ISLAMABAD: When armed men tried to kidnap and threatened to kill him, Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui feared he would become another statistic in a growing list of activists and bloggers who have disappeared in Pakistan after criticizing the country’s powerful military or advocating peace with hostile neighbor India.
Siddiqui, the Pakistan bureau chief for the World is One News, a New Delhi-based 24-hour television news channel, said he suspected the attack Wednesday was payback for his critical reporting on Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence agencies.
Siddiqui was heading to the airport to catch a flight to London when his taxi was stopped. He was ordered out of the vehicle, beaten and threatened.
He escaped, fleeing into oncoming traffic and flagging down a passing car. Behind him he said he heard the gunmen shout: “Shoot him! Shoot him!“
“They wanted to make me a missing person,” Siddiqui said in a telephone interview from a local police station where he went after the attack to file a complaint and demand police protection. “This has been coming. It’s all about what I write.”
The gunmen took his computers, several hard drives, his telephone and his passport, said Siddiqui, who is also a reporter for the France 24 television network and has had past run-ins with Pakistani intelligence. In May, he received threatening calls from the counter-terrorism wing of the Federal Investigation Agency, ordering him to come in for questioning. Siddiqui, who did not comply, filed a complaint with the courts and said he was told by the FIA that he was being investigated because of his critical stories about the military.
On Wednesday, Siddiqui’s World is One News website, was inaccessible in Pakistan. Visitors to the site were told: “The site you are trying to access contains content that is prohibited for viewership from within Pakistan.” It’s not clear when the site went offline in Pakistan.
The Committee to Protect Journalists Asia program coordinator Steven Butler said the attempted abduction on Wednesday “sends a chilling signal to the entire press community.”
The CPJ “is very concerned about the recent pattern of disappearances,” Butler said in an email interview. “While most of the recent disappearances have been mainly social activists, or even students, these abductions amount to severe intimidation for anyone who exercises free speech.”
The spokesman for Pakistan’s main intelligence service, the ISI, did not respond to a written request for comment about the attack on Siddiqui. The government says it is investigating the allegations and has set up a commission to investigate complaints of “enforced disappearance.” In its year-end report, obtained by The Associated Press, the commission said there are 1,532 people who remain missing, suspected of being taken by Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Among them is peace activist Reza Khan, who was taken from his home in the eastern city of Lahore in December by armed men, who also ransacked his apartment, seizing his computer, his files and his telephone. He hasn’t been heard from since and human rights activists accuse the country’s intelligence agencies of kidnapping him to stop Khan’s attempts to improve relations between Pakistan and India through interactions between school children.
“We are convinced he was taken by the intelligence because of his work trying to improve relations with India,” said I.A. Rehman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. “His neighbor saw the men take him. He took the number of the car, but the police said it was fictitious. In Pakistan only the intelligence agencies have the right to use license plate numbers that are fictitious.”
Khan’s father, Mohammed Ismail Khan, has gone to the courts to petition for his son’s freedom but has heard nothing since he was taken last month.
“The nights are very long for his mother and me. We console each other and we pray for our son. God knows where he is and what condition he is in,” the elder Khan said in a telephone interview.
Early in 2017, six bloggers and social activists, all of whom had criticized the military on social media, disappeared. Five were freed and the sixth is still missing. Those who were freed all said they had been held by the country’s powerful intelligence agencies and were tortured. They have all fled the country.
Zeenat Shahzadi, a young Pakistani journalist, was abducted by armed men in 2015 while investigating the disappearance of an Indian national. Pakistani human rights groups blamed intelligence agencies. Local media reports said she was released late last year after being held for two years.
Zahid Hussain, a security analyst and author of two books on militancy in Pakistan, said the country’s intelligence agencies have become increasingly sensitive to attacks against the military on social media because of social media’s penetration in Pakistan and the difficulty of controlling it. “Pakistan is very sensitive about anything linked with India,” believing New Delhi has stepped up its covert operations inside Pakistan, he said.
Having fought three wars against each other, India and Pakistan, both nuclear weapons states, regard one another with deep suspicion and accuse each other of fomenting violence on their territory.
Butler, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, noted the lack of accountability of those behind the wave of abductions.
“We certainly, like many others, suspect that intelligence agencies are behind many of these abductions,” Butler said. “It’s worrisome because they do not appear to be accountable to anyone. The best remedy would be to find the perpetrators, arrest them and bring them to justice.”
