PANAMA PAPERS

Introduction

The Panama Papers are 11.5 million leaked documents that detail financial and
attorneyclient information for more than 214,488 offshore entities. The documents, which
belonged to the Panamanian law firm and corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, were
leaked in 2015 by an anonymous source, some dating back to the 1970s. [1][2][3][4]

The leaked documents contain personal financial information about wealthy

individuals and public officials that had previously been kept private. While offshore
business entities are legal, reporters found that some of the Mossack Fonseca shell
corporations were used for illegal purposes, including fraud, tax evasion, and evading
international sanctions. [5][6]

"John Doe", the whistleblower who leaked the documents to German journalist
Bastian Obermayer from the newspaper Sddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), remains anonymous, even
to the journalists on the investigation. "My life is in danger", he told them. In a May 6
statement, John Doe cited income inequality as the reason for his action, and said he leaked
the documents "simply because I understood enough about their contents to realise the scale
of the injustices they described". He added that he has never worked for any government or
intelligence agency. He expressed willingness to help prosecutors if immune to prosecution.
After SZ verified that the statement did come from the Panama Papers source, the
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) posted the full document on its
website.[7][8] [9][10][11]

Because of the amount of data, SZ asked the ICIJ for help. Journalists from 107 media
organizations in 80 countries analyzed documents detailing the operations of the law firm.
After more than a year of analysis, the first news stories were published on April 3, 2016,
along with 150 of the documents themselves. The project represents an important milestone
in the use of data journalism software tools and mobile collaboration. The documents were
quickly dubbed the Panama Papers. The Panamanian government strongly objects to the
name; so do other entities in Panama and elsewhere. Some media outlets covering the story
have used the name "Mossack Fonseca papers". [12][13]
Involvement of Nawaz Sharif and his Family

The Mossack Fonseca documents do not name either prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or his
younger brother, Punjab chief minister Shebaz Sharif. They do however link in-laws of
Shebaz Sharif and children of Nawaz Sharif to offshore companies. Mossack Fonseca records
tie Nawaz daughter Maryam Nawaz and her brothers Hussein and Hassan to four offshore
companies, Nescoll Limited, Nielson Holdings Limited, Coomber Group Inc., and Hangon
Property Holdings Limited. The companies acquired luxury real estate in London during
20062007. The real estate was collateral for loans of up to $13.8 million according to the
Panama Papers. The prime minister's children say the money came from the sale of a family
business in Saudi Arabia.[14][15][16][17]

Maryam Nawaz tweeted denial of wrongdoing, adding that she did not own "any
company/property abroad," except as "a trustee" in a brother's corporation, "which only
entitles me to distribute assets to my brother Hussain's family/children if needed." The leaked
documents name her the sole beneficial owner of Nescoll, created in 1993, and Nielson, first
registered in 1994. The two companies subscribed to Mossack Fonseca services in July 2006.
The Panama Papers name Maryam as the joint owner with her brother Hussain of Coomber
Group. Mossack Fonseca was managing Nescoll, Nielsen Holdings, and Coomber Group
when the three companies obtained a 7 million mortgage from the Swiss bank, Deutsche
Bank (Suisse) SA and purchased four flats in Avenfield House, at 118 Park Lane in London.
Hassan, the other brother, bought Hangon Holdings and its stock in 2007 for 5.5 million;
Hangon then bought property, financed through the Bank of Scotland, at 1 Hyde Park Place
in London. [18]

Samina Durrani, mother of Shebaz Sharif's second wife, and Ilyas Mehraj, brother of
his first, also figure in the documents. Habib Waqas Group/Ilyas Mehraj is listed as a
shareholder with 127,735 shares in Haylandale Limited, registered July 24, 2003 in the
Bahamas. Mehraj has denied knowing anything about "any company whether incorporated in
the Commonwealth of Bahamas or anywhere else under the name: Haylandale Ltd." Rainbow
Limited, the newest of the three offshore companies owned by Samina Durrani, was
registered September 29, 2010 in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Armani River Limited,
registered in the Bahamas on May 16, 2002, describes its assets as "property in London,
which is not currently rented." Assets of Star Precision Limited, registered in BVI May 21,
1997, were reported as "cash as the investment portfolio. We are also holding 1,165,238
shares in Orix Leasing Pakistan Limited." [19]

Panamagate Case in the Supreme Court

Imran Khan sought legal proceedings against Nawaz Sharif on account of his name
being linked with the Panama Papers. This lead to the Supreme Court of Pakistan hearing this
case against Nawaz Sharif. The case has been officially titled as Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi v.
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, although media has called it The Panama Papers case and
the Panamagate case. The case is currently an ongoing case before the Supreme Court of
Pakistan. The actual hearing of the case occurred between 1 November 2016 and 23 February
2017. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan alleged money laundering, corruption, and
contradictory statements by Nawaz Sharif, the incumbent Prime Minister of Pakistan, after
the Panama Papers leak uncovered links between Sharif's family and eight offshore
companies.[20][21][22]

The Court reserved its judgment on 23 February 2017. The case has been described as
the most publicized in Pakistan's history, as well as a "defining moment" for the country. The
Court announced on 20 April 2017 that a Joint Investigation Team has to be formed to probe
the Sharif family's involvement in corruption as stated in the Panama leaks. [23][24][25]

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was formally constituted by the Supreme Court's
Panama Case bench on 6 May 2017. It comprises of 6 members, with the head being from
FIA. The members are Wajid Zia, Additional Director General (Immigration) of the Federal
Investigation Agency ; Amer Aziz, Managing Director (NIBAF) of State Bank of Pakistan;
Bilal Rasool, Executive Director of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan; Irfan
Naeem Mangi, Director General of the National Accountability Bureau; Brigadier (r)
Nauman Saeed Director (Internal Security) of Inter-Services Intelligence and Brigadier
Kamran Khurshid of Military Intelligence.

