A | Brussels, Oct 13 (UNI) Ukraine's Nato-led allies have announced deliveries of advanced air defence weapons to Kyiv, after a spate of Russian missile strikes, media reported.
The weaponry promised by the UK, Canada, France and the Netherlands includes missiles and radars. The US earlier made a similar pledge. One high-tech system from Germany is already in Ukraine.
The UK will donate air defence missiles, as well as hundreds of aerial drones to support Ukraine's information gathering and logistics capabilities. It will also provide 18 howitzer artillery guns in addition to the 64 already delivered, the BBC reported.
Speaking after the Brussels meeting on Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said "we're going to do everything we can to make sure that they [Ukrainians] have what's required to be effective".
French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would supply air defence systems to Ukraine. In an interview to France 2 television, he did not specify which systems would be sent. But he did say their main function would be to protect the population from drones.
The Netherlands said it would deliver $14.5million worth of air defence missiles.
Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the Russian attacks "can only be met with unrelenting support for Ukraine and its people".
Canada pledged to provide more than $34 million worth of military aid, including satellite communications and drone cameras.
The pledges come as Ukraine's allies from 50 countries meet at Nato headquarters here in Belgium.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has for months been asking Ukraine's allies to provide air defence systems to create an "air shield" for Ukraine.
In his video address late on Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader said: "The more audacious and cruel Russian terror becomes, the more obvious it is to the world that helping Ukraine to protect the sky is one of the most important humanitarian tasks for Europe of our time."
"I believe that we will cope with this task," he added.
Kyiv hailed the Nato summit as "historic", even as Russian shelling hit its southern city of Mykolaiv on Thursday morning, officials said.
The city's mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said the city was "massively shelled" at around 1 am local time.
"A five-storey residential building was hit, the upper two floors were completely destroyed, the rest - under rubble. Rescuers are working on the site," he said.
It has been a particularly intense week in Ukraine - on Monday and Tuesday, it saw some of its heaviest Russian bombardment in months when more than 100 missiles were launched, hitting energy infrastructure and other non-military targets including a children's playground, the BBC said.
At least 19 people were killed on the first day of the strikes, which included hitting central Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the missile strikes were retaliation for an attack on a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea - Ukraine's southern peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Russia said Saturday's blast was organised by Ukraine's intelligence agency - a claim rubbished by Kyiv.
Ukraine's military announced earlier on Wednesday that the first of several "state-of-the-art IRIS-T SLM has been delivered from Germany to Ukraine". It said the air defence system would help protect the country "against terror".
Russia has repeatedly warned Ukraine's allies against supplying advanced weaponry to Kyiv, stressing this would make them participants of the war that Putin began on February 24.
The West has accused Moscow of nuclear sabre-rattling, following a string of Russian military defeats on the battlefield, the BBC report added.。 Islamabad, Oct 21 (UNI) In a major legal victory for the ruling coalition on Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a consensus verdict in Toshakana reference, disqualified former prime minister Imran Khan and ruled that the PTI chairman is no more a member of National Assembly.
Criminal proceedings will be initiated against the PTI chairman for misdeclaration, the verdict said.
The ECP stated that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices under Article 63(1)(p).
Under the said article, a lawmaker is disqualified for the time being from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly.
The decision was taken unanimously by the ECP’s five-member bench but the Punjab member Babar Hassan Bharwana was not present today as he was unwell.
"As sequel to our abovementioned findings, facts available on record and keeping in view the argument of learned counsel for parties herein, we are of the considered opinion that the Respondent has become disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution read with Section 137,167 and 173 of the Elections Act,2017, consequently he ceases to be a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and his seat has become vacant accordingly," the ECP order stated.
"As the respondent has made false statements and incorrect declarations, therefore he has also committed the offence of corrupt practices defined under Section 167 and 173 of the Elections Act,2017, punishable under Section 174 of the Elections Act, 2017. Office is directed to initiate legal proceedings and to take follow-up action under Section 190(2) of the Elections Act, 2017."
The verdict was announced amid tight security in the Red Zone where at least 1,100 police officials were deployed under the command of a senior superintendent of police to control the law and order situation in the area. The officer was assisted by five superintendents and six deputy superintendents of police.
The ECP had reserved its verdict in the Toshakhana case on September 19 after arguments were completed from both sides. A five-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case.
Fawad Chaudry said the Election Commission’s attitude had been the worst. “We never pinned any hopes on it.”
“This is a shameful decision. They have disgraced the 220-million-strong-nation.”
Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that the Election Commission of Pakistan has found Imran Khan guilty of corrupt practices and now stands disqualified.
“He who would spread lies about the alleged corruption of his political opponents has been caught red-handed," Bilawal said.
Moreover, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz demanded Imran Khan be arrested after he was found guilty of corrupt practices.
“Pakistan's first certified liar and certified thief disqualified with irrefutable evidence of theft,” the PML-N leader said.
She alleged that the husband and wife together looted the national kitty.
In August 2022, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a reference to the ECP under Articles 62A, 63A, and 223, seeking former prime minister Imran Khan’s disqualification in the light of the Toshakhana scam, according to Geo news reports.
The disqualification reference was filed by Ali Gohar Khan, PML-N’s Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, and five others.
The assessed value of the gifts has been put at Rs 142,042,100. The gifts were received between August 2018 and December 2021.
According to PML-N MNA Ranjha, Khan concealed information about the gift of watches by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in his statement of assets submitted in 2018-2019.
This withholding of information is tantamount to lying which, according to Ranjha, is a crime under Section 137.
UNI GNK。
B |
Current article:http://www.ninyakenhongnian.sbs/list_fggx2m/s2aqnu.doc
Published on:12:29:43