Pakistan reporter says he escaped kidnapping attempt
Pakistan reporter says he escaped kidnapping attempt
Journalist-turned-MP faces demeaning attacks as Lebanese parliament votes for president
- The heated exchange led Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to instruct his deputy, Elias Bou Saab, to escort Aoun out of the session
DUBAI: Lebanese journalist-turned-politician Paula Yacoubian was interupted and verbally attacked by MP Salim Aoun during a voting session to elect a president after a two-year power vaccum.
A video broadcast from inside Baabda Palace shows Yacoubian, during the voting session, accusing some MPs of using the constitution as a pretext to obstruct the session, asserting that the real reason was the refusal of some to allow Lebanese army commander Joseph Aoun to become president.
This accusation sparked an objection from Salim Aoun, who retorted: “This is out of order. Paula, you covered for a kidnapped prime minister and now you’re lecturing about virtue.”
He added: “You’re the biggest liar on the political scene, and your whole history lacks honor and morality.”
Yacoubian responded angrily, saying: “Shame on you!”
The argument escalated, with Aoun using offensive language to attack Yacoubian.
The heated exchange led Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to instruct his deputy, Elias Bou Saab, to escort Aoun out of the session to resolve the dispute.
Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday again failed to elect a president, after 12 previous attempts failed to choose a successor to former President Michel Aoun, whose term ended in October 2022.
Joseph Aoun, the leading candidate, failed to muster enough support — getting only 71 votes, or 15 short of the required 86.
As a sitting army commander, Joseph Aoun is technically barred from becoming president by Lebanon’s constitution. The ban has been waived before, but it means that Aoun faces additional procedural hurdles.
Kremlin declines to accept responsibility for plane crash
- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said the Azerbaijani Airlines passenger jet was shot at ‘from the ground’ over the Russian city of Grozny where it had been due to land
MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Thursday declined to say Russian forces accidentally shot at an Azerbaijani plane which crashed last month, despite Baku repeatedly urging it to accept responsibility for the fatal disaster.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said the Azerbaijani Airlines passenger jet, which crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 people, was shot at “from the ground” over the Russian city of Grozny where it had been due to land.
Russia has said its air defenses were working at the time repelling Ukrainian drones but has stopped short of saying it shot at the plane.
Aliyev, a close ally of Moscow, this week repeated that “guilt” lay with Russia and accused it of “concealment” of the real causes.
“We are interested in an absolutely objective and impartial investigation in order to establish the causes of this catastrophe,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
“We are waiting for the results of the commission,” he added, saying Russian “specialists are giving their full cooperation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Aliyev twice since the disaster.
The Kremlin said he had apologized for the fact the incident took place over Russian airspace but its account of the phone calls do not say Putin accepted responsibility.
Aliyev has expressed anger over Moscow’s handling of the crash.
He issued fierce criticism and demanded an apology earlier this week, calling on Moscow to punish those responsible for the “criminal” shooting of the plane.
Aliyev said air defense measures for Grozny – the capital of Russia’s Chechnya republic – were only announced after the plane had been “shot from the ground.”
Azerbaijan says the plane was riddled with holes and that preliminary results of its investigation show it was accidentally hit by a Russian air defense missile.
Eyes turn to cricket’s short format as New Year franchise action gets underway
- The opening match of the DP World ILT20 takes place on Saturday between Mumbai Indians, last year’s winners, and Dubai Capitals
Last week’s column speculated that the final matches of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship may generate further tension in the race to join South Africa in the final at Lords in June.
As of Jan. 3, it was possible for either Australia, India or Sri Lanka to be that team. Australia led the pack, needing to beat India in the fifth and final Test in Sydney to secure the spot. This was achieved by six wickets, but not without some twists and turns.
To begin with, India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, announced before the match that he was going to stand down from the game. His recent form was poor, averaging 10.93 in his last eight Test matches. This prompted rumors of his impending retirement, which he quashed. His replacement, Jasprit Bumrah, chose for India to bat first on what he described as a “spicy pitch.” Australia’s bowlers took advantage, dismissing India for 185. Despite Bumrah leaving the field with back spasms, Australia were dismissed for 181.
With the game in the balance, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland claimed nine wickets between them to dismiss India for 157. The target of 162 to secure victory could have been daunting, but Bumrah’s continued absence reduced the potency of India’s attack. During the series, he had taken 32 wickets at the remarkable average of 13 runs per wicket. This was more than any other Indian bowler ever on a tour of Australia — enough to be player of the series, but not a member of the winning team.