JIT members have been given the authority to engage and associate local and/or
foreign experts to facilitate the investigation of Sharif family's offshore assets. The team also
has been given all powers granted by laws relating to investigation, including those available
in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999
and the Federal Investigation Agency Act, 1975. The directives also say that since the JIT, in
essence and substance, is acting on the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, all
executive authorities across Pakistan must assist and cooperate with the team. [26][27]

Dawn Leaks Controversy

Introduction

The news story, highlighting alleged confrontation between the civilian government
and the military at a meeting in October 2016, published by Dawn newspaper last year
erupted with a storm in national politics and shortly it transformed into a news leak scandal
before becoming a mainstream media fodder. It all started when the Dawn journalist Cyril
Almeida broke confidential minutes of a meeting among the government and military
officials on national action plan in which the civilians reportedly apprised the military of
mounting international pressure of more action against armed groups. The civilian
governments representatives at the meeting gave warning that Pakistan could face
international isolation if the security establishment did not take the recommended course of
action and what followed suit was the hornets nest in the military ranks. Almeidas exclusive
story came against a backdrop of mounting border tensions between India and Pakistan
following a claim by the Indian government of a cross-border surgical strike by their on
September 18. [28][29][30]

Initial Story Leaked to Dawn News

On Oct 6, Dawn news broke a story that dropped like a bombshell on the government
and also it stirred hornets nest among the military ranks. The story highlighted alleged
differences between the military and the civilian government over fight against terrorists. The
story reported: The civilian government informed the military leadership of a growing
international isolation of Pakistan and sought consensus on several key actions by the state.
Just hours after publication of the story, a storm erupted in political circles about sensitivity
of the issue and it soon led to intense discussions on the media.[31][32]

Government Denies Story

The Office of the Prime Minister on Oct 7 strongly denied the content of the news
calling it fabricated. The statement issued by the PM Office said, The published story was
clearly violative of universally acknowledged principles of reporting on National Security
issues and has risked the vital state interests through inclusion of inaccurate and misleading
contents which had no relevance to actual discussion and facts. Prime Minister took serious
notice of the violation and directed that those responsible should be identified for stern
action, said the statement. [33][34][35]

Both PM and Army Chief accept the Story and Call it a Breach

On Oct 10, the then chief of Army staff General Raheel Sharif called on Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss matters pertaining to national and regional security. During
the meeting, they termed the fabricated news story against the national security. Finance
Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif and DG ISI Lt. General Rizwan Akhtar were also present during the meeting.

The participants were unanimous that the published story was clearly in violation of
universally acknowledged principles of reporting on national security issues and has risked
the vital state interests through inclusion of inaccurate and misleading contents which had no
relevance to actual discussion and facts. It had risked the vital state interests through
inclusion of inaccurate and misleading content which had no relevance to actual discussion
and facts, the forum said.

The participants of the meeting said that it was imperative that print and electronic
media refrained from speculative reporting, issues of national security and interests of the
state. Dawn news had claimed the civilian government had asked intelligence agencies to
refrain from interfering in if the law enforcement agencies acted against militant groups. The
meeting reaffirmed that Army and Intelligence Agencies would continue to play a lead role in
our fight against terrorism. [36][37][38]

Cyril Almeida placed on ECL as inquiry begins

On Oct 11, Cyril Almeida wrote on his Twitter account, I am told and have been
informed and have been shown evidence that I am on the Exit Control List. The ECL is a
system of border control under the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance. Those who are
put on the list are forbidden by law from leaving Pakistan. Two days after Almeidas name
was put on ECL, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar confirmed the news reasoning that the
journalist was planning to leave the country while an inquiry was yet to be carried out to
investigate his news story. He added that anyone who was part of the case under investigation
tried to flee the country would find his or her name on the ECL. He called the news an
attempt to hit our security paradigm in reference to a sensitive security meeting, hence
investigation was imperative. The narrative presented by the local English daily reflected of
our enemys stance, he said. [39][40][41]

On Oct 14, a high-level military leadership at the Corps Commanders Conference

discussed the Newsgate scandal. Participants of the meeting expressed serious concern over
feeding of false and fabricated story of an important security meeting held at PM house and
viewed it as breach of national security. The Corps Commanders had also resolved to
continue sustained and focused combing and intelligence-based operations across the length
and breadth of the country to uproot terrorism harmonizing it with implementation of NAP to
address extremism and other causes of terrorism. [42]

Press Pressure forced Government to exclude Cyril Almeida from

ECL

On Oct 14, the Interior Ministry decided to remove the journalists name from ECL
after getting assurance that the journalist will help in investigation regarding his fabricated
story. The directives came after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar met a delegation of All
Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors
(CPNE) who assured that the journalist Cyril Almeida will help authorities in the
investigation regarding the story. Unverified and speculative news items citing sources on
national security issues must be refrained that crosses ethical boundaries of responsible
journalism, said Nisar. [43][44]

Army Chief calls for investigation

On Oct 27, Several prominent leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

including Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ishaq Dar, and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif
met the then chief of Army staff. The PML-N leaders had briefed the Army chief on the
progress of investigation and recommendations related to the planted story. The meeting was
also attended by Director General ISI General Rizwan Akhtar. During this time the under-
investigation journalist Cyril Almeida had left to visit the United States. [45][46]

Pervez Rashid is Fired for Failing to stop the Leak

On Oct 29, the then minister for information and broadcasting, Pervaiz Rasheed was
removed from his position as the federal minister. The federal minister was the biggest
casualty of the investigation into the national security breach. Musadiq Malik, the spokesman
for the Prime Minister had said that Pervaiz Rasheed was responsible for the Newsgate. Nisar
later admitted former information minister Pervaiz Rasheed failed to stop the controversial
news. [47]

On Nov 7, the government constituted a commission headed by a retired high court

judge for investigation into the controversial news. Former Lahore High Court Judge Amir
Raza Khan will head the inquiry commission which will also include Secretary Establishment
Tahir Shahbaz, Senior Muhtasib Punjab Najam Saeed and Director Federal Investigation
Agency Dr Usman Anwar. The commission had one representative from each of Inter
Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and Military Intelligence. The committee failed to
complete the inquiry on time, hence it was provided more months to conclude investigation.
[48][49]

Interior Minister says Commission investigating the Leaks is

conflicted

In mid of March, the interior minister revealed that there was a conflict in the
investigation committee formed over the Dawnleaks issue. He said that he would only hand
over the final report to the government when he receives it. He said that even the salient
features of the report have also not been agreed upon. The minister refused to give further
details into the nature of the conflict, stating that the committee head would only approve the
report after there is a mutual consensus on the report among the committee members.[50]

Before the Dawn Leaks inquiry report was officially presented to the prime minister,
its content was leaked to the media and a number of TV channels aired findings of the probe
team. It was reported that prime ministers assistance Tariq Fatemi and principal information
secretary Rao Tehseen were likely to be shown the door. [51]

A notification released by the Prime Minister Office dismissed Special Assistant on

Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi from his position over the Dawn leaks scandal. The notification
dated April 29 signed by the Prime Ministers secretary Fawad Hussain Fawad stated that
Fatemi had been removed and a necessary notification has been issued forthwith. Allocation
of portfolio of Foreign Affairs to Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister,
shall be withdrawn, said the notification. [52]
 Government Issues official notification regarding the Leaks

On April 29, the government issued a notification of Dawn Leaks probe, triggering
backlash from the army over its findings. The notification stated that the Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif approved the recommendations of the Dawn Leaks Inquiry Committee and
directed the ministries concerned and divisions for implementation. According to the
recommendations, the role of Daily Dawn, Zafar Abbas and Cyril Almeida in the instant
matter shall be referred to All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) for necessary
disciplinary action. [53][54]

ISPR categorically rejects notification

Pakistan Army rejected the notification on Saturday. Director General Inter Services
Public Relation (ISPR) Major Gen Asif Ghafoor issued a brief statement in a Tweet and said
that recommendation of Pakistan Army were not incorporated. Notification on Dawn Leak
is incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board, said the military
press wing. Notification is rejected, it stated. [55]

Interior Minister claims notification is informal, formal notification

yet to be announced

About the militarys rejection of Dawn Leaks inquiry notification, the interior
minister said no formal notification has yet been issued in the Dawn Leaks case. A formal
notification in this regard will be issued in the light of recommendations made and no effort
will be made to protect anyone, said Nisar. He, however, maintained that tweets are not an
appropriate way to address institutions while criticising media for turning a non-issue into a
big issue without any reason. [56]

SYRIAN CRISIS

Onset of war

The Syrian civil war, also known as the Syrian uprising or Syrian crisis is an ongoing
armed conflict in Syria. It is a conflict between forces of the Ba'ath government and forces
who want to remove this government. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with
demonstrations. These demonstrations were like demonstrations held in other Arab countries,
which has been called the Arab Spring. Protesters in Syria demanded the resignation of
President Bashar al-Assad. His family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971. Many of
Assad's supporters are Shia while the majority of the government opposition is
Sunni.[57][58]

In April 2011, the Syrian Army fired on demonstrators across the country. After
months of military battles, the protests turned into an armed rebellion. Opposition forces were
soldiers who had left the Syrian army and civilian volunteers. Opposition fighters had no
central leadership.Battles took place in many towns and cities across the country. In late 2011
the Islamist group al-Nusra Front began to have a bigger role in the opposition forces. In
2013 Hezbollah entered the war in support of the Syrian army.[59][60]

Foreign Nations Involved In War

The Syrian government received military support from Russia and Iran. Qatar and
Saudi Arabia gave weapons to the rebels. By July 2013, the Syrian government controlled
approximately 3040 percent of the country's territory and 60 percent of the Syrian
population. A 2012 UN report said the battles were between different sects or groups. The
battles were between Shia groups against Sunni rebel groups.[60]

In June 2014, members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) crossed the
border from Syria into northern Iraq, and have taken control of large swaths of Iraqi territory
as the Iraqi Army abandoned its positions. Fighting between rebels and government forces
also spilled over into Lebanon on several occasions. There were repeated incidents of
sectarian violence in the North Governorate of Lebanon between supporters and opponents of
the Syrian government, as well as armed clashes between Sunnis and Alawites in
Tripoli.[61][62]

Violation of Human Rights

According to the United Nations, over 100,000 people were killed by June 2013. A
total of 120,000 were killed by September 2013. In addition, tens of thousands of protesters
were put in jail. There were reports that the Syrian government was torturing prisoners.
International organizations accused both government and opposition forces of breaching
human rights. The UN said most of the abuses were carried out by the Syrian government.
More than 4 million Syrians were forced to relocate because of the battles and more than 2
million refugees left their country. Millions of citizens are still short of electricity, food and
drinking water.[63]

In 2013 the Syrian regime used Chemical weapons against the rebels. This drew
attention from the international community. The government reportedly surrendered their
chemical weapons in 2014 but continued the war using other weapons. Later in 2014, the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant became the most powerful opposing army, controlling
more territory than the Syrian government itself.[64][65]

Refugee Crisis

The violence in Syria caused millions to flee their homes. As of March 2015, Al-
Jazeera estimate 10.9 million Syrians, or almost half the population, have been displaced. 3.8
million have been made refugees. As of 2013, 1 in 3 of Syrian refugees (about 667,000
people) sought safety in Lebanon (normally 4.8 million population). Others have fled to
Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. Turkey has accepted 1,700,000 (2015) Syrian refugees, half of
whom are spread around cities and a dozen camps placed under the direct authority of the
Turkish Government. Satellite images confirmed that the first Syrian camps appeared in
Turkey in July 2011, shortly after the towns of Deraa, Homs, and Hama were besieged.

In September 2014, the UN stated that the number of Syrian refugees had exceeded 3
million. According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Sunnis are leaving for
Lebanon and undermining Hezbollah's status. The Syrian refugee crisis has caused the
"Jordan is Palestine" threat to be diminished due to the onslaught of new refugees in Jordan.
Additionally, "the West Bank is undergoing emigration pressures which will certainly be
copied in Gaza if emigration is allowed". Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III Laham
claims more than 450,000 Syrian Christians have been displaced by the conflict. As of
September 2016, the European Union has reported that there are 13.5 million refugees in
need of assistance in the country.[66][67]

Death Toll

On 2 January 2013, the United Nations stated that 60,000 had been killed since the
civil war began, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay saying "The
number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking." Four months
later, the UN's updated figure for the death toll had reached 80,000. On 13 June, the UN
released an updated figure of people killed since fighting began, the figure being exactly
92,901, for up to the end of April 2013. Navi Pillay, UN high commissioner for human rights,
stated that: "This is most likely a minimum casualty figure." The real toll was guessed to be
over 100,000. Some areas of the country have been affected disproportionately by the war; by
some estimates, as many as a third of all deaths have occurred in the city of Homs.

One problem has been determining the number of "armed combatants" who have died,
due to some sources counting rebel fighters who were not government defectors as civilians.
At least half of those confirmed killed have been estimated to be combatants from both sides,
including 52,290 government fighters and 29,080 rebels, with an additional 50,000
unconfirmed combatant deaths.In addition, UNICEF reported that over 500 children had been
killed by early February 2012, and another 400 children have been reportedly arrested and
tortured in Syrian prisons; both of these claims have been contested by the Syrian
government. [68]

Additionally, over 600 detainees and political prisoners are known to have died under
torture. In mid-October 2012, the opposition activist group SOHR reported the number of
children killed in the conflict had risen to 2,300, and in March 2013, opposition sources
stated that over 5,000 children had been killed. In January 2014, a report was released
detailing the systematic killing of more than 11,000 detainees of the Syrian government.

