khawaja.

According to Muhammad Umar, a resident of Sabzazar, Sabzazar is a very important area of Lahore as residents of Murghazar, Awan Town, Hasan Town, Syedpur, Dabanpura, Hafiz Town and several other areas use the Main Boulevard to access the highway from Babu Sabu Chowk, but since the past four years this entire area has been left in ruins due to the conflict between WASA and LDA.

It is worth mentioning that Rs300 million have been spent on the project till January 2024 while the overall cost of the project is expected to increase due to the increasing costs of construction material and labour over the years.

Talking to the Express Tribune, PML-N Member Punjab Assembly Khalid Khokhar and National Assembly ticket holder Hafiz Nauman said, “There was a disagreement between WASA and LDA over the issue of funds which has now been resolved. We have met the DG of LDA and apprised him of the plight of the people. We have been assured that work on the project will resume in September as soon as the monsoon season is over. A tender is being issued for the outstanding work.”

On Friday, 9 August, a group of vigilantes from the Hindu nationalist organisation, Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), led by their leader Bhupender Tomar, also known as Pinky Chaudhary, attacked a settlement in Ghaziabad, near Delhi, India.

The group claimed that the residents, who were Muslims, were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar (Rohingyas) involved in criminal activities, according to a report by The Wire.

Footage of the attack, initially shared by the group on its own social media platforms, shows the vigilantes vandalising homes, setting belongings on fire, and assaulting residents with sticks while shouting religious slurs. This marks the second attack by this group within a week.

(Content warning: violence and strong language)

The attackers not only set fire to the shanties but also targeted and destroyed the personal belongings of the Muslim residents after confirming their identities. These incidents have coincided with a surge in social media rhetoric calling for retaliation against perceived attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

Prominent figures, including members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, have made inflammatory statements online, further escalating tensions.

Nitish Rane, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the BJP, who represents a local constituency in the state legislature, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “If Hindus are targeted and killed in Bangladesh, why should we allow even one Bangladeshi to breathe here. We will also target and kill.” Kangana Ranaut, drawing a comparison between India’s situation and that of Israel, urged her followers to “pick your swords and keep them sharp,” claiming that India is surrounded by extremists.

The day before, another associate of the HRD, Daksh Chaudhary, attacked a similar settlement in Delhi, accusing the residents of being illegal immigrants. Daksh Chaudhary, who has a history of inciting violence and hate speech, has been involved in multiple incidents targeting minority communities, including a physical attack on Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

Read also: Use of Mia Khalifa’s image for Hindu festival poster in India sparks outrage

Pinky Chaudhary later circulated a video on social media endorsing the attacks and warning law enforcement against taking strict action. He insisted that any charges against the attackers be minor and bailable. He claimed these attacks were a response to violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, though no such direct connections have been substantiated.

In a video released earlier in the week, Pinky Chaudhary stated, “The way Hindus are being killed in Bangladesh, sisters and daughters are being raped, temples are being destroyed… the whole world is silent on this. No one is ready to say anything. If the atrocities do not stop, then the Bangladeshis living in India are on our radar. I know all such places. I will not leave them. I will fight till the end.”

Despite these claims, the Ghaziabad police have refuted Pinky Chaudhary’s allegations, confirming that the residents of the attacked settlement are Indian citizens, originally from Shahjahanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. A legal case has been registered following the attack.