A further twist was the dismissal of Steve Smith in Australia’s second innings for four runs. Agonizingly, this left him one run short of a total 10,000 Test runs, so he must wait a little longer to achieve that milestone. In a final twist, Australia’s victory was sealed by 31-year-old debutant Beau Webster, with an unbeaten 39 to add to 57 in the first innings.
The Indian players now have a short break until Jan. 22, when England arrive for a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series. Several Australian players will play matches in the Big Bash T20 League before a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka starts on Jan. 29.
It is to the short format that many eyes will now turn. The BBL runs until Jan. 27. New Zealand’s Super Smash ends on Feb. 2, whilst the Bangladesh Premier League will finish on Feb. 11. In South Africa. the Betway SA20 opened on Jan. 9, followed by the DP World ILT20 on Jan. 11 in the UAE. The draft for the Pakistan Super League is set to take place on Jan. 11, with the start of the tournament pushed back to mid-April so as not to clash with the Champions Trophy. It will, however, clash with the IPL.
Last year there was some disquiet about the movement of players between tournaments. This applied mainly to those who left the ILT20 early to join the PSL and those whose team could not make the final stages of SA20 so switched to ILT20. It is to be hoped the ILT20 squads are more stable in 2025. The league and its franchises have been able to attract some stellar names, with four of especial interest to this column.
Phil Salt, who is currently ranked second for T20I batting in the world and has captained England’s T20I team, played in the SA20 in 2024, before joining the later stages of ILT20. This year, he is committed to the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman last played for his country in the T20 World Cup in June 2024, after which he fell ill. Zaman scored a winning century in the 2017 Champions Trophy and may get another chance in that tournament in February. Prior to that, his talents will be exhibited with the Desert Vipers in ILT20.
Tim Southee ended his illustrious New Zealand career in December 2024. He captained his country in all three formats, claiming 776 wickets, split 50:50 between Tests and short format. In a quick adjustment, he will captain the Sharjah franchise in ILT20. He has also entered the PSL draft.
Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal has only rubbed shoulders with those in elite international cricket. He began his career as a batter, but his off-spin bowling has developed, whilst his fielding is dynamic. Last April in Oman he joined a select band of players who have scored six sixes in an over. His progress with the Gulf Giants in ILT20 will be watched closely.
The opening match on Jan. 11, is between last year’s winners, Mumbai Indians, and finalists Dubai Capitals. Prior to that, Bollywood stars will formally open the tournament. Channels on which live matches will be shown are Abu Dhabi TV, Dubai TV, ILT20’s YouTube stream and Myco. The market in India is served by the Zee Network of 15 linear TV channels. It is also free to view on India’s leading OTT platform, Zee5. Matches can also be accessed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Caribbean, Nepal and, in Europe, via Samsung TV Plus and Rakuten TV. This level of international exposure earned ILT20 over 220 million viewers in 2024, making it the second most watched T20 league after the IPL.
One area in which ILT20 is making strenuous strides to supplement this virtual audience is to increase live audiences. This is easier said than done. Building brand profiles of the six ILT20 franchises is a long-term commitment, both internationally and locally. The latter takes a generation. Graeme Smith, SA20 commissioner, has been critical of ILT20, saying “it is not good for the game, with no investment back into local cricket.” This does not take proper account of ILT20’s policies, its local involvement and, most importantly, the vastly different history and culture of cricket in the two territories. It seems like the battle of the franchises is warming up.
Banking sector in Kuwait, Qatar and UAE to stay stable in 2025: S&P Global
RIYADH: Banks in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE are expected to maintain stability in 2025, supported by strong capital buffers, favorable economic conditions, and supportive government policies, according to a new analysis.
In Kuwait, S&P Global forecasts improved asset quality, driven by a stronger economy and lower interest rates.
The banking sector is well-positioned to deal with potential geopolitical stress in the region, with stronger lending growth offsetting the negative impact of lower interest rates on profitability, it added.
S&P Global’s analysis echoes the views shared by Fitch Ratings in November 2024, which stated that the standalone credit profiles of Islamic banks in Kuwait are expected to remain stable in 2025, supported by favorable operating conditions.
“After an estimated 2.3 percent contraction in 2024, we expect Kuwait’s GDP growth will rebound to 3 percent in 2025 as OPEC+ oil production restrictions are gradually eased, and project implementation and reform momentum improves,” said Puneet Tuli, S&P Global Ratings credit analyst.
The report added that accelerated reforms following last year’s political changes could improve the pace of reform and growth prospects for the economy, “which in turn would support higher lending growth for the banking system.”