On 20 August 2014, a new U.N. study concluded that at least 191,369 people have
died in the Syrian conflict. The UN thereafter stopped collecting statistics, but a study by the
Syrian Centre for Policy Research released in February 2016 estimated the death toll to be
470,000, with 1.9m wounded (reaching a total of 11.5% of the entire population either
wounded or killed).[69]

International Peace Initiatives

During the course of the war, there have been several international peace initiatives,
undertaken by the Arab League, the United Nations, and other actors. The Syrian government
has refused efforts to negotiate with what it describes as armed terrorist groups. On 1
February 2016, the UN announced the formal start of the UN-mediated Geneva Syria peace
talksthat had been agreed on by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) in Vienna. On
3 February 2016, the UN Syria peace mediator suspended the talks. On 14 March 2016,
Geneva peace talks resumed. The Syrian government insisted that discussion of Bashar-al-
Assad's presidency "is a red line", however Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said he hoped
peace talks in Geneva would lead to concrete results, and stressed the need for a political
process in Syria. The Astana Process talks between Opposition and government
representatives concluded on January 24, 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan; with Russia, Iran and
Turkey supporting the existing ceasefire agreement. The Astana Process talks are considered
a complement, not replacement, of the United Nations-led Geneva Process talks. [70][71]

North Korean Missile Test Controversy

North Korea has launched nine missile tests so far in 2017. This has caused great
concern to the United States of America and its allies. Even though China has been vary of
the missile test, it has yet to issue any official statement condemning the missile tests which
are seen by the rest of the world as an escalation and a step towards all out war. The missile
tests in 2017 and the controversy they caused are detailed below. [72][73]

February 11

In February, North Korea successfully tested a land-based KN-15 missile, a new

solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, which traveled 310 miles into the Sea of Japan. Gen.
John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, told a congressional panel in early
April that the February launch marked a significant advancement for North Korea because it
was its first successful solid-fueled missile fired from a mobile launcher. Mobile-launched
missiles are harder to track and can be fired at short notice. Hyten labeled the launch of what
is now believed to have been a KN-15 missile as a major advancement by North Korea
because it was "a new solid medium range ballistic missile off a new transporter erector
launcher." The February launch occurred as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited
President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida over the weekend. Photos taken
by the club's patrons and later posted on Facebook captured Japanese and U.S. officials
responding in real-time to the incident, sparking criticism about why such important meetings
were not conducted in a more secure location. [74]

March 5

In early March, North Korea launched five medium-range Scud-er (extended range)
missiles. Four traveled more than 600 miles, the upper limit of their range, into the Sea of
Japan. The fifth took off, but later crashed. Three of missiles landed in waters in Japan's
economic exclusion zone, which extends 200 miles from its shoreline.

An undated picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on

March 7, 2017 shows the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army
during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Shortly after this test
occurred, the U.S. delivered the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile
system to South Korea, a process which the U.S. started working on with its ally after the
flurry of North Korean missile tests in 2016. THAAD is a missile defense shield designed to
intercept short and medium range missiles. [75]

March 21

Later in the month, North Korea tested a mobile-launched missile which exploded
"within seconds of launch," according to U.S. Pacific Command. The launch was near Kalma
in eastern Wonsan province, where North Korea previously attempted to test its mobile-
launched Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile. Last year, North Korea test-fired
eight Musudan rockets, but only one was considered a success. U.S. officials have not
identified what type of missile was tested on March 21 since it exploded so soon after launch.
[76]

April 4

On April 4, a KN-17 missile launch came just days before Chinese President Xi
Jinping met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, during which the pair discussed how to
curb North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

The Trump administration is hoping China will exert its economic influence over
North Korea since the country controls eighty percent of all foreign trade with the reclusive
regime. U.S. officials said the missile spun out of control and landed in the Sea of Japan after
traveling 34 miles. It was being assessed as an in-flight failure. U.S. Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson released a terse statement following Tuesday's test, saying, "North Korea launched
yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about
North Korea. We have no further comment." The KN-17 is a new mobile-launched, single-
stage missile that uses liquid fuel. It has not been successfully tested by North Korea, so it's
difficult to assess its full range.[77]
 April 15

Less than two weeks later, North Korea launched another KN-17 that exploded
shortly after launch.

"The launch failed very early on, so that makes it harder to know exactly what they
were trying to do," Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs, said days later. "But I think that our understanding is that it was not one of
the longer-range missiles that they were trying to test there; it was something like a medium-
range ballistic missile."

Vice President Mike Pence was briefed on the failed missile launch en route to South
Korea on Air Force While speaking with U.S. members of the military in Seoul, Pence
described it as a "provocation."

"This morning's provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks
each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea
and the defense of America in this part of the world," Pence said. "Your willingness to step
forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear inspires our nation and inspires the world, and
it's an honor for us to share this meal with you today." [78]

April 28

North Korea fired a KN-17 for at least the third launch in April; this time the missile
traveled 21 miles before breaking up in mid-air, according to a U.S. official. A U.S. Pacific
Command spokesman noted that it was "aware of the event" but gave no further comment in
the immediate aftermath of the launch.[79]

May 14

The U.S. believes the ballistic missile North Korea launched was a KN-17 medium
range missile, not a new intermediate range missile. The launch was the first successful test
of this type after several previous failures. Launched from Kusong, in western North Korea,
the missile flew for 435 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, 60 miles from the Russian
border. The Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada told reporters that the missile reached
an unprecedented altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,245 miles), which raised speculation that
North Korea may have developed a new intermediate range missile. Experts claim the missile
would have flown a much greater distance if launched on a maximum trajectory, perhaps
reaching military bases in Guam.

A picture taken on May 14, 2017 and released from North Korea's official Korean
Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 15 shows a test launch of the ground-to-ground
medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 at an undisclosed location. North
Korea boasted the "medium long-range" ballistic rocket is capable of carrying a heavy
nuclear warhead, but most experts view that claim with skepticism believing the North
Koreans have yet to perfect the necessary technology. The missile was first seen publicly in a
military parade in Pyongyang on April 15. [80]

May 21

On May 21, the White House confirmed that North Korea successfully launched a
medium-range ballistic missile with a shorter range than missiles in previous tests. The South
Korean military said the missile traveled over 500 km (just over 300 miles) into the Sea of
Japan. A U.S. official told ABC News that it was a KN-15, the same solid-fueled missile
tested on February 11 that can be fired at short notice. North Korea said shortly after the test
that they were ready to mass produce medium-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching
Japan and US military bases there. This test occurred as Trump was in Saudi Arabia, the first
stop on his first foreign trip as president. An undated photo released by North Korea's official
Korean Central News Agency on May 30, 2017 shows a test-fire of a ballistic missile at an
undisclosed location in North Korea.

