Today’s top Pakistan current affairs December 18,2020 with download link available in pdf. These are the latest breaking news about Pakistan which will be helpful for aspirants in test preparation of current affairs, Pakistan affairs, General knowledge for NTS, PPSC, CSS, FPSC, KPPSC, SPSC, BPSC, AJKPSC, OTS, PTS, and other Govt Jobs, exams & MDCAT, ECAT Entry test preparation.
One Liner
- Police arrest ‘fraudster’ Kashif Zameer who hosted Engin Altan. The police party led by senior superintendent of police (SSP) Investigation Lahore on Thursday claimed to have arrested fraudster Mian Kashif Zameer, the man who hosted Dirilis Ertugrul star Engin Altan Düzyatan throughout his Lahore,
- NCOC chief Asad Umar tests positive for COVID-19. Federal Minister for Planning and National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar has tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday
- India planning false flag operation against Pakistan: FM Qureshi. Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that India along with its allies is preparing for a false flag operation to divert the world’s attention from the inner situation
- Pakistan will not recognise Israel: PM Khan. Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan will not recognise the state of Israel until Palestinian rights are guaranteed.
- Indian Army Opens fire Targeting UN Military Observers in AJK. ISPR said that UN vehicles are clearly recognisable, even from extended distances because of their distinct make and type as well as clearly visible markings.
- Govt to Expose All Anti-Pakistan Social Media Accounts. The federal government has decided to expose all social media accounts involved in disseminating misinformation against Pakistan, said the Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services, Murad Saeed.
- Gold prices go up in domestic market Friday. The prices of gold have witnessed an increase in the domestic market after being traded at Rs 112,350 per tola on Friday
- New Zealand draw first blood in Pakistan T20 series. New Zealand defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the first Twenty20 international at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- Pakistan reported 2,972 cases and 83 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 39,171 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on December 18 at 6:48am).
2. Rumors about a meeting with Israeli officials
What’s going on? Israeli newspaper, the Jerusalem Post, claimed that Pakistan could be the next country to “normalize ties” with Israel. The article cited Noor Dahri, a British-Pakistani who is the executive director of a UK based think tank called, Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism (ITCT). He is known to be pro-Israel. Dahri tweeted that he’s going to share details about “a secret, but successful meeting between a Pakistani politician and Israeli politicians in Tel Aviv.”
The details: i24 News English posted a video of Dahri talking about the alleged meeting. Dahri didn’t take anyone’s name, but claimed that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan sent one of his advisors to meet Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. According to Dahri, the advisor was asked to convey a “special message” from PM Khan. Dahri didn’t exactly spell out PM Khan’s alleged message. However he did say Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are putting a lot of pressure on Pakistan to normalize ties (i.e. establish diplomatic relations) with Israel.
Tell me more: Dahri claimed there’s a history of “covert ties” between both countries, even though Pakistan’s public stance on Israel is usually harsh. He alleged that former PM Nawaz Sharif sent two delegations to Israel. Dahri also brought up former PM Benazir Bhutto, claiming she met an Israeli delegation in Washington D.C, and sent a delegation to Israel as well.
The context: Recent rumors are raising eyebrows and questions, because PM Khan has repeatedly said Pakistan can’t recognize Israel unless Palestinians get their basic rights and a just settlement (i.e. the two-state solution, where the Palestinians have their own separate state). According to the foreign office, Pakistan supports a two-state solution, “…with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Palestine,” (i.e. Al-Quds Al-Sharif is a reference to the city of Jerusalem).
Looking ahead: As we mentioned before, Dahri didn’t take anyone’s name, but the PM’s Special Advisor on Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfi Bukhari, still said ‘it wasn’t me.’ Bukhari alleged that Indian and Israeli sponsored media outlets, along with political opposition parties, are trying to cause trouble.
The bottom line: We cannot verify Dahri’s claims about a “secret meeting” in Israel. There is also a lack of clarity on what exactly the PM’s advisor said during his alleged meeting with Israeli officials. News that Pakistan is thinking about normalizing ties with Israel is speculation at this point.
3. Main suspect in child marriage case granted bail
On Thursday, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Faiza Khalil, accepted the post-arrest bail application of Syed Ali Azhar, the main suspect in an underage marriage case involving 13-year-old Christian girl, Arzoo Raja. Azhar’s defense counsel claimed he was innocent and the charges against him were false. Azhar’s counsel brought up Raja’s statement in the Sindh High Court (SHC). While speaking in court, Raja reportedly said she willingly converted to Islam and married Azhar without any pressure. Azhar’s counsel also argued that Raja has reached puberty, so she is considered an adult under Islamic law.
- Backstory: Raja was allegedly abducted in Karachi, forcefully converted to Islam, and married to 44-year-old Azhar. The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act states the minimum age of marriage is 18.
4. Police arrest Ertugrul’s host in Pakistan
Duzyatan (i.e. the guy who plays Ertugrul Ghazi in the hit Turkish period drama, Ertugrul), was in Pakistan for a short visit. It turns out that someone named Kashif Zameer invited Duzyatan to work as an ambassador for his brand. Zameer is a businessman based in Sialkot. He’s also known to be a “Tik Toker.” He reportedly promised to pay Duzyatan $1 million for their deal, but ended up paying half the amount. Zameer is already accused in other cases involving fraud, car theft, and robbery. In a new crime related development, the police in Lahore arrested Zameer for allegedly threatening to kill anchorperson, Hamad Aslam. According to Dunya, Zameer was released on bail.
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