According to the report, the credit losses in the Kuwaiti banking sector are approaching cyclical lows.
S&P Global added that banks are likely to resort to write-offs to limit the rise in the nonperforming loan ratio, supported by strong provisioning buffers.
The analysis further noted that banks in Kuwait operate with robust capital buffers and typically retain 50 percent or more of their profits, which supports their capitalization.
The US-based agency also highlighted that Kuwaiti banks’ funding structures benefit from a solid core customer deposit base and a net external asset position.
“Deposits from government and public institutions have experienced some volatility in the past, as these entities seek to diversify their deposits among local and foreign banks. However, we believe that government support to systemically important banks will be forthcoming if needed,” said S&P Global.
It added: “Private sector deposits from corporations and households have been stable and dominate Kuwaiti banks’ funding base.”
Qatar’s outlook
In Qatar, S&P Global expects continued strong performance for banks in 2025, driven by strong capitalization and ample liquidity. The rise in liquefied natural gas production, along with its impact on the non-hydrocarbon economy, is expected to support credit growth in the next two to three years.
The report added that local funding sources will play an increasing role in supporting credit growth among Qatari banks, driven by slower public sector deleveraging.
S&P Global also noted that the Qatari government’s strong support for its banking sector is expected to mitigate the risk of external debt outflows in the event of escalating geopolitical risks.
“Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are high but we currently do not expect a full-scale regional conflict, and we anticipate macroeconomic conditions in Qatar will remain broadly stable,” said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Juili Pargaonkar.
Forecast for the UAE
In the UAE, S&P Global forecasts improved asset quality metrics and lower credit losses in 2025, driven by a robust domestic economy.
The agency expects banks in the emirates to maintain strong capital buffers, robust funding profiles, and continued government support in 2025, which will underpin their resilience.
The analysis also noted that banks in the UAE have experienced a significant increase in deposits over the past three years, which will help sustain their strong growth momentum in 2025.
“Deposit growth has improved in recent years as private corporations and retail depositors prioritized saving over spending, and higher interest rates provided better yields on deposits,” said S&P Global.
It added: “We expect strong deposit growth to continue through 2025, given the non-oil economy remains supportive, leading to stronger cash flow generation from corporations.”
US, Arab mediators make some progress in Gaza peace talks, no deal yet, sources say
- Israeli strikes continue amid ongoing peace talks
- Hamas demands end to war for hostage release
CAIRO: US and Arab mediators have made some progress in their efforts to reach a ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but not enough to seal a deal, Palestinian sources close to the talks said on Thursday.
As talks continued in Qatar, the Israeli military carried out strikes across the enclave, killing at least 17 people, Palestinian medics said.
Qatar, the US and Egypt are making a major push to reach a deal to halt fighting in the 15-month conflict and free remaining hostages held by Islamist group Hamas before President Joe Biden leaves office.
President-elect Donald Trump has warned there will be “hell to pay,” if the hostages are not released by his inauguration on Jan. 20.
On Thursday, a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said the absence of a deal so far did not mean the talks were going nowhere and said this was the most serious attempt so far to reach an accord.
“There are extensive negotiations, mediators and negotiators are talking about every word and every detail. There is a breakthrough when it comes narrowing old existing gaps but there is no deal yet,” he told Reuters, without giving further details.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar-Tal said Israel was fully committed to reaching an agreement to return its hostages from Gaza but faces obstruction from Hamas.
The two sides have been an at impasse for a year over two key issues. Hamas has said it will only free its remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war and withdraw all its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.
Severe humanitarian crisis
On Thursday, the death toll from Israel’s military strikes included eight Palestinians killed in a house in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, where Israeli forces have operated for more than three months. Nine others, including a father and his three children, died in two separate airstrikes on two houses in central Gaza Strip, health officials said.
There was no Israeli military comment on the two incidents.
More than 46,000 people have been killed in the Gaza war, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been laid waste and most of the territory’s 2.1 million people have been displaced multiple times and face acute shortages of food and medicine, humanitarian agencies say.
Israel denies hindering humanitarian relief to Gaza and says it has facilitated the distribution of hundreds of truckloads of food, water, medical supplies and shelter equipment to warehouses and shelters over the past week.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. On Wednesday, the Israeli military said troops had recovered the body of Israeli Bedouin hostage Youssef Al-Ziyadna, along with evidence that was still being examined suggesting his son Hamza, taken on the same day, may also be dead.
“We will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages, the living and the deceased,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