May 28

On May 28. at 10:40 p.m. Hawaii time, North Korea conducted its ninth test, a short-
range ballistic missile launched from near Wonsan Airfield. The missile was tracked for six
minutes by U.S. Pacific Command before it landed in the Sea of Japan. A U.S. defense
official told ABC News it appeared to be a SCUD-type missile. North Korea said this latest
launch was aimed at testing a new precision-guidance system. [81]

Load Shedding

Present load shedding spell, started in last winter and continues into the worst
summer. It is mainly due to demand exceeding supply and thermal power plants operating at
less than nameplate capacity due to interruption in oil/gas supply.
 The ongoing load shedding has virtually halted economic activities in the country. To
keep their factories running and offices open, business community has to depend on stand-by
generators, which certainly adds to the cost and erode their competiveness. At times they
cannot meet delivery commitments. Similarly commercial buildings and shops have to use
generators, which not only adds to the cost but compounds miseries as customers prefer to
stay away from the markets during load shedding hours. [82]

In last winter load shedding started mainly due to very low water levels in the dams
and actual output was about 25% of installed capacity. However, it was not unusual because
historical data shows that output of hydel plants reduced to this level when water in dams
touches 'dead levels'. However, inefficient operation of thermal power aggravated the
situation. On top of this load shedding of gas didn't allow most of the business enterprises to
keep on running their factories. [83]

This summer the spell of load shedding sell ranges from 8 to 16 hours in different
cities/localities. It is true that demand has increased over the years, but output has also gone
down due to aging of plants, hardly any maintenance and running of units beyond stipulated
number of hours. The wiz-kids may have skipped planed shutdown for maintenance but
called for frequent breakdowns.

The key issue is that economic managers and policy planners do not know for sure the
quantum of demand and supply as well as the potential shortfalls during various seasons.
Hydel capacity is taken at installed load completely ignoring the fact that hydel generation
varies from month to month due to changing water levels. It may touch the maximum for
awhile but also reduces to around 25% when water touches dead levels. [85]

Similarly thermal generation capability is also taken at nameplate capacity, keeping

no 'spin over' margin and scheduled outages and breakdowns. It may be true that the
management of power companies had the pressure from the government to ensure supply, but
they should have not agreed to skip shutdowns for scheduled maintenance. By bowing down
to the pressure they have worn-out these machines at much faster rate and their serviceable
life has been reduced substantially. In fact this is a criminal act and all those who issued such
orders should be prosecuted under law of the land for causing damage to national assets.

One of the reasons for load shedding is interruption in oil and gas supplies to thermal
power plants. This is mainly due to huge receivables and at time non-payment by the power
generation companies. Though supplies are not stopped but have to be curtailed because of
liquidity crunch faced by oil and gas marketing companies. [86]

For KESC the main source of supply is Bin Qasim thermal plant based on dual fired
system, capable of using furnace oil and gas. Enhanced or above the allocated quota gas
supply is assured to optimize cost of generation but in case of an interruption in gas supply
form any of the fields SSGC has to curtail supply below the allocation. In such a situation if
KESC does not have ample furnace oil inventory it has no option but to shut down some of
its Bin Qasim units. However, SSGC does not curtail gas supply to the smaller power plants
of KESC operating within the city. [87]

The KESC suffers from an acute shortage of in house power generation. It has a
dependable capacity of around 1200MW compared to peak load of 3000MW during worst
summer. If fact if the load of all the factories/commercial building having in-house power
plants is also added the peak load is estimated above 5000MW. It has to depend on IPPs and
WAPDA. Karachi often goes on low priority when WAPDA faces shortage

The second problem faced by KESC is massive theft, exceeding 30%. While money is
spent on generation and purchase from WAPDA and IPPs, there is no recovery. At times the
entire quantum of purchases was going towards pilferage. In an attempt to overcome the
liquidity crunch the KESC often resorts to hike in tariff but every hike provide incentive for
more pilferage. [88]

Overcoming the load shedding menace is not an easy task and demands multi fact
approach. Increasing in-house power generation capacity to 5000MW over the next couple of
years should not be an issue for the new strategic owners. They are capable of arranging the
finance but certainly need certain guarantees from the federal and provincial government.
Cost of borrowing could be reduced if sovereign guarantees made available by the GoP.
According to official data, the power generation companies and private producers are
cumulatively producing about 11,000MW of electricity but supplying less than 9,700MW to
distribution companies against a countrywide demand of about 14,800MW. Thus the
shortfall, excluding Karachi, fluctuates between 4,000MW and 4,500MW, said the official
data. Private sector experts, however, put the total demand in excess of 17,500MW, including
around 2,600 for the K-Electric. The experts said the power sector authorities were allowing
loadshedding of four to six hours in cities but in towns and rural areas people were having to
contend with outages of up to 15 hours. [88][89]
 This is happening at a time when more than 880,000 tonnes of furnace oil, sufficient
to run the countrys entire power generation machinery for 40 days, was currently lying idle
in the storage tanks of oil companies, particularly the Pakistan State Oil (PSO). Also, more
than a dozen power plants were sitting idle and claiming capacity charges because they were
not contributing electricity to the system due to non-payment and related disputes. Included
in the idle plants are the ones that are most efficient and cheap, such as the natural gas-based
units of Uch Power and Halmore. [90]

The controversial Nandipur power project has remained closed for almost four
months while the Guddu power plant was producing about 350MW on Tuesday against its
total capacity of about 2,200MW. It was producing about 900MW on Wednesday. Ironically,
about 1,900MW of electricity remains almost unaccounted for. This is evident from the fact
that the power ministry had allocated about 9,700MW to distribution companies on March 28
but the Discos could draw only 9,200MW according to this approved quota.

Official data suggests that about 780MW was going to waste due to transmission and
transformation losses, accounting for about seven per cent of the total. Poor cash flow of the
KESC can be improved by payment of amounts outstanding in the names of government,
semi-government authorities and private sector. It is true that the full amount cannot be paid
in one go but a schedule can be agreed upon between the KESC and the consumers. Another
1,120MW of electricity is misused, officially described as unaccounted for... due to non-
metering and communication failures. [91]

Retired Col Sajjad Rana, spokesman for the National Transmission and Dispatch
Company (NDTC), which procures electricity and transmits it to distribution network, said
his organisation was no longer authorised to discuss demand and supply situation with the
media, adding that the matter was being dealt directly by the water and power ministry.

Repeated requests to explain the situation sent to water and power secretary Younas
Dagha and joint secretaries Zargham Eshaq and Zafar Abbas also remained unanswered. An
information officer, however, shared a datasheet showing peak generation on Wednesday at
12,442MW but the document said nothing about the duration of loadshedding or shortfall.
The distribution of demand and supply data to all stakeholders has largely been stopped.
[92][93]
 However, an official requesting anonymity said the distribution companies had been
conveyed verbally to manage shortfall in politically sensitive cities by parking shortfall in
the rural areas. Therefore, the countrys most efficient distribution company based in
Islamabad announced loadshedding of four hours for urban areas and six hours for rural
areas. Other companies were going for longer power outages. For instance, an official said
that duration of loadshedding in most of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and interior of Sindh ranged
between 16 and 18 hours. Meanwhile, except for the Hubco and Kapco plants, which are
provided fuel by PSO against direct government payments, none of the IPPs were running at
full capacity because they are in dispute with government over non-payments and seldom get
fuel on credit. For example, power plants of AES, Nishat, Atlas were running at half their
capacity while Japan, Sepcol and Kohinoor were permanently closed. [94][95]

Despite the best government efforts, the total generation from all the IPPs that stood
at 7,200MW on Tuesday was increased to 7,800MW against their available capacity of about
9,500MW. Likewise, the generation from all hydropower resources that had plunged to
1,400MW against a capacity of almost 7,000MW was increased during peak hours on
Wednesday to 1,950MW. [96]

Societal Effects of Social Media

Positive Effects of Social Media

1. Social networks help the businesses in a variety of ways. Traditional marketing

mediums such as the radio, TV commercials and print ads are completely obsolete now and
demand for thousands of dollars. However, with social media the businesses can connect with
their targeted customers for free, the only cost is energy and time. Through Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social site you can lower your marketing cost to a significant
level (Obar,2015).

2. The increasing popularity of social sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn,
social networks has gained attention as the most viable communication choice for the
bloggers, article writers and content creators (Kaplan,2010).

3. These social networking sites have opened the opportunity for all the writers and
bloggers to connect with their tech savvy clients to share your expertise and articles. Your
audience will further share your articles, blog or expertise in their social circle which further
enhance your networks of the followers (Obar,2015).

4. Social networks have removed all the communication and interaction barriers, and
now one can communicate his/her perception and thoughts over a variety of topics. Students
and experts are able to share and communicate with like-minded people and can ask for the
input and opinion on a particular topic.

5. Another positive impact of social networking sites is to unite people on a huge

platform for the achievement of some specific objective. This is very important to bring the
positive change in society (Turkle,2010).

6.Before electronic means of gathering information, students or researchers need to

pay a visit to libraries to access materials relevant to their research topics. Nowadays, it will
take just a subscription to a journal online or just browsing online to search for literature
required to develop ones conceptual framework. Preparing the review of literature is easier
and faster. Thus, more research gets published and knowledge generation is greatly facilitated
(Turkle,2010).

7.Communication with family, friends and relatives is faster

Gone are the homesick days because a son or daughter can now easily contact their
parents online. Services such as that of Skype and Gmail enable a loved one to communicate
with another in almost any part of the globe where internet services are available.

8.There is a great possibility to earn while working from home

It is now possible to earn online through writing, filling up forms, or even just
clicking away on advertisements in the internet. Information is a valuable thing that people
are willing to pay. Through advertisements posted online, manufacturers and sellers are able
to increase the possibility of having their products purchased ( Obar,2015).

9. Faster business transactions and cheaper products

Sellers and buyers can now transact through online paying facilities like Paypal or
credit cards. Buyers can surf online and select the products they want to buy. There is no
need to have a physical store to maintain as the products can be shipped directly from the
factory.
 10. Savings on travel cost:Through the use of the internet, it is possible for executives
or business managers to do teleconferencing. They do not need to meet physically just to
discuss matters. This could save a lot on travel cost (Turkle,2010).

Negative Effects of Social Media

One of the negative effect of social media or network is it leads to addiction.

Spending countless hours on the social sites can divert the focus and attention from a
particular task. It lowers the motivational level of the people, especially of the teenagers and
students. They mainly rely on technology and the internet instead of learning the practical
knowledge and expertise of the everyday life (Wang,2010).

Kids can be greatly affected by these social networking sites if they are allowed to
use them. The reason is that sometimes people share photos on social media that contains
violence and sex, which can damage the behavior of kids and teenagers. It put the negative
impact on overall society as these kids and teenagers involve themselves in crime related
activities (Hanaff,2010).

. Another downside of the social media is that the user shares too much information
which may pose threats to them. Even with the tight security settings your personal
information may leak on the social sites. Downloading your videos or pictures and copying
your status is an easy taskChildren, young adults and even adults get addicted to games
online.Online games can be addictive to children, young adults and even adults. This can rob
away precious time which otherwise should have been used for something more productive
(Hanaff,2012).

Pornography is rampant: Anybody can easily upload pornographic material for

commercial purposes or just for fun. The young minds of children will be corrupted through
their exposure to things which are reserved for adults. Many well-known personalities are
also victimized by opportunistic and malicious people who want to discredit others using
their personal encounters.

Loss of the human touch:People absorbed in their activities online tend to forget that
there are real people in their surroundings who need their attention or have socialization
needs. Social networking gives more importance to virtual friends than real ones.
 Criminal elements use information to advance their malicious intents:Unsuspecting
internet users can fall victim to criminal elements who meddle with their emails or do
something nasty with their credit card information. Phishing or fooling other people into
believing that criminal-owned websites are legitimate led to millions of money lost to
misleading business transactions (Turkle,2010).

Abandonment of family: In one instance, a couple in Korea was preoccupied with

their virtual baby forgetting to feed their real baby who died of hunger. People become
insensitive as they are absorbed by the hidden hand of the internet into its lair.

Considering that the effects of the internet to people can be both positive and
negative, there is a need to manage this technology for mans overall benefit. Of foremost
concern is the need to make sure that internet security is well in place to prevent the negative
effects of the internet to innocent people and can be done within few clicks (Hanaff,2010).
References
1. "Giant leak of offshore financial records exposes global array of crime and
corruption". OCCRP. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Website of OCCRP June 11, 2017
2. Schmidt, Michael S.; Myers, Steven Lee (2016-04-03). "Panama Law Firms Leaked
Files Detail Offshore Accounts Tied to World Leaders". The New York Times. ISSN
0362-4331.
3. Vasilyeva, Natalya; Anderson, Mae (April 3, 2016). "News Group Claims Huge
Trove of Data on Offshore Accounts". The New York Times. Associated Press.
4. Garside, Juliette; Watt, Holly; Pegg, David (April 3, 2016). "The Panama Papers: how
the world's rich and famous hide their money offshore".
5. International Consortium of Investigative journalists (April 3, 2016). "A new ICIJ
investigation exposes a rogue offshore industry".
6. "Giant Leak of Offshore Financial Records Exposes Global Array of Crime and
Corruption". The Panama Papers. The International Consortium of Investigative
Journalists - ICIJ. 3 April 2016.
7. Jump up ^ Clark, Nicola (2016-04-05). "How a Cryptic Message, Interested in
Data?, Led to the Panama Papers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
8. "How two German newspaper reporters broke the story behind the Panama Papers".
https://qz.com/729106/how-two-german-newspaper-reporters-broke-the-story-behind-
the-panama-papers/
9. Juliette Garside (April 16, 2016). "Panama Papers: inside the Guardian's investigation
into offshore secrets". Panama Papers. The Guardian.
10. "Panama Papers: Source breaks silence on Mossack Fonseca leaks". 6 May 2016.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36232142
11. "Panama Papers Source Offers Documents To Governments, Hints At More To
Come". ICIJ. May 6, 2016. https://panamapapers.icij.org/20160506-john-doe-
statement.html#_ga=1.164154486.836406132.1459807380
12. "DocumentCloud 150 Results Source: Internal documents from Mossack Fonseca
(Panama)". DocumentCloud. Perfect Privacy, LLC/Amazon Technologies.
https://www.documentcloud.org/public/search/Source:%20%22Internal%20document
s%20from%20Mossack%20Fonseca%20(Panama%20Papers)%22
13. Clark, Nicola (2016-04-05). "How a Cryptic Message, Interested in Data?, Led to
the Panama Papers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

14. "Panama Papers: List of Pakistani politicians, businessmen who own companies
abroad". http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/04/04/national/panama-papers-list-
of-pakistani-politicians-businessmen-who-own-companies-abroad/ Pakistan Today. 4
April 2016.
15. Cheema, Uma (April 4, 2016). "The Panama Papers: Pages From Pakistan".
http://cirp.pk/index.php/2016/04/04/the-panama-papers-pages-from-pakistan/
16. "The Panama Papers: Pages from Pakistan". Center for Investigative Reporting in
Pakistan (CIRP). April 4, 2016.
17. Saeed Shah (22 April 2016). "Pakistan Prime Minister Upgrades Probe Into Panama
Papers Affair: Premier calls for a commission of inquiry made up of sitting judges,
instead of retired". Wall Street Journal.
18. "I do not own any company or property abroad: Maryam Nawaz". Samaa TV. April 4,
2016. http://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/2016/04/i-do-not-own-any-company-or-property-
abroad-maryam
19. "Nawaz's son owns London apartment, offshore companies". Express Tribune. 6 April
2006. http://tribune.com.pk/story/1060176/nawazs-son-owns-london-apartment-
offshore-companies/
20. Irfan Ghauri (15 April 2016). "All Pakistanis named in Panama Papers face probe".
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1084862/offshore-irregularities-all-pakistanis-named-in-
leaks-face-probe/
21. Malik, Hasnaat (8 November 2016). "Panamagate hearing: For SC, Sharif familys
inquiry is a priority".. Express. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1223821/panamagate-
hearing-sc-sharif-familys-inquiry-priority/ The Express Tribune
22. Vasilyeva, Natalya; Anderson, Mae (April 3, 2016). "News Group Claims Huge
Trove of Data on Offshore Accounts". The New York Times. Associated Press.
23. Cheema, Umer. "House of Sharifs Named In Panama Papers". Centre for
Investigative Reporting in Pakistan. CIRP.
24. Malik, Hasnaat (23 February 2017). "SC reserves judgment in Panamagate case". The
Express Tribune. Express Group.
25. Ali, Kalbe. "Profiles of JIT members". https://www.dawn.com/news/1331433
Dawn.com.
26. Bhatti, Haseeb. "Supreme Court finalises members of Panama case JIT, issues
operational directives". Dawn.com. https://www.dawn.com/news/1331269
27. Panama Papers Case Detailed Verdict". Scribd. Supreme Court of Pakistan. p. 5.
https://www.scribd.com/document/345738238/Supreme-Court-s-judgement-on-
Panama-case#from_embed
28. "Dawn Leaks: Inside story of PM Nawaz, army chiefs meeting".
www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
29. "Moving beyond the Dawn Leaks". The Nation. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
30. "Is Dawn Leaks notification an attempt to cover up truth? - The Express Tribune".
The Express Tribune. 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
31. "Dawn Leaks: Opposition demands for inquiry report to be presented in NA".
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
32. "DailyTimes | Govt wont make Dawn Leaks inquiry public: Nisar".
dailytimes.com.pk. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
33. "Dawn Leaks: Publishing of story govts failure, says inquiry report". www.geo.tv.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
34. "DailyTimes | Civil-military relations post-Dawn Leaks". dailytimes.com.pk.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
35. "Dawn Leaks: PM withdraws portfolio of Tariq Fatemi". www.geo.tv. Retrieved
2017-06-14.
36. "PM Nawaz meets COAS, Dawn Leaks among other issues discussed: sources".
www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
37. "Pakistan Army rejects govt notification on Dawn Leaks | SAMAA TV". Samaa TV.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
38. "Is Dawn Leaks notification an attempt to cover up truth? - The Express Tribune".
The Express Tribune. 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
39. "Dawn Leaks: We Do Not Need To Know Everything". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2017-
06-14.
40. "Dawn leaks report will be presented on Tuesday: Nisar | SAMAA TV". Samaa TV.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
41. "Issues between military and civilians on Dawn leaks resolved: Rafique".
www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
42. "Dawn Leaks: Maryam Nawaz stands vindicated". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved
2017-06-14.
43. "Fatemi on his way out over Dawn Leaks scandal". The Nation. Retrieved 2017-06-
14.
44. "DailyTimes | Aitzaz rejects govt stance on Dawn leaks". dailytimes.com.pk.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
45. "Dawn Leaks: Row over findings could widen civil-military gulf". The Nation.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
46. "Analysts appreciate settlement of Dawn Leaks issue". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2017-
06-14.
47. "Dawn Leaks: Action ordered against Cyril Almeida, Zaffar Abbas | SAMAA TV".
Samaa TV. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
48. "Quarters wanting clash between institutions doing politics on Dawn Leaks:
Marriyum | SAMAA TV". Samaa TV. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
49. Paracha, Nadeem F. (2016-10-27). "Sensational expos: Security leaks confirm 98.7%
Pakistanis are foreign agents". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
50. "DG ISPR regrets Dawn Leaks tweet, says PM is final authority | SAMAA TV".
Samaa TV. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
51. "Dawn Leaks: Civil-military tension persists". Business Recorder. Retrieved 2017-06-
14.
52. "Why Maryam Nawaz Name Not in Dawn Leaks Report? Journalist Asks DG ISPR".
www.unewstv.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
53. "The perpetual itch that led to Dawn Leaks". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
54. "Plugging Dawn leaks permanently". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
55. "DailyTimes | Requiem for DAWN Leaks". dailytimes.com.pk. Retrieved 2017-06-
14.
56. Uploader (2017-05-10). "Dawn Leaks Inquiry Committee recommendations released
officially". Associate Press Of Pakistan. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
57. "Syria's civil war explained from the beginning". www.aljazeera.com.
58. "Syria: The story of the conflict". 11 March 2016 via www.bbc.com.
59. Bulos, Nabih (5 January 2014). "Al Qaeda-linked group routed in Syrian rebel
infighting". Los Angeles Times.
60. Syria Comment Joshua Landis (21 February 2014). "Saudis And CIA Agree To
Arm Syrian 'Moderates' With Advanced Weapons OpEd Eurasia Review".
Eurasiareview.com.
61. Salloum, Raniah (10 October 2013). "From Jail to Jihad: Former Prisoners Fight in
Syrian Insurgency". Spiegel.
62. Katz, Whitney (13 January 2015). "JECC assists in the establishment of Combined
Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve" (Press release). JECC Public Affairs.
Retrieved 17 February 2017.
63. Andrew Tilghman,Military Times "The ISIS war has a new commander and ISIS
may be the least of his worries" August 21, 2016
64. Saleeby, Suzanne (16 February 2012). "Sowing the Seeds of Dissent: Economic
Grievances and the Syrian Social Contract's Unraveling". Jadaliyya.
65. Abdelaziz, Salma. "Syrian rebels blame 'heinous' executions on 'extremists'". CNN.
66. "Syria and Isis committing war crimes, says United Nations". 27 August 2014. ^ "UN
human rights probe panel reports continuing 'gross' violations in Syria". United
Nations. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
67. Phillips, David J. (1 January 2001). Peoples on the Move: Introducing the Nomads of
the World. William Carey Library. p. 301. ISBN 978-0-87808-352-7.
68. Worth, Robert F. (2016). A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir
Square to ISIS. Pan Macmillan. p. 228.
69. Hubbard, Anne Barnard, Ben; Fisher, Ian (15 April 2017). "As Atrocities Mount in
Syria, Justice Seems Out of Reach" via NYTimes.com.
70. Lundgren, Magnus (2016). "Mediation in Syria: Initiatives, strategies, and obstacles,
2011-2016". Contemporary Security Policy. 37: 283298.
71. "U.N. Security Council Unanimously Votes to Adopt Frances Counterterrorism
Resolution". The Wall Street Journal. 20 November 2015.
72. "North Korean missile fired ahead of US-China summit". BBC News. 2017-04-05.
Retrieved 2017-04-05.
73. Park, Ju-min; Kim, Jack (2017-04-05). "N.Korea test-fires missile into sea ahead of
Trump-Xi summit". Reuters India. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
74. "North Korean Missile Launch". www.state.gov. April 4, 2017.
75. Paula Hancocks, Barbara Starr and Steve Almasy (April 16, 2017). "North Korean
missile test fails, US and South Korea say". CNN.
76. Courtney Kube, Stella Kim (April 16, 2017). "North Korean Missile Launch Fails
Almost Immediately, U.S. Military Says". NBC News. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
77. Kevin Bohn (April 16, 2017). "McMaster: All options on table in regard to North
Korea". CNN.
78. "North Korea missile test: regime has 'disrespected China', says Trump". The
Guardian. April 29, 2017.
79. "North Korea crisis: North in another 'failed' missile launch". BBC News. April 29,
2017.
80. "North Korea carries out new ballistic missile test". 14 May 2017 via
www.bbc.co.uk.
81. "N. Korea fires 4 anti-ship missiles as tensions simmer". NewsBytes.
82. "Power generation reaches 18,871MW, Pakistan soon to become load shedding free:
Asif Dispatch News Desk". Dispatch News Desk. 2017-06-13. Retrieved 2017-06-
14.
83. "Prolonged load shedding: SC issues notice to K-Electric". The Nation. Retrieved
2017-06-14.
84. "Khawaja Asif says the government is close to achieve the target of load shedding-
free Pakistan". Radio Pakistan. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
85. "Looking beyond load-shedding - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2017-
06-09. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
86. "Generation shortfall reduces to 15.4pc in June: Minister". The Nation. Retrieved
2017-06-14.
87. "Power cuts in Karachi continue as authorities remain silent". The Nation. Retrieved
2017-06-14.
88. "Uninterrupted power supply to industries demanded". The Nation. Retrieved 2017-
06-14.
89. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2017-06-08). "Industrial loadshedding in Karachi
slammed". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
90. "Ministry fails to satisfy PM over power outages". Daily Times. Retrieved 2017-06-
14.
91. "Net metering can end power load shedding". The Nation. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
92. "SHC questions K-Electric on measures taken to curtail load shedding". www.geo.tv.
Retrieved 2017-06-14.
93. "CCE meeting: PM expresses dissatisfaction over management of power load
shedding - Pakistan - Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
94. "IESCO announces new loadshedding schedule for Ramazan - Pakistan - Dunya
News". dunyanews.tv. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
95. Jump up ^ Sherani, Tahir (2017-06-05). "Power shortfall surpasses 5,250MW,
resulting in increased loadshedding". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
96. Webmaster (2017-06-02). "Feeders with 90pc loss subjected to loadshedding: Abid -
Pakistan Observer". Pakistan Observer. Retrieved 2017-06